Kael didn't let go immediately.
His eyes stayed on me.
Sharp. Observant.
"You felt something."
Not a question.
I straightened slightly.
"I said I'm fine."
"And I said I don't believe you."
Annoying.
Perceptive.
Bad combination.
I pulled my arm free gently.
"The rejected bonds are reacting," I admitted quietly.
The air around us shifted instantly.
The ancient stranger turned back.
Even the older wolves nearby went still.
Great.
Apparently my problems were public now.
"Which one?" Kael asked.
I frowned.
"Does it matter?"
"Yes."
Of course it did.
Everything around me had to be complicated.
I exhaled slowly.
"The Alpha."
The older wolves exchanged glances.
Uneasy ones.
I noticed.
"What?"
The ancient stranger's expression darkened slightly.
"A rejected Alpha bond should have weakened by now."
"Well," I said dryly, "mine clearly didn't get the message."
No one laughed.
Tough crowd.
Another sharp pulse hit my chest.
Stronger this time.
I grabbed the nearest wall instinctively.
Pain burned through the bond like fire.
Kael moved instantly.
"Diana."
"I know," I hissed.
Silver energy flickered wildly around my hands.
Unstable again.
The older wolves stepped back cautiously.
Smart.
Very smart.
Kael lowered his voice.
"Breathe."
"I am breathing."
"Badly."
Still rude.
Still accurate.
I forced a slower breath.
The energy steadied slightly.
The pain eased.
Barely.
"What's happening?" I muttered.
The ancient stranger answered quietly.
"He's searching for you."
Cold settled in my stomach.
The Alpha.
Of course.
After exiling me.
After rejecting me.
Now he decides to care?
Unbelievable.
My wolf stirred uneasily.
Not longing.
Not affection.
Awareness.
The bond was alive.
Still connected somehow.
I hated that.
"I rejected him," I said firmly. "That should've ended it."
Kael's gaze stayed on me.
"With ordinary wolves, yes."
I narrowed my eyes.
"There's that word again."
"Ordinary," he repeated calmly. "You're not."
I was beginning to miss being normal.
The older man stepped forward carefully.
"If the Alpha bond still exists," he said slowly, "then the others may as well."
I stared at him.
"No."
Silence.
Then
Another pulse hit.
Different this time.
Darker.
Possessive.
The Beta.
I nearly cursed out loud.
"You have got to be kidding me."
Kael caught the shift in my expression immediately.
"The second bond?"
I pointed at him accusingly.
"I hate that you're good at this."
A faint smile appeared briefly.
"Noted."
The pain faded again.
But not completely.
Lingering.
Waiting.
Like the bonds were waking up one by one.
This was bad.
Very bad.
The ancient stranger looked genuinely concerned now.
"They should not be this strong across such distance."
I crossed my arms tightly.
"Well, they are."
Helpful observation.
Kael looked toward the city gates.
Thinking.
Calculating.
Then
"They're coming."
Silence dropped instantly.
The older wolves stiffened.
My stomach tightened.
"Who?"
Kael met my eyes.
"All three."
My heart stopped for half a second.
"No."
The ancient stranger nodded grimly.
"The awakening strengthened every connected bond."
Fantastic.
Absolutely fantastic.
So not only had my life become magically complicated
Now the three men I rejected could track me across territories.
Perfect.
I started pacing immediately.
"No. Absolutely not. They are not coming here."
Kael watched me calmly.
"They probably already crossed the border."
I stopped walking.
"I need a better week."
"That won't happen."
"I know. I'm complaining anyway."
That almost made him smile again.
Almost.
The older man spoke carefully.
"If the bonds pull them here, conflict is unavoidable."
I looked at him flatly.
"You say that like conflict hasn't been following me since Chapter One."
Silence.
Kael blinked once.
The ancient stranger looked confused.
I sighed.
"Forget it."
Another pulse hit my chest.
This one colder.
Sharper.
The enemy.
I froze instantly.
Different.
That bond felt
Wrong.
Stronger than the others.
Kael noticed immediately.
His expression changed.
Dangerously calm.
"Which one was that?"
I hesitated.
Bad sign.
Then
"The enemy."
Silence.
Heavy silence.
Kael's jaw tightened slightly.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
"Diana," he said carefully.
"What?"
"You need to stay inside The Hollow."
I frowned.
"That sounded less like advice and more like an order."
"It's both."
I stared at him.
Then smiled faintly.
"That usually doesn't work well on me."
His gaze held mine for a second too long.
"I'm starting to notice."