Page 92 of Fated
And that…that terrified her.
Lena opened her eyes, fingers still threaded in her sleeping mate’s hair. The joy of these past weeks shifted beneath uncertainty. She and Kai existed in a beautiful bubble at Moonshadow. But bubbles always burst. They hadn’t discussed what would happen when he returned home—to his pack, to his responsibilities.
To Ava.
The thought pierced like barbed wire wrapped around her chest, each breath catching on its sharp edges. Ava’s name lingered in her mind like an uninvited guest who refused to leave. Lena wanted to believe their connection—the laughter, stolen moments, quiet conversations under stars—was enough to build something lasting, but Ava was part of his history, his pack. Possibly still his heart.
Was it selfish to want him to stake his claim? To make it undeniable that he was hers. That he felt the rightness of them too, the way they fit together beyond even Selene’s design. She wasn’t imagining the way his face softened when he looked ather. Or how his shoulders eased when she was near. If he could just make it clear, maybe then she’d find the courage to bear his mark. To give him hers. Lena wanted that. She wanted him.
Butwantingwasn’t the same ashaving.
As this reality settled over her, a warm current of certainty flowed through her chest—not her own emotions, but Elara’s.“He needs time, but he will choose us,”the wolf murmured in her mind, steady and sure.
Lena closed her eyes, breath slowing to match the calm rhythm emanating from her wolf. The frantic edges of her doubt softened under Elara’s quiet confidence, like jagged ice melting under gentle heat.
“Trust me,”Elara urged.“I’ve felt it since the first run. I feel it even now as he sleeps. He isours.”
But it wasn’t that simple. Lena wanted to be chosen for herself, not because Selene had deemed it so. As much as she wanted to believe in Elara’s certainty, the practical side of her knew that Kai’s heart was a battlefield. She was fighting against years of history, of promises and memories that didn’t include her.
Her chest tightened as she thought of what would happen when Kai returned to Bloodstone.Will the expectations of his birthright overwhelm him again, force him to retreat into the guarded, stoic alpha-heir I met at the summit? Will he fall back into old patterns, drawn to the comfort of Ava’s familiarity?
Lena had no intention of sharing him—she’d drawn that line clearly—but what if, after everything, he still couldn’t let Ava go?
Her fingers slipped from Kai’s hair, and she stared down at him, overwhelmed by unspoken fears. He looked so peaceful, face untroubled by the storm she felt was coming. For now, they were safe. Together. That didn’t mean the future wouldn’t demand answers they weren’t ready to give.
A knock at the door broke through Lena’s thoughts, jolting her back to the present. She glanced down at Kai, his soft snoresundisturbed, and carefully untangled herself from him. Padding across the room, she cracked the door open to find Cian standing in the hallway.
“Hey,” she whispered, pulling the door closer to her body to block the view inside. “What’s up?”
“Have you seen Kai?” Cian’s jaw was tight, shoulders rigid with tension. “Darius has been trying to reach him all night, but he’s not answering. He’s not in his suite, and we can’t—” His eyes flicked over her shoulder, landing on the naked figure sprawled in her bed. Then back to hers and down to her throat. His brows shot up, but he smoothed his features with practiced ease, swallowing whatever comment was forming. “Wake him up. Dad needs to talk to him. It’s important.”
“What’s going on?” Lena’s hand clutched the doorframe, knuckles whitening as her chest constricted at the seriousness in his tone.
Cian shook his head, already backing away. “Just get him to Dad’s office.Quickly.” Without another word, he turned and headed down the hall. His hurried footsteps echoed in the quiet corridor.
Lena stood frozen for a moment, staring at the spot Cian had just left, the urgency in his voice replaying in her mind. She breathed deep, steeling herself as she returned to her mate’s side.
“Kai,” she murmured, fingers tracing gentle circles on his back. “Wake up.”
He stirred, a low, groggy hum escaping him as his lashes fluttered open. His emerald eyes, heavy with sleep, blinked up at her, and a slow, lazy smile curved his lips.
“Man,” he murmured, voice husky with sleep as he threaded his fingers through hers, “seeing your face first thing in the morning is something I could get used to.”
Something fluttered behind Lena’s ribs at the warmth in his voice and heat blossomed across her cheeks. He reached for her, pulling her down beside him and wrapping his arms around her waist in a gentle yet firm embrace.
“Can we postpone our run until tonight?” he whispered into her skin, breath warm against her collarbone. “I’m interested in a different kind of morning exercise.”
A quiet laugh escaped her, tinged with regret. She wanted to stay in this moment, with his affection drowning out the unease creeping into her chest, but reality already clawed at its edges.
“I wish,” she whispered, fingers brushing against his cheek. “But you’ve been summoned to my dad’s office. It seems important.”
Kai frowned, sitting up abruptly, the warmth vanishing from his expression as confusion flickered across his features. “Do you know what it’s about?”
She shook her head, reluctant to mention Cian’s discovery. “Your dad’s been trying to reach you all night. He called mine when he couldn’t get ahold of you.”
Kai’s frown deepened, brows drawing together as he processed her words.
Lena gave his thigh a reassuring pat as she slipped off the bed. “Come on, let’s get dressed. I’ll meet you outside your room,” she said, voice soft but steady.
