The quiet didn't last.
By morning, whispers were everywhere. Rumors, like wildfire, burned through the pack long before sunlight touched the mountaintops.
"She's cursed." "She saw Ronan slaughter her family and never spoke again." "What kind of wolf can't even shift?" "Kael's protecting her because he owes her family a debt." "Or maybe… she's his mate."
That last one sent a shockwave through Nightfang.
Kael had never claimed a mate. And the idea that the Alpha—their revered, untouchable Alpha—might be bonded to a mute rogue with no name and no past?
Unthinkable.
Sera slammed her fist on the mess hall table, making a plate clatter.
"You wanna spread rumors?" she snapped. "Then say it to her face."
Silence fell. No one dared.
Moments later, Kael entered, his presence enough to scatter the crowd like startled birds. He scanned the room, his expression unreadable.
"Something I should know?" he asked coolly.
No one answered. No one even breathed.
Aria was on the training field, alone.
Sweat dripped from her brow as she worked through the drills Kael had taught her—moves meant to defend and disarm, not just survive.
Her body moved on instinct, but her mind reeled.
The stares. The whispers. Dane's cryptic warning.
She didn't want attention.
Being seen was dangerous. Being remembered was worse.
Kael approached, his presence silent but grounding.
"You're distracted," he said softly.
She paused mid-motion, breathing heavily, and gave a slight nod.
"You want to talk about it?"
Aria shook her head but then hesitated. Her hands signed carefully: People are saying things.
Kael nodded once. "Let them."
She frowned. It bothers me.
"I know," he said. "But I didn't bring you here to hide you. I brought you here because I saw what you survived… and I knew you'd be stronger than they realize."
Later, Sera cornered Kael outside the war room.
"You're letting this get out of hand," she said in a low voice.
Kael raised an eyebrow. "Am I?"
"She's not just a stray wolf anymore. The rumors—people are asking questions."
"I'm aware."
Sera crossed her arms. "So what are you going to do?"
Kael's gaze turned sharp. "Let them talk."
"That's not good enough."
He stared at her a long moment before answering. "If I address it now, it forces a truth I'm not ready to reveal. And it robs her of the chance to prove she belongs here."
"Because she's your mate?" Sera pressed.
Kael's jaw ticked. "I don't know."
That night, Aria woke gasping.
Fire. Screams. Her mother's hand slipping away.
She sat up, skin slick with sweat, moonlight casting long shadows through the cabin.
For a moment, she swore she heard movement—soft, deliberate footsteps above the roofline.
She reached instinctively for the dagger under her pillow.
Nothing moved.
But something felt off.
By dawn, claw marks were discovered near the northern perimeter—deep, jagged, and fresh.
"Ronan's scouts," Sera said grimly. "They're getting bold."
Kael ran his hand along the grooves. "They're watching us."
"We need to tell her."
Kael hesitated. "She's not ready."
"She's tougher than you think, Kael."
Later that day, Aria was summoned to Kael's office.
She walked in slowly, the scent of cedar and aged leather calming her nerves.
Kael stood behind his desk, posture tense.
"There's something you deserve to know," he began. "I haven't been fully honest with you."
She blinked, waiting.
He gestured to the chair across from him. She sat, back straight.
"The man who hurt you the one who claimed you," Kael said, his voice quieter now, "Ronan, he's my half-brother."
Shock spread through her features.
Kael gave her a moment, then continued.
"We share a father. But he was always… darker. Bitter. When our father named me heir, Ronan disappeared. Built his own pack. Took what he wanted. And then, one day, he decided he wanted to crush Nightfang."
Her fingers trembled in her lap.
Kael's eyes softened. "I didn't know until Sera found you who he'd hurt along the way."
Aria stood without a word, moved to a nearby shelf, and retrieved a pencil and paper.
Kael waited.
She began to write slowly, deliberately.
"He said I was his mate."
She paused.
"I never accepted him."
Then:
"I couldn't say the words. But I refused him in every other way."
"He rejected me in front of them all, but only after he realised I wouldn't submit ."
Kael read her message carefully. Then, without a word, he stepped around the desk and gently took the paper from her hand.
The pencil dropped to the floor.
He looked into her eyes, steady and sure.
"You didn't let him take your will," he said quietly. "That's what he'll never forgive."
Far beyond the walls of Nightfang, high on a ridge, a lone figure stared down into the valley.
Ronan's eyes gleamed in the moonlight.
"She remembers," he murmured. "Good."
His fingers curled into a fist.
"Because I never forgot."