I had thought the worst part of this curse was the bond itself, the way it tore me in two. I was wrong. The worst part was being paraded in front of the council while they argued over me as if I were a prize to be claimed.
The elder's verdict was final. I would spend the coming weeks torn between two Alphas, walking their worlds, seeing their truths. And then—when the next full moon rose—I would choose.
The thought alone made my stomach twist.
When we left the council hall, Kael was the first to speak. "She comes with me." His voice left no room for argument.
Darius's eyes narrowed, but the elder lifted her cane before he could respond. "It has been decided. She will begin with Kael."
The fire in Kael's gaze burned hotter, as if the Moon herself had bent to his will. He turned to me, and even without touching me, I felt the weight of his claim.
My chest tightened, torn between wanting to recoil and the strange, burning pull of the bond.
Kael's territory was nothing like home.
We traveled at dawn, his wolves flanking us on all sides. Their presence made the air thick, heavy with unspoken warning. They didn't speak to me, didn't even look at me for long. When they did, it was with suspicion—or worse, hunger.
The forest gave way to mountains, jagged peaks rising like claws against the sky. At the foot of the range lay Kael's pack lands.
It was vast, spread across rocky slopes and deep valleys, the houses carved into stone, sturdy and cold. Wolves trained in the open yards, their growls and roars echoing off the cliffs. The air itself seemed sharper here, filled with dominance and danger.
As we entered, the wolves bowed their heads to Kael, their fear as clear as the ground beneath my feet. But when their eyes slid to me, whispers followed, sharp and quick.
That's her.
The cursed one.
Two mates…
My throat tightened.
Kael ignored them. His stride was confident, unbending, every step declaring that he feared nothing and no one. He led me to a tall stone hall at the center of the territory. His home.
The moment we stepped inside, I felt it—power. It clung to the walls, to the very air, a heavy, unshakable presence that made my wolf stir uneasily.
Kael turned, finally facing me fully. "You will stay here," he said simply. "With me."
My breath caught. "With you?"
His eyes burned red, locking onto mine. "Do you think I would let you sleep under another roof? You're mine. Bond or no bond, no wolf here will dare touch you while I breathe."
His words should have reassured me. Instead, they left me trembling. Because there was no softness in them. No tenderness. Only raw possession.
"I'm not yours," I whispered, though my voice shook. "Not yet."
A flicker of something crossed his face—anger, maybe. Or hurt. But it was gone too quickly to name.
"You'll learn," he said, his tone low, dangerous. "The bond doesn't lie."
The next days blurred into something strange, something I didn't know how to name.
Kael didn't leave me alone—not once. If I walked the halls, he was a shadow at my side. If I sat by the fire, he sat across from me, his eyes fixed on me as though studying every breath I took.
And yet… he didn't touch me. Not once.
His wolves were another story. I could feel their stares, hear their whispers. Many hated me, some feared me, and a few looked at me like prey. But none dared approach, not with Kael's fire burning over my shoulder.
One night, I found him outside, standing on the edge of the cliffs. The moonlight washed over him, his dark hair blowing in the wind, his shoulders tense. He looked less like an Alpha then, and more like a man carved from loneliness.
I almost turned back. But the bond tugged at me, pulling me forward.
"What are you thinking about?" I asked softly.
His eyes cut to mine, red glowing in the dark. "War."
The word made my stomach twist. "Because of me?"
"Because of fate," he corrected, his jaw tight. "The moment the Goddess tied you to two Alphas, she cursed us all. Darius won't back down. Neither will I. And the packs… they will choose sides. Blood will follow."
His voice was flat, steady, but I heard the storm beneath it.
"Do you want war?" I whispered.
His silence was answer enough.
I turned to go, but his voice caught me. Softer, almost too soft for the Kael I knew.
"I didn't ask for this either," he said. "But now that I have you, I can't let you go."
The fire in his tone made my chest ache, my bond scream. And for the first time, I wondered if beneath his ruthlessness there was something else—something even more dangerous.
By the fifth night, I thought I was starting to understand Kael.
But I was wrong.
The feast hall was loud with laughter and growls, wolves drinking and boasting after a day of training. I sat at Kael's side, trying to ignore the stares. My presence drew attention wherever I went, a shadow I couldn't shake.
Kael poured himself wine, his jaw tense, his mood darker than the night outside. I knew why. Word had come that Darius was demanding his turn with me sooner than the council had planned.
Tension simmered in Kael's wolves, their loyalty clear. If Darius came, they would fight. And if they fought, blood would spill.
Suddenly, the hall doors banged open.
A messenger stumbled inside, his clothes torn, blood dripping from his arm. "Alpha!" he shouted, his voice shaking. "It's Darius—he's crossed the border."
The hall erupted, growls and shouts filling the air. Wolves leapt to their feet, claws extending, ready for war.
Kael rose slowly, his chair scraping back. His eyes burned red, fire blazing in them like the heart of a storm.
"Stay here," he growled to me, his voice rough. "Do not move."
But the bond inside me screamed. Pulled. I could feel it—Darius, close, his presence pressing against my soul as if he were already in the room.
Kael's wolves poured out of the hall, their howls echoing into the night.
And I was left standing there, my body trembling, my heart caught between fire and ice.
If Kael and Darius clashed now, nothing could stop them.
And it would all be because of me.