Chapter 6 Are My Feelings Real?

"News travels fast in the Wild Lands." He glanced around the clearing. "We should move. Your ex-mate will be back with more warriors. Many more."

"I know." I looked down at Erica. "But she can't walk. And I'm not strong enough to carry her far."

"I'll carry her."

"Why would you—"

"Because she's a child. And because…" He stopped.

"Because you need help."

The mate bond hummed between us.

I could feel it now that I knew what it was.

An invisible thread connecting my chest to his.

But this was wrong.

All wrong.

"I'm already mated," I said quietly.

"To Leighton. The bond—"

"Is broken," Kael interrupted.

"I can tell. Your scent doesn't carry his mark anymore."

"But we're married. We went through the ceremony—"

"The mating ceremony is just a ritual. The real bond is deeper. Spiritual." He stepped closer, his eyes never leaving mine. "And yours is shattered. Has been for a while, I'd guess."

I thought back. I tried to remember the last time I'd felt the mate bond with Leighton. That invisible connection that lets you sense your mate's emotions and their location.

I couldn't remember.

The bond had faded so gradually that I hadn't even noticed it was gone.

"The rune stones," I breathed.

"They didn't just drain my power. They destroyed the bond."

"Probably." Kael's expression was grim.

"Moonbane stones corrupt everything they touch. Magic, bonds, life itself."

"So I'm… unmated?"

"Yes."

"Which means…" I couldn't finish the sentence.

"Which means the Moon Goddess has given you a second chance," Kael said.

"A true mate this time. Not a political alliance or an arranged pairing."

He took another step closer.

Close enough that I could feel the heat radiating from his body.

"But I don't expect anything from you," he continued.

"You've just escaped an abusive mate. You have a daughter to protect. The last thing you need is another male making demands."

Something in my chest loosened at those words.

"Thank you," I whispered.

"For what?"

"For understanding. For not… pushing."

He nodded once. "I've lived a long time, Sophia. I've learned that true mates can wait. The bond isn't going anywhere."

"How long?" I asked.

"How long have you lived?"

"Longer than I should have."

Before I could ask what that meant, Erica moaned.

I dropped to my knees beside her.

"Baby? Can you hear me?"

Her eyes fluttered open. "Mommy?"

"I'm here."

"Where…" She looked around at the dark forest, the dead bodies. Her eyes went wide. "What happened?"

"It's okay. You're safe now."

"Who's that?" She was looking at Kael.

"A… friend. He helped us."

Kael knelt on Erica's other side.

"Hello, little one. My name is Kael. Can you tell me how you're feeling?"

"Tired. Cold." Erica's voice was small.

"Everything hurts."

"The poison is leaving your system. It will hurt for a while longer, but then you'll feel better." He looked at me. "She needs rest. Real rest. And probably food and water."

"Where?" I asked.

"We can't go back to the pack. And we can't stay here."

"I have a camp. About two miles east. Hidden. Safe."

"Why would you help us?"

His silver-blue eyes met mine. And in them, I saw centuries of pain. Loneliness. Loss.

"Because the Moon Goddess sent me to find you," he said simply. "And I don't question her gifts."

Kael carried Erica through the forest like she weighed nothing.

I walked beside him, wrapped in his cloak, trying not to think about how right this felt.

How natural.

We'd just met. I'd just escaped my abusive husband. I should be traumatized, terrified, and closed off.

Instead, I felt… safe.

For the first time in months.

My wolf was practically glowing with satisfaction. She kept sending me images of Kael—his strength, his scars, and his careful handling of Erica.

Good mate, she purred. Worthy mate.

We don't know him, I argued weakly.

We know enough. He fought for us. Protected us. Didn't demand anything.

She had a point.

"You're thinking very loudly," Kael said without looking at me.

"What?"

"I can hear your wolf. Through the bond." He glanced at me. "She's... enthusiastic."

My face heated. "I'm sorry. She's been suppressed for so long. Now that she's back, she's—"

"Excited. I understand." A hint of amusement touched his voice.

"My wolf is the same way. He's been... alone for a very long time."

"How long?"