My steps were quick, sharp, and small, echoing in the quiet hall as I stormed toward my room. My chest felt tight, the anger I couldn't quite name tightening my jaw. Every step carried the sting from earlier, the memory of Leonel's gaze, and the impossible contrast of how he treated Serene.
I barely registered Kaelen standing in the corridor until he stepped in front of my door, brow furrowed.
"Aria… you okay?" His voice was calm, tinged with concern. "You don't look good."
I blinked at him, startled. Kaelen my pack's Alpha, brown hair tied in a loose pony down his shoulder, amber eyes gentle but watchful, had always been a steady presence. He'd joined the pack six years ago, becoming someone I could rely on, a friend who never pushed boundaries. He didn't know my secret.
I was about to close the door, brushing past him, when his hand caught it. "Aria," he said softly, "talk to me."
I hesitated, chest rising with each breath. I let him pull the door open slightly, then stepped back and let him in. He moved to the edge of my bed, sitting casually, while I lowered myself beside him, arms crossed over my knees, trying to keep my posture neutral.
Silence stretched between us. " I had just come from a… meeting of sorts with Leonel " ,,i said without trying to sound tense but the tension still buzzed in my veins.
Then, I smelled it. Kaelen's scent sharp, warm, and… unexpectedly charged, like anger hidden beneath calm. My wolf stirred instinctively, body frozen for a moment. I clenched my fists, forcing myself to breathe, forcing myself to act normal.
After a minute, Kaelen's voice cut through the quiet. "You shouldn't be alone with an Alpha," he said gently, voice careful. "Even if you're not an Omega… they can still be dangerous."
I swallowed, forcing a small nod, even as my mind raced, heart pounding.
I exhaled slowly, pretending calm, but my pulse was still loud in my ears. Kaelen's amber eyes studied me, soft and attentive, and for a moment I wanted to tell him everything the truth about who I really was, about Leonel, about the heat that had nearly betrayed me tonight. But I couldn't. Not yet.
"Just… nothing big its fine , I guess," I said, voice low, too clipped to be convincing.
Kaelen tilted his head slightly, clearly unconvinced. "its fine?" he repeated softly. "You've been jumpy all evening. You ran from… from the ceremony. Is something going on with Leonel?"
I froze, fingers curling into my knees. My heart gave a sharp tug at his name. Leonel. I didn't want to admit it. Not to Kaelen, not to anyone. Not the way my chest still ached, not the way the memory of his stare from the pond clawed at me.
Kaelen leaned back, sighing gently. "Aria… if someone's giving you trouble, you don't have to handle it alone." His tone was kind, firm. Protective. My wolf stirred at that, low and restless, craving safety I couldn't allow anyone to give.
I forced myself to look away, pretending to be lost in the shadows on my floor. "I'm fine," I said, but it sounded hollow, even to me.
Kaelen frowned, his gaze lingering on me, unreadable. And then, as if drawn by the same tension I couldn't control, a faint scent drifted in through the slightly open window—cool, sharp, familiar. My stomach tightened.
Leonel.
He was outside. Watching. Waiting.
I could feel it, even before I saw him. And my pulse jumped.
Something in me my wolf, my instinct shouted warning and desire all at once.
I swallowed hard.
And then, the soft scrape of boots against the floor made me freeze.