The Rescue
The rogue came out of nowhere.
One moment I was carrying a bucket of water across the warrior training grounds with my wrists aching from the strain and the silver cuffs still biting into my skin. The next was a blur of black fur and snapping teeth that was racing toward me through the dust.
For half a second, I could not breathe. The air shifted, and the sour, feral scent of a rogue struck me like a slap. The warning came almost too late.
The warriors nearby hesitated, caught between disbelief and instinct. I dropped the bucket, water spilling into the dirt and darkening it like spilled blood. My heartbeat roared in my ears as I stumbled backward, my body reacting before my thoughts could.
It was huge, much larger than any wolf I had seen before. Its fur was patchy and tangled with dirt, its ribs visible through the matted coat. Drool dripped from its jaws, and its yellow eyes glowed with hunger and madness.
I backed up until my shoulders hit the fence. The wood dug into my spine. There was nowhere left to run. My wolf snarled inside me, desperate to shift, desperate to fight, but the silver cuffs seared against my wrists, choking the power out of me. I could only watch as the rogue lowered itself to pounce.
Then something dark and fast moved between us.
A black shadow collided with the rogue mid-leap, and the sound of impact cracked through the air.
Kael. Indeed it was my Kael.
He was a pure motion, he was a controlled violence wrapped in human form. His claws gleamed as they tore into the rogue's side, scattering drops of blood that caught the torchlight. The creature howled and snapped its jaws, but Kael was faster. His movements were precise, ruthless, efficient. He was a predator born for this.
He slammed the rogue to the ground with a force that shook the earth. The rogue twisted beneath him, biting and clawing, but Kael did not relent. He drove his knee into its chest, held it there, then struck one final time. His claws sank deep into its throat. The sound that followed was brief, wet, and final. Then came the absolute silence that fell over the training grounds.
Kael stayed crouched for a moment, his chest rising and falling, the glow of his golden eyes was sharp in the dim light. Blood stained his hands, running down his wrists and dripping onto the dirt. Then he stood, straightening slowly, every line of his body radiating strength and dominance.
My legs refused to move. My heart was still pounding from fear and something else, something harder to name. The bond between us thrummed, faint but alive, like a current running under my skin.
Kael's gaze locked on me. He took a step forward, his breathing steady but heavy, the heat of battle still clinging to him.
"You should have called for help," he said, his voice low and rough.
I forced my chin up even though my voice trembled. "I didn't have time."
"You never have time," he replied, closing the distance between us. He stopped so close that I could see the faint flecks of darker amber in his eyes. "That is why you stay near me."
His tone was not kind. It was an order, edged with something that made my pulse quicken.
I met his gaze. "And if I don't?"
His mouth curved, though not into a smile. "Then you will die here."
The words hit harder than I expected. The mate bond pulsed again, stronger now, as if mocking me for resisting. Heat flooded my chest, sharp and confusing. My wolf strained against the silver, clawing to reach him, to close the space between us, but I forced myself to step back.
My boot caught the edge of the overturned bucket. It caused me to stumble, but before I could fall, Kael's hand shot out and caught my arm.
The moment his skin touched mine, a jolt went through me. His hand was hot, and he has a very strong and firm grip. I froze, breath caught in my throat. The air between us seemed to thicken until the world felt small, too small, almost suffocating.
He then released me quickly, but the heat of his touch lingered like a brand.
Movement caught my attention from the edge of the grounds. Someone was approaching.
The crowd of warriors fell silent, their eyes turning toward the newcomer. A tall figure strode through the open space, his steps unhurried but commanding. His hair was streaked with gray, his features hard but not unkind. Power surrounded him like a cloak.
Elder Sorin.
I had heard his name whispered often since my arrival. He was said to have been Kael's father's closest advisor, a man whose word once carried as much weight as the Alpha's. Some claimed he could smell deceit the way others smelled rain.
He stopped in front of us, his gaze sweeping across the scene. His eyes lingered on the rogue's lifeless body before shifting toward me.
The silence stretched. He studied me without a word, and then, slowly, he drew in a long breath. Something flickered behind his eyes. He stepped closer, the lines on his face deepening with something like recognition.
"You," Sorin said, his voice quiet but steady, "carry a scent I have not smelled in many years."
Kael's body went still beside me. His tone was sharper when he spoke. "What are you saying, Elder?"
Sorin did not answer immediately. His pale eyes stayed locked on mine, and for a brief second, I felt as if he were looking straight through me. The air grew heavy, and I could feel Kael's tension building beside me, his wolf rising close to the surface.
When Sorin finally spoke, his voice was measured. "There is Silvermist blood in her. That much is obvious. But there is something else. Something buried beneath it, older and far more dangerous."
A murmur ran through the gathered warriors. I could hear them whispering among themselves, low and uneasy. My throat tightened.
Kael took a single step forward. "What are you implying?"
Sorin turned his gaze toward him but did not flinch. "You should ask the Moon why she chose this one. The scent she carries is not meant for this world." His eyes flicked back to me, his tone darkening. "And if I am right, then fate has already tied a knot you cannot untangle."
Kael's expression hardened. "Enough."
The word came out cold and final, but Sorin's stare did not waver.
He looked at me again, and for the first time since I had been captured, something inside me shifted. It was not the burn of the silver or the echo of the mate bond. It was older, deeper, something that made the air feel thinner and the shadows closer.
Sorin's eyes softened, though his voice remained grim. "Do you even know what you are, girl?"
I wanted to answer, but my mouth had gone dry. I could feel the sting of every warrior's gaze on my skin. The world seemed to tilt slightly, the ground beneath me suddenly became unsteady.
Kael stepped between us, breaking the stare. His presence filled the space like a wall of heat and command. "She is under my protection," he said.
"Then you had better protect her well," Sorin replied. "Because if I am right, she will bring more than just Bloodfang's enemies to your gates."
He turned and walked away without another word. The warriors parted to let him through, then watched in silence as he disappeared into the shadows beyond the courtyard.
The only sounds left were the crackle of torches and the faint drip of blood from the dead rogue.
Kael stood still for a moment, his hands clenched at his sides, his jaw tight. I could feel the storm brewing inside him, his wolf pacing close to the surface.
When his eyes found mine again, the gold in them burned brighter.
"Do not leave the fortress," he said, voice low. "Not until I know what he meant."
I wanted to argue, but the weight in his tone silenced me.
As he turned away, I felt something cold settle in my chest. Sorin's words echoed in my mind, sharper than any blade.
Something old was waking inside me, and whatever it was, it had already started to change everything.