Ava didn’t remember agreeing to follow him.
One moment, she had been standing in the park, her heart still racing from the intensity of his presence, her thoughts tangled in everything he had just said. The next, she was walking beside him—matching his pace as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
It wasn’t.
And yet her body didn’t seem to care.
“I’m not going anywhere with you,” she said, forcing firmness into her voice.
Kael didn’t even glance at her. “You already are.”
Her jaw tightened. “I can stop.”
“Then stop.”
Ava planted her foot harder into the ground, willing herself to halt. For a brief second, her body resisted—just enough to give her hope.
Then she took another step forward.
Her frustration spiked. “This is not normal.”
“No,” Kael replied calmly. “It isn’t.”
That wasn’t comforting.
They left the city faster than she expected, the familiar glow of streetlights fading behind them as the road gave way to quieter paths. The air changed gradually, growing cooler, fresher, carrying the scent of damp earth and distant trees.
Ava noticed it immediately.
Her breathing slowed. Her senses sharpened. The tension in her body—somehow—eased.
She hated that.
Hated how right this felt.
“How far are we going?” she asked, glancing at him.
“As far as we need to.”
“That’s vague.”
“It’s enough.”
Ava exhaled sharply but didn’t push further. Something told her it wouldn’t matter. He wasn’t the type to explain unless he chose to.
And right now, he clearly didn’t.
The moment they crossed into the forest, everything shifted.
It wasn’t just the darkness or the quiet. It was something deeper—something she felt beneath her skin. The air grew heavier, almost charged, and her senses stretched outward in ways she couldn’t explain. Every sound seemed clearer, every scent more vivid.
“This is your territory,” she said quietly.
Kael finally looked at her, a flicker of approval in his eyes. “You’re learning.”
“I’m guessing.”
“No,” he corrected. “You’re feeling.”
Ava didn’t argue.
Because he was right.
They moved deeper into the forest, the shadows thickening around them, yet she didn’t feel afraid. If anything, she felt… aware. Like something inside her was waking up, responding to the environment in a way that didn’t make sense.
That realization unsettled her more than the darkness ever could.
They weren’t alone.
She sensed it before she saw them—subtle movements between the trees, quiet but deliberate. Her body tensed instinctively, her gaze scanning the shadows.
“Relax,” Kael said, his tone steady.
“That’s easy for you to say,” she muttered. “I don’t even know what’s out there.”
“My pack.”
Her steps faltered for just a moment before she forced herself to keep moving.
Of course.
That made sense.
Didn’t make it any less intimidating.
As they entered a clearing, the figures became visible—men standing in loose formation, their attention snapping toward them the moment Kael stepped into view. The shift in atmosphere was immediate. Conversations died. Movements stilled.
Every gaze landed on her.
Ava felt it like pressure against her skin—curious, wary, some openly hostile.
Without thinking, she stepped closer to Kael.
She barely registered the movement, but he did.
Of course he did.
A subtle satisfaction flickered in his expression before it disappeared.
“Alpha,” one of the men said, stepping forward slightly. His gaze shifted to Ava, narrowing. “What is this?”
Ava crossed her arms, irritation cutting through her unease. “You could start with not talking about me like I’m not here.”
He ignored her entirely.
That annoyed her more than it should have.
Kael stopped at the center of the clearing, and with that single movement, the entire space seemed to settle around him. His presence was commanding in a way that required no effort—absolute, unquestioned authority.
“She’s with me,” he said.
Nothing more.
No explanation.
No justification.
The reaction was immediate. Low murmurs spread through the group, tension rising in waves.
“Impossible,” the same man said, his voice sharper now. “She’s human.”
Ava scoffed. “You keep saying that like it’s an insult.”
Still ignored.
Her irritation deepened.
Kael’s expression darkened slightly. “She’s not.”
Silence fell.
Heavy and uncertain.
The man stepped closer, studying her now with a different intensity. “Then what is she?”
Ava let out a humorless breath. “Great question. I’d love to know.”
Kael didn’t answer right away.
Instead, his gaze shifted to her, something calculating flickering beneath the surface. It made her uneasy, like he was seeing something she couldn’t.
Then he reached for her.
Ava stiffened as his hand closed around her wrist, the contact sending a sharp jolt through her system. It was stronger this time—deeper, more consuming, stealing her breath before she could brace for it.
“Stop doing that,” she said, though her voice lacked its earlier bite.
He didn’t respond.
Instead, he turned her wrist outward, exposing the inside to the others.
Ava frowned, glancing down—and froze.
There was a mark.
Faint, but unmistakable.
It hadn’t been there before.
She was certain of it.
Her pulse quickened. “What… is that?”
No one answered.
Because the reaction around her was immediate.
The entire pack went still.
The tension shifted—sharpened—something close to unease, even fear, threading through it.
“That’s not possible,” the man said, his voice quieter now.
Ava’s stomach dropped. “Can someone please explain what’s going on?”
Kael’s grip tightened slightly—not enough to hurt, just enough to ground her.
His voice, when he spoke, was lower. Controlled. Dangerous.
“That shouldn’t exist.”
“That’s not helpful,” Ava snapped, though unease crept into her tone. “What does it mean?”
Silence answered her again.
But this time, it was worse.
Because she could feel it.
Whatever that mark was—it mattered.
A lot.
The pack shifted uneasily, murmurs breaking out again, but there was no curiosity now. Only tension. Only caution.
And unmistakably—
Fear.
Directed at her.
Ava’s chest tightened. “What is wrong with me…” she whispered.
Kael’s gaze lifted from her wrist to her face, something unreadable flickering in his eyes.
“Nothing,” he said.
It sounded like a lie.
His thumb brushed lightly over the mark.
Ava gasped.
The reaction hit instantly—stronger than anything before. Heat surged through her body, sharp and overwhelming, pulling at something deep inside her. Her knees weakened, her balance faltering for a brief second.
Kael steadied her without effort.
His expression shifted, something darker emerging—something possessive, focused.
“Inside,” he ordered.
The command cut through the clearing instantly.
No one argued.
No one questioned.
They moved aside without hesitation.
Ava barely had time to process what was happening before he guided her forward again, his hand still firm around her wrist.
“What is that mark?” she asked, her voice quieter now.
Kael didn’t answer immediately.
Instead, he leaned slightly closer, his voice dropping just enough that only she could hear it.
“If they’re right,” he murmured, “you’re not just my mate.”
Ava’s heart skipped. “Then what am I?”
His gaze locked onto hers—dark, intense, certain.
“Trouble.”
A chill ran through her.
And for the first time—
Ava believed it.
