CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

“You’re slowly becoming one.”

Beta Nial’s voice came from behind me. It was calm, almost tired, like he had already accepted whatever conclusion he was drawing.

Alpha Kael did not slow.

He walked a few steps ahead, hands relaxed at his sides, movements steady and unhurried. His cloak barely stirred, as if the wind itself chose not to touch him.

“One what?” Alpha Kael asked.

“A tyrant,” Nial replied.

Alpha Kael hummed softly.

“A tyrant,” he repeated. “That sounds interesting.”

Something shifted.

I noticed it in the guards first. The men ahead kept glancing back, faces tight, hands restless on their weapons. They were not reacting to danger in front of us.

They were reacting to him.

My throat went dry.

Not because of the word tyrant.

But because Alpha Kael sounded amused.

They kept walking.

Fast.

Not rushed, not careless. Just fast enough that my steps had to shorten to keep up.

My breathing grew shallow. I focused on the ground, telling myself it was nothing, but my legs burned and my chest felt tight, like my body was slipping out of rhythm.

I was falling behind.

The space between us stretched.

I saw the guards glance back again.

Then Alpha Kael stopped.

So suddenly that everyone stopped with him.

The quiet pressed in.

Alpha Kael turned just enough to look at me.

He did not frown. He did not speak.

He simply walked back.

Each step felt deliberate.

Measured.

My heartbeat picked up without permission.

He stopped in front of me and reached out.

His hand closed around mine.

Firm.

Certain.

A small sound slipped from my throat before I could stop it.

Warmth spread from my palm up my arm, settling into my chest. The restless pressure I had been carrying eased, like something inside me had finally steadied.

My shoulders dropped while my breathing slowed.

Alpha Kael turned and began walking again, still holding my hand.

But now he walked slower.

So slow that my steps matched his easily.

So slow it felt intentional.

I stayed beside him, quiet.

Then I noticed the looks.

Guards pretending not to stare.

Heads turning away too quickly.

Whispers stopping the moment we passed.

Heat rushed to my face.

Only then did it register how we must look.

Two figures walking side by side.

Hands joined.

Unhurried.

Close.

My grip tensed.

Alpha Kael glanced down.

The corner of his mouth lifted.

“You finally noticed,” he said lightly.

He leaned closer.

“Little cat.”

My face burned hotter.

I looked away, embarrassed, my heart beating too fast for something that was supposed to be practical.

This was just to keep me stable.

That was all.

That had to be all.

x x x

The border smelled wrong.

Metal. Blood. Burnt earth.

The wind cut across the open land, sharp and restless. Somewhere ahead, chains clinked softly.

Alpha Kael did not let go of my hand.

The warriors were already there, spread along the border in a loose line. When Alpha Kael stepped forward, every one of them straightened at once. Conversations stopped mid-word, boots shifted into attention, and heads bowed in quiet respect.

A senior warrior dropped to one knee.

“My lord. It was sighted near the eastern boundary before dawn.”

Another spoke quickly. “It attacked livestock. Then a patrol. It did not behave like a normal wolf.”

“It did not retreat.”

“It did not respond to dominance.”

One gestured ahead. “We restrained it with silver. For now.”

Alpha Kael listened without interrupting.

His grip on my hand stayed steady.

The sound of chains grew louder. My chest felt heavy, pulled forward, like something was waiting.

We rounded the broken fence, and I saw a wolf ahead of us. It was large and powerful, but…something about it was wrong.

Its body twitched in sharp movements, muscles locking and releasing. Thick silver chains wrapped around its legs and torso, biting deep into flesh. Burn marks scarred its fur. Blood darkened the ground beneath it.

Its chest heaved.

Its breath came fast and uneven.

Its eyes lifted.

Wild.

Unfocused.

Not whole.

Then it looked at me.

Something slammed into my chest.

Anger.

Pain.

Desperation.

My fingers curled without thinking.

I wanted to move.

To go closer.

To… touch it.

My foot shifted.

The wolf lunged.

Chains snapped tight. Iron stakes groaned. Silver bit deeper, and blood splattered against the dirt.

Guards shouted.

Weapons rose.

“Pull her back!”

“Get her away from it!”

My heart slammed painfully against my ribs.

Not fear.

Something sharper.

Something pulling forward.

‘I didn’t call it.’

The wolf strained harder, eyes locked on me, desperate in a way that made my chest ache.

Then Alpha Kael looked up.

That was all.

He did not move.

He did not speak.

But the air changed.

It pressed down, sudden and absolute.

The wolf slammed into the ground.

Crushed.

Limbs splayed. A sharp whine tore from its throat. The chains rattled once, then went still.

The earth beneath it cracked.

Silence tore through the border.

No one breathed.

“He didn’t even touch it…” someone whispered.

The pressure remained.

Heavy.

Unmoving.

The wolf trembled, chest heaving, unable to rise.

Alpha Kael stepped forward.

Slow.

Measured.

The weight lifted only when he moved in front of me.

His hand found mine again.

Firm.

Grounding.

My breath shook as I finally let it out.

Alpha Kael did not even look at the wolf. As if whatever happened had nothing to do with him.

He looked at the warriors.

“Close your mouths. Flies might fly inside,” he said.

His voice was calm.

Colder than anger.

The pressure vanished.

The wolf sagged into the dirt, unconscious but breathing. Ironically? The warriors looked like they swallowed a fly.

Alpha Kael turned slightly, his shoulder brushing mine.

I felt his presence settle again, steady and controlled.

The wolf lay broken and still behind him.

Alpha Kael stood in front of me.

He did not let go of my hand.