Chapter Four: A Wolf's Territory
The Alpha's estate sat on the edge of a cliff, overlooking the silver river that carved through Blackridge land. It wasn't a castle, but it might as well have been—with stone walls, iron gates, and enough space to house half the pack. Guard towers lined the perimeter. Rina had only seen it once before, from a distance.
Now she was riding straight through its gates.
She tried not to fidget, but the warrior beside her noticed.
"You're nervous," he said without looking at her.
"I didn't expect to be summoned."
"No one expects Kael," he said with a dry smile. "He just is."
The gates creaked shut behind them. Rina swallowed hard.
She was already trapped.
Inside, she kept her eyes low. The walls smelled of smoke and pinewood. She could feel power clinging to the air, dense and charged like a storm. Wolves moved through the halls with silent steps, each one of them watching her like she didn't belong.
Because she didn't.
Maris was escorted elsewhere. Rina was taken to the second floor—alone.
"Wait here," said the guard, stopping before a tall door with a carved wolf sigil. Then he was gone.
Rina stared at the door, wondering if it would open on its own. It didn't. After a moment, she knocked.
"Come in," came Kael's voice, low and unmistakable.
Her stomach flipped.
She pushed open the door.
The Alpha stood by the fireplace, arms crossed, golden eyes locked on her like she was prey. The fire behind him cast flickering shadows across the room. His shirt sleeves were rolled up, revealing powerful forearms and a faint scar that curved around his wrist. He looked feral. Barely contained.
"You ran."
She stepped inside slowly. "I didn't know what else to do."
Kael's jaw tightened. "You felt it, didn't you?"
Rina bit her lip. "I felt… something."
He strode toward her.
Not fast, not threatening—just inevitable.
"You don't have to understand it yet," he said. "But don't lie to me about it."
His presence filled the room. Rina backed up a step, but he didn't touch her.
"I can't be what you want," she whispered. "I'm not a wolf."
He tilted his head. "And yet, I can't breathe right unless you're near."
Her breath caught. "You're confusing attraction with fate."
"Do you think I want this?" he growled, voice low and rough. "I've lived long enough to know what it means to bond. It's not a crush. It's not hunger."
His hand came up—not to touch her, but to hover inches from her cheek.
"It's a need."
Rina didn't move.
"I don't want to need you," Kael said quietly. "But I do."
The room fell into silence thick enough to drown in.
And then, against every instinct in her body, Rina leaned into his hand.
Only the faintest brush of skin—but it was enough.
The bond flared.
She gasped.
His eyes turned molten.
Kael stepped back, visibly shaken.
"You felt it."
Rina nodded once, barely able to breathe.
"Then understand this," Kael said, voice like thunder wrapped in velvet, "you can run again if you want. But I'll follow. And I will not let you go."