The way Kael said it wasn't casual. It wasn't a request.
It was a declaration.
I gripped my fork tighter. "You're not serious."
He kept eating like he hadn't just dropped a bomb in the middle of breakfast. "I'm always serious."
"Kael…"
He looked at me, his voice low. "If I claim you, no one touches you. No one takes you. Blackclaw won't risk it."
"This isn't about Blackclaw," I said. "This is about you getting what you want."
He didn't deny it. "Sometimes those things line up."
I shook my head. "You rejected me. In front of the entire pack. Now you want to stand in the same spot and what? announce I'm yours again?"
"Yes," he said simply.
Anger bubbled in my chest. "Do you have any idea how humiliating that would be? How they'll look at me?"
"They'll look at you as their Luna," he said.
"That's not a title you get to hand out when it's convenient for you."
Kael leaned closer, his voice dropping so only I could hear. "Convenience has nothing to do with it. This is survival. And if you think I'm letting my mate and my son walk around unclaimed, you're wrong."
I hated the way my stomach flipped at the word "mate."
By midday, the news had already spread. I heard whispers in the halls, felt the weight of eyes on me as I passed.
Kael hadn't told me exactly how he planned to do it, but the way the pack was buzzing made it obvious, he wanted everyone there to see it.
I found him in the training yard, sparring with one of his warriors. Sweat rolled down his temple, his bare forearms flexing with every strike. He moved with precision, all controlled power.
He noticed me instantly. "Elara."
I crossed my arms. "You've been busy."
He dismissed his opponent with a nod and walked over. "I told you this morning. I'll make the claim tonight."
I shook my head. "I'm not doing this."
"You don't have to do anything," he said. "Just stand beside me."
"That's not how this works," I snapped. "You can't just decide for me."
His eyes darkened. "I can when your safety depends on it."
"My safety? Or your pride?"
For a second, something flickered in his expression. Then it was gone, replaced by the same unyielding resolve. "Both."
By evening, the entire pack was gathered in the main hall. The air was thick with anticipation.
I stood at the side of the room, my pulse quickening as Kael entered. His presence filled the space instantly.
Tarin stood near the front, scanning the crowd. I caught sight of Lyra, her arms crossed, eyes narrowed.
Kael didn't waste time. He walked straight to the center of the room, his voice carrying over the low hum of conversation.
"Tonight," he said, "I make something clear. Elara is mine. She has always been mine. And anyone who touches her, or the boy answers to me."
The room went still.
I felt every eye turn toward me. My heart pounded in my ears.
Kael extended his hand, palm up, waiting.
I didn't move.
The silence stretched.
Lyra's voice cut through it. "Is this a joke? You threw her away. You told all of us she wasn't fit to stand beside you."
Murmurs rippled through the crowd.
Kael's gaze stayed on me, but his words were for everyone. "I was wrong. I will not make the same mistake twice."
Lyra laughed without humor. "Or maybe you're just desperate because she showed up with a kid that looks exactly like you."
Gasps moved through the room.
Kael's head turned slowly toward her. "Careful, Lyra."
She tilted her chin. "If you want her back, fine. But don't expect the rest of us to forget."
"That's enough," Kael said, his tone final.
He turned back to me. "Elara."
Every instinct in me screamed to walk out. To turn my back like he once had.
But I thought of Liam. Of Blackclaw. Of the voice outside my door pretending to be Tarin.
Slowly, I stepped forward.
The crowd's murmur rose as I reached him. Kael's hand closed over mine, warm and steady.
"I claim you," he said, his voice strong enough to shake the air. "Before the Moon Goddess and before my pack. You are my mate. You are my Luna."
The room erupted, some cheers, some protests.
Kael didn't look away from me. "Say it back."
I hesitated. "Kael…"
"Say it."
My throat was dry. "I am your mate."
His eyes softened just enough for me to notice. "And?"
"I am your Luna," I said, the words tasting foreign on my tongue.
Kael's hand came up to the back of my neck, pulling me close enough that his breath brushed my ear. "Good."
The ceremony ended quickly after that, but the energy in the hall didn't fade. Wolves came forward to congratulate, or challenge, the claim.
Kael kept me close the entire time, his arm around my waist like he was daring anyone to try and take me.
When we finally stepped into the quieter hallway, I let out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding. "You didn't give me a choice."
He looked down at me. "I gave you protection."
"You gave me a cage."
His mouth curved slightly. "Sometimes they're the same thing."
Before I could answer, Tarin approached. "Alpha. Scouts say Blackclaw pulled back from the border."
Kael's eyes stayed on mine. "They heard."
I frowned. "You think that's it? They'll just stop because of a few words?"
"No," he said. "But now they know what war will cost them."
"And what will it cost me?" I asked quietly.
His answer was just as quiet. "Everything you've been trying to keep from me."
That night, back in his quarters, I put Liam to bed and stepped out onto the balcony. The forest stretched into the distance, quiet now.
Kael joined me a moment later, leaning on the railing.
"You didn't fight me in front of them," he said.
"I didn't want to give them more reason to doubt you."
His gaze slid to mine. "That wasn't for me. That was for us."
I looked away. "Don't read into it."
He moved closer, his voice low. "I already am."
I turned to face him, every muscle tense. "Don't think this changes anything between us."
"It changes everything," he said simply.
Before I could reply, a howl echoed in the distance. This one wasn't from his wolves.
Kael's expression hardened. "They're back."