Chapter Four

Kael’s POV

Lauren's voice was low as she spoke. “She’s a strong one, Alpha, " she said as her face wore that calm smile it always has.”Her wounds are deep, and she’s lost too much blood. Another night out there and she wouldn’t have made it.”

Her words cut through me more than I expected.

I stood near the door, my arms crossed as I wore an unbothered look. The room was filled with the smell of herbs and smoke. The healer, Lauren, moved around the stranger’s bed with her ever-so-gentle hands, dressing the cuts on her face.

Every time she winced in pain, a tight knot formed in my heart.

“She needs rest,” Lauren said. “Lots of it.”She looks like she hasn't had it for a long time,” Lauren said, with a pitiful face as she stared at her.

I nodded once. “Thanks.”

When the door closed, I walked slowly, going closer to her bed, my gaze resting on her small face. I stared at the strange woman in front of me — a stranger… who made me feel something forbidden.

I didn’t know her name yet, but I couldn't explain what I felt–why I kept feeling like I had known her forever. It felt strong, to keep thinking of her this way.

Her skin was pale, with little beads of sweat on her forehead. The cold must have burned through her skin."You must have been in the cold for a while,” I muttered, my eyebrows furrowed as I studied her face. She looked frail. Her lips parted slightly as she breathed.

Raze stirred beneath my skin. She's hurt.

“Why should it bother us,” I said quietly.

We should have been there, Raze snarled. We should have protected her.

“You didn't even know she existed until tonight,” I snapped back, but it didn’t matter. The guilt I felt every time I looked at her, the sharp pain in my heart was all too real.

I clenched my fists, I needed to be in control. But every time I looked at her face, calm and defenceless, the beast in me stirred again — violent, restless, desperate to burn whoever had hurt her.

I couldn’t stay in that room any longer.

I turned and left before I did something I’d regret.

---

The night air outside was cold, rubbing against my skin. I grabbed my horse and rode as fast as I could into the woods. I needed space away from here, away from her.

The forest darkened around me. The moon was oddly bright today–usually the moon looked like this only on a full moon.

My mind was a mess, flashes of her face, her faint breaths, her wounded body lying helpless in the dirt, haunted me, tightened my grip on the reins of my horse until my knuckles turned white.

Raze clawed at my control, his voice a snarl in my head. You let her suffer. You let them hurt her.

“She’s nothing to us,” I said through gritted teeth. “She’s not our responsibility.”

Liar.

The word burned.

I stopped at the ocean, my heart pounding. I aligned and dismounted from my horse. I rushed to the water and splashed my face with it. Maybe it would quench the fire burning deep inside me. I stared at my reflection in the water, it wasn’t that of an Alpha in control. It was the face of a restless man. A man losing control, my eyes glowed bright red, Raze wanted full control. My jaw tightened, and I felt so much rage inside me.

I closed my eyes and took a long breath. “You need to calm down.”

No you need to accept her.”Raze's voice echoes inside me”

“Never.”

But the conviction in my voice wavered.

---

I didn't hear Darian’s approach until his horse stopped a few feet behind me.

“You’ve been gone for hours,” he said. “The pack’s restless. They don’t understand why she’s here.”

I stayed silent, watching as the water flowed.

He dismounted and came closer, folding his arms. Darian had been with me for years. He always knew when something was wrong, and he never shut up about it. Unfortunately, this was one of the times he refused to stay quiet.

“Is it wise, Kael?” he asked. “Bringing a stranger into our castle? For all we know, she could be an enemy sent to spy on our pack. Or worse, she could be working for Hayden.”

At the mention of that name, my jaw tightened. Hayden.. the bastard who murdered my entire family. He had led the Duskwatch Pack who ambushed our pack. My rival. My enemy. The one who ruined my life.

“She’s not one of his,” I said flatly.

Darian raised a brow. “You sound certain.”

I turned to face him. “I found her near the border, half-dead. Hayden wouldn’t leave one of his own like that. He’s too careful.”

“Maybe it’s a trap.”

“Then I’ll use it against him.”

He sighed. “Kael, the council already questions your judgment. If they find out you’re harbouring an outsider they__”

“She’s not just an outsider,” I cut in, sharper than intended.

Darian blinked. “Then what is she?”

I looked away, unable to answer.

After a moment, I said, “She’ll stay here..for now. As long as I need her to. If she’s from Hayden, then she’ll be useful to me. Think of her as a hostage, if that makes you sleep better.”

He frowned. “A hostage?”

I nodded. “A bargaining chip. I can use her to get to him.”

It sounded cold enough, logical— but even I didn't believe that.

Darian studied me for a moment, then gave a slow nod. “If that’s your plan, I’ll make sure the guards are doubled near her quarters so she won't try to escape.”

“Good.”

He started to leave, but paused. “One more thing.”

I glanced at him.

“She’s not just a hostage to you, is she?”

His tone was quiet, but it hit harder than a blow.

My silence was answer enough.

Darian gave a small, knowing smile and mounted his horse. “Be careful, Kael. I’ve seen what happens when you care about something. You fight the world for it — or burn it down.”

He rode off before I could respond.

---

The forest fell silent again. I stood there for a long time, thinking of what Darian said.

“Care”, I muttered. The word felt foreign, almost dangerous.

I didn’t care about her. I couldn’t.

But when I closed my eyes, all I saw was her — lying pale and wounded under the tree, the way her lips moved when she breathed, the faint scent that still clung to my skin.

Raze rumbled softly, calmer now. She’s part of us, Kael. Whether you want her or not.

I stared up at the stars, my voice low. “If that’s true, then the Goddess has a cruel sense of humour.”

Then I turned back toward the castle,

Whatever she was — a survivor, a pawn, or something far more dangerous — she was here now.

And I would find out why fate had brought her to me.