Chapter 3 Mate

Far from the stone tower where Aria was imprisoned, an elder of the pack slowly opened his eyes. His breath hitched he felt something. An ancient bond. Invisible, yet unmistakably powerful.

The Alpha had found his soulmate. The elder's gaze hardened. He rose from his stone seat deep within the underground sanctuary. His eyes were filled with wariness and concern. This wasn't just a personal matter. It threatened the balance of power in their pack.

"Find out who she is," he ordered one of his trusted followers. "Immediately. And don't let the Alpha know."

Without a word, the follower vanished into the shadows, moving silently toward Kael's stone tower. Swift. Unseen.

Inside the dim room, Kael stood frozen after pulling his hand away from Aria. His eyes were lost, unfocused. Without a word, he turned, opened the door, and left.

Click!

The door locked again. Aria stared after him, confused, her body still tingling from that strange warmth. But her mind found no answer. She remained in the corner of the room, swallowed by fear and questions.

Meanwhile, Kael stormed into his own chamber and slammed the door shut. He stood there, breathing heavily. His fists clenched, trying to contain the storm inside him.

"No... It can't be..."

His soulmate was human. Not a pack member. Not of wolf blood. A disgrace. He knew what would happen if this truth got out. The elders would scorn him. The pack would question his leadership. He, the newly crowned Alpha, would be seen as weak bound to a human. But he also knew one thing: the bond couldn't be broken. Not without a price. And that price... was his life.

Kael let out a low growl, not knowing where to direct his fury. At himself? At Aria? Or at the cruel fate that had played this twisted joke?

At last, he made a single decision. He would protect her. But not with love. With hatred. A mask to cover the pain of losing his father, a loss he still believed was caused by humans.

As the night deepened, a shadow moved swiftly between the trees. The elder's loyal follower had entered Kael's territory undetected.

He was soundless. His form blended into the forest mist. As he neared the tower, his eyes scanned the surroundings. No guards.

"The Alpha grows careless," he muttered.

With the agility of a hunting wolf, he slipped through a side window and into the house. An unfamiliar scent greeted him, not wolf, not blood. Human. He crept toward one of the rooms. The door was locked tight, but there was just enough of a crack to peer through. And there, he saw her.

A girl. Young. Confused. Helpless. Her eyes met his for a split second, before he vanished into the shadows. Aria recoiled, her heart pounding. She didn't know what she'd just seen, only that danger was real and close.

The next day, deep in the elder's underground lair, the man knelt before his master.

"The Alpha's soulmate is human," he reported sharply.

The elder was silent for several moments. Then his eyes turned cold deadly.

"She must be eliminated. Before her presence weakens our Alpha."

But this time, he didn't send an assassin. He went himself.

At sunset, Aria awoke to the creak of her door. But it wasn't Kael. Or Rowan. Or any of the guards. It was an old man in a dark cloak. His eyes were sharp, his face etched with age and ice cold hatred.

"So it's you," he said softly.

Aria backed away, sensing a danger she didn't understand radiating from this stranger.

"There's nothing special about you... except one thing." He leaned in slightly. "Kael is bound to you. And because of that, you are a threat to the entire pack."

Aria opened her mouth, but no words came. The elder stepped closer, whispering something that froze her blood.

"You think Kael can protect you? He won't even be able to protect himself once this bond is exposed."

She could only stare, frozen between fate and fear. Her body trembled. Her eyes locked on the door that shut with a cruel finality. Whoever that man was, her instincts screamed, he wouldn't hesitate to kill her.

Elsewhere in the tower, Kael had just finished arranging the night patrol. As he turned, a figure stood at his doorway.

"Elder Maeron," Kael said coldly. "What are you doing in my home without permission?"

Maeron stepped in slowly, like a priest who knew every stone of the building.

"I'm merely visiting, Alpha. Perhaps hoping for a little honesty."

Kael narrowed his eyes. His body tensed. "Honesty?"

Maeron met his gaze, as if peeling back his very thoughts. "About your soulmate."

Kael's expression shifted not panic, but a flicker of recognition. He quickly masked it with a faint smile.

"You're mistaken, Elder. I haven't found her."

Maeron gave a dry laugh, but his eyes were hollow. Humorless.

"Then why did you reject Lyra?" He took a step closer. "She'll return at the full moon. Pureblood. The ideal mate for an Alpha. You know every elder supports her."

Kael's jaw tightened. But he said nothing.

"You think you can hide the bond from me? From the pack?"

"A soul bond cannot be hidden from the elders. We feel it. We know the moment it forms."

Silence fell between them. Kael remained rigid, fists clenched. Maeron sighed and turned away.

"Sooner or later, Alpha..." he said as he walked off, "you'll have to choose. Your soulmate or your throne."

The door shut behind him. Kael finally sat down, head bowed. For the first time in his life, the Alpha had no idea what to do.

In the locked room, Aria leaned against the wall. The air still carried echoes of the conversation from outside. She had only caught fragments, but it was enough. Kael had lied to protect her. And there was one word that lingered in her mind. Soulmate.

She didn't know what it meant. But she knew one thing for certain: She was a danger to Kael. Whether because of who she was or the fate that had thrown them together.

The door creaked open. Aria turned quickly, her body still on edge. But it wasn't Kael. It was Rowan, carrying a wooden tray of warm food. He smiled gently.

"You need to eat, or Kael will make me sit here and watch until you finish every bite."

His voice was soft, teasing. It eased some of the tightness in her chest. Aria accepted the food in silence. Rowan sat across the room, back against the wall. Minutes passed. Quiet but not cold. At last, in a small voice, Aria asked,

"What is... a soulmate?"

Rowan turned sharply, surprised. But his gaze softened. "You heard us, huh?"

Aria only nodded. Rowan smiled faintly, as if someone had asked him to explain the stars to someone who had never seen the sky.

"A soulmate is someone you're destined to be bound to. Your souls will call to each other, even before you meet. When you do, your bodies will react. Like electricity or a feeling you can't explain."

Aria lowered her gaze. The words stirred something in her. Kael's touch that night. The strange spark that made her tremble. She had thought it was fear. But... was it?

Rowan watched her carefully. "Did you feel it?" he asked quietly.

She lifted her face to meet his eyes. Then gave a faint smile and shook her head.

"No. I was just curious."

Rowan paused. He knew she was lying. But he didn't press her. He simply stood, sighing softly.

"If you ever want to talk... I'll be here."

Then he left, leaving Aria alone once more in a room that now felt even smaller, crushed by a secret too heavy to share.