28 - Blood and Bond

Kael POV

Blood.

The scent of it clung to the earth like smoke, thick and metallic, woven into the mud and leaves. Kael moved through the chaos with calculated precision his body streaked with blood and sweat. The forest had become a battleground. Trees stood like silent witnesses to the carnage that was erupting.

Nightclaw and Moonfang moved as one—two packs that had never fought side by side until now. It was jarring and seamless all at once. Their soldiers moved through the fray with efficiency, shouts of command and snarled warnings forming a language all its own. Wolves darted past him, shifted or half-shifted, many bleeding, all relentless.

The rogues had not anticipated unity.

That was their first mistake.

Kael ducked beneath a swinging blade and drove his own forward, catching the rogue cleanly in the side. The wolf howled and collapsed. Another was already charging before the body hit the ground.

The second mistake? Underestimating how much both packs had to lose.

“Push forward!” Elias’s voice cut through the din behind him.

Kael didn’t look back—he trusted Elias implicitly. His Beta would keep the lines tight, the flank strong. Kael’s own focus was on the center. Holding it. Driving the rogues back. Every time they tried to regroup, to dig in and gain ground, they were met with a wall of fury and iron.

Still, the numbers were… troubling.

There were more rogues than anticipated. Dozens more. They came from every direction, but not as disciplined. Gritty. Reckless. Ruthless.

Kael had counted at least four dozen downed bodies—some unconscious, some not lucky enough for that mercy. And still more rogues emerged from the trees, like shadows peeling off bark.

His blade met another. A hiss of effort. A burst of heat. Then a gurgle, and silence.

He panted quietly, rolling his shoulders. Blood dripped from a wound near his ribs, but it was shallow. He didn’t have time to feel it.

“We’re gaining ground!” someone shouted from Moonfang’s line. Kael glanced in that direction—he could see Ryker, limping but upright, barking orders and coordinating counterattacks. His stance was strong, focused and impressive.

A rogue leapt toward him. Kael turned and met the strike, shoving the wolf off with brute force. He took the creature down with two quick slashes, then looked up.

Their lines were tightening. The rogues were beginning to pull back.

Kael’s eyes narrowed. Not a retreat. A regrouping.

“Let them run, but keep them close!” He shouted

He signaled two Nightclaw scouts nearby. “Shadow them. Stay hidden. We need to know where they go, how many, and what direction.”

They nodded and vanished into the trees.

Around him, the sounds of fighting dimmed. Some rogues fled outright. Others fought a few final, desperate blows before being overrun. Kael exhaled slowly scanning the ground.

So many wounded.

Nightclaw. Moonfang. Some barely breathing. Others groaning in pain, bones broken, skin torn. The medics were already moving among them.

His stomach twisted.

Victory would come with cost.

It was a while before Kael allowed himself to stop moving. He oversaw the border security, helped stabilize the patrol patterns, and ensured no rogues lingered nearby. When Elias joined him—face streaked with blood and dirt, but standing tall—Kael finally let himself breathe.

“We held them off,” Elias said, his voice hoarse.

“For now,” Kael replied. “But there were too many. This wasn’t a warning. This was a test.”

Elias nodded grimly. “We passed.”

Kael’s eyes drifted east, toward Moonfang territory. “Barely.”

He didn’t say what he was thinking, but Elias saw it anyway.

“You’re going to the hospital,” Elias said.

Kael gave a curt nod. “Yeah.”

The halls of Moonfang’s hospital were quiet—but not calm. The quiet was heavy, but broken occasional shuffle of feet, muffled coughs, or the groans the wounded.

Kael’s boots echoed as he walked.

No one stopped him. They didn’t need to. His presence was purposeful.

He hadn’t seen Aria since the day of the truce meeting with Theron.

And yet her presence had never left him.

He didn’t know what he expected but when he saw her—really saw her—his chest went still.

Her hair was pulled back messily, a streak of something dark—dirt or dried blood—on her cheek.

And still, she looked radiant.

Not in a way that glittered or demanded attention.

Radiant in a way that made the world pause.

His wolf stirred beneath his skin.

She hadn’t seen him yet. But the moment she did, her entire posture changed. Not defensive—but alert. Like something within her woke up.

“Kael,” she said softly.

He moved toward her. Careful. Not out of fear—but respect.

“You’re hurt,” she added, nodding toward the gash near his ribs.

He looked down, only now feeling the ache. “Not badly.”

She straightened, brushing her hands against her pants. She looked tired. More than tired. But there was a spark in her eyes that hadn’t gone out.

“I wasn’t sure you’d come here,” she admitted.

Kael met her gaze, steady. “I had to see for myself if you were okay.”

He glanced toward the soldier she’d been helping. “You’ve been here all night?”

“Since the siren.”

He nodded. That didn’t surprise him.

There was silence between them, but it wasn’t empty.

“You shouldn’t have risked coming.” she asked quietly.

“I couldn’t stay away” his voice was low ”... Not tonight”

She said with exhaustion. “So many have been injured. We’re barely holding on.”

Their eyes locked again. And something passed between them. Something that didn’t need words. That’s when he touched her. Just simply resting his hand on her arm

He took a small step closer. “Aria…”

She waited.

“Your pack are the ones holding everyone together. I don’t know what happens next. Between our packs. Between us. But I wanted to see you. Make sure you were safe.”

Her expression flickered. “I am okay. Tonight, anyway.”

She looked at his throat. No mark. Not yet. But something warm bloomed in her chest. A strange sense of calm, despite everything.

Kael’s voice was lower now. “I’ve arranged for Nightclaw medics and warriors to train here. With Moonfang. We’ll rotate patrols together, share shifts. Strengthen both sides.”

Her brows lifted slightly. “You’re serious?”

“We need each other,” he said simply. “More than ever.”

She hesitated. “Thank you.” She looked away, flustered.

She stepped forward, instinctively. Close enough that he could smell her—earth and pine, lavender and something uniquely her. His heart thudded once, hard.

“You saved a lot of people tonight,” she whispered. “Including my father he ran into battle to save soldiers”

His throat tightened. “I’d do it again. I’m glad we were there in time.”

They stood in silence. And for a moment, there was no war. No politics. Just Kael and Aria, tethered together by a bond they still hadn’t fully unraveled.

He drew in a slow, quiet breath, anchoring himself in her scent. “Pine needles and lavender”, he said, barely a whisper.

“I should go,” he said at last.

She nodded, though she didn’t move. “Will you come back?”

He smiled faintly. “I think we both know I will.”

And with that, he turned and left.

But her scent lingered on his skin long after he stepped outside.