When dawn broke, the pack found them together.
Aradia rose from the furs, her hair tangled, her skin flushed, Kael's mark still burning on her throat. Whispers rippled through the den, sharp and dangerous.
"She's bound him."
"She'll curse us all."
"No witch can be Alpha's mate."
Kael silenced them with a roar that shook the cavern. His wolf surged beneath his skin, his eyes blazing green fire. "She is mine."
The words echoed, unyielding.
No one dared challenge him. But their silence was heavy, their eyes filled with resentment.
Later, when the den was quiet, Kael found her by the river. She stood barefoot on the frozen bank, her reflection broken in the ice.
"They hate me," she whispered.
"They fear what they do not understand," Kael replied, his voice rough. "Wolves are creatures of instinct. Fear is their weakness."
She turned, her eyes wet. "And what if they never accept me?"
"Then they will obey me," he said simply. He stepped closer, his hand brushing her cheek, his touch both gentle and commanding. "I am Alpha. My word is law. And my law is this—you are mine. My mate. My fire."
Her chest tightened, her heart caught between dread and desire. "You speak as if it's that simple."
His lips curved, his green eyes softening. "It is. I don't care if the world burns, Aradia. I will stand in the fire with you."
Her tears spilled, and she pressed her forehead to his chest, his arms wrapping around her like a fortress.
"Swear it," she whispered. "Swear you won't leave me. That you won't fear me like they do."
His lips brushed her hair, his voice a vow carved into her very soul. "I swear it. As Alpha. As wolf. As man. You are mine, in this life and every life after."
And though she did not yet know the truth of his words, her heart believed him.