Chapter 6

Elias Vale  Pov

I woke up slowly, my body heavy and sore all over. Especially low in my stomach and between my legs. The room was quiet except for steady breathing that wasn’t mine. Kael’s arm was wrapped around me, his chest pressed to my back. For a second it felt almost safe. Then everything came rushing back — the heat, the way I begged him, the biting, the bond locking into place.

I tried to shift a little. That’s when I felt it stronger. The new connection in my head, like an open door between us. I could sense Kael’s emotions even without him speaking. Right now they were dark and sharp, like barely controlled anger boiling underneath.

Kael moved behind me. His voice came out low and rough. “You’re awake.”

I turned my head to look at him. His face was hard, jaw tight, eyes narrowed. He looked furious. The kind of mad that made people stay quiet and careful. I swallowed hard. “Yeah. What… what happened? I remember the heat getting really bad, and you stayed. But after that it’s blurry.”

He sat up, pulling the sheet around his waist. The fresh bite mark on his neck stood out clearly — my bite. I stared at it. I actually marked an Alpha. That wasn’t supposed to happen.

Kael ran a hand through his hair, then looked straight at me. “The bond is complete. We mated. You bit me back. And through it I saw everything, Elias. All of it.”

My stomach dropped. I pulled the blanket higher, suddenly feeling too exposed. “What do you mean everything?”

“Your family. The tests. The way they treated you like livestock.” His voice got tighter. “And the deal they made. Selling your blood and genes to Draven. He thinks you already belong to him.”

I felt the blood drain from my face. How did he know that? I had buried that secret so deep. My hands started shaking. I clutched the sheet to stop it. “I didn’t want you to see that. It wasn’t supposed to come through the bond like this.”

Kael got out of bed and pulled on his pants. He moved fast, like the anger needed somewhere to go. “You should have told me before we did this. Before I marked you. Draven isn’t just some rival. He’s dangerous, and now he has a piece of you because of what your family sold.”

I sat up fully, ignoring how much my body ached. The bond let me feel his rage like it was my own — hot and protective, but with something sharper underneath. “I was going to tell you. Eventually. After the heir. I didn’t think it would matter right away. They took samples when I was younger. I had no choice.”

He stopped pacing and turned to face me. His shoulders were stiff, fists clenched at his sides. “It matters now. You’re my mate. Bonded. And Draven has your genetic material. He’s probably already planning how to use it against me. Against us.”

I looked down at my hands. The old scars on my wrists were still visible. “I’m sorry. I was scared. If I told you too soon, you might have sent me away or sold me yourself. Everyone else did.”

Kael came back to the bed and sat on the edge. He didn’t touch me, but he was close enough that I could smell him clearly. Pine and smoke, now mixed with me. “I’m not sending you anywhere. But this bond… it’s stronger than I expected. I can feel you right now. Your fear. Your guilt. It’s messing with my head.”

I reached out and touched his arm. His skin was warm. “What do we do? I don’t want Draven anywhere near me. Or any child we might have.”

He looked at me then, really looked. Some of the anger softened around his eyes, but not all of it. “We fight. I protect what’s mine. But you have to be honest with me from now on. No more secrets. Draven is a cold bastard who destroys people slowly. If he comes for you, I need to be ready.”

I nodded, the bond humming between us. His possessiveness felt heavy but also strangely steadying. “No more secrets. I promise.”

Kael watched me for a long moment. His hand came up and brushed a strand of silver hair from my face. The touch was firm but careful. For a second the anger eased and something else showed — that same reluctant pull I felt from him last night.

“You’re mine now, Elias,” he said quietly. “Bonded. Draven can try to claim whatever he wants. He won’t get you.”

The words sent a shiver through me. Part fear, part something warmer I didn’t want to name yet. The bond made everything more intense. I could feel how serious he was. How much he meant it.

But underneath his words, I also sensed the worry. Draven was already a shadow over us. And now that the bond was complete, there was no hiding anymore.

Kael stood up again. “Rest for now. The heat took a lot out of you. I’ll have food brought in.”

He headed for the door, but paused and looked back at me. His eyes were still dark with anger, but there was something else there too. Possession. Protectiveness. Maybe even the start of something more.

The door closed behind him. I lay back against the pillows, one hand pressed to the new mark on my neck. The bond felt alive between us. Kael’s rage still simmered at the edge of my mind, mixed with determination.

I closed my eyes, exhausted but unable to sleep. Draven was coming. I could feel it. And now I had dragged Kael and his whole pack into my mess.

The question was whether Kael would still want me once the real fight started.