CHAPTER FOUR

Kael's POV

When I woke up from my short name after lunch in the training grounds, it was already dark. For some reason, I didn't want to go see anybody despite the fact that I felt myself getting hungry a little. I could always hunt.

I wanted to help with pack duties, but my mind felt like a mess. It was way worse than it was during the daytime. Maybe I just needed to go for a run and take in the air. From the look of things, it'd probably be a full moon soon. The best time of the night to be out in the forest, in my opinion.

I slipped outside, letting my wolf form take over after I took off my clothes. The forest smelled and felt so peaceful as I walked through. It was like a sanctuary. I found myself feeling sleepy again for some reason, and I decided to give in, finding a secluded spot to curl up, and let the sounds of the night lull me to sleep again.

I blinked my eyes open and got up after a while, using my teeth to grab my clothes after deciding I didn't want to change back to my human form. I was known by my pack mates to go for a run at night, so they probably weren't worried about me being out. But I felt like going back now that my head was cool, not wandering like before.

A rustling sound paused me in my step, making me go on high alert. The movement wasn't anywhere near me, but that didn't mean I wasn't curious. I wanted to investigate. It wouldn't be bad if it were another animal. I didn't mind hunting multiple times a day.

I padded silently through the underbush as I used my nose to pick up the scent of whatever it was that was moving. And that was when I caught it. It wasn't an animal I could hunt. It was a wolf. I remembered that scent, except, I didn't? It was confusing.

But that was when I saw her. Tia was in her wolf form, stalking a prey. My heart skipped a bit as I caught her scent. It was sweet, like honey, and it drew me in. I wanted to taste it. Taste her. Before I could talk some more sense into myself, I immediately felt like a strange bond was forming, like an invisible force pushing me towards her. It was connecting us, but I didn't want to go forward.

I didn't want to go. Not because I didn't feel anything. Not because I didn't want to run into her, but because I didn't want to get beat up by an obviously annoyed alpha. She'd probably think I'm trying to sabotage her hunt again and I'd become enemy number one.

But she smelled so good. Would it hurt to just take a step closer?

Unfortunately, I made a sound, my paws accidentally stepping on a dry leaf.

Tia's ears perked up, and she growled, baring her teeth when she got a familiar scent. She knew it wasn't new prey, and she knew she'd lost her prey. She knew it was a wolf, and most likely knew it was me. We'd faced each other enough to know our scents.

I wanted to reason with her somehow, but I felt myself simply going closer, wanting to look at her, to be around her.

The moment our eyes met, I knew she felt it too. I could sense her tension and anger easing as she tried to understand this inexplicable connection between us.

For a moment, we just stared at each other, the forest holding its breath as the moon shone on us. Her eyes were glowing more than usual and I knew mine were glowing too. I could almost guess what was happening.

I took another step closer, my tail wagging slightly, and Tia's aggression faltered as she made no movement, eyes simply locked on mine, as if wondering what I would do next.

I knew what I wanted to do, but the problem was her. I knew she could feel the connection but that didn't mean she'd accept me with open arms if I went any closer. She had no reason.

However, my reasoning didn't seem to be working because I was taking a few more steps forward. I didn't know when I dropped my clothes from my jaw, but I did. Her scent drew me in like a magnet and that's all I cared about. She's all I cared about at the moment.

I felt my heart beating harder and faster, it was almost hurting, as I was finally in front of her, raising my nose to touch her fur, and to my surprise, she nuzzled me in return. Our scents mingled, and in that moment, I knew. I wasn't sure at first, but I finally understood what this was.

We were mates.

The realization settled deep within me as I continued to enjoy her affection, returning it too.

The moonlight seemed to shine brighter than earlier, illuminating the connection that bound us together, a silent understanding passing between us as we looked into each other's eyes.

It was beautiful. She was beautiful. But I wanted more.

I wanted to kiss her and touch her.

And I wanted to do it in human form.