KAEL'S POV
CHAPTER THREE Kael’s POV “Donika…” I whispered her name slowly as I caressed the face of the woman who was fast asleep in my car. My heart felt like it was going to explode the moment I saw her in that wedding dress standing like a lost pup on the altar. That was my second chance mate about to given off like a piece of stale bread to the bastard who stood beside her. When I first found out she was my mate while observing a nearby pack which shared a small boundary with ThornClaw Pack,she had been off by the water fall just by the boundary crying her heart out two weeks ago and yelling into the void,going on and on about her cheating mate,just then my wolf Fenris called out “MATE”. He was so excited and a sense of protectiveness clouded his mind “Let’s take her before we lose her too…” was all Fenris kept asking in my head and I couldn’t help but shut him out as he was starting to take control fully. I could feel my heart tug and the scent around heightening to a sweet floral smell,just as I was about to approach her, she was yanked away by some pack guards. I immediately did my findings, lo and behold,she was being shackled into a marriage with Damon,their new Alpha who claimed to be her mate. Poor girl… I planned to take her in grand style and so did I,cause she was mine! She looked so fragile and unhealthy,even as a wolfless girl, she looked worn out. By the time we pulled into the pack lands, the sky had already darkened. The gates opened before we were even at the entrance. My driver didn’t need instructions, took us straight to the my house which was a walking distance from the Pack house. Donika was still unconscious. Her head leaned against the window, that cursed wedding dress crumpled around her tiny frame. She looked nothing like a bride. I carried her out of the car straight into my house and the maids outside gasped as I walked through the grand foyer, the bridal train dragging behind us. Their whispers followed me like shadows. “Is that a wedding dress?” “Who is she?”“Did he just…?” “Wait till Luna Mae finds out…” that very statement was the one that actually made more sense to me. My mother would go gaga about the whole situation. Ronan,my Beta, was already waiting at the steps when I pulled up. “You brought her here?” he asked the second he saw her limp body. His eyes narrowed but didn’t question my grip. “Is she okay?” He looked closely with concern. “She will be,” I said. “She passed out mid-ride. I didn’t drug her. I only knocked her out before she clawed my damn eyes out.” “Is she that feisty?” “She tried to jump out of a moving car in a wedding dress.” Ronan snorted under his breath. “Sounds like a perfect match for your grumpy ass.” I ignored him and pushed through the hallway taking her straight upstairs to the west wing and kicked my bedroom door open.She still hadn’t stirred. “So much for your feisty attitude.” I mumbled while tucking her in. I laid her gently on the bed, brushing a strand of hair from her face. Her brows were furrowed even in sleep, as if she was fighting battles even now. Fenris,my wolf stirred. “She’s ours. Mark her before someone else tries to touch her again.” “No.” I responded flatly trying to block the he-wolf out but he was just as stubborn as his newfound mate. Fenris: “They cornered her. You smelled their intent. We protect our mate.” “She’s not ready. She has no wolf. You know that. If I mark her now, it might kill her.” I let out a long sigh. “I haven’t told her we’re mates yet,she’ll run away before we even mark her if I tell her now.” That silenced him. Even Fenris had scars. Deep ones. Our first mate hadn’t lived long enough. The vampires made sure of that. I wasn’t about to risk Donika,not for a bond, not for vengeance, not even for the Moon Goddess herself. I turned from the bed and left the room, shutting the door quietly. Ronan trailed behind me into my office. “So… wanna tell me why you brought home a runaway bride who looks like she came outta a haystack?” “She was going to marry someone who hurt her. Cheated on her. Her family forced her into it.” I tried my best to explain it but I wasn’t good with words especially when I was tired. “Right,” he drawled. “Still not an explanation for why the Lycan King stormed into a wedding and carried off a girl who doesn’t even have a damn wolf.” That earned him a glare from me. “It’s obvious Kael,she smells like a human.” “I don’t care,she’s my mate,” I said without thinking. Ronan raised a brow. “Your mate?” He looked startled as he looked at me to confirm if I was joking or not. “Wait…are you serious right now?” “Yes I am. She’s my second chance mate who doesn’t have a wolf yet and yes I stole her from her wedding. Satisfied?” I scowl at him before falling onto the couch. Ronan looked even more excited than I am. “So have you told her she’s your second chance mate?” “No,” I said flatly. “Why…what do you mean by no?” His eyes looked like they were about to pop out of its sockets. “Because she’s from the Thornclaw pack and the daughter of the late alpha and Luna,does that ring a bell Ronan?” And without much said,he understands why. “Exactly,our packs are sworn enemies and will rather run away than be my mate, I’m not letting that happen.” He nodded slowly as he tried to make sense of the situation. “So we keep her close. Watch over her. Gain her trust.” “Exactly.” I nod lost in my own thoughts. Later, I was in my office going over security rotations when I heard a sound coming from just across the hallway. A faint whimper which sounded louder the next passing second. “Help… someone… please…” DONIKA!? I stood up so fast my chair hit the wall behind me. Fenris roared inside me, claws ready, eyes sharp. Fenris: “She’s in danger. Move.” I burst out of the office and into the corridor.The sound was louder now. More frantic. She was crying.I turned the corner and froze. Three of my warriors had her cornered against the wall. Her dress was half torn, hair a mess, eyes wide with pure fear. One of them had a smirk on his face. Another grabbed her arm as she tried to push past them. “I said move!” she shouted, voice hoarse. “Relax, sweetheart,” one of them sneered. “We just want to talk.” “Not with your hands on me!” she screamed struggling to hold up her gown with her free hand. My vision went red.“What the fuck is going on here?” I growled,voice barely human. They froze.Good. Because if they didn’t, they were going to die where they stood. One of the warriors,Greg,actually had the balls to smirk. “She doesn't look like she's from around here and looked lost, Alpha. We were just helping.” “Helping?” I said quietly. They knew better than to try to pull a smart one on me.They were testing me. I stepped forward, voice dropping to a snarl. “You think I’d leave my guest unguarded and let you be the ones to comfort her?” Greg's smirk vanished.The other stepped back. I took a breath and let Fenris inside me rise with Lycan energy. A dark, oppressive force slammed through the hallway like a storm breaking through glass. All three warriors collapsed to their knees with howls of pain, claws scratching against the floor, whimpering like cubs caught in a trap. Donika gasped behind me and stood right in front her , whispering lowly, “Don’t look at them princess,they’re getting what they deserve.” I heard footsteps coming from the stairs and I could sense who it was before she spoke “What’s all this chaos for?” Mother!DONIKA’S POVThe body went cold the moment I saw Lilia standing right in front of Kael, and a surge of anger rushed in my body. I haven’t accepted him as my mate, but the thought of Lilia trying once again to come between me and any man in my life made my blood boil.I froze in the doorway, my fists tightening at my sides. My heart hammered against my ribs. Kael stood behind his desk, his face with a calm look,but his eyes showed more annoyance at the woman who stood in front of him. HE BETTER BE ANNOYED BY HER PRESENCE! I told myself.“What are you doing here?” The words ripped from me before I could stop them, as I trembled with disbelief and fury.Lilia turned, her face brightening with false delight. “Donika!” she exclaimed; her voice was sweet like venom itself. “Cousin, it’s been far too long.” Is she for real? I’ve been gone for barely a week plus, and she was here pretending like we were close or something. Her tone made my skin crawl.Kael’s eyes flicked to her with warning
KAEL’S POVThe office door slammed shut behind Ronan. My wolf prowled beneath my skin, restless and irritated at the interruption. Donika was back in my room looking all flustered and beautiful, and I hated being torn away from her. But one look at Ronan’s face told me this wasn’t something I could ignore.“Well?” I snapped, my tone edged with a growl. “You barged into my room and interrupted my time with my Luna. This had better be worth it.”Ronan bowed his head in respect, though urgency burned in his eyes. “The scentless wolf was spotted again. At the eastern border this time. By the tracks and size…” He hesitated, jaw tightening. “It seems to be a she-wolf.”I stilled in disbelief before snapping my head in his direction.“A she-wolf,” I repeated, voice flat but sharp with disbelief. “And she’s been outsmarting trained warriors for days now?”Ronan shifted under my stare. “That is what the scouts say, Alpha. The paw tracks were too light for a male and even the size of the wolf.
KAEL’S POVThe scent of sweat and tension hit me before I even reached the training grounds. My wolf, Fenris, was restless all day and insisted that we go see her after a couple hours had passed just to make sure she was okay.The moment I stepped into the dirt pit, the whole place went dead silent. Warriors stiffened, and all whispers were cut short mid-sentence. My gaze snapped instantly to where she stood with a wooden staff in hand, cheeks flushed, hair clinging to her temple with sweat.Right beside her stood a sandy-haired gamma lingering too close to her, speaking to her with ease. My jaw tightened, my chest vibrating with a low growl before I even realized it. Fenris was ringing in my head to tear him in two. “And who the hell,” I said, voice sharp enough to slice the air in two, “is that wolf trying to court death by hovering around my Luna?”The sandy-haired gamma, now frozen in place with his face full of fear, fell to the dirt and bowed so quickly his nose nearly touched
“What are you doing here?” I ask in shock even though I knew the obvious: that she’s here to train me. But how? Isn’t she an Omega and not a Gamma wolf? Elena burst out laughing, pointing out my shocked expression to Ronan. “One would think she saw a ghost,” she said in between laughs to Ronan, who just stood there grinning. “Allow me to reintroduce myself, Luna. I’m Elena Stephan, a warrior of this pack who is now your lady-in-waiting and bodyguard.” She bowed in a mock flourish, smiling at me, but I was still at a loss at her new identity.“A warrior isn’t meant to be a lady in waiting, Elena…” I began but was cut short by Ronan. “The Alpha assigned her that task so she can watch over you even in his absence. It will be safer that way so you don’t have any fear settling in.” He explained, and I just nod in agreement. As he explained, I began to think of Kael in a different light than before. To think that he thought about my safety barely hours after he brought me into his pack w
DONIKA’S POVFour days had passed since the Verya incident, and though my head still ached when I turned too quickly, the worst of the pain had faded. My body had healed faster than I expected, maybe a benefit of wolf blood as well, even if mine seemed useless. I hadn’t tried taking off my necklace ever since then, but it bothered me a lot that I couldn’t remember that memory, which came to me the day I tried to take off the necklace. If I could forget that memory, what other memories have I forgotten from the day of that war? A deep unease lingered inside me. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Kael’s expression when he stormed into the room before I fainted…anger, yes, but also fear. Fear of losing me, and each time the image popped in my head, I felt bad for chasing him away after I woke up.I hadn’t seen him since.I’d pushed him away that night, my pride clashing with the vulnerability I hated to feel. And since then, silence stretched between us.This morning, Elena barged into
KAEL’S POVDonika accepting me wholeheartedly as her mate wasn’t something I expected to happen immediately, but seeing her constantly pushing me away made me and Fenris down. Fenris in particular would sulk at every chance and would have torn Verya’s throat in two if I hadn’t stopped him on time. “I told you to stay away from Verya, but you left your ears next to your dick, and see where it landed our mate!” He had yelled when he saw Donika unconscious. He had never liked Verya one bit, but I still fucked her anyways, knowing fully well she was trying to weasel her way into the Luna, and in return for turning her away, she tries to kill my mate.Classic!Just as I thought about Donika, I remembered the words of the healer: “There’s power in her… but it seems to be trapped.”Even now, pacing in my private study, I could still hear the weight of that revelation echoing in my head. Donika might not be a cursed and wolfless girl. And if that power belonged to her wolf… then maybe fate h