Violet
The forest blurred past in streaks of green and brown as Ila's powerful legs ate up the distance. I gripped the fur at her shoulders, trying not to dwell on how undignified and vulnerable I looked. Having an adult ride on a wolf's back was disgraceful, yet Ila had offered—whether out of pity or because she suspected I was her Supreme Alpha's mate, I couldn't tell.
When the camp had shifted into massive, coordinated beasts that afternoon, I had been the only one left standing in human form. Even in their wolf forms, I had felt their shock, pity, and confusion—though no one dared say a word with their Supreme Alpha nearby. By the time I climbed onto Ila's back, he had already shifted, towering above every other wolf in the clearing before leading the pack out without sparing me a single glance.
Yet even with dozens of wolves between us, I could still feel him, along with that relentless pull flowing through my veins.
"Is he your mate?"
Ila's question haunted me with every jolt of her stride. I hadn't been able to answer her, nor could I bring myself to voice the lie I kept telling myself.
We ran nonstop through the night, forcing me to press flat against Ila's back just to endure the bone-rattling pace. By morning, my eyelids fought to stay open, only my fear of falling keeping me conscious. Then the rhythm of Ila's gait finally slowed, and the pack came to a halt amid a rising chorus of voices and bustling movement.
My joints throbbed, my mouth was parched, and a high ringing filled my ears as I tried to sit up. The last thing I remembered before darkness claimed me was my body sliding down Ila's soft fur.
Something smooth and cool brushed against my skin. Nothing like the heavy pelts in the camp tent.
I blinked my eyes open as pale moonlight filtered through actual glass windows framed by curtains. Sitting up too quickly made my head spin, and I cradled my temples until the room steadied. It was no larger than my old hut, yet beautifully decorated with a woven carpet, cream-colored walls, and glowing red coals in a corner fireplace. Beneath me lay a mattress with pillows so soft I practically sank into them.
We had reached the Capital.
Still wearing my borrowed tunic, I spotted a water jug and a cup on the bedside table and drank greedily to soothe my parched throat.
"You're awake."
I jumped, nearly choking as water sloshed over the rim of the cup onto my lap.
An older woman stood in the doorway, moonlight catching the slight wrinkles on her face and the grey streaks in her dark hair. Dressed in a long dark cloak with her hands clasped over her stomach, she made no effort to hide the contempt twisting her thin lips.
I tensed. Unlike Ila, she didn't radiate a Beta's aura, though she clearly held some authority here. "Please, where am I?" I asked hoarsely.
"Are you stupid, or did you simply not care where you were heading when you joined Kael's camp?"
Kael. So that was his name.
Her harsh tone caught me off guard. I had stomached worse treatment in Shadowpine my whole life, yet hearing it now made a strange, restless anger stir inside me. I didn't deserve this.
I frowned. "No, I don't think I am. No one told me where we were going."
The woman scoffed, stepping fully into the room as her sharp eyes raked over me. "What even are you? You smell at times like an omega, and mostly like nothing at all. How weak must you be to barely register as an omega?"
I flinched, my frown fading at her words. What did she mean, I smelled like nothing?
She angled away with a sneer, muttering loud enough for me to hear, "What was he thinking, bringing this creature—"
"Please don't call me that," I said quietly, clutching the blanket. "You don't know anything about me."
She glared back at me. "I know enough. Everyone does. A wolf who can't even shift has no place here, especially when you weren't brought in as a prisoner."
Heat rose in my chest. "I haven't done anything to you. Why are you—"
"I don't know what plans he has for you, girl, but I promise you won't last a week before—"
"Before what?"
The cold, razor-sharp voice cut from the open doorway.
My head snapped up as a shudder swept over my skin. Kael filled the tall doorframe, his jaw tight and a dangerous gleam in his icy eyes as he stared the woman down.
All color drained from her face, leaving her rigid. "Kael," she whispered.
"Before what?" he repeated, his voice dangerously soft as he stepped inside. Though he didn't raise his tone, the temperature in the room seemed to plummet. "You shouldn't insult my guest, Maren. In my Capital. In my estate. Under my roof. In a room I personally assigned to her."
Maren's mouth opened, then snapped shut, her shoulders hunching as her composure cracked.
Kael stopped right behind her and clamped a firm hand onto her shoulder. I held my breath as she craned her neck to look up at him. "Let me be very clear," he murmured, his eyes flashing with that faint, lethal glow. "She is under my protection. Anyone who insults her or questions her presence here will answer directly to me."
Watching him defend me sent a strange, overwhelming warmth flooding through my chest.
Maren frowned. "What are you doing, Kael? She will still be unwelcome here."
He said nothing, simply staring her down until she grudgingly shrugged off his hand and stepped back, lowering her gaze. "I may have spoken out of turn, but I uttered no lies," she grumbled.
"Do not do it again. Leave."
Maren slipped out, the door clicking shut behind her.
Suddenly, Kael and I were alone. When he turned his gaze on me, my pulse spiked and the air between us grew thick and charged.
"You intend to make me prove myself to your pack," I whispered, gripping the blanket as my heart thundered. "Please, I don't belong here. I—"
"Stop." His voice was gentle yet stern. He stood tall and imposing, radiating a fierce internal turmoil, almost as if he were fighting himself just to stay across the room. "We both know I'm not letting you leave."
For a second, I forgot how to breathe.
Then he took a step closer. And another. My heart hammered against my ribs as the small room seemed to shrink around us, the space between us crackling with an intensity that terrified me as much as I craved it. Whatever bond I had once felt with Damon was nothing compared to this.
"Please leave," I breathed, pressing back against the pillows as he closed the distance.
"No. This needs to be addressed." His voice dropped into a rough growl. "Now."