The snow had barely settled over the battlefield when the arguments began.
The pack, bloodied and shaken, muttered among themselves. Some praised Aradia for saving them, their eyes wide with awe. Others whispered of curses, of fire too wild for even the Alpha to leash.
Kael silenced them with a single growl. But even as the wolves slunk into the den, Aradia could feel the weight of their stares burning into her back.
Inside, the fire flickered weakly. She sat on the edge of a fur pallet, her cloak discarded, her body trembling with exhaustion. The smell of blood still clung to her skin; the memory of shadows still clawed at her chest.
Kael entered, his presence filling the space like a storm cloud. He was half-naked, blood streaking his tan skin, his dreadlocks damp from melted snow. His green eyes locked onto her, burning with hunger, fury, and something softer—something he never let the others see.
"You nearly died today," he growled, his voice low.
"So did you," she shot back, her voice trembling with anger and fear. "So did all of us."
He crossed the room in two strides, crouching before her, his massive hands braced on either side of her knees. "You chose me."
Her chest tightened. "I chose survival."
His lips curved, not quite a smile, but something sharper. "And survival brought you to me. It always will."
Her breath caught, her pulse hammering. She wanted to scream at him for his arrogance. She wanted to shove him away. But when his hand brushed her cheek, rough and tender, her body betrayed her.
"I don't want to belong to anyone," she whispered.
"You don't," he said softly, his green eyes burning into hers. "You belong only to yourself. And still, you choose me. That is the bond, Aradia. That is fate."
Her lips parted, her heart aching. And when his mouth found hers, she let it. His kiss was fire and storm, claiming and desperate, as if he had nearly lost her forever and could not bear the thought again.
The night was heat and hunger, passion and fury, their bodies twining together as fire danced along the walls, echoing her desire. She did not fight it this time. She surrendered.
And in Kael's arms, for the first time, she felt not cursed, not feared—loved.