Chapter 7: The Watchers

I felt it before I saw them.

The eyes.

The attention that followed me like a shadow.

The pack no longer pretended I did not exist.

Whispers drifted through the corridors as I passed. Wolves paused in their movements, their gazes lingering just a little too long. Some were curious. Others were cold. A few were openly hostile.

I kept my head high, remembering Kael’s words.

Stand.

Training had become routine, though nothing about it was easy. Each morning tested my body. Each afternoon tested my control. The bond stirred constantly now, like a restless creature pressing against my ribs.

And the pack noticed.

I entered the training grounds to find several wolves already gathered. They fell silent when I arrived.

Rhen stood among them, arms crossed.

“You’re early,” he said.

“I was told to be,” I replied.

He studied me for a long moment. “You walk differently.”

I stiffened. “Is that a problem?”

“No,” he said slowly. “It is… unexpected.”

Before I could respond, Kael joined us. His presence cut through the tension instantly.

“Begin,” he commanded.

The exercises were harsher today. Balance drills on stone pillars. Endurance holds under the sun. Focus training meant to test my mind as much as my body.

I stumbled more than once, but I did not fall.

Kael watched everything.

During a short break, I stepped aside to catch my breath. That was when I felt it again.

The pull.

Stronger than before.

My chest tightened as a familiar heat spread through me. I pressed a hand against my sternum, trying to steady my breathing.

“Elara.”

I turned to see a woman standing a short distance away. Tall. Graceful. Her eyes were sharp and calculating.

“I am Lyria,” she said. “Kael’s former chosen.”

The words hit like a blow.

“I did not know,” I said carefully.

“That much is obvious,” she replied coolly. “You were not meant to stand where you are standing.”

My pulse quickened. “I did not choose this.”

“No,” Lyria agreed. “But you benefit from it.”

Before I could respond, her gaze flicked past me. Her lips curved into a thin smile.

“Watch closely,” she said.

I turned just in time to see Kael approach. His eyes went immediately to me, scanning for injury or distress.

Lyria stepped closer to him. Too close.

“The pack is restless,” she said smoothly. “They question your judgment.”

Kael’s voice was cold. “They may question it quietly.”

“And her?” Lyria asked, nodding toward me. “How long before she breaks?”

The bond reacted violently.

Heat surged through me, sharp and dizzying. My knees weakened. I grabbed the stone pillar beside me, struggling to stay upright.

Kael stiffened.

“Enough,” he said.

Lyria raised an eyebrow. “You feel it too, don’t you?”

Kael ignored her and crossed the distance to me in two strides.

“Breathe,” he commanded, gripping my shoulders.

I tried, but the pull only intensified. The pack watched openly now. Murmurs rose.

“She can’t handle it.”

“She’s destabilizing him.”

Kael turned, his eyes blazing.

“Silence.”

The word cracked through the air. Wolves bowed their heads immediately.

He looked back at me, concern tightening his expression.

“This ends now,” he said.

He lifted me into his arms without hesitation and carried me away from the training grounds.

Inside his chambers, he set me down gently.

“You should not have been approached alone,” he said.

“I didn’t seek her out,” I whispered.

“I know.”

The bond thrummed between us, restless and strained.

“You are becoming a target,” Kael continued. “Not because you are weak, but because you are changing.”

“I can feel it,” I admitted. “And they can too.”

“Yes,” he said. “That makes you dangerous.”

My heart skipped. “To them?”

“And to me,” he added quietly.

The truth hung heavy in the air.

“I will not let them hurt you,” Kael said. “But you must be ready. The watchers will not stop.”

I met his gaze, fear and resolve warring inside me.

“Then teach me faster,” I said. “I won’t be prey.”

Something fierce flickered in his eyes.

“Very well,” Kael replied. “But understand this.”

He stepped closer, his voice dropping.

“The next phase will hurt.”

I swallowed.

“I’m ready.”

He studied me for a long moment, then nodded.

“Good,” he said. “Because they are already moving.”