Chapter 13
774words
We step from our hiding place. Kieran's expression is thunderous as we approach.
"I told you to stay at the house," he says, eyes fixed on me.
"I needed to hear what he said,” I explain softly. "This involves me too.”
He sighs, the tension in his shoulders easing slightly. "I understand why you came.”
"Thank you," I say quietly. "For defending me."
Kieran looks away. "He was trying to provoke me. Almost succeeded."
"Why didn't you kill him?" Nora asks. "You had every right."
"Because that's what he wanted." Kieran starts walking back toward the house, leaving us to follow. "Death would make him a martyr to his pack. They'd have no choice but to seek revenge."
"And now?" I ask, hurrying to keep pace with his long strides.
"Now he has to live with his failure." Kieran's voice is grim. "Which makes him more dangerous, not less."
Back at the house, the pack gathers to hear what happened. Kieran recounts the meeting calmly, omitting Marcus's crueler taunts. When he finishes, the room erupts in questions and concerns.
"Will he attack?"
"Should we evacuate the younger wolves?"
"What about the full moon tomorrow night?"
Kieran raises a hand, silencing them. "We double the patrols. No one goes out alone. The full moon ceremony proceeds as planned, but with sentinels on guard."
His eyes find me across the room. "Selene and Thea remain under pack protection. Anyone who sees Silver Lake wolves on our territory, sound the alarm immediately."
As the meeting breaks up, Kieran gestures for me to follow him. We end up in his study, the door closing behind us with a soft click.
"You shouldn't have been there," he says without preamble.
"I'm sorry,” I offer quietly. "But I needed to see him. To know that the bond was really broken.”
"And is it?" His eyes search mine. "Do you feel any connection to him still?"
"No." The certainty in my voice surprises even me. "Nothing."
Kieran nods, some of the tension leaving his shoulders. "Good."
"What happens now?" I ask, the question that's been haunting me since the ritual.
"That depends on you." He moves to the window, looking out at the forest. "You're free to go, if that's what you want. Or you can stay."
"As what? A guest? Pack?"
He turns to face me. "What do you want, Selene?"
The question catches me off guard. What do I want? For so long, my only desire was escape. Freedom from Marcus. Now that I have it, I'm not sure what comes next.
"I don't know," I admit. "I haven't belonged anywhere in a long time."
"You could belong here." His voice is quiet, careful. "If you wanted."
The echo of Thea's words from this morning. I study Kieran's face, searching for any hint of what he's thinking.
But I've brought danger to their door. Marcus won't stop. Not ever.
"I've caused enough trouble," I say, staring at the floor. "The pack was safe before I came."
"The pack is stronger with you in it." Kieran takes a step toward me. "You've shown courage. Strength. Loyalty."
I shake my head, not trusting my voice. My wolf whines inside me, wanting to stay, to be part of something again.
"You're not a burden, Selene." Another step closer. "The pack respects you. Thea needs you."
And I need this, I think but don't say. Need the safety, the belonging. Need to wake up without fear for the first time in years.
Need him, whispers a treacherous part of me that I quickly silence.
"Think about it," Kieran says, filling the silence. "There's no rush to decide."
But there is, I realize. Because every day I stay makes leaving harder. Every day I spend in this house, with this pack, with him, roots grow deeper.
"The full moon is tomorrow," I say instead. "What does that mean for the pack?"
"We run together." A small smile touches his lips. "It's tradition. The whole pack shifts, hunts as one."
The thought sends a thrill through me. My wolf stirs eagerly at the prospect. "Even me?"
"If you want." His eyes hold mine. "You'd be welcome."
Something shifts between us, a current of energy I can't name. Kieran is close enough now that I can see the flecks of gold in his eyes, smell the pine and smoke scent of him.
"I should go," I say, suddenly needing space to think. "Thea will be wondering where I am."
Kieran nods, stepping back. "Of course."
At the door, I pause. "Kieran?"
He looks up.
"Thank you. For everything."
