chapter 5 -Marked Twice

Racheal walked slowly toward the private chamber at the rear of the packhouse, where the Omega had said Kade was waiting. Each step felt like dragging chains. Her wolf bristled with nerves and anticipation—conflicted, coiled, restless.

She paused at the door, hand hovering above the handle.

Breathe.

Be strong.

Don’t let him see you break.

She stepped in.

Alpha Kade stood by the tall windows, his broad frame cloaked in shadows. He hadn’t removed his coat—still covered in forest dirt, like he’d come straight from the cliff and refused to stop moving. His silver eyes flicked toward her, unreadable.

“Close the door,” he said.

She obeyed.

He turned fully to face her, and for a long moment, neither of them spoke.

Racheal was the first to break. “I didn’t go looking for him.”

“I know,” Kade said flatly. “But that doesn’t change the fact that it happened.”

The silence that followed pressed like iron on her chest.

He crossed the room with controlled, predatory grace, stopping just in front of her. Close enough that the bond between them pulsed again, demanding connection. Her skin prickled with heat.

“You’re mine,” he said quietly. “I felt you before I saw you. The bond—our bond—it’s not something I can ignore.”

“I’m not ignoring it,” she replied, voice shaking slightly. “But I can’t ignore the other one either.”

Kade’s jaw clenched. “You were already mine, Racheal. We were going to unite the packs. You were meant to be my Luna.”

Her eyes flicked up to his. “Was I meant to be your Luna, or was I just the politically convenient mate?”

He flinched at that. A muscle in his cheek twitched.

“I never saw you as a tool,” he said. “You’re strong. Fierce. You were the only wolf I’ve ever respected before the bond.”

“And now?”

“Now you’re slipping through my fingers, and I don’t know how to stop it.”

The raw honesty in his voice caught her off guard.

She looked away. “I don’t want to hurt you, Kade.”

“Then don’t choose him.”

Her heart stuttered. The room suddenly felt too small.

“You know I can’t make that decision yet,” she said.

He stepped forward, gripping her wrist—not rough, but firm. His touch sent a jolt up her arm, the bond responding instantly.

“What happens next will shape everything, Racheal. Your pack. My pack. Him.”

She pulled her hand back. “You don’t own me, Kade. The Moon may have chosen you, but I didn’t. Not yet.”

That broke something in his expression. The glint of power in his eyes dulled, revealing something far more dangerous: hurt.

“I won’t share you,” he said. “And I won’t beg for you either.”

She nodded, chest tight. “Then this will only get harder.”

He looked at her for a long time, like memorizing a version of her he knew he was losing.

Then, without another word, he turned and walked out.

Racheal stood alone in the chamber, the scent of pine and power still lingering in the air. Her heart pounded. Two bonds. Two wolves. Two futures.

And no clear way forward.