Chapter 8
The night air was thick and heavy as Aria stepped outside, trying to clear her head. The confrontation with Kael had left her shaking, heart racing in a chaotic rhythm that she couldn't control. Every step she took along the moonlit path made her feel simultaneously alive and terrified. She hated him, yes—but her wolf had whispered truths she could no longer ignore.
The campus was nearly empty, the usual buzz replaced by a haunting silence that pressed against her ears. She could feel Kael's presence lingering in the air, in her mind, like an uninvited ghost she couldn't banish. Every instinct screamed to run, yet a deeper, darker pull rooted her to the spot.
Her phone buzzed in her pocket, but she didn't dare check it. She knew who it was before looking: Kael. He was relentless, persistent, and maddeningly patient. And worse, she knew she would answer him sooner or later, whether she wanted to or not.
The memory of his amber eyes haunted her—how they burned into hers with a fire she had tried so hard to resist. He had claimed her, verbally and spiritually, but her mind refused to surrender. She clenched her fists, willing herself to focus, to stay in control.
"Control…" she muttered under her breath. A laugh escaped her, bitter and shaky. She had never felt so out of control in her life. The wolf within her had awoken, demanding recognition, demanding connection. And Kael… Kael was the eye of the storm.
A shadow fell over the path, tall and impossibly familiar. She froze.
"Aria." His voice was low, smooth, and dripping with that maddening confidence she hated and feared. He stepped closer, and the night seemed to tighten around them, shrinking until it was just the two of them.
"I thought you might need a walk… some air," Kael said, his smile infuriatingly calm. "You've been cooped up all evening. Thought I'd make sure you're okay."
She scowled, taking a defensive step back. "I don't need you checking up on me. I don't need you anywhere near me."
He tilted his head, amusement dancing in his eyes. "And yet here I am. You can try to avoid me, Aria, but the bond doesn't care about your preferences. Your wolf has been calling for me all your life. Don't pretend you haven't felt it."
Her jaw clenched. "I don't care about any bond! I don't care about you!"
Kael's amber eyes darkened with something fierce, something primal. "You do care. You wouldn't be standing here, trembling, thinking about every word I've ever said to you. You wouldn't feel the pull if it didn't exist."
She wanted to argue, to scream, to run… but words failed her. Her body betrayed her, her heart betraying her, and her wolf… her wolf betrayed her worse than any of them could imagine. A low growl escaped her throat involuntarily, a sound that shocked her and sent a flicker of something dangerous across Kael's face.
He leaned closer, voice dropping to a whisper that made her shiver. "See? Even now… your wolf knows the truth. Deny it as much as you want, but it's there. Always."
The pull between them was suffocating. Aria's hands trembled, her mind racing with a thousand conflicting emotions. Hate. Anger. Fear. Desire. And something she didn't dare name.
"You think you can just… waltz into my life and take over?" she demanded, voice breaking with the intensity of her emotions. "After everything, after the way you treated me, humiliated me… I hate you!"
Kael's lips curved into a slow, infuriating smile. "I know." His voice was a whisper, intimate, almost tender. "And yet, I cannot stay away. You are mine, Aria. The bond doesn't negotiate. It doesn't compromise. It just… demands. And I will not let go."
Her heart thudded against her ribs, each beat echoing his words. She hated the truth in them. Hated the undeniable fire he ignited in her. She had spent years building walls, convincing herself she could survive without him, without the bond, without the destiny that had been thrust upon her. And now… it seemed every wall she had built crumbled in the shadow of his presence.
"I…" she began, voice shaking, "I don't… I can't… I won't—"
Kael closed the distance between them, and suddenly, the world narrowed to just the two of them. His hand brushed hers, feather-light, yet every nerve in her body screamed at the contact. "You will," he murmured, eyes locking onto hers. "Because this isn't about what you want, Aria. It's about what we are. And we are meant to be. You can fight it, scream, deny it… but you will always come back to me. Your wolf will guide you. Your heart will guide you. You are mine."
Her knees threatened to buckle, and she gritted her teeth, forcing herself to step back. "I don't belong to you! Never have, never will!"
He took a deliberate step closer, voice a low growl. "Your wolf belongs to me. And your heart… eventually, it will follow. You cannot resist what you were born for."
A shiver ran down her spine. She wanted to flee, to scream into the night, to reject him entirely—but the truth was undeniable. Her wolf, her instincts, the very essence of her being was screaming for him. And yet, she hated herself for feeling it. Hated him for making her feel it.
Kael's hand found her cheek, warm and grounding, sending sparks of fire through her. "Look at me, Aria. See me. Accept it. Fight if you want… but the bond will not be denied. And neither will I."
Tears pricked her eyes, frustration and longing intertwining. She wanted to scream, to strike, to push him away—but her hands hovered uselessly at her sides. Her body betrayed her, her wolf betrayed her, and her heart… her heart betrayed her worst secrets.
"You make it impossible," she whispered, voice broken and defiant. "You… you make me hate you and… and want you at the same time!"
Kael's smile was a slow, victorious curve, yet softened with something almost human beneath the predator. "Good," he murmured. "Because this is just the beginning. You will learn, Aria… to accept it. To accept me. And one day, you'll thank me for it."
Her wolf growled, answering his words in a deep, primal acknowledgment. She swallowed, forcing herself to step back, to reclaim a shred of control. But the truth remained, undeniable and infuriating: she could no longer ignore him. Could no longer ignore what they were, what the bond demanded, what fate had written.
Kael's amber eyes bore into hers, fierce and unyielding. "One way or another, Aria… you and I are inevitable. And deep down, you know it."
She wanted to deny it. She wanted to fight it. But as she stood in the night, heart racing, wolf stirring, and mind whirling with emotion, she realized a truth she had never admitted aloud: Kael had always been hers.
And no amount of hatred, fear, or pride could change that.
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