I'll keep a watch

Luna's POV

I couldn’t get Kael’s words out of my head.

Your father betrayed me. Just like he’ll betray you.

It didn’t make sense. My father was strict, yes, but he wasn’t cruel. He wouldn’t plot against me. Would he?

Kael walked ahead of me, silent as a shadow. His sharp eyes darted between the trees, scanning for danger. I wanted to trust him.

He had saved me-twice now-but his accusations about my father made it hard to know where the truth ended and lies began.

“Are you always this quiet?” I asked, trying to break the tense silence.

He glanced back at me, his expression unreadable. “Are you always this stubborn?”

I rolled my eyes. “You don’t have to be so mysterious all the time. If you know something about my father, just tell me.”

Kael slowed his pace until we were walking side by side. “It’s not that simple, Luna. The truth isn’t something you just hand over-it’s something you have to see for yourself.”

I frowned. “You sound like a fortune teller.”

He smirked, but there was no humor in it. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”

Before I could reply, voices reached us through the trees. Kael raised a hand, motioning for me to stop.

“Stay here,” he whispered, slipping into the shadows.

“Kael-” I started, but he was already gone.

I pressed myself against a tree, my heart racing. The voices grew louder, and I crouched low, trying to make myself invisible.

“…can’t believe the Alpha wanted us to drag her back like that,” one voice grumbled.

“Orders are orders,” another replied. “Victor was the one who suggested the ambush anyway. Said it would show if she’s loyal enough to follow through with the alliance.”

I covered my mouth to stifle a gasp. Victor?

“Yeah, well, it’s a risky game,” the first voice said. “If she finds out, she’ll never trust them.”

“Doesn’t matter,” the other man said coldly. “She doesn’t need to trust them. She just needs to obey.”

I felt like the ground had been ripped out from under me. The ambush-it wasn’t random. It was staged. By Victor. By my father.

A twig snapped behind me, and I spun around, ready to defend myself. But it was just Kael, his expression sour.

“Come on,” he whispered, taking my arm. “We need to move.”

I yanked my arm away, anger bubbling to the surface. “You knew, didn’t you? You knew they planned this!”

Kael sighed, his shoulders tense. “I had my suspicions.”

“Suspicions?” I snapped. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Would you have believed me?” he asked, his voice low and steady.

I opened my mouth to argue, but the truth stopped me. I wouldn’t have believed him-not without hearing it for myself.

We walked in silence until we were far from the voices. My mind was spinning, trying to make sense of what I’d heard.

“They lied to me,” I said finally, my voice shaking. “They lied to me, Kael. Why would my father do that?”

Kael stopped and turned to face me. “Because it’s not about you, Luna. It’s about control. Your father wants to control the pack, and this alliance is just another way to tighten his grip.”

I shook my head, refusing to accept it. “No. He said it was to protect us. To make the pack stronger.”

Kael’s jaw tightened. “And you believed him. Just like I did.”

“What happened to you?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. “Why did he exile you?” I hoped he would answer this time.

Kael hesitated, his gaze dropping to the ground. For a moment, I thought he wouldn’t answer. But then he looked up, and the raw pain in his eyes took my breath away.

“I found out something I wasn’t supposed to,” he said. “Something that could destroy him. So he destroyed me first.”

“What did you find out?” I asked, stepping closer.

Kael shook his head. “Not yet. If I tell you now, you won’t believe me. You need to see it for yourself.”

“See what?” I demanded, frustration bubbling over.

He didn’t answer. Instead, he stepped closer, his intense gaze locking onto mine. “If you want the truth, you’ll have to trust me.”

“I don’t even know you,” I said, my voice trembling.

“You know enough,” he said softly. “Enough to know that I’m the only one who’s telling you the truth.”

I looked away, my heart beating ten times faster. Could I trust him? Could I really leave everything behind to follow him into the unknown?

Kael reached out, gently tilting my chin so I had no choice but to meet his eyes. “If you go back now, they’ll twist this. They’ll make you believe that you imagined it, that you’re the problem. Is that the life you want?”

Tears blurred my vision as his words sank in. “I don’t know what to do,” I admitted.

“Trust me,” he said again, his voice steady. “I’ll show you the truth. But you have to let go of everything you think you know.”

I swallowed hard, the weight of his words pressing down on me.

Could I really do this? Could I leave my family, my pack-everything-for a rogue who claimed to know the truth?

As Kael held my gaze, his next words sent a chill down my spine. “If you don’t, Luna, you might not survive what’s coming.”

***

I sat on the makeshift bed of soft moss and leaves he’d prepared, hugging my knees to my chest. Despite the warmth of the fire, I couldn’t shake the cold, hollow feeling in my chest.

Kael had stepped outside to keep watch, giving me some space after our heated conversation. I stared into the flickering flames, replaying everything I’d overheard. The betrayal, the lies, the ambush-it was all too much.

Eventually, exhaustion overtook me, and I laid down, hoping for a moment of peace.

But peace didn’t come.

***

In my dream, I was back at the packhouse. The grand hall was filled with people, their faces familiar but distorted, like looking through warped glass. Victor stood at the altar, his eyes cold and unfeeling as he reached for me.

“Come, Luna,” he said, his voice echoing unnaturally. “It’s time.”

I tried to run, but my legs wouldn’t move. My father appeared beside him, his expression stern. “You must do this for the pack,” he commanded, his voice booming.

“No!” I screamed, but no sound came out.

The scene shifted. I was in the forest, running. Shadows closed in around me, and the trees seemed to reach out, their branches clawing at my skin. Laughter echoed behind me.

Suddenly, hands grabbed me from behind, pulling me to the ground. I screamed again, thrashing against invisible attackers, but they were too strong.

“Traitor,” a voice hissed in my ear.

***

I woke up startled, my body drenched in sweat and my heart pounding so hard it hurt. My breathing came in ragged gasps as the nightmare clung to me, its shadows refusing to fade.

“Luna!”

Kael’s voice pulled me back to reality. He was crouched beside me, his hands on my shoulders. His amber eyes, sharp and alert, softened as they met mine.

“You were screaming,” he said quietly.

“I-I’m fine,” I stammered, wiping at my face. But my hands came away wet, and I realized I was crying.

“No, you’re not,” he said firmly. His touch was gentle but grounding, like he was anchoring me to the present. “What happened?”

I shook my head, unable to put the nightmare into words. “It doesn’t matter. It was just a dream.”

“Dreams can hurt just as much as reality,” he said, his voice low and soothing.

The firelight danced across his face as he leaned closer. His hands slid down my arms to clasp mine, his warmth chasing away the lingering chill of fear.

“Hey,” he said softly, tilting his head to catch my gaze. “You’re safe. No one’s going to hurt you. Not while I’m here.”

Something about the way he said it-the quiet conviction in his voice-made the knot in my chest loosen. I nodded, refusing to look at him.

“You don’t have to be strong all the time,” he murmured, his voice so gentle it almost broke something inside me.

Tears streamed down my face, and before I could brush them away, his thumb swept over my cheek. His touch was soft, tender, and it sent a jolt of warmth through me.

I tried to look away, embarrassed by my vulnerability, but his hand cupped my face, tilting it back toward him. “Please,” he whispered, his voice filled with something I couldn’t quite name. “I can't bear seeing you like this.”

“Why are you doing this?” I asked, my voice barely audible. “Why do you care so much?”

His thumb stilled, lingering on my skin. “Because you deserve better, Luna,” he said, his voice thick with emotion. “Better than this. Better than lies, betrayal… better than them.”

I opened my mouth to respond, but the words died in my throat as he leaned in closer.

His face was inches from mine, the warmth of his breath brushing against my skin. My pulse quickened, and my breath hitched as he raised his other hand to gently wipe away another tear.

My eyes fluttered shut as he tilted his head, pressing his lips softly to my cheek. It was so light, so careful, that for a moment I wasn’t sure if I’d imagined it.

But then he kissed another tear away, and another, his lips trailing a line of warmth down my face.

“Kael,” I whispered, my voice trembling.

He pulled back just enough for his eyes to meet mine. The intensity there made it impossible to look away.

For a moment, everything else faded-the fear, the doubt, the betrayal-and it was just him and me.

He hesitated, as though giving me a chance to stop him. But I didn’t move. I couldn’t.

Then, slowly, his lips met mine.

The kiss was soft and hesitant at first, as though he was afraid I’d pull away. But I didn’t. My hands, trembling slightly, found their way to his shoulders, then slid up around his neck, pulling him closer.

That small movement seemed to break his control. His hands slid from my face to my waist, pulling me closer until there was no space left between us.

His lips pressed against mine with more urgency now, and I responded, my fingers threading through the dark strands of his hair.

Heat spread through me, chasing away the cold fear that had gripped me all night. For the first time in what felt like forever, I felt safe. Like I wasn’t alone anymore.

When he finally pulled back, both of us were breathing hard, his forehead resting against mine. His hands lingered at my waist, as though he couldn’t quite bring himself to let go and for some reason I just really loved the idea of that.

“I shouldn’t have done that,” he murmured, his voice low and rough.

I shook my head, my fingers still tangled in his hair. “Don’t apologize,” I whispered.

His eyes searched mine, as if looking for any sign of regret. But there was none. All I felt was a strange calm, a warmth I hadn’t realized I was missing.

He nodded, his hands slowly dropping from my waist. “You should rest,” he said softly, his voice gentler now. “I’ll keep watch.”

Reluctantly, I let my arms fall from his neck, the absence of his warmth leaving me feeling exposed.

He stood and walked to the entrance of the cave.

As I lay back down, my heart still racing, I couldn’t stop replaying the moment in my mind. I didn’t know what was happening between us, or what it meant, but for the first time in days, I didn’t feel so alone.