ログインThe next phase began at sunrise.
Kael did not wake me this time. Instead, a servant knocked and informed me that the Alpha was already waiting at the training grounds. My stomach tightened as I dressed quickly, nerves buzzing under my skin. The bond had been restless all night, tugging at my awareness. Every dream had been filled with heat and danger, with golden eyes watching from the dark. By the time I reached the training ring, the air was cold enough to stinThe forest had gone too quiet.Kael slowed his pace, one hand lifting slightly to signal the unit behind him. Instantly, the wolves fell into silence, their movements sharpening, their senses stretching outward.Something was wrong.They'd been tracking for hours. Too easily.Rhen moved up beside him, voice low. "You feel it too.""Yes."Kael's gaze swept the trees ahead. No broken branches. No fresh scent strong enough to follow. Yet the trail had been clear. Too clear."They want us here," Rhen said.Kael didn't respond. Because he already knew.The bond pulsed. Sharp. Sudden.Kael stopped.Pain flared briefly through his chest, not enough to weaken him, but enough to demand attention."Elara."It wasn't just distance anymore. It was pressure. Something was happening to her.Rhen's eyes narrowed. "What is it?"Kael exhaled slowly, forcing control over the surge. "The bond.""Stronger?""Yes.""Closer?"Kae
The bond didn't let me rest.It pulsed beneath my skin long after the leader left, steady and insistent, like something alive that refused to be ignored. Every time I tried to pull away from it, it pulled back harder.Demanding attention. Demanding understanding.I sat in the center of the enclosure, eyes closed, breathing slow. Focus. Not on fear. Not on them. On the bond.At first, it felt the same as before. Warm. Familiar. A thread stretching across distance, connecting me to something steady. To Kael.Relief flickered. But I didn't stop. I pushed deeper.The warmth shifted. It wasn't just a connection. It was layered.My breath caught.There was something beneath it. Something stronger. Not calm like Kael's presence. Sharp. Unstable.My eyes snapped open. That hadn't been there before. Or maybe I'd never looked closely enough.Footsteps approached again. This time, I didn't move."You're learning."His voice cut through the silenc
The nights were the worst.Not because of the cold. Not because of the guards. But because of the silence.It pressed in from all sides, heavy and watchful, broken only by the crackle of distant fires and the occasional shift of wolves outside my enclosure.They'd moved me after the first night. Not to a cell. Something more deliberate.A structure made of rough wood and reinforced bindings, placed at the center of their camp. Not hidden. Not protected. Displayed.Like something important. Or something dangerous.I sat upright despite the ache in my ribs, forcing my breathing steady. The ropes around my wrists were tight but not cruel. Enough to restrain. Not enough to weaken.They still needed me functional. That thought stayed with me. It mattered.Footsteps approached. Measured. Familiar.I didn't look up immediately."Still awake," his voice said.I lifted my gaze slowly. The leader stood at the entrance, shadowed by firelight. His pre
The bond snapped like a live wire. Pain tore through Kael's chest, sharp and sudden, forcing him to stop mid-step. The forest around him blurred for a fraction of a second as the sensation burned through his veins. Not physical. Worse. Distance. "Elara," he breathed. Gone. Not dead. But taken. The realization settled into something cold and lethal. Around him, the forest still bore the marks of battle. Blood darkened the soil. Broken branches snapped under shifting feet as the remaining warriors regrouped. Rhen approached, breathing hard. "We lost their trail after the ridge. They split directions." Kael didn't answer immediately. His gaze remained fixed on the path ahead, though he wasn't truly seeing it. He was feeling. The bond pulsed faintly now. Weak. Stretched. But still there. "They're moving fast," Rhen continued. "We
The forest didn't feel the same on this side.The deeper they dragged me, the heavier the air became. The scent of pine faded, replaced by something rougher, wilder. No order. No structure. No safety.The net cut into my skin as they carried me across uneven ground. Every step sent sharp pain through my ribs, but I refused to cry out. They were watching for weakness. I wouldn't give it to them."Careful," one of them muttered. "She's worth more alive.""I know," another replied. "That's why we don't damage her."A chill slid down my spine. Not damage. Not kill. That meant one thing, they needed me.The thought steadied me more than fear ever could.The trees opened into a clearing. Not a pack territory. A camp. Rough structures stood scattered across the space. Fires burned low. Wolves moved in controlled silence, their eyes sharp and alert as we entered.Every gaze turned toward me. Curiosity. Suspicion. Hunger.I lifted my chin despite the posit
Chaos broke the forest apart. Growls clashed with steel. Bodies collided. The air filled with the scent of blood and earth as wolves lunged from every direction. I barely had time to breathe before Kael's arm moved in front of me, blocking a strike meant for my throat. "Stay behind me," he commanded. I didn't argue. But I didn't stay still either. A wolf broke through the line, eyes locked on me. Instinct took over. I moved sideways, just as Kael had drilled into me, and drove my elbow into his ribs. The impact slowed him long enough for one of our warriors to take him down. This wasn't training. This was survival. To my left, Rhen fought two wolves at once, his movements sharp and efficient. To my right, another of Kael's warriors fell, blood staining the forest floor. They weren't just testing us anymore. They were trying to break us. "Hold formation!" Kael's voice cut through the noise.







