Kaï led me through the forest without saying much. His camp was only a few minutes away, yet we could still hear the distant echoes of the celebration reverberating through the trees.
When we arrived, I was surprised to see that his camp wasn't as modest as I had expected. The tents were enormous, adorned with strands of gold and intricate artistic patterns. It was far from the rugged, makeshift camp I had imagined. His men had stayed behind at the party, leaving only the two of us in the quiet night.
The fire at the center of the camp had almost died, but glowing embers remained. Kaï knelt to add wood, reviving the flames as if it were a cold night. He was searching for something to do, something to occupy his hands. He was uncomfortable.
"Kaï."
He didn't look at me, but I knew he was listening because he stilled for a second before resuming his task.
"I don't know what to do or how any of this is even possible. There's so much I don't know about mates and packs." I swallowed. "But one thing is certain—I feel this bond between us, and I don't want to reject it. I don't think you do either. So, at the very least, we need to be honest with each other. I want to know you—not just your name, but you. Please, sit with me."
He turned, the firelight dancing in his eyes, his expression unreadable. Then, without a word, he stood and disappeared into one of the tents. When he returned, he carried a small wooden table, a tea set, and a tray of desserts. Setting everything down, he retrieved two wooden stumps, placing them across from each other. The teapot went into the fire, and he arranged biscuits, scones, and an assortment of chocolates on a napkin in front of me. My mouth watered despite the fact that I had already eaten more than my fill of meat earlier.
He smirked as he took his seat.
"You're right," he admitted. "As you've probably already noticed, I'm not great at sharing. But I'll try."
"That's good," I said, relieved. "Do you want me to start?"
He gestured for me to go ahead, placing a few of the desserts on my napkin before pouring us both some tea.
"Well, my name is Aleena Fotos," I began. "I'm fifty years old, born in the last batch of werewolves. My father was an alpha, but he died of the Disease. My mother…" I hesitated. "She was killed when I was young. A group of rogue werewolves held her captive for weeks, trying to impregnate her before they finally—" I stopped myself. "She didn't make it. I survived out of sheer will. I lived with Mary and her younger sister for years."
I took a steadying breath.
"I've had a lot of bad luck, but I think I turned out pretty well. And before you hear it from someone else, I work at a club—dancing for money. It pays well enough for me to afford my own apartment, which isn't something most werewolves in this area can say."
Kaï hadn't touched his tea. His fingers curled around the cup, his gaze dark with barely restrained anger.
I stiffened.
Did he think I was disgusting?
I had made my choices, and I had survived. I wasn't ashamed of who I was. But was he?
He cleared his throat and set his cup down.
"First of all," he said, voice measured, "I'm truly sorry for your losses. Grieving the life you could have had… losing your parents the way you did… it doesn't just fade."
"Thanks," I said softly. "It was a long time ago."
"It was still your family," he countered. "That leaves a mark."
I met his gaze, taken aback. Most people avoided talking about my past. What was the point? It wasn't like I could change anything. But he was right. It did leave a mark.
He exhaled, leaning back slightly.
"My name is Kaï Andeno, Alpha of the Moonlight Pack of the North. I'm two hundred and nine years old."
I nearly choked on my tea.
Ancient Alpha. Two hundred years old.
He continued, unfazed.
"I was stripped of my alpha powers when the Great Change occurred. I survived the Disease thanks to the witch of my pack. I never had a mate, and I lost my beta—as well as most of my friends—over the last fifty years. Since then, I've lived as a nomad. The last surviving members of my pack, omegas and a few remaining young ones, followed me despite the fact that we no longer share the connection we once had."
I set down my scone, suddenly no longer hungry.
So he had known what it was like to lead a pack. He had lived through the loss of it.
And now, I was supposed to be his Luna, but we had no pack, no territory, nothing. I didn't want him making all the decisions just because he had been an alpha and I hadn't. I didn't want to be cast into the shadows.
It was too much.
The weight of it pressed against my chest.
"Say something, my love," Kaï murmured. He tapped his stomach lightly. "I can feel your worry."
I glanced at my own stomach, where the bond tethered us together like an invisible string.
"It's new," I admitted. "And a lot. There's so much pressure, and at the same time… we have nothing. I feel defeated."
"We don't have nothing," he said, voice steady. "We have each other. And I still have access to the resources of my lands. We'll figure it out."
There was something unshakable about him. Something grounded.
His gaze was warm, and for the first time in my life, I felt it—hope.