Chapter 5: Whispers of Desire

You had no right to read that.

A heavy silence fell over Kaelor, laden with warning. He remained rooted at the door, blocking every escape route.Outside, the sky shattered as rain pounded against the glass, breaking the long, tense stillness.

Frozen hands clutched the paper tightly. Inside his chest, a relentless drumbeat pounded.

“You had no right to lie to me,” Ashryn retorted, his voice trembling as he forced himself to meet Kaelor’s gaze. “For two months, you felt this way and never said a word.”

“What was I supposed to say?” Kaelor entered the room, each step measured and deliberate. “That I wanted the weakest omega in the pack? That I dreamed of someone who couldn’t even shift properly?”

Despite the fences blocking the path, Ashryn did not step back.

could have told the truth instead of ruining me in front of everyone.

A flash of light tore across the sky. The glass rattled in its frame from the thunderous noise above. He clenched his teeth tightly, a twitch appearing near his cheekbone.

was trying to protect you, he said.

“By making them believe I didn’t want you,” Kaelor said, his hands clenching into fists at his sides. “If they had knownhow much I longed for you, they would have torn you apart just to reach me—used you as a weakness, a weapon.”

Ashryn froze, the air caught in his chest. The paper trembled between his fingers.

“So, you were the one who threw me away first.”

“Yes.”

What surprised Ashryn was how genuine it sounded. As he stared at Kaelor, he noticed the tension in his shoulders andthe way his jaw remained clenched. The dark circles under his eyes told their own story—nights spent awake with a restless mind.

A flash illuminated the sky, and the walls glowed as if lit from within.

“I have to go,” Ashryn said softly. As he moved toward the exit, Kaelor stepped in his path, blocking the way. Suddenly, the room seemed to shrink. His breath caught, bracing for the impending confrontation.

“The storm—”

Despite the rain slashing sideways, Ashryn stepped forward. A firm grip clamped around his wrist—Kaelor’s fingers tight. In that instant, a jolt surged through him, sharp as lightning beneath his skin.

You’re not going anywhere with this, Kaelor said.

“No.”

A loud boom shattered the silence once more. This time, the room plunged into darkness as the bulbs flickered and wentout. Light returned in jagged streaks from outside.

She pulled with all her strength, desperate to break free from his grip. Yet, he held on firmly—not harshly, but in a way that made escape impossible.

do you keep resisting this? voice grew deeper, rougher. bond. Me. Everything.

“Because I’m terrified.” The confession slipped out before Ashryn could stop it. “You scare me. This scares me. One moment, you’re pushing me away; the next, you’re pulling me back and locking me in your chambers. I don’t know which version of you is real.”

A subtle change softened Kaelor’s grip—just a fraction less firm. His thumb traced slow circles across the skin of her wrist, feeling each rapid throb beneath.

“They’re both real,” he said softly. “There’s the part that wants to protect you, and the part that wants to possess you so completely that you forget everyone else exists.”

A flush rose to Ashryn’s cheeks. From deep within, the wolf emitted a soft cry, pressing against his ribs, yearning for closeness.

“We can’t stay here,” Ashryn managed to say. “Not in your chambers. It’s too—”

A flash lit up the sky nearby, loud enough to make ears ring. Something inside shattered—glass scattering across the floor.

“The cave,” Kaelor said suddenly. “It’s on the eastern border. We can take shelter there until the storm passes.”

Just as Ashryn began to speak, Kaelor was already pulling him toward the exit. They hurried down winding corridors,stumbling over uneven steps. Outside, heavy rain suddenly lashed their faces. His shirt clung tightly, quickly soaked by the storm’s downpour. Chills ran along his arms, but the grip on his wrist never loosened—instead, it urged him onward even faster.

Chaos reigned in the woods. Branches whipped about, driven by fierce gusts of wind. Beneath each step, the rain-soakedearth clung tightly, as if pulling downward slowly.

Breath ripped through Ashryn's chest, and every step sent his muscles screaming in protest. Yet Kaelor pressed on without pause, driven forward until the opening appeared ahead—a shadowed gap in the slope, partially obscured by the relentless, slashing rain.

They staggered inside through the doorway. Behind them, the storm's roar gradually faded into silence. Their clothes, soaked through, clung to their skin, and puddles formed where raindrops fell onto the cold rock.

Kaelor finally released Ashryn’s wrist. In the dim light filtering from the cave entrance, they remained motionless, breathssharp in their lungs, eyes locked silently. A heavy stillness lingered between them, like dust suspended in the muted glow.

off your shirt, Kaelor commanded.

Ashryn's eyes widened. "You're joking, a deep breath. That can't be true.

You are drenched, and the cold will hit you hard. Kaelor pulled his shirt over his head, twisting the water out of the fabric.Light barely touched him, but it caught the wet trails running across his arms, his chest, and the sharp line of his collarbone.

Her eyes quickly shifted away, her cheeks burning with embarrassment.

It began with a breath. Shivers rippled over him, steady and rhythmic like waves. Whether from cold or fear, Ashryn had ceased to tell the difference.

Nearby, Kaelor leaned in slightly. At that moment, his fingers moved toward the edge of Ashryn’s shirt.

Hold on, Ashryn said, grabbing his wrist. Her fingers twisted around it, slick with cold.

“Because if you touch me right now—” Ashryn’s voice faltered. “I don’t know what I’ll do.”

A spark flickered in the space that held them close. Heat grew, restless and insistent. His gaze shifted, the gold fading into deep brown as shadows stretched across the room.

“What would you like to try next?” He spoke so softly that his words were almost a whisper.

Fingers gripping tighter, Ashryn clung firmly to Kaelor's wrist. Every muscle was tense, stretched thin like a wire on the verge of snapping.

“I want—” The words caught in my throat, making it impossible to say more.

A thunderous rumble echoed across the sky. The cavern walls seemed to close in, and the air grew thick with a heavy, electric charge.

A gentle touch came from Kaelor’s side, his fingers resting softly against Ashryn’s cheek. Slowly, his thumb traced the curve of her mouth—tender and almost hesitant. The space between them grew thin, filled only with their breath and subtle movement.

“Say it,” Kaelor whispered.

A shiver coursed through Ashryn, deeper and more intense than before. It wasn’t quite fear, nor simply desire—just a knot tightening inside her. What passed between them blurred the lines between feelings, making it impossible to distinguishone from another. Through the link, Kaelor’s craving came through raw and on the verge of breaking. His control was fragile, hanging by a thin, frayed thread.

“I can’t fight it anymore,” Ashryn whispered softly.

A silence fell, sharp and sudden like a snapped wire.

Kaelor’s control was shattered.