Chapter 5: Crossing Into Nightbane

Kaima

I had never imagined leaving my pack at this point in time and joining another, but here I was, standing at the threshold of another Alpha's land, about to surrender my bond and step into a new pack—a new life.

I sighed. Not as if I have a choice. The Moon Goddess wanted me to, and who was I to disobey her?

I just stood, contemplating what to do. Why did I have to be the one to save him? I didn’t even know from what, but I kept telling myself it was fine. I was doing this to find my mate, that was all that mattered.

The sooner I get this over with, the sooner I find him.

The air was heavier as I stepped into the Nightbane territory. Nyx stirred inside me, unsettled yet expectant, as a strange energy brushed against my skin.

“You must be the one I've been waiting for, the one looking for a new pack,” a voice said warmly.

I turned to see a man standing before me with a warm smile, but I knew better. His stance screamed warrior, protective, yet open. 

“I’m Oliver, Beta of the Nightbane pack,” he introduced himself with a small nod. “Alpha Nathan is waiting, right this way.”

Alpha Nathan. The sound of the name alone sent a shiver through me. My stomach knotted with nerves. I wasn’t sure what to expect. 

But when I followed Oliver into the room where he was, and my eyes fell on him standing there tall, broad shoulders, breathtakingly handsome—my breath caught. But that wasn’t what caught my attention. 

He had a genuine welcoming smile on his face. Nothing like what I had expected when I embarked on this journey.

So this was Alpha Nathan, the one I was supposed to save. 

But he looked perfectly fine to me.

His presence radiated authority. It was commanding without even an effort, but just like the moon goddess had said, he wasn’t like the… others.

“Have a seat,” he said gently as his Beta stepped out of the room, leaving just the both of us.

The room was quiet for a moment.

I sat still, trying to gather my thoughts, while Nathan watched me curiously from head to toe. I’d expected Nyx to have said something, but she was quiet all through, as if lost in her own world.

“So, what brings you to New York?” he asked casually, like he was really interested, not just pretending. There was something about him that made me want to let my guard down. “Why leave your old pack behind?”

I forced a smile, trying my possible best to keep the lie convincing. “I…I lost someone really important to me, and I just needed a change… a new start. My old pack was fine, but I need a change of environment because everything there reminds me of what I didn't want to remember.”

He looked at me with eyes that softened as though he truly understood where I was coming from. “Change can be good,” he said softly, with a deep voice I felt I would never get tired of listening to. “And I’m really sorry for your loss.”

I just stared at him, my throat tightening. There was something about him—something that made me feel… comfortable, like I could tell him anything and he would understand. It was strange. I didn’t know what to make of it and it unsettled me. He was a stranger, but he didn't feel like one to.

He was kind, empathetic, soft. In general… a gentleman. Nothing like other Alphas I had come across before, the ones who were always too busy proving their superiority, trying to make you know who's in charge—emitting a cold aura that will keep you trembling in their presence.

“That’s one way to put it,” I said, my voice steady, my gaze drifting to the door. For some weird reason, I suddenly felt shy to look at him.

A playful smile tugged at his lips. “So you’re looking for a new pack, and you came all the way to New York. Brave move.”

I laughed shakingly. I hadn’t expected this warmth from an Alpha. He wasn’t acting like the ruler of one of the most powerful packs—he was just acting like… a man, an actual person. Which planet did he fall off from? Because it sure as hell wasn’t this same one I've lived in all my life.

After a moment, he got up gracefully and motioned for me to follow. “Well, let’s get this over with. If you are going to join the Nightbane, we’ll need to perform the binding ritual to sever your bond with your old pack and establish you with us.”

My throat dried up instantly. 

I’d done this before—a long time ago when I had accompanied one of my sisters on a different mission. But it still felt strange, my heart skipping a beat as I stood up.

He reached for my hands, gently guiding me to the center of the room where a few candles were in a circle.

“Don’t worry, it won’t hurt.” he assured, smiling softly, his voice soothing. “This is just to sever whatever you had with your old pack and bind you to me and to my pack as your new Alpha. Breathe, okay?” His voice calmed me down, but my heart kept racing fast. 

Well, that was strange. Kaima, calm down, I scolded myself silently.

Nathan began to chant the words, and slowly I felt a strange pull between the both of us, like an invisible thread pulling us together. With each word he spoke, I felt the bond with my old pack break.

And just as quickly as it started, it ended.

The strange connection I had felt vanished instantly, like it was never there, leaving me with a faint echo at the back of my mind.

Nathan looked at me with a small, knowing smile, but there was something else in his eyes. “You’re officially a member of the Nightbane pack, Kaima.”

I nodded, forcing a smile, trying to hide the unease that had settled in my chest unease I couldn’t explain. I felt confused at what I was feeling. 

The ritual was over, 

But what exactly did it do to me?

Nathan looked at me carefully, his voice dropped. “Are you all right?” he asked softly.

“Yes… yes, I am,” I replied quickly.

“So how does it feel to be part of a new pack?”

“It feels… different,” I said honestly, my voice barely audible. I wasn’t sure he was going to help me.

Nathan was quiet for a while, his gaze searching my face for a brief moment before nodding thoughtfully, and I couldn’t help but wonder if he had felt it too—the unexplainable pull, or was that my mind playing tricks on me?

I felt Nyx stir inside of me, her curiosity and unease matching mine. ‘What the hell was that?’ Her voice was a low murmur in my mind.

‘I don’t know,’ I replied in a whisper.

Nathan took a step back and watched me again with those intense blue eyes before saying, “I think you would fit perfectly here, Kaima. I look forward to having you in the pack. I know you don’t have a place to stay yet, so you can stay here. Someone will show you to your room.”

“Thank you,” I murmured, my voice crackling.

It wasn’t long before a maid stepped in, and as she walked me through the hallway of the mansion, I couldn’t seem to get Alpha Nathan off my mind.

I wasn’t just here to be part of a pack. I reminded myself. The Moon Goddess had brought me here for a reason, and I would find out what it was. I didn’t have time to be having thoughts about Alpha Nathan when I was supposed to be saving him—

but from what, exactly?

I sighed. Mother, please help me… because right now I really do need it.