Page 68 of Fated
His wolf, normally wholly content with Asher, now stirred with anticipation.
Selene had already blessed him with Asher’s love. What more could She give? What would She take?
For now, with Asher’s warmth surrounding him, “always” would have to be enough—even as unseen currents began to shift the foundation beneath them.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
KAI
Kai woke to the afternoon sun streaming through the heavy curtains of his guest suite in the Moonshadow packhouse. A dull, insistent pain throbbed beneath his sternum with each heartbeat. He eased himself onto his back, groaning as his stiff muscles protested the movement. He ran a hand down his face, trying to rub away the fog of his restless, dreamless sleep.
Even now, as the sun moved closer to the horizon, the emptiness lingered. He felt like Sisyphus rolling a boulder uphill only to have it crush him beneath its weight, shoulders bowing in an endless cycle. He knew he needed to move, to do something, anything, to pull himself out of this spiral. But how could he take that first step when Lena’s wounded eyes haunted his memories,his pack waited for an heir who was less certain with each passing day, and Ava’s voice echoed endlessly with promises made and broken?
For now, he just needed to quiet the storm in his mind.
He swung his legs over the side of the bed, stretching sore muscles and grabbed a pair of sweats. He didn’t bother with a shirt, letting the cool air hit his skin as he padded barefoot to the door.
Opening it cautiously, he peered into the hallway, muscles tensed for quick retreat. The last thing he wanted was to face Lena’s disappointment. Or worse, Cian and Raelen’s protective glares. He couldn’t handle another confrontation—not yet.
The house was quiet as he made his way downstairs, each step echoing faintly in the stillness. Reaching the back door, he slipped outside, the crisp afternoon air soothing his frayed nerves. The tree line loomed ahead, a dark silhouette against the orange glow of the sky. Without hesitation, Kai crossed the yard, steps quickening as he neared the forest.
At the edge of the trees, he stripped out of his sweats, leaving them folded neatly on a low-hanging branch. Taking a deep breath, he shifted, the familiar rush of energy coursing through him as his body transformed. When he landed on four paws, Orion’s presence surged to the forefront of his mind—not overwhelming but integrating, their separate awareness melding into something that felt like bedrock beneath shifting sands.
His wolf’s massive form cast a long shadow, black fur rippling with hints of silver that caught the sunlight. Refined instinct held his raw power in check beneath his thick coat as Orion’s emerald eyes, keen and alert, took in their surroundings with predatory grace.
The forest welcomed him, its earthy scents and soft sounds calming the chaos in his mind. The wind whispered through the trees, carrying the faint scent of pine and moss, and for the firsttime in what felt like weeks, Kai felt the tightness in his chest ease. He took his time, paws crunching against the underbrush as he allowed himself to simply be.
He surrendered to Orion’s instincts, their shared body navigating between Moonshadow’s towering pines with a certainty that transcended territory—wolf knowledge overriding human hesitation with each powerful leap. These weren’t his lands, yet his wolf moved with unexpected familiarity. The boundaries that consumed human politics dissolved beneath paws that recognized the larger truth—all wolves descended from Selene’s first children.
The world blurred. His muscles burned—purging, cleansing. Moonshadow patrol scents drifted on the wind, clear but unthreatening. For the first time, Kai didn’t feel like an intruder here but a welcomed ally. Every leap and turn freed him from worry—borders, politics, and romantic entanglements dissolving beneath his paws.
He wasn’t running from anything anymore; he was running toward something—toward understanding, toward connection. His father had often spoken of the responsibility that came with alliances. Only now did Kai begin to grasp what that truly meant: not just formal agreements between alphas, but the weaving together of pack destinies.
Eventually, he found himself in the Moonshadow ritual grounds. The sacred space pulsed with a soothing yet powerful energy, calling to him like a forgotten melody. He padded to the center and lay down, soft grass cooling his paws as the place’s aura washed over him.
Emptying his mind of tomorrow’s contingencies and yesterday’s regrets, Kai’s heartbeat slowed to match the ancient rhythm of the forest. Silence filled his ears like water, drowning out even the whisper of his own thoughts.
Minutes passed, or maybe an hour—he couldn’t tell. Then, Orion’s voice rippled across their shared consciousness like a pebble skipping water.
“Kai.”
Kai closed his eyes, allowing the connection to deepen.“I’m here.”
Orion’s presence was strong, but not demanding—a marked difference from the tension that had characterized their bond for months.“This place... It humbles me. The power here is a reminder of what we’ve forgotten. Of what Selene once adored in us.”
Kai swallowed hard, the verity of Orion’s words resonating deep within him.“Orion...I can’t keep fighting this war within myself. Every time I reach for Lena, Ava’s memory pulls me back. When I honor Ava, our bond with Lena strains. My heart’s divided into territories neither side can fully claim, and I don’t know how to find peace between them.”
Orion was silent for a long moment before replying,“You fight because you don’t have choice. I understand now. Ava wasyours. Your choice.”
Something constricted in his windpipe, making each swallow an effort. Behind closed eyelids, Lena’s face appeared—chin lifted as she faced her father, voice steady as she spoke Kai’s truth when he couldn’t find the words himself.
“The only person who seems to care about what I want, who listens to my heart, is Lena.”
Orion’s voice softened, carrying tenderness Kai hadn’t felt from him in a long time.“Lena is special. Our Goddess chose well. I won’t push anymore, but know her, Kai. Seeher. Not just the bond.”
Warmth flooded Kai’s chest, replacing the familiar hollow with unexpected fullness. For the first time since Ava’s eighteenth birthday, he and Orion breathed as one.
“Thank you, Orion. For this. For everything.”
