The morning light had fully settled across the gardens by the time I led Selene to the training grounds. She walked beside me, head high, stride confident, yet still carrying the faint hint of vulnerability I had sworn to shield. Kaen growled softly, agitated and alert. The pull is stronger. You feel it, Alpha.
I did. Every instinct, every nerve, every heartbeat screamed at me, reminding me that she was nearing the age when the Goddess's plan would awaken. I had watched her grow, protected her through grief and loss, guided her through lessons and ceremonies, but this… this was different. Now, she was almost ready.
"Today," I said, voice low, controlled, "we focus on precision. Your strength and agility are remarkable, but control is what separates a child from a warrior, a girl from the Alpha she is destined to become."
Selene's blue eyes sparkled. "Control? That sounds boring. I want to learn to fight like you, Uncle Darian. To be fast, strong…"
I caught the edge of the longing in her tone, the admiration that made my chest ache. She cannot know… I reminded myself sharply. This was her curiosity, her natural affinity, her drive to grow. It was not… not yet… what Kaen whispered beneath my skin.
I nodded slowly. "Strength without control is dangerous. If you cannot guide your power, it will consume you, and those you care for."
She tilted her head, studying me with a mix of trust and determination. "And if I care for someone as much as I care for you?"
The words hit me harder than any rival's blade. My wolf growled deep and low, tugging at the edges of my mind. She was teasing, I told myself. She was unaware. Yet the pull… the pull was undeniable. Kaen's insistence pressed against my thoughts. Soon, Alpha. Soon, she will awaken.
I cleared my throat, forcing control back into my voice. "Focus on the stance first." I moved behind her, correcting the tilt of her shoulder, the angle of her wrist. My hands brushed against hers. That brief contact, accidental or not, sent a jolt through me that I refused to name.
She looked up at me, unaware of the storm she had stirred. "Is this how you fight? Like this?"
I straightened, lowering my voice, slow and deliberate. "Yes. But strength alone is not enough. You must anticipate, predict, and move with purpose. Each strike, each parry, each motion… it is a conversation with your opponent, your own mind, and your instincts."
Her gaze lingered on me, the way it always did when she wanted to learn, when she wanted to impress. And I felt the pull again, stronger this time, unrelenting. Kaen's growl vibrated in my chest. She is ready to call. Soon.
I forced myself to step back. "Enough for now. You have done well, but the mind must rest as much as the body."
Selene pouted slightly, frustration mingling with admiration. "You never rest. You're always… perfect."
I allowed a small smirk, masking the ache in my chest. "Even the Alpha must learn patience," I said. "You will, too, though perhaps not willingly."
She laughed, the sound light and free, yet it stirred something dark and possessive within me. I longed to draw her close, to keep her safe under my shadow, to mark her as mine even before destiny allowed it. But I could not. Not yet.
Kaen growled in warning. Soon, Alpha. You must not deny the bond much longer.
I exhaled, steadying myself. My hand hovered near hers as she picked up her sword, adjusting the grip instinctively. The closeness made my chest tighten. I could smell the faint sweetness of her hair, the warmth of her skin beneath the fabric of her tunic. She was intoxicating. She was untouchable. She was mine, soon.
"Uncle Darian?" she asked softly, hesitation in her voice. "Do you ever… wish things were different?"
I froze, my hands stilling mid-motion. The question struck deeper than any blade. "Different?" I repeated, voice low, careful. "In what way?"
She shrugged, eyes avoiding mine. "I don't know… I guess… sometimes I wonder if you ever wanted… someone for yourself. Someone not just for duty, not just for the pack."
The words cut me. Kaen snarled in my chest, wild and raw. My wolf understood what I had not dared voice aloud. I wanted her. I had always wanted her, though the laws of man and pack demanded restraint. I wanted to claim her, to protect her, to possess her completely. And yet… I could not, not while she was still considered my ward, still almost a child in the eyes of the world.
"I…" I began, then caught myself. Control, Alpha. Restrain. "The pack is my duty. The protection of those I care for is my duty. That is enough."
Her gaze lifted to mine, searching, curious, almost accusing. "Does it ever feel like… too much?"
I inhaled slowly, forcing the answer into words. "It is never too much when it is necessary. It is never too much when it is for someone you care for." My eyes softened, carefully, hiding the ache beneath steel. "And you, Selene… you are worth every ounce of vigilance, every sleepless night, every shadow I must cast to keep danger away."
She blinked, absorbing the words. "You always say that. But…" Her voice faltered slightly, then steadied. "I hope I never disappoint you."
I moved closer, instinctively lowering my hand to brush a stray lock of hair from her face. The contact lingered longer than necessary, deliberate enough to remind myself that I could not yet give in, that I had to guard against desire as fiercely as I guarded her from the world.
"You could never disappoint me," I said softly, low enough that only she could hear. "Not while I draw breath."
She smiled, trusting, unknowing of the storm she had ignited. My chest tightened again. Kaen growled low, almost warning me of the fire I could not yet touch.
Soon, Alpha, the wolf whispered. Soon.
And I knew. The pull of destiny was close, stronger than ever. Each glance, each brush of her hand, each shared moment of trust and admiration brought me closer to the edge I could not yet cross. I had to remain patient, restraint absolute. For now.
Because when the Goddess called, when Selene turned eighteen, when her wolf awakened… I would not hesitate.
I would claim her.