The knock on the cabin door was not a knock at all.
It was a warning.
Kael had felt them coming. Two of Ryken's scouts—low-ranking wolves sent to sniff around and deliver messages like cowards. He'd been outside before sunrise, waiting.
Lina had followed him to the porch, despite his protests.
"Go inside," he growled.
"No."
His head snapped toward her. "Lina."
"I'm not hiding anymore," she said, her voice steady despite the tremble in her hands. "If Ryken wants to see me, he can look me in the eyes and see that I'm not his anymore."
Kael stared at her like she'd grown claws.
"I'm not weak," she continued. "I survived him. And if I don't face him now, I'll always be running. I'm tired of running."
His jaw tensed. There was pride in his eyes—but also something deeper. Fear.
Not for himself.
For her.
But he gave a single nod.
They waited.
The scouts arrived like ghosts, stepping through the mist. Both tall. Muscular. With the arrogance of wolves who'd never been challenged. One of them smirked when he saw Lina standing beside Kael.
"Well, well. The lost little mate," he sneered. "Alpha Ryken will be pleased to know you're alive."
Lina lifted her chin. "Tell Ryken I'm not his. I never was."
The other scout scoffed. "That's not how this works, girl."
Kael took one step forward, and the air shifted instantly. His presence swallowed the clearing—power radiating off him in waves, cold and ancient.
"That girl," Kael said, voice like thunder, "stands in my territory. Under my protection."
The scout opened his mouth, but Lina stepped forward before Kael could.
"No," she said firmly. "Let me say it."
Kael stilled.
Lina looked the scout dead in the eyes. "Tell your Alpha I am not his possession. I will never return to his pack. If he wants to try and drag me back—he'll have to come through me."
The first scout sneered. "You'll regret that."
Kael's growl was low and sharp. "And you'll regret breathing if you threaten her again."
The scouts hesitated. The weight of Kael's aura was pressing them back. He wasn't posturing. He wasn't threatening.
He was promising.
They backed away, slowly disappearing into the fog without another word.
Lina stood frozen for a beat—her chest rising and falling fast. She felt her heart hammering, but she didn't look away. Didn't collapse. Didn't run.
Kael turned toward her, his voice low. "You didn't have to do that."
"I did," she whispered. "For me."
He stepped closer, eyes searching hers. "You were brave."
"I had to be," she said. "For so long, I wasn't allowed to be anything."
Kael reached up, brushing his thumb against her cheek. "You're not just brave, Lina. You're free."
And for the first time, she believed it.