Kael's POV
She haunted him.
Even now, with the stench of battle washed from his skin and the dungeon door locked behind him, Kael could still feel her in his bones—like a phantom heat that refused to fade.
Her eyes.
Stormfire, he thought. A color that didn't exist until he saw her look at him as if she wanted him dead. And perhaps she would've tried, if she hadn't been half-crippled by grief.
Kael slammed the door to his private chambers shut and leaned against the thick stone wall, his hands curled into fists.
The mating bond had flared the moment their eyes met. A silent, ancient recognition that hit him like a sword to the chest. He'd felt it before. Once.
But this—this was different.
This time, it wasn't a lover.
It was a threat.
And the Moon Goddess, in all her cruelty, had tethered his soul to hers.
Aria Vale.
The name tasted like ash in his mouth.
She was the last living heir of Mooncrest. Daughter of Alpha Cedric Vale—Kael's enemy, his betrayer. A man who had promised peace, only to slaughter Kael's warriors in the dead of night three winters ago.
Kael's brother, Ryden, had died that night.
His Beta. His blood.
The memory struck with the same venom it always did. Ryden's body laid across a snowbank, eyes wide, the mark of Mooncrest carved into his throat like a signature. Kael had sworn that day: no mercy. No forgiveness.
So why, now, was fate mocking him with this bond?
He tore off his bloodstained cloak and threw it into the fire. The flames welcomed it eagerly, spitting sparks.
There was a knock at the door.
He didn't answer.
It opened anyway.
"Alpha."
It was Draven, his most trusted guard, his second since Ryden's death. The scar across his cheek tugged as he frowned.
"You should eat," Draven said, setting down a tray on the table. "You haven't since the raid."
"I'm not hungry."
Draven hesitated, then added carefully, "Neither has she."
Kael's jaw clenched. "She'll eat when she's ready."
"Or she'll die."
"She's stronger than that."
Draven gave him a strange look. "You believe that?"
Kael turned sharply. "What are you implying?"
The guard didn't flinch. "I'm saying it's been three days. She's still chained like a criminal, and she hasn't touched the food or water. The rest of the pack is talking."
"Let them talk."
"They saw you carry her from the battlefield. They saw her face. They saw yours. They know what it means."
Kael's silence confirmed it.
Draven stepped closer, lowering his voice. "If she's your mate…"
"She isn't," Kael snapped.
Draven didn't blink. "She is. You can lie to them, but not to yourself."
Kael turned away, staring into the fire.
"She's Mooncrest," he said, softer this time. "She's bloodstained."
"So are you."
That earned him a glare.
Draven bowed his head and stepped back. "Just think about what's next. If word spreads beyond the keep—about who she is, what she means—others will come. Vultures."
"She's not leaving," Kael said darkly. "Not until I understand what the hell this bond is trying to do to me."
Draven gave a small nod and left, closing the door behind him.
Alone again, Kael paced the room, mind racing.
He hadn't expected to survive the war, let alone find another mate. He never wanted one. His first had died before the bond could fully form—killed by the very alliance Aria's father had forged. Since then, Kael had built himself into a weapon. An Alpha without weakness.
And now, the Goddess thought it wise to give him her?
It wasn't just insulting. It was dangerous.
He'd seen the way Aria looked at him—like he was something to be put down. Her hatred was raw, justified, and it twisted something inside him that he didn't want to name. Pity? No. That was too soft. Regret?
Maybe.
But deeper than that… there was curiosity. And desire. Unwelcome. Relentless.
He could still smell her—wild roses and wolf musk. And her voice, hoarse but defiant, echoed in his skull.
"I refuse it."
So did he.
And yet… the bond pulsed beneath his skin, anchoring him to her. Wanting her. Needing her.
It wasn't love. Not yet. But it was obsession.
Kael stormed toward the door and slammed it open.
He needed to see her again. One last time. To prove to himself that he was still in control.
---
Below, in the dungeon…
Aria sat motionless, back against the wall, head tilted slightly as she listened to the castle above. She could hear footsteps sometimes. Voices. Orders barked. Swords clanging.
She'd refused every scrap of food.
She wouldn't eat while his blood stained her memories.
Her body was weaker now. But her mind was sharp. She replayed every detail of his face, his voice, his scent—burning it into her memory not as a lover, but an enemy.
If the bond was real, then she would survive it. Break it. Use it against him.
The door creaked open.
She didn't look.
But her wolf felt it—him.
Kael entered the room slowly, his boots echoing against the stone floor. He didn't speak at first. Just stared.
Aria opened her eyes and met his gaze with a cold calm.
He was tense, rigid, as if being in her presence cost him something.
"You're not eating," he said finally.
"Observation or command?" she replied coolly.
"I'm offering."
"Then take it back."
Kael moved to stand before her, arms crossed. "I don't want a corpse rotting in my dungeon."
"Then kill me and be done with it."
A pause. He knelt, lowering himself to her level, and something flickered in his expression—pain, maybe. Or recognition.
"I've killed many," he said quietly. "But I won't kill you."
Her voice was sharper than steel. "That won't make you noble."
"No," he said. "But it might make me sane."
Their eyes locked again. The air between them grew heavier. The bond surged like an invisible tide, pulling them both to the edge of something dangerous.
Kael reached forward—hesitated—then touched the chain wrapped around her wrist. His fingers brushed her skin, and Aria flinched violently, not from fear but fury.
His touch burned.
She looked at him as if he'd carved his name into her soul.
"Don't ever touch me again," she hissed.
Kael stood, his face unreadable.
"Rest," he said again, voice tight.
As he turned to go, Aria spoke quietly, venom dripping from every word.
"One day, I'll be free of this bond."
Kael froze at the door.
"And when I am," she continued, "I'll kill you with the same mercy you showed my mother."
Silence stretched like a blade between them.
Kael didn't look back.
He left.
But her words followed him like shadows.