Chapter Fourteen: Beneath the Moon's Mercy
The battlefield was quiet now. Smoke curled in the air, mingling with the scent of blood, pine, and magic. The rogue beasts had fled, but their presence lingered—like a dark bruise pressed into the land.
Kael moved through the aftermath, checking his wounded. His shoulders were tense, eyes sharp, but Rina knew the fury inside him had shifted. Now it burned low — not with rage, but with protectiveness.
When he finally reached her, his arms pulled her in as if he'd waited a lifetime.
"You shouldn't have faced them alone," he murmured, burying his face in her neck.
"I didn't," she replied softly, fingers curling into his tunic. "You were with me. You always are."
Kael exhaled, holding her tighter.
Later, beneath the full moon, Rina stood on a cliff that overlooked the valley. The wind tugged at her hair. Her skin still tingled from the battle, but more than that, something inside her had shifted.
Something had awakened.
Kael stepped beside her silently. "You're changing."
"I feel it," she said. "I'm… becoming."
Kael's hand found hers. "When a wolf who carries dormant blood finds their true bond, the shift begins. Slowly, then all at once."
"I thought I'd be afraid," Rina whispered.
"But?"
She turned to him. "I'm not. Not with you."
Kael's lips brushed her temple. "The pack will see your strength now. You've earned their respect — not because of me, but because of you."
Rina leaned into him. "And if I shift fully?"
"Then you'll take your place beside me," Kael said, voice low and reverent. "Not as my mate. Not as my equal. As my Alpha."
Rina's breath caught.
She didn't reply.
She didn't have to.
The moon above bore witness to the silent vow between them — of rising power, of shared destiny, and a bond strong enough to shake the foundations of the wild.