Five

CHAPTER 5

Kael's change happened instantly. One moment, he was a gentle and vulnerable man; the next, he transformed into an authoritative and dangerous figure. His aura completely changed—from warm to cold and frightening.

"What?" he asked sharply.

Marcus glanced at me briefly as if hesitant to speak in front of me. "There's a problem at the northern border. Just as we feared."

Kael's jaw tightened. "How many?"

"Three, maybe four. They've gone now, but they left... a mark."

I felt the tension in the air as if an unknown danger was threatening. "What's going on?" I asked.

Kael looked at me, and for a moment, I saw something wild and dangerous flare in his gray eyes. But then he controlled himself, and his expression returned to normal.

"Nothing you need to worry about," he said, but his tone was unconvincing. "Just a problem with... wild predators."

I didn't believe it. There was something bigger than just wild predators that made Marcus and Kael look so tense.

Kael stood up, his body tense as if ready to fight. "Marcus, gather the others. We need to patrol tonight."

"Already arranged, Boss."

Kael looked at me, the conflict clearly visible on his face. "Aria, I have to—"

"Go," I said, standing up. "I understand. This is your ranch, you have responsibilities."

But Kael didn't move. Instead, he stepped closer to me, his hand holding my arm gently but possessively.

"I don't want to leave you," he said, frustrated. "Especially not now, not when we've just started..."

"Kael," I interrupted softly. "I'll be fine. I'm not a child."

He looked at me with an intense gaze as if memorizing every detail of my face. "Marcus will take you home. Don't go anywhere alone tonight, okay?"

There was urgency in his voice that made me worried. "Kael, what's really going on?"

Before he could answer, Elena appeared on the terrace. "Kael, they're already gathered."

Kael cursed softly. He looked at me once more, and then, without warning, he stepped forward and kissed my forehead. His kiss was gentle but full of unspoken emotions—fear, possession, and something deeper.

"Be careful," he whispered on my forehead. "I'll contact you later."

Then he left, leaving me with Marcus, who smiled knowingly.

"He's never been like this before," Marcus commented as he took his car keys. "You've really made him lose his mind."

I touched my forehead where Kael kissed me, still feeling the warmth of his lips. "What do you mean?"

"Kael is always controlled, always calm in facing problems. But since meeting you, he's like... different. More human, if I may say so."

Marcus's words confused me. More human? What did he mean by that?

The ride back to my apartment was in comfortable silence. Marcus occasionally talked about the ranch and how Kael was a good boss, but my mind was still stuck on the earlier incident.

Something was wrong. Kael and Marcus's reaction to the "problem at the northern border" was too intense for just wild predators. And the way everyone at the ranch looked at Kael—like he was not just a boss, but a leader in a deeper sense.

"Marcus," I said as we were almost at my apartment. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"What really happened at the ranch earlier? And don't say it was just wild predators. I can feel there's something bigger."

Marcus was silent for a moment, gripping the steering wheel tighter. "You need to ask Kael directly about that, Aria. It's not my place to tell you."

"But—"

"What I can say is, Kael will do anything to protect you. We all will. You're important to him, and that makes you important to us too."

Marcus's words made me even more confused. Why did I suddenly become important to people I just met?

When Marcus dropped me off at my apartment door, he looked back with a serious expression.

"Aria, I'm serious about what Kael said earlier. Don't go out alone tonight. And if anything strange happens, whatever it is, contact Kael or me immediately."

He gave me his business card and his phone number. "This is my personal number. Don't hesitate to call."

After Marcus left, I entered the apartment with a chaotic mind. I put my bag on the sofa and walked to the window overlooking the forest.

The sun was beginning to set, and shadows lengthened among the trees. For some reason, the forest that looked beautiful earlier now felt frightening.

I touched my forehead again, still feeling the warmth of Kael's kiss. In one day, my life had completely changed. The man I just met yesterday had already made me feel things I had never felt before.

But there was something he was hiding. Something big and possibly dangerous.

And somehow, I felt I was already too deeply involved to turn back now.

The clock showed 11 PM, but I still couldn't sleep. I had tried everything—hot baths, chamomile tea, even boring books—but my mind kept drifting to Kael and today's events.

The kiss on my forehead still felt warm. The way he looked at me when he said he'd been waiting for me his whole life. Especially the drastic change in him when Marcus brought news about the "problem at the northern border."

I got up from bed and walked to the window. The full moon shone brightly in the sky, illuminating the forest with a mystical silver light. The view was beautiful yet frightening.

As I looked into the forest, I began to feel something strange. It was like something was calling me, pulling me out into the darkness among the trees. The feeling was so strong that I had to hold onto the window frame to restrain myself.

What is happening to me?

Suddenly, I heard a sound—or rather, felt the sound inside my head. A long, heart-wrenching howl, full of longing and calling.

My heart raced. I knew that sound. Somehow, I knew.

I closed my eyes, and suddenly, I was no longer in the apartment. I was running in the forest, my bare feet touching the damp ground. The full moon above me felt like home, and I felt free in a way I never had before.

In front of me, I saw a large black wolf with shiny fur. Its golden eyes made me feel a deep connection—like recognizing a lost talisman.

The wolf approached, and I was not afraid. Instead, I reached out my hand, and it touched its nose to my palm. Warmth spread from that touch, and I felt an overwhelming peace.

"You're home," whispered a voice in my head. "Finally, you're home."

I woke up gasping, cold sweat soaking my body. The dream felt so real—I could still feel the wolf's nose touch on my palm, still smell the forest and damp earth.

I got up and walked to the window again, hoping the night air would calm my chaotic mind.

But as I looked into the forest, my heart almost stopped beating.

There, at the edge of the forest, stood a large black wolf. Even from this distance, I could see its eyes glinting gold under the moonlight.

Familiar eyes. Eyes I had seen before.

Gray eyes that turned golden.

Kael.

The wolf stared at me for several seconds, which felt like an eternity, then slowly retreated into the darkness of the forest and disappeared.

I stepped back from the window, my hands trembling. My heart was pounding so hard I could hear it in my ears.

This is impossible. Wolves can't have eyes like humans. And those eyes couldn't be Kael's... But deep down, in the most primitive part of me, I knew what I had just seen.

And I knew my life would never be the same again.