Days had passed since the time both of them discovered they were connected by something neither of them truly understood.
And somehow, things between them had changed.
The suffocating pressure that once filled the cave whenever they were near each other had slowly faded over time. The sharp caution in their movements had softened, replaced with an unusual sense of familiarity neither of them expected.
They had grown used to each other's presence.
Used to the silence.
Used to the quiet moments that strangely no longer felt empty.
The cave itself had become warmer over the past few days. Gentle wind drifted through the stone passages, carrying the earthy scent of rain, moss, and cold mountain water.
Deep within the cave, a narrow stream flowed endlessly between smooth rocks, its soft sound echoing peacefully through the chamber. Dim silver crystals embedded naturally in the walls reflected faint light across the dark stone, making the cave glow softly during the evenings.
It was calm.
Peaceful.
Almost enough to make them forget the dangers waiting outside.
Lia sat near the stream quietly washing pieces of cloth in the cold water while Akira rested against the stone wall near the entrance of the cave. One arm rested lazily over his bent knee while his silver eyes remained fixed on the dark forest below the mountains.
But his mind was elsewhere.
The full moon was only a few days away.
Just thinking about it made discomfort settle heavily inside him.
His curse would react again.
And every time it did, it became harder to control.
Akira's jaw tightened slightly.
The unbearable pain.
The violent loss of control.
The fear hidden in the eyes of his own people whenever the curse consumed him completely.
He hated it.
More than anything.
A quiet breath escaped him as another thought slowly surfaced.
The White Wolves.
His pack.
A faint shadow crossed his expression.
By now, they were probably beginning to question him.
An Alpha disappearing without explanation after everything that had already happened would not sit well within the territory. Trust was fragile, and lately, he could already feel it slipping through his fingers even before he vanished.
Some of them were probably angry.
Some disappointed.
Others suspicious.
And honestly…
He could not blame them.
His eyes darkened faintly.
Especially after the recent attack.
Akira slowly lowered his gaze.
If the Dark Wolves realized he was absent from the territory for this long, they would not hesitate to take advantage of it. They had always waited for weakness—for the perfect moment to sink their claws into the forest and overturn the balance between the packs.
And without their Alpha present…
That moment might already be approaching.
His fingers curled slightly against his arm.
Then his thoughts drifted toward Ragael.
Akira could already imagine him trying to maintain order while carrying the burden alone. Ragael had always remained loyal no matter how difficult things became, but even loyalty had limits when doubt started spreading through an entire pack.
Yet here Akira was.
Hidden away in a cave with a girl tied to him by an unknown force he still could not explain.
His eyes lowered slightly.
"Akira?"
Lia's voice pulled him from his thoughts almost instantly.
He blinked softly before turning toward her.
She had stopped what she was doing and was now watching him carefully from beside the stream. The faint reflection of the water danced across her face as concern slowly filled her expression.
"Akira… are you okay?"
For a moment, the familiar answer almost left his mouth automatically.
I'm fine.
That was what he had always said.
What he was trained to say.
An Alpha was never supposed to appear weak. Never uncertain. Never burden others with his thoughts. He was raised to endure everything alone no matter how painful it became.
Weakness destroyed leaders.
Dependence destroyed Alphas.
That was what his father taught him.
But strangely…
Akira found himself unable to lie to her.
His gaze lingered on Lia for a brief moment before he finally looked away.
"No."
The single word surprised even him.
Lia blinked slightly, clearly not expecting such an honest answer.
For a few seconds, silence settled between them again, accompanied only by the soft sound of the flowing stream and the distant wind outside the cave.
Then quietly, Lia stood and walked toward him.
She did not press him.
Did not force questions onto him.
Instead, she simply sat beside him against the stone wall, leaving only a small distance between them.
Close enough to comfort him.
Far enough not to overwhelm him.
Akira stared ahead quietly.
And for the first time in his life, he found himself wanting to share the weight inside his chest with someone else.
Not because he believed she could solve it.
But because somehow… he had grown used to carrying his thoughts with her beside him.Akira remained silent for a while, his silver eyes fixed on the dark forest beyond the cave entrance as though lost somewhere far away.
Then quietly, he spoke.
"Do you remember the last full moon?"
The question immediately made Lia's expression stiffen slightly.
Of course she remembered.
How could she ever forget?
The horrific image instantly flashed through her mind—the terrifying growls echoing through the forest, the violent aura surrounding Akira that night, the way his curse had consumed him completely until he no longer looked human. Even now, the memory alone was enough to send cold fear crawling down her spine.
She remembered how close death had stood before her.
How easily he could have killed her.
And yet…
Somehow, she had managed to pull him back.
Lia slowly lowered her eyes for a brief moment before forcing herself to remain calm.
"I thought you believed we were connected," she said softly.
Akira glanced toward her.
"And that we are soulmates."
The word soulmate nearly made Akira choke on air itself.
He coughed suddenly, clearly caught off guard, while Lia blinked in confusion at his reaction.
Akira quickly turned his face away slightly, trying to hide the faint redness slowly creeping across his ears.
Soulmates?
Why did hearing her say it so naturally affect him that much?
Annoyingly… a strange warmth spread through his chest at the word.
Lia, completely unaware of the chaos she had caused inside him, continued speaking.
"If I was able to calm your curse that night…" she said quietly, "then I'll do it again."
Akira's expression softened for only a second before worry settled over him once more.
He did believe they were connected somehow.
Too many impossible things had happened for him not to.
But this was different.
This involved her life.
And Akira knew better than anyone how dangerous his curse truly was. If something went wrong during the next full moon—
He might hurt her.
Or worse.
The mere thought alone made his chest tighten painfully.
Just as he was about to speak again—
A distant howl suddenly echoed through the mountains.
Akira instantly froze.
His expression sharpened within seconds.
The peaceful atmosphere inside the cave vanished immediately as his heightened senses became fully alert. He listened carefully, every muscle in his body tense.
Then the howl came again.
Lower.
Longer.
More sinister.
Akira's eyes darkened instantly.
That was not one of his wolves.
It was the Dark Wolves.
Lia noticed the sudden change in his expression immediately. Even she could hear the distant howls now echoing faintly through the forest below, though unlike Akira, she could not understand what they meant.
Still…
The sound alone was enough to make unease settle deep inside her chest.
"Akira…" she called quietly. "What was that?"
His gaze remained fixed outside.
"Dark Wolves."
The name alone sent chills rushing through Lia's body.
Instantly, horrifying memories resurfaced in her mind—the monstrous beasts, their glowing eyes in the darkness, the savage creature that nearly tore her apart.
Her fingers tightened slightly against her clothes.
Trying to steady herself, she looked at him again.
"What do they want?" she asked carefully. "Why are they moving?"
Akira slowly turned toward her.
For a moment, silence stretched heavily between them.
Then he finally answered.
"The consequences of killing one of their members are about to unfold."
The atmosphere inside the cave changed instantly.
The warm breeze flowing through the entrance moments ago now felt strangely colder.
Harsher.
Lia swallowed nervously before speaking again.
"This… doesn't affect us, right?" she asked carefully. "It only affects them and the hunters?"
Akira looked at her for a second.
Then unexpectedly, he smirked slightly.
"Are you afraid already?"
Lia immediately straightened her posture, trying to appear brave despite the obvious discomfort on her face.
"N-No."
The way she forced confidence into her voice nearly made Akira laugh.
A quiet chuckle escaped him before his expression slowly turned serious again.
"Whenever the Dark Wolves move," he said calmly, "my pack suffers the consequences too."
Lia's expression softened slightly as she listened.
"As you already know, White Wolves may be smarter in battle…" Akira continued quietly, "but Dark Wolves are physically stronger.
Harder to injure. Harder to kill."
His eyes darkened faintly.
"And hunters rarely care about the difference between us. To them, a wolf is still a wolf."
Lia could hear the hidden exhaustion beneath his words.
The pain.
The burden.
For a moment, she simply watched him quietly before deciding to lighten the atmosphere slightly.
A teasing smile appeared on her lips.
"So…" she began carefully, "as huge and terrifying as your wolf form is… the Dark Wolves are actually stronger than you?"
Akira stared at her for a second before laughing softly under his breath.
A real laugh.
Small.
But genuine.
Instead of answering immediately, he leaned his head back slightly against the stone wall.
"To be honest," he finally said, amusement still lingering faintly in his voice, "neither White Wolves nor Dark Wolves are stronger than the Alpha from my bloodline."
Lia blinked curiously.
Akira's gaze slowly lowered.
"There's a gift passed down through my family," he explained quietly. "The strength of each Alpha is inherited by the next."
His expression softened faintly as old memories surfaced.
He still remembered that night clearly.
The night his father died.
The moment his father transferred his power to him.
The overwhelming force that flooded through his body.
The unbearable pain.
And the terrifying realization afterward—
That he had become something no ordinary wolf could rival anymore.