Ariana's POV
The moon hung high in the sky, casting an ethereal glow over the dense forest that surrounded the small cabin. Ariana stood at the edge of the porch, feeling the cool night air bite at her skin, but she barely noticed. Her thoughts were elsewhere—back to the world she had left behind.
Kael's pack had been her sanctuary, her place of safety, but she couldn't shake the nagging feeling that something was missing. The closer she grew to Kael, the more she realized there was something about him she didn't fully understand. She could sense it—an invisible pull between them, like an unspoken bond. Every time he was near, her heart raced uncontrollably, and when he wasn't, she felt an aching emptiness that made her feel… incomplete.
But Kael was the Alpha, and she was nothing more than a girl who had wandered into his world, lost and broken. She had no place here. She didn't belong.
Her fingers traced the delicate silver chain around her neck, the pendant swaying gently. It had been her mother's—a gift before everything had gone wrong. Ariana had always worn it, even when everything else in her life felt out of control.
Suddenly, she heard the familiar sound of footsteps approaching from behind. Without turning, she knew it was Kael. His presence had a way of making the air around her shift, as though the world was aware of his every move.
"Are you okay?" His voice was soft, but there was an edge of concern.
Ariana turned, meeting his gaze. His eyes, normally a deep, unreadable blue, were filled with something that sent a shiver down her spine. Concern? Worry? Or was it something deeper, something she couldn't yet understand?
"I'm fine," she said, though her voice betrayed her. She wasn't fine—not with the unsettling thoughts swirling in her mind. "Just… thinking."
Kael stepped closer, his large frame towering over her. He was always close, always there, but tonight it felt different. The way he looked at her made her stomach flutter, and her breath caught in her chest. She couldn't explain it. She didn't want to. Not yet.
"You shouldn't be out here alone," he murmured, reaching out to gently take her hand. His touch was warm, grounding, but it only made the confusion inside her intensify.
"I like the quiet," Ariana replied, her voice barely above a whisper. "I need time to think."
Kael didn't let go of her hand. Instead, he held it a little tighter, as though afraid she might slip away. "You don't need to think about anything, Ariana. Just trust me."
She glanced up at him, meeting his intense gaze. For a moment, everything around them seemed to fade away—the forest, the cabin, the world beyond. There was only him. Only Kael.
Kael's POV
Kael watched Ariana closely, his heart tightening in his chest as he saw the unease in her eyes. She was hiding something—he could feel it in the way her fingers fidgeted with the pendant, the way she refused to meet his gaze for too long. Ariana had always been strong, but tonight… Tonight, she felt distant. Like there was something she wasn't telling him.
The bond between them was undeniable. He could sense her fear, her uncertainty, and it made him want to pull her closer, shield her from whatever was troubling her. But he knew she wasn't ready. She wasn't ready to accept what he knew deep down—that she was special, that she wasn't just some ordinary girl who had wandered into his life.
"You shouldn't be out here alone," Kael said, his voice low with concern. He couldn't help it. It wasn't just the Alpha instinct that made him protective over her—it was something more, something deeper.
"I like the quiet," she replied, but Kael could see right through her. Ariana wasn't the type to sit alone and brood. She wasn't someone who enjoyed being lost in her thoughts. Something was going on, and he had to know what it was.
"You don't need to think about anything, Ariana," Kael said, his tone soft but firm. He stepped closer, closing the distance between them. He reached out and took her hand in his, squeezing it gently. "Just trust me."
He saw the way her breath hitched, the way her pulse quickened beneath his touch. It was enough to make his heart race. But Ariana wasn't just any woman—she was the woman he was bound to, whether either of them were ready to admit it or not.
"You don't have to be afraid," Kael continued, his voice barely above a whisper. "I won't let anything happen to you."
Ariana glanced up at him then, her eyes meeting his with a vulnerability that cut through him like a blade. She was so much more than she realized. So much more than just a girl from another world.
But there were things about her—things she didn't know—that Kael couldn't tell her yet. Not while the threat was still out there. Not until she was ready.
And he had to make sure she was ready.