Chapter 4: The Cage of Mercy

He shouldn’t be here.

Ashryn stepped forward, the silence breaking just enough to be noticed. His gaze remained low, his steps matching Kaelor’s without a word. Flames from torches lit the rocky path, one after another burning brightly. Groups of wolves stood watching, as still as the night surrounding them.

“After everything that happened at the ceremony—”

Alpha must have lost his mind.

Fingers curled tightly, Ashryn fought the sting. Each syllable crawled beneath his skin like a living thing. Behind him, Kaelor’s palm pressed warmly against his spine—silent, steady, urging him forward.

Fine by me, Kaelor murmured.

Of course, he would think it was simple. The whispers never mentioned his name. Quiet moments held words intended for someone else.

They climbed the worn stones toward the long shed at the top. The firelight flickered on its windows, with black beams framing each pane. This was unfamiliar territory for Ashryn—places like this were never meant for omegas. Their usual spots were tucked far in the back, cramped spaces that barely shielded them from the wind.

Kaelor entered the room, pushing aside the heavy wooden doors. Ashryn’s breath caught at the sight before her. Above, the ceiling soared steeply, timber beams interlacing high overhead. Draped over the stone walls were cloths embroideredwith ancient scenes of kinship and fading bloodlines.

“This is the path,” said Kaelor, his voice firm and clear—a tone that left no room for doubt.

They moved down a hallway illuminated by the warm glow of old oil lamps. Footsteps echoed against the smooth stone floor beneath them. Concentrating intently, Ashryn memorized every twist and doorway—clues carefully hidden for the moment he would need to disappear.

Running was his only chance; it had to happen.

Halfway down the corridor, Kaelor stopped in front of a narrow door and swung it open. Inside, the space seemed to steal the last breath from Ashryn, like a sudden plunge.

A vast space extended, unadorned by any ceiling decoration. Along one side rested a wide bed, heaped with thick furs and heavy black cloth. Beyond the clear glass panes, trees filled the view, the glass so clean it seemed to disappear into the air. Light flickered from the hearth, where fresh flames danced, casting shifting shadows across every surface.

is where I stay, Kaelor said. Near the wall stood a small door. He moved toward it slowly. Inside, it looked warm and dimly lit. he added, one belongs to you.

Beyond the door, a cramped space unfolded—larger than any shelter he had ever known. Inside, a proper mattress lay in place, not just straw. Light filtered through glass panes set into the wall, and the floorboards were free of dust.

He hadn’t intended to sound so sharp, but the question came out that way nonetheless.

“Why are you giving me this?” Ashryn gestured toward the space. “You could have put me anywhere—locked me in the basement, chained me up. So why—?”

“Is that what you believe I want?” Kaelor’s expression darkened. “To bind you in chains?”

“I don’t know what you want,” Ashryn said, his voice rising despite himself. “You rejected me. Humiliated me. And nowyou drag me back here, giving me a room connected to yours as if I were some kind of prize. What am I supposed to think?”

In just three steps, Kaelor closed the distance—reaching out before Ashryn could pull away. A stumble backward did little to help. His grip locked firmly around her wrist, pressure steady, a silent refusal to let go lingering beyond the brief pause.

“You’re under my protection now,” Kaelor said, his voice deliberate and firm. “That means staying close—where I can see you, where nothing can harm you.”

“That sounds like a prison.

“It’s mercy,” Kaelor said as he released his wrist. “The pack wants you gone; some even want you dead. This is the only way to keep you safe.”

No stones could have caused more pain than those words did. A tightness grew in Ashryn’s chest. The truth? The pack despised him—he had always known it—but now, hearing it spoken aloud, the reality sank even deeper. With that voice, everything shifted, if only slightly.

“Then let me leave,” Ashryn whispered. “I’ll go to neutral territory and disappear. You won’t have to—”

“No.”

That single word struck deeply, leaving Ashryn feeling cold inside.

You don’t own me.

“The bond tells a different story.” Kaelor stepped back, running his fingers through his hair. Fatigue was evident now, a weight in his eyes. “Be inside your room when night falls. Wait there until I come to you again. Understood?”

Ashryn nearly spoke but then hesitated. Kaelor's gaze bore no malice; instead, it held a raw vulnerability, as if he were grasping desperately at the edge before a fall.

“Fine,” Ashryn replied.

Kaelor gave a single nod before stepping outside. The door closed softly, the sound gradually fading into silence.

Alone in the quiet stillness of the room, Ashryn sank onto the edge of the bed. A slow, heavy weakness coursed through his legs. The mattress dipped gently beneath him, cradling him—a softness he had never experienced before.

Faulty thinking had taken hold, and every part of it missed the mark. Rather than making calm decisions, his mind raced toward escape routes—probing window latches, scanning walls for weaknesses, and searching for cracks in the plan.

His gaze settled on the door—standing silently, it led to Kaelor’s space.

Three days had passed. What was Kaelor up to? Flashes came through the link—fragments, never the full picture. The truth remained hidden.

Ashryn felt an inexplicable pull urging him forward. Without hesitation, he rose and moved toward the entrance of the next room, each step slow and deliberate. His fingers rested on the doorknob, which remained still beneath his touch.

This didn’t make any sense. It was risky, plain and simple.

Nevertheless, he missed the shot wide.

Kaelor’s room was now empty. He had gone, wherever that may be.

Breathing rapidly, Ashryn crossed the threshold. The sharp, heavy scent of cedar mingled with the damp air, filling his nose. Near the glass, a worktable was buried beneath sketches and loose sheets. Despite every instinct telling him not to, he found himself drawn toward it.

Most pages were filled with dull content—endless updates on land holdings and accumulating inventories. His hand slowed as it encountered an edge beneath a heavy book cover. There, tucked just out of sight, lay a loose sheet.

A note. The sheet appeared crumpled, as if it had been discarded and then retrieved.

With trembling fingers, Ashryn opened the page. Deep grooves etched into the sheet formed each letter, sharp and forceful—as if they had been carved rather than written.

Something keeps pulling me back to him. It’s been three weeks now, ever since that moment by the east edge when his scent reached me. I told myself to let go and focus on what the group needs. Yet, each evening his image returns. The way he looked at me lingers in my mind—the way he lifts his jaw when he thinks no one is watching. His wolf’s weakness infuriates me. The connection was poorly chosen, and that frustrates me too. Still, I need him like lungs need air. It willtear me apart. Tear everything down. Yet, leaving feels impossible.

Frozen in place, she stared at the number on the calendar hanging above. As the realization sank in, her breath caught like a snagged thread.

Only two months remain until the event—sooner than expected, time is flying by. Before you know it, preparations will be underway. That moment is approaching rapidly.

Kaelor had already turned him away well before that moment arrived.

His fingers trembled so intensely that the page seemed to quiver. His breath came heavy, as if a weight pressed just beneath his ribs.

Kaelor felt it even before words took shape—a steady, subtle pull beneath his ribs. Desiring Ashryn wasn’t a matter of choice; it simply existed.

Yet, he was turned away while all eyes were upon him.

Ashryn heard the slow creak of hinges behind her.

“Did you find something interesting?”

His words came quietly, sharp and piercing beneath the surface.