Aurora couldn't shake the image of the silver wolf from her mind. The next morning, she felt distracted, barely able to keep up with her duties. She sat in the grand hall, surrounded by her father's advisers, but her mind was far from the palace walls. All she could think of was the wolf's intense stare, his presence haunting her.
Later that evening, as the sky darkened and the air grew heavy, she slipped out of the castle once more. She couldn't explain why—only that she felt drawn to the forest, as if something was calling her. With a cloak wrapped tightly around her shoulders, she ventured into the shadows beyond the castle grounds, her heart pounding with a mix of fear and excitement.
The night was quiet, the only sound the crunch of leaves beneath her feet. She had barely gone beyond the last tree when she felt something. It was a prickle at the back of her neck, a familiar feeling, like she was being watched. She stopped, her breath catching.
"Aurora."
The voice was low, rough, and it sent a shiver down her spine. She turned, and there he was—the silver wolf, standing in the moonlight, his tall figure casting a shadow across the forest floor. Only now, he was in his human form, watching her with those same piercing eyes.
"Why do you follow me?" she managed to ask, trying to keep her voice steady.
The man tilted his head, studying her. "Because you showed mercy," he said. "You saved one of my kind. Why?"
Aurora didn't know how to answer. She had acted on impulse, a feeling deep within her heart that it was wrong to treat them as beasts. She looked down, her voice soft. "I… I don't know. It just felt wrong."
The man took a step closer, and she held her breath, feeling the danger in every move he made. But there was no fear—only a strange, thrilling awareness. "No human has ever done that," he said quietly. "You risked yourself, for us."
Before she could respond, a sudden rustling echoed from the trees, and the man's head snapped up. In an instant, he transformed—one moment a man, the next a powerful wolf, his silver fur shining under the moonlight.
Aurora gasped as three other wolves appeared from the darkness, circling her. She recognized one of them—the same young wolf she had saved at the bloodsport. His golden fur and amber eyes were unmistakable, though now they were filled with fear and anger as he snarled, his gaze fixed on the silver wolf.
The silver wolf growled, standing protectively in front of Aurora, his body tense. The young wolf barked, a harsh, accusing sound, as if he was angry that she was there, that she had seen him in his moment of weakness.
"They think I've betrayed them," came a voice in her mind, low and angry. She realized it was the silver wolf, speaking to her somehow, his thoughts slipping into her mind. "They think I am weak for saving a human."
Aurora felt a chill run down her spine. She glanced at the wolves circling her, the tension thick as they watched her with wary eyes, ready to pounce. She couldn't understand their language, but she understood their anger.
"I don't want to harm you," she whispered, her voice barely a breath. "I only wanted to understand."
The silver wolf looked back at her, his eyes softening, and for a moment, she felt a connection she couldn't explain. He understood her, even when no one else in her world did.
With a low growl, the silver wolf turned to the other wolves, his stance firm, as if commanding them to leave. The young wolf hesitated, his gaze flickering between Aurora and the silver wolf, but finally, he backed away, his growls fading into the night as he and the others disappeared into the trees.
When they were gone, the silver wolf transformed back into a man, his breathing heavy. "They don't trust humans," he said, his voice bitter. "They only know humans as hunters, as killers. But you… you are different."
Aurora's heart pounded as she took a small step toward him. "And you are not just a wolf," she said softly. "You're more than the stories I've heard."
The man looked away, a flicker of pain in his eyes. "I am Kael," he said, his voice quiet. "Alpha of the northern clans. I fight for my people, for the freedom your kind took from us. And yet, here I am, saving you."
Aurora felt a pang in her chest, guilt mixing with confusion. She was the daughter of the king who had waged war against the wolves, and now she was standing here, face to face with their leader.
"Why do you fight?" she asked, barely able to hold his gaze.
Kael's expression hardened. "Because we have no choice. My people suffer. They live in hiding, in fear. And your people make us monsters."
Aurora didn't know how to answer. She had grown up believing the wolves were dangerous, that they were the enemy. But standing here, looking into Kael's fierce, proud eyes, she saw a different side—one full of pain, longing, and a fierce loyalty to his kind.
"I never wanted this war," she whispered, her voice catching. "I only wanted to understand."
Kael's gaze softened, and for a moment, he looked almost human, a sadness hidden beneath the strength. "Perhaps you and I are not so different," he said. "Both trapped by the chains of our worlds."
They stood in silence, the weight of their lives pressing down on them. The moonlight cast a silver glow over the forest, bathing them in a quiet peace that neither had known for so long.
And then, without another word, Kael turned and disappeared into the shadows, leaving her alone under the night sky.
But as he left, Aurora felt something inside her shift, a spark igniting that she couldn't ignore. The bloodsport, the wolves, Kael… it had all changed her.