Chapter 7

Cain turned slowly at the sound of her voice.

Aria stood in the doorway now, one hand gripping the wooden frame for balance, Lynn stood behind her, looking all nervous and anxiously as she fiddled with her cloth.

Aria moved forward a little, her eyes seat hing for answers. "What do you mean..." she repeated, her still gaze locked on Kael, "...by saying I called you mate?"

Silence dropped.

Cain stepped forward immediately, blocking her from seeing Kael. "Aria, you shouldn’t be out of bed. Lady Mana said you need absolute rest." he said, trying to change the topic.

She didn't look at him, instead she went in front of him. "Answer me, Kael."

Kael's lips curved into a small dangerous smile. "You don’t remember?"

Aria frowned. "Remember what?"

"Kael!" Cain growled silently.

"You collapsed in my arms,'Kael said softly. “Your body reacted to me. Your wolf reacted to me. And you called me mate before you passed out. You claimed me as yours?"

Cain's hand curled into a fist. "Enough."

Aria’s chest rose sharply, she shifted back slightly, her breath hot, as her head spun with doubt. She kept looking everywhere but them.

She blinked rapidly, shaking her head slight. "I said that?"

"Yes," Kael replied without removing his gaze from her. "You did. You want me, don't you? Your wolf does baby girl."

Silence stretched.

Aria shook her head slowly. "That doesn’t make sense."

"Aria, don't think too much about it. You said it because you remembered the painful feeling of the rejection and it was because Kael was the first person your wolf opened up to but when he rejected you." Cain explained, grabbing her hands and pulling her closer.

"Your wolf shut down carrying residual echoes of his rejection.But the contact between you and him, opened up the old wound which you thought you had forgotten which caused so much pain and made your wolf reach out to what it had once known, before it shut down and went dormant."

Lynn gasped silently, watching everything that was going on from behind.

Kael growled, facing Cain. "That's not true. She want me." he said, then faced Aria. "Aria believe me..."

He grabbed her free hand that Cain wasn't holding. "Believe me, I'm your only redemption. I'm the one you need right now. I'm your true mate." he rushed his words staring nervously at Aria.

"Shut up." Aria roared. Her voice loud and inhumane, echoing through the walls of the palace making the place shake.

Her head began to ache– slow at first, then sharper, throbbing and harsh.

Suddenly silver light flickered briefly in her pupils before it finally began to glow. She sucked in a breath, her body trembling as a strange sensation swam through her veins– wild, untamed, powerful. Her wolf was trying to force it way out.

"Aria!" Cain called and quickly removed her hands from Kael's. "I will make myself clear. Don't touch her." he warned Kael before letting his attention fall back to Aria who let out a loud shrilling cry filled with pain.

"Arrrrggghh." she screamed, twisting her body in different way like someone who exorcism is being performed on.

Kael moved forward trying to touch her, but Lynn was quick to stop him, casting a glazer glare at him. "Forgive my impudence Alpha Kael, but you have no right to touch her unless authorized by Alpha Cain himself.".

He blinked in disbelief.

"Aria," Cain said urgently, grabbing her two arms and pulling her closer. "Calm down. I'm here with you."

"Don't force it, just calm down. You can do it mama." he whispered softly into her ears.

Tears began to gush out of her eyes, her body shook violently.

Lynn stared worriedly, covering her mouth with her hand to prevent her from crying while still holding Kael's hand.

Kael watched, his mouth opened refusing to close. He couldn't move, couldn't talk. He wanted to do something, he wanted to help, but he could only watch.

Aria cried out, trying to break herself free, but Cain pulled her closer, into a tight hug.

"Mama, I'm here. Just calm down. I'm never letting you go Aria." He muttered lowly.

His words struck deep into her, hitting her unsettled wolf. It calmed down, recoiling back gently as it soften to the voice it had just heard.

Aria's body began to calm down, her temperature began to come down. She inhaled and exhaled heavily, then softly after several moment.

"Cain." she whispered hugging him back.

"Yeah it's me baby." he replied.

Lynn and Kael sighed in relief.

********

Cain stood at the center of the dim room, a large wooden table between him and the four people he trusted with his life.

Beta Max, sharp eyes, sharp jawline with calm face.

Gamma Ray, broad, steady, eyes sharp with loyalty.

Beside him was Nyx, commander of the warriors, her posture rigid, expression unreadable. She is the youngest female warrior of the pack but the best at what she does.

And leaning slightly against the wall was Kade, chief commander of the warriors– the Silent Blade of the pack.

Cain’s voice was low yet dangerous loud.

"You guys have a special assignments." he said, "Kael is not to be allowed anywhere near Aria."

Nyx’s jaw tightened. Alpha Kael? Is he still bothering the Luna." she asked.

Cain nodded once. "He us a great threat against Aria as well as the pack."

Max spoke, his voice calm and sharp. "But how can we protect the Luna,we each have other task's to do."

Ray nodded.

"You will assign those you trust to watch over Aria when you are busy, but when you are not... you will watch over her."

"I will protect the Luna with all of my life." Nyx bowed slightly.

Ray and Max chorused it also and bowed.

All this while Kade was quiet and never said a word. He only bowed in acknowledgement that he understood everything that was been said.

Cain’s eyes darkened a little. "If you see any sign of her losing control, pain, heat, you report without any delay. No hesitation at all."

The four of them nodded. "Yes Alpha," they chorused except Kade.

Silence followed and Cain sighed in exasperation.

Lady Mana’s words echoed in his head, words he had tried to ignore. Words he thought wouldn't need him to take serious action.

"If her wolf comes out forcefully… it will want Kael."

Cain clenched his fists.

"That would never happen. Aria is mine. I will protect her and her wolf. I won't let her go back to the same person he once broke her."

He didn’t say his thought out because he didn’t need to.

All he needed was to take action if not his bond with Aria will shatter and he wasn't sure he would survive that.