Page 54 of Fated
Lena’s golden-brown eyes searched his, walls firmly in place. He thought saw the crack in her armor—the vulnerability she was fighting so hard to hide. She nodded imperceptibly, a silent acknowledgment of his words, though he couldn’t tell if it was forgiveness or resignation.
“I’ll grab my stuff and meet you at the car,” she whispered back, her voice neutral. She turned to the group, her voice bright. “I’m riding with Kai. See you losers in a few hours!”
Her words earned a chorus of good-natured teasing from Ryker and the others.
Kai watched her walk around the Jeep, hope and dread warring in his chest. He made his way to his Range Rover on unsteady legs, tossing his bag in the backseat before leaning against the passenger door as he waited for her. The cold metal pressed into his back as he exhaled shakily, mind racing. Everything felt like it was teetering on the edge of collapse—his relationships, his future, his very sense of self.
He sent a silent prayer to Selene. He didn’t ask for forgiveness or even for Lena to understand, but for strength. Strength to face what was coming. Strength to hold onto the bond he’d nearly destroyed. Strength to be the alpha, and mate, he needed to be.
He straightened as Lena neared, her figure a beacon against the backdrop of bustling wolves. Her head was high, strides confident, but Kai could see the tension in her shoulders. Sweat prickled his hairline, ice-cold droplets sliding down his templesas he opened the door for her. She murmured a quiet thank you, but the tremor in her voice betrayed her controlled expression.
As he settled into the driver’s seat, silence swelled, pressing against his eardrums. He swiped his palms down his thighs trying to settle his nerves as he braced himself for the conversation they needed to have.
“Are you ready?” His voice barely carried over the engine starting.
Lena answered with a nod.
The distance between them in the car felt both too vast and not nearly vast enough. His grip tightened on the wheel. Tension locked his jaw as he mustered the strength to tear down every barrier and show her his truth
The engine roared, and they pulled away from the lodge. He watched her stare out the window from the corner of his eye, knuckles white as she interlaced her fingers in her lap, pinning them in place as if to prevent them from reaching for him.
The road stretched ahead, winding through territory that felt as uncertain as their future. Neither spoke, but Kai knew this silence wouldn’t last. Soon, he’d have to find words for the unforgivable. Soon, she’d ask questions he wasn’t sure he could answer. And depending on what he said—and how she heard it—they’d either find a way forward, or this car ride would be the last time he’d ever see her.
CHAPTER THIRTY
LENA
The drive felt like drowning in slow motion.
Silent.
Tension thick as mountain air.
Each passing mile marker a countdown to confrontation. To the reality of last night. To the uncertain space between her and Kai.
Lena braved a glance at him. Kai’s posture was rigid, breathing shallow as his gaze fixed on the red Jeep ahead. His hands gripped the steering wheel, knuckles stark white against sun-darkened skin. Lena returned her stare to the window, taking measured breaths while a storm raged inside her.
Elara prowled the borders of Lena’s consciousness, the wolf’s agitation manifesting as electric pulses behind her eyes. Each spectral paw-step sent concentric ripples of tension across their shared mind, like stones dropped in still water.
“He won’t speak first,”Elara snarled.“Too much a coward to face what he’s done.”
A heavy sigh escaped Lena before she could catch it. From the corner of her eye, she caught his glance, saw the tension ripple through his jaw. Her fingers drummed against her thigh, each tap matching another passing mile marker.
“So,” she said, voice sharp enough to make him flinch, “did you have a specific time frame in mind when you said you ‘hoped we could talk’? Or were you planning to let me stew the whole way back to Moonshadow?”
He shifted, fingers flexing on the wheel as if testing their grip. His jaw worked before he managed, “I’m sorry. I—” He swallowed hard and released a shaky breath. “I don’t know where to start.”
“Well, pick somewhere,” Lena snapped, then forced herself to soften. “Tell me about Ava.”
The name hung between them like smoke. Kai’s shoulders loosened, as if talking about Ava was safer ground. Lena’s ribs contracted around her lungs, each breath shallow. She schooled her features into smooth marble, jaw relaxed, eyes steady as she waited.
KAI
Ava.
The question he’d been dreading most. Kai’s grip tightened on the wheel as memories flooded back—not just of last night’s disaster, but of years of shared history with Ava. How could he possibly explain it all to Lena without sounding like he was making excuses?
“She was from my mother’s birthpack, Raven’s Crest. She came to us after rogues destroyed the pack,” he began carefully. “My dad and Maxim led the rescue mission. She was eight. Just a terrified pup who’d lost everything.” He could still remember the way she’d trembled that first night, how small she’d looked huddled between Magnus and Elias. “She latched onto us—Elais, Magnus, and me. We were always following our dads around, playing at being alpha, beta, and gamma. I think being near us made her feel safe again.”
