Chapter 2 The Prophecy Unfolds

She didn't believe in superstitions, but something in that night could not be ignored. Kael lay in the small cot, his breathing all ragged, as she went to it without a moment's rest, tending his wound. Her hands moved steady though touched by the silence between them. She had seen many hurt wolves before: hunting accidents, smaller skirmishes, but nothing like that here. This man, this rogue, was different.

She had heard the whispers about him, the rumors he'd been turned against his pack, marked for death by those who once called him family. Yet, as she worked over his wounds, Lila couldn't help but feel that there was so much more to the story than betrayal-something much deeper.

She smoothed the final ointment on his wound, stepped back, fingers drifting on his chest just that little bit too long, out over the taut sense of his heat, of muscles straining under her palm, but for an instant closed his eyes, and was for that brief period vulnerable - and no one, not ever had seen that and lived to see again in all his years.

Is you going to tell me what really happened? She asked softly, almost whispering. Tension filled the room.

Kael's lids snapped open, his silver gaze tunneling in on hers, the intensity making her catch her breath. He didn't say a word for a very long time, and his chest rose and fell with labored breathing.

"I didn't betray them," Kael finally said, his voice low and rough. "They branded me, exiled me for a crime I didn't commit."

Lila swallowed, her heart aching for him. "What crime?"

"Something darker than I could have imagined," Kael muttered. "There's a prophecy. One that speaks of a rogue-marked, exiled, alone-who holds the power to destroy or save us all."

Lila's pulse quickened as her eyes narrowed and she leaned in. "What does that mean? What prophecy?"

Kael's silver eyes seemed to cloud with a faraway look, as though he was seeing something in the distance that only he could comprehend. His hand rose weakly, brushing against the bandages Lila had applied, before falling back to his side.

"It's why they burned the mark. It's why they hunt me," Kael spat out with bitterness. "They think if the prophecy comes true, I'll mean the end of them. They don't know what I harbor inside me-no one does."

Lila stepped backward, her mind racing. She had heard of prophecies-ancient rituals and secrets dangerous enough to stop one's heart-but nothing like this. Could it be true? Could Kael hold within him the whole world of werewolves?

She knew she'd do anything to be near him, but she was sure she had been lying to herself all along about the bond that tied them. The healer in her was craving to obliterate him, to help him in all ways she could, but something was struggling deep within her chest.

"What do you want from me?" Lila gently asked, never breaking her gaze with him.

Kael's eyes softened, but just for a moment, and then he composed himself. "I think I need to understand what this mark represents. And I also need to get a lead on those who want to find and destroy me before they do it to others."

Lila's pulse quickened. It was more than she had foreseen. Still, when she remained there over the rogue's body, she knew very well that her part in all of this was quite far from being finished.

PART II

The day passed by, but Kael was still restless. He was down with the events of the day, feeling both tired and emotionally traumatized. Although he had grown used to living on his own and relying solely on his instincts and strength, now, for the first time in years, he was under somebody's power.

Lila.

The softness of her voice and the steadiness of her hands were the reasons he had managed to be so stabilized at that moment. She was a healer-needless to say, but Kael couldn't help but notice the longing for something that her gaze exhibited too. One day when they were looking at each other and her eyes became softer, a calm understanding was passing from one another, although he had shared nothing about his background with her.

The bed beneath him felt strange, foreign. He had never allowed himself to stay anywhere for long. Every place was temporary, every person a potential threat. Yet here he was, in her humble clinic, with no idea how to leave without putting her in danger.

Kael's gaze flicked to the window. The moon was high in the sky now, casting a pale light across the room. He needed to leave, to continue moving, but a nagging sense of duty kept him tethered to this place.

"I should go," he muttered to himself, as much to convince his own restless heart as anyone else.

But before he could rise, the door creaked open.

Lila stood in the doorway, lit by the soft glow of a lantern. She had been working in silence for the past few hours, and Kael thought she would leave him to rest. But there she was, standing in front of him, her eyes serious, though there was still an undeniable trace of concern in her expression.

"You don't have to go," she said, her voice steady. "Not yet."

Kael met her gaze, his own face hardening. He couldn't afford to let his guard down. Not now. Not when his past was hunting him, when the prophecy loomed over him like a shadow.

"I can't stay here. They'll find me, and they'll come for you," Kael warned, his voice low and filled with an edge of fear.

Lila shook her head, her expression unwavering. "I'm not afraid of them."

Kael's brows furrowed. "You should be."

"You don't know me," Lila said, drawing closer. She looked at him with a sort of quiet purpose. "I've been training to heal for as long as I can remember. I've seen the bloodshed, the violence. But I also know that there is more to life than running from it. You are not the first person to get hurt."

For a fleeting moment, Kael caught a glimpse of something in her eyes - a spark that echoed his own. She did not fear what he brought into her life, danger and all. Instead, she seemed almost eager to step forward and confront it. Why?

Lila crossed the room in her slow, purposeful way, then sat beside him on the cot, her hand brushing his arm with lightness.

"You are not alone anymore," she whispered. "I do not know what it is in the prophecy. I know I can help you find out the truth.".

Kael's head snapped to the side, his silver eyes locking onto hers. There was something dangerous in the intensity of her gaze-a spark that was more than just a healer's compassion. She had something deeper within her, something that called to him in ways he couldn't explain.

"You're making a mistake," Kael murmured. "You don't know who I am."

Lila met his gaze with quiet resolve. "I think I'm starting to."