Chapter 2 The Night After

Aria did not sleep.

She lay awake while the packhouse fell quiet. Her wolf shifted under her skin, restless, wounded. The bond still pulsed in her chest. She hated that it did.

Her pillow was wet from tears. Her eyes ached.

She whispered into the dark. "Why did you do it, Kael?"

No answer came. Only silence.

Her chest tightened until she felt she would break.

She sat up. She pushed her hair back. She walked to the mirror.

Her reflection looked pale, weak, lost. She hated the sight.

Her wolf growled faint. "You are not weak."

Aria held the edge of the table until her fingers hurt. She forced her voice steady. "No. I am not weak."

The bond throbbed again. A cruel reminder. He had spoken the rejection. Yet the pull had not died.

She hated it. She needed it.

Her breath shook.

⸻

Kael had not left his chambers.

His desk was covered in reports. Patrol routes. Trade agreements. None of it mattered.

He sat with his head in his hands.

Every heartbeat dragged her back into his mind. Her face. The tears he had caused. The way her scent had filled him.

His wolf clawed inside him. "Go to her."

Kael growled. "I cannot."

"You will lose her."

The words struck him deep. His hands shook. His chest burned with the bond.

He told himself again why he had done it. An Alpha's mate must be strong. Must fight beside him. Aria had been gentle. Too gentle.

But his wolf would not accept it. "She is ours."

Kael slammed his fist on the desk. The wood cracked.

His chest throbbed again. Her pain hit him through the bond. It tore at him worse than claws.

Aria left her room when the sun set. She needed air.

The halls were quiet. She moved quickly, her head high.

Outside, pack members watched her. Some whispered. Some stared. She felt the weight of their pity.

She forced her shoulders back. She walked past them without slowing.

Her father stopped her near the gate. "Aria. Where are you going?"

Her voice was flat. "To the forest."

He frowned. His hand twitched as if he wanted to stop her. "Do not go alone."

She met his eyes. Her voice did not break. "I am not weak."

He held her gaze. Then he nodded. He let her pass.

The night air was sharp. She walked until the trees swallowed her.

Her wolf stirred inside her. "Run."

So she ran.

Her feet struck the ground hard. The forest blurred. The cold wind cut her cheeks. For a moment, she felt free.

The bond pulsed in her chest with every step. She hated it, but it also kept her moving.

She slowed near the river. The water rushed fast, black under the moonlight.

She crouched at the bank. Her reflection looked back, distorted.

Her voice shook but stayed clear. "He will not break me."

Her wolf howled inside her.

⸻

Kael had left the packhouse before he realized it. His wolf had taken him to the forest.

He told himself it was patrol duty. A lie.

Every step dragged him closer to her. The bond pulled like a chain.

The air shifted. He smelled her. His chest tightened.

He followed the scent. The trees opened.

There she was. Kneeling by the river. Her hair loose. The moon touched her.

He froze. His throat closed.

Her head lifted. Their eyes met.

The bond roared.

Her lips parted. Pain and fire burned in her gaze.

She stood. Her voice cut sharp. "Why are you here?"

He forced air into his lungs. His voice was low. "I wanted to see you."

Her laugh was bitter. "See me? After calling me weak? After tearing me apart in front of them?"

He stepped forward. "Aria-"

Her voice cracked like a whip. "Do not say my name."

The sound cut deep. Still, he moved closer.

Her hands clenched. Her voice shook but held strength. "You broke me. Now you come here. Why?"

His chest twisted. The truth fought its way out.

"I was wrong."

She froze. The words hit her. She searched his face.

Her head shook. Her voice dropped to a whisper. "No. You meant it."

The air between them pulsed hot with the bond.

He reached toward her. His hand trembled. "Aria-"

She stepped back. Her eyes filled with tears. "Do not touch me."

Her chest flared with the sting of rejection again. Pain surged. Her knees buckled.

He moved fast. He caught her arm before she fell.

The touch seared them both. The bond throbbed, alive.

Her body shook. Her wolf leaned into him even as her mind fought.

Her whisper cut sharp. "Why did you do it?"

His grip tightened. His voice was raw. "Because I was afraid."

Her eyes widened.

He forced the truth out. "I saw you. I wanted you. But I thought you were too soft. Too gentle for this life."

Her tears fell. Her voice shook. "You do not decide who I am."

He dropped his hand. His head lowered. "I know."

Silence pressed between them. The river roared on.

She turned from him. Her shoulders stiff. "Leave me, Kael."

His wolf howled. His chest burned. But he obeyed.

He stepped back into the trees. The darkness took him.

Aria dropped to her knees at the riverbank. Her breath broke. Her tears fell into the water.

Her wolf whispered. "He is still ours."

Her voice was low. "Then he will see me. Or I will live without him."

The words steadied her. Her chest still burned, but strength grew inside her.

Kael returned to his chambers. He slammed the door shut.

Her face haunted him. Her voice echoed in his ears.

He dropped into his chair. His hands covered his face. His breath shook.

His wolf snarled. "You hurt her. And still, you want her."

He growled. "I know."

The bond pulsed sharp. He pressed his fists to his chest.

He had rejected her. But the pull did not die.

And no matter what he told himself, he would not be able to stay away.

Aria woke before dawn. She had slept little.

Her body was sore from running. Her eyes burned from crying.

Still, she rose. She dressed. She braided her hair back tight.

Her mother met her in the kitchen. Her face was drawn. "You need rest."

Aria shook her head. "I need strength."

She gathered food into a small bag. Bread. Dried meat. A flask of water.

Her mother's voice was quiet. "Where will you go?"

Aria's jaw clenched. "Away from him."

Her wolf stirred. But the bond throbbed.

Her mother's hand touched hers. "You cannot run from a bond."

Aria's eyes filled with tears. She pulled back. "Watch me."

She walked out.

The air was cold. The forest stretched wide. Her wolf growled steady inside her.

Every step hurt. But she moved forward.

Her chest still burned with Kael. But her voice in her head stayed firm.

"I will not be weak. I will not be his shadow. I will find my path. With him or without him."

Her feet carried her deeper into the trees.

Her journey had begun.