Chapter 4

The moment Kieran moved, everything changed.

The forest that had been still a second ago erupted into motion like it had been waiting for this exact moment. The air itself felt heavier, charged with something invisible but dangerous.

Eli barely had time to process what was happening before Kieran was no longer standing beside him.

He was in front.

Between Eli and the three men.

It was so fast that Eli almost doubted his own eyes.

“…What the hell,” Eli whispered under his breath.

One of the strangers laughed softly, as if amused.

“So fast,” he said. “As expected of the Alpha King.”

Eli’s head snapped toward Kieran at that word again.

Alpha King.

That title didn’t make sense to him, but the way those men said it—like it meant something powerful, something feared—made his stomach tighten.

Kieran didn’t respond.

His posture had changed completely.

Gone was the calm, unreadable expression from before.

Now there was something sharper.

Dangerous.

Controlled violence.

Eli took an instinctive step back, his chest tightening again as that strange pull reacted to Kieran’s presence. But now it was mixed with something else.

Fear.

Because whatever was about to happen… he was standing too close to it.

The man in front of Kieran stepped forward slightly.

“We didn’t come for a fight,” he said casually.

Kieran’s voice came low.

“Leave.”

Just one word.

Cold.

Final.

But the man only smiled.

“That’s unfortunate.”

The next second, everything exploded.

One of the men moved first—too fast for a normal human. Eli barely saw the motion before Kieran reacted.

A blur.

A clash of force.

The impact sent a shock through the air, making nearby leaves shake violently.

Eli stumbled back.

“What the—”

Before he could finish, another one of the attackers rushed from the side.

Eli’s breath caught.

“Behind you!”

But Kieran didn’t turn.

He didn’t need to.

His arm shot out behind him, grabbing the attacker mid-motion.

There was a sharp sound—like bone meeting pressure—and the man dropped instantly to the ground, groaning.

Eli’s eyes widened.

“…That’s not human,” he whispered.

The remaining attacker clicked his tongue.

“So strong… but predictable.”

Kieran finally turned his head slightly.

And for the first time, Eli saw it.

Kieran’s eyes weren’t just calm anymore.

They were colder.

Heavier.

Like something inside him had fully awakened.

The man who was still standing raised his hand slightly.

A dark energy-like aura flickered around him—not fully visible, but Eli could feel it in his bones. The air itself felt wrong.

Eli stepped back again instinctively.

“What is that…?” he whispered.

The man smirked.

“Let’s see if the Alpha King is still as untouchable as the stories say.”

He moved.

This time, even Eli couldn’t follow it.

It was faster than before—faster than anything human should be able to do.

But Kieran moved too.

The collision was violent.

A shockwave of force rippled through the ground, making Eli lose his balance completely.

He fell back, catching himself on the dirt.

His breathing quickened.

“This is insane… this is completely insane…”

He had seen fights before.

Arguments.

Even violence in the village.

But nothing like this.

Nothing that felt like the forest itself was reacting to it.

Kieran pushed the attacker back with a single motion, but the man recovered quickly, sliding across the ground before standing again.

He wiped his mouth lightly.

“You’re stronger than expected,” he admitted. “But you’re distracted.”

His gaze shifted.

Directly to Eli.

Eli froze.

“…Me?”

The man smiled slightly.

“That human is your weakness.”

Kieran’s expression darkened instantly.

The temperature in the air dropped.

Eli felt it clearly.

Something inside Kieran snapped slightly—not out of control, but sharpened. Focused.

Dangerous.

Kieran spoke quietly.

“Don’t look at him.”

The man chuckled.

“Why? Afraid?”

Kieran didn’t answer.

Instead, he moved again.

But this time, the attacker anticipated it.

A force slammed into Kieran’s side, sending him sliding back a few steps.

Eli’s eyes widened.

“Kieran—!”

He didn’t even realize he said his name out loud.

Kieran steadied himself immediately, but Eli saw it.

A slight shift in his stance.

A small opening.

The man noticed too.

“He’s not fully stable,” the attacker said. “The bond is affecting him.”

Eli frowned, confused despite everything.

“Bond…?”

The man looked at him now.

“Didn’t he tell you? You’re linked to him.”

Eli’s chest tightened again at the mention.

“I don’t understand any of this!”

The attacker tilted his head.

“You will.”

He raised his hand again—and this time, the pressure in the air grew heavier.

Eli felt it instantly.

His knees weakened slightly.

“…I can’t breathe properly,” he muttered.

Kieran turned sharply.

And for the first time, his voice wasn’t calm.

“Don’t touch him.”

The man smiled wider.

“So it matters.”

He took a step forward.

And then—

Eli felt it.

A sudden pull.

Stronger than before.

Violent.

Like something inside him was being yanked.

“Ah—!”

Eli dropped to one knee, clutching his chest.

Pain—not physical, but internal—shot through him.

“What is this—!”

Kieran moved instantly.

Faster than before.

Angrier than before.

The attacker tried to react, but Kieran was already there.

A single strike.

The man was thrown backward violently into a tree.

Silence fell for half a second.

Only broken breathing remained.

Eli stayed on the ground, trying to regain his breath.

Kieran stood between him and the attackers again.

But now his voice was lower.

Dangerous in a different way.

“I warned you.”

The remaining man slowly stood, wiping blood from his lip.

“…So it’s true,” he said quietly. “You’re already this attached to the human.”

Kieran didn’t respond.

But the air around him changed again.

He stepped forward slightly.

And said only one thing:

“Leave.”

This time, the man hesitated.

For the first time.

Then slowly backed away.

“…This isn’t over.”

And just like that, they disappeared into the forest shadows.

The silence that followed felt heavier than before.

Eli remained on the ground for a moment longer, trying to steady his breathing.

Kieran turned slowly toward him.

Eli looked up.

Their eyes met.

And for the first time, Eli didn’t look away immediately.

“…What are you really?” Eli asked quietly.

Kieran didn’t answer right away.

Then he stepped closer.

The pull in Eli’s chest reacted instantly again—but this time, it wasn’t painful.

It was… steady.

Kieran stopped in front of him.

And said quietly:

“You’re alive because of me.”

Eli swallowed.

“…That’s not an answer.”

Kieran’s gaze softened just slightly.

“But it is the truth.”