Chapter 3

THREE

Kael's POV

My heart ached as I watched those warriors drag her, the she-wolf with no care, as if she were nothing more than an object. No matter the situation, no matter what the laws of the pack dictated, a she-wolf should always be treated with care, especially one in her condition. The arrows lodged in her legs, two arrows—the pain she must be enduring right now… It had to be unbearable.

"Help," she whispered, the word barely escaping her lips, strained and full of desperation. Her head lifted just enough for me to catch her pleading eyes, and in that moment, everything else faded. The world, the pack, even the warriors around me, all seemed distant. It was just her eyes, filled with pain, pulling at something deep inside me.

When I saw her face, something tightened in my chest, almost painfully. There was a pull, a tug at something within me that I couldn't explain; something I couldn't ignore. The bond and the connection was too strong to deny.

Without thinking, I stepped forward, my instincts roaring louder than any logic or reason.

"Stop!" I commanded, my voice rough, torn between anger and something far more primal, something raw and unfamiliar.

The warriors froze, glancing at each other, confusion and reluctance flashing in their eyes. But they could feel it. The authority in my tone left no room for debate.

I couldn't tear my gaze from her. Her eyes, wide and full of fear, held something more… something familiar. The pain in them resonated with me. It felt like I had known this she-wolf, known her in some life I couldn't remember. The bond was undeniable.

"Treat her gently," I said again, my voice hardening, demanding respect. "She's not to be handled like this. She's a she-wolf."

They hesitated for a moment longer, but eventually, their grips loosened, though I could still see their reluctance written on their faces. My heart thudded heavily in my chest, and I couldn't tear my gaze away from her. The way her body trembled, the way her pain seemed to echo inside me, it was more than I could bear.

"Who are you?" one of the warriors demanded, his voice laced with anger. "You can't dictate to us in our territory."

I opened my mouth to respond, but then I saw him.

My father.

He emerged from the house, his posture rigid, holding his head as if it weighed a thousand pounds. His presence was commanding, and it caused a knot of dread to tighten in my gut.

"Daddy," I said, but before I knew it, I was already running toward him. No matter what he had done, no matter the bloodshed or the consequences of his choices, he was still my father. The man who had brought me into this world.

And yet, I couldn't shake the bitter truth that my own father had killed my mother. He had sent me to the most dangerous northern part of the kingdom, where survival was a matter of life and death. He did it knowing full well that I would have to fight for my life every single day. It was as if he wanted to break me.

"What are you doing here?" Alpha Lucien said, his tone cold.

"I'm back," I answered, my voice sharper than I intended.

"For what?"

"You didn't inform me," I said, the anger creeping into my tone. I was ready to confront him about everything, but right now, something else felt more pressing.

"Before anything, Alpha, let's take care of this she-wolf," I said, my eyes softening as I looked at her in pity.

"She is one of my Lunas," Alpha Lucien responded, his tone final.

I turned my face to look at the she-wolf on the ground, very young, but with a beauty that screamed to be admired. Her long hair fell in waves around her shoulder, and despite her condition, she still looked like someone meant for something more than this.

"H-mm," I murmured, unsure of what to say. The situation felt surreal. This she-wolf was far too young to be mated to my father.

As I stared at her, something about me felt inexplicably drawn to her. My gaze shifted, and I caught sight of something on her neck which was a fresh mark, one that revealed she had just been marked as a mate by my father. It was a painful reminder of how this pack operated, and my heart sank.

"Why is she shot with an arrow?" I inquired, my voice laced with a mix of concern and confusion.

But no one answered. The warriors, without hesitation, dragged her out of my sight, and Alpha Lucien followed.

I knew my father despised me, but at least he should have given me a welcoming look, a sign of acknowledgment. It stung more than I'd like to admit.

I continued walking after them, not knowing where to go, my mind racing. As I walked past the developments within our pack, I couldn't help but notice how much it had changed since I had left. Seventeen years had passed since I last saw this place, when I was just nine years old and it was unrecognizable now.

People looked at me with strange faces, whispers filling the air. I could almost hear the questions on their lips:

"Who is this?"

"He looks like Alpha."

"How is he related to him?"

"Kael." I heard a voice calling from one of the houses in the compound.

As I turned, I saw a girl running toward me. The girl I recognized as my father's beta's daughter.

I was still trying to process how she recognized me, given how much I had changed since I left. But there she was, a familiar face in this strange new world.

"Gracie," I said, a rush of emotion flooding me as I held her tightly.

"You're back."

"You look like a real warrior now."

"Let me show you to your room."

As she said the word "room," my wolf growled happily beneath me. Finally, I had someone acknowledge me and treat me like a visitor. Like I mattered.

I followed her as she walked toward one of the buildings in the pack.

She looked beautiful, her black skin glowing in the night, her body elegant and strong. There was a graceful confidence in her every step.

As we reached one of the houses, she halted and turned the knob, opening the door.

The room looked pristine, as if it were meant for someone special, someone royal.

"I prepared this room for you," Gracie said, her face lighting up with a smile.

"Prepared?" I asked, my brain processing the word.

"Yes, I prepared this room for you."

How did she know that I would be back today?

"How did…" Before I could finish the question, she had turned and left.

What is going on here?

The last time I checked, I hadn't told anyone about my return to the pack. No one knew the real reason I was here.

I left the entrance and proceeded to the sitting room. Set on the table were plates of food. I opened the bowls and found my favorite meal inside.

Nobody knows this is my favorite food. Not even my wolf companions up north knew that. And yet, here it was warm and waiting.

I sat on the chair, still wondering how Gracie knew about my coming when my mind drifted to the she-wolf from earlier, stuck with arrows in her legs, and my father said she's his Luna.

Something about her… Something about her scent lingered in my mind like a song I had forgotten, but never truly lost. It smelled like something familiar but I couldn't process what it was yet.