"Duck!" Kael pushed Aeryn's head down just as an arrow whizzed over them, anchoring itself in a tree with a thunk.
They'd been running through the tunnel for what felt like hours before emerging into a secret valley. Freedom had seemed so close – until the hunters found them.
"How did they track us?" Aeryn gasped as they raced toward a cluster of rocks.
"They have your scent." Kael pulled her behind a big boulder. "Stay here."
Before she could complain, Kael shifted into his wolf form – a massive beast with dark gray fur and those same amber eyes. He bounded toward their enemies with a ferocious growl.
Aeryn looked around the boulder. Three wolves circled Kael, their teeth bared. They were smaller than him, but moved with the frantic confidence of men with nothing to lose.
The biggest one lunged. Kael met him mid-air, their bodies meeting with brutal force. The sound of snarling and flesh ripping filled the air. Aeryn watched in fear as the other two wolves joined the attack, all three trying to bring Kael down.
But they had misjudged him. Kael fought with a controlled fury that was terrifying to watch. Within minutes, two wolves lay unmoving on the ground. The third turned and fled, walking badly.
Kael shifted back to human form, blood streaming from several cuts. He stumbled toward Aeryn, his face grim.
"Are you hurt?" he asked.
Aeryn shook her head, too shocked to speak. Kael had just killed two wolves to protect her. The reality of her position crashed down on her shoulders – people were actually trying to kill her and her baby.
"We need to keep moving," Kael said, grimacing as he touched a deep cut on his arm. "There will be more."
"You're bleeding badly," Aeryn argued. "Let me help."
"No time." He took her hand. "There's a safe place about two miles north. We can rest there."
The "safe place" turned out to be a small house, even more remote than the first. Hidden by trees and built partly into the mountainside, it was nearly invisible until you were standing right in front of it.
Inside was simple but cozy – a bed, a fireplace, shelves of herbs and medicines. Aeryn helped Kael clean and dress his wounds, wincing at each gash and bite mark.
"Why are you helping me?" she asked as she tied off the last bandage. "You don't even know me."
Kael's eyes met hers. "I know enough."
"That's not an answer." Aeryn sat back, suddenly tired. The baby seemed to drain her energy faster these days. "You're risking your life for me. Why?"
For a long moment, Kael was silent. Then, "I knew your father. I made a promise."
"What kind of promise?"
"To protect his daughter if anything happened to him." Kael's voice relaxed. "He knew he was in danger. He just didn't know from where."
Aeryn's throat tightened. "And the mate bond we felt? Was that part of your promise too?"
Something flashed across Kael's face – pain, or maybe regret. "No. That was... unexpected."
"But not impossible? Even though I was mated to Thorne?"
"A true mate bond can only happen once," Kael stated. "What you had with Thorne was something else. A partial link, maybe, or a manipulation."
"Manipulation?" The word felt like ice in Aeryn's blood. "Are you saying he tricked me?"
Kael picked his words carefully. "Some Alphas have powers beyond normal wolves. Thorne comes from a line known for their... persuasiveness."
The consequences made Aeryn feel sick. Had nothing with Thorne been real? Had she been simply another capture, useful for a time and then discarded?
"Rest," Kael said, seeing her anxiety. "We're safe here for now."
Days passed, then weeks. The safe house became home. Aeryn's strength returned as her pregnancy progressed, her belly getting more noticeable with each passing day.
Kael proved to be different from any man she'd known. He was quiet but kind, strong but gentle. He never pressed her with questions about Thorne or her past. Instead, he taught her about herbs and medicine, showing her which plants could ease pain or fight infection.
"This one is good for morning sickness," he explained one day, holding up a sprig of mint-like leaves. "And this helps the baby grow strong."
Aeryn took the plants, their fingers brushing. The now-familiar spark jumped between them, but neither acknowledged it. They had fallen into an unspoken understanding – the mate bond existed, but they wouldn't act on it. Not while Aeryn's heart was still healing.
Each morning, they collected herbs together. Kael showed her secret meadows full of rare plants. He seemed to know every inch of the forest, every animal trail and secret glen.
"Were you always a healer?" Aeryn asked one afternoon as they picked berries.
"No." Kael's hands never stopped moving. "I was raised to be an Alpha."
"What happened to your pack?"
Pain darkened his face. "They're gone."
The simple words held so much sadness that Aeryn didn't press further. Instead, she reached out and squeezed his hand briefly. He looked surprised, then gave her a small smile – the first she'd seen from him.
At night, Kael insisted on sleeping by the fire while Aeryn took the bed. Sometimes she woke to find him watching her, a worried look on his face. Other times, she heard him moving outside, as if standing guard.
He always seemed to know what she needed before she asked – a blanket when she felt cold, water when she was thirsty, space when thoughts of Thorne overwhelmed her.
"How do you do that?" she asked one evening after he gave her tea for a headache she hadn't mentioned.
"Do what?"
"Know what I need."
Kael paused. "The mate bond, even unacknowledged, forms a connection. I can... sense things about you."
"Can you read my thoughts?" The idea was both scary and exciting.
"No. Just feelings, physical wants." His eyes dropped to her stomach. "And sometimes, I can sense the baby."
Aeryn's hands covered her bump protectively. "What do you sense?"
"Strength." Kael's voice filled with wonder. "Your child has a powerful spirit."
One morning, as summer turned toward fall, Aeryn felt well enough to venture into the closest town for supplies. Kael was hesitant but agreed they needed things he couldn't make or hunt.
The small trade post was busy with farmers selling late summer crops. Aeryn kept her head down, a scarf hiding her hair. Kael stayed close, his body tense as he scanned the crowd.
They were nearly finished shopping when Aeryn spotted a notice board. Hand-drawn pictures were pinned there – wanted posters, missing people. Her blood froze when she saw her own face looking back at her.
"Kael," she whispered, pointing.
He moved quickly, tearing down the paper before anyone could notice. But not before Aeryn saw the words written beneath her picture:
WANTED: AERYN OF SILVER MOON. DANGEROUS FUGITIVE. REWARD FOR CAPTURE.
"Dangerous?" she whispered as they hurried back toward the trees. "I've never hurt anyone!"
"It's not about what you've done," Kael said sadly. "It's about what they fear you might do."
"Because of the prophecy about my baby?"
Kael nodded. "And because of who you are. The last of your family."
That night, as a storm raged outside their cabin, Aeryn finally gained courage to ask the question that had been haunting her.
"If my father was murdered by Thorne's father, and I'm the last of my bloodline... does that mean I'm the rightful Alpha of a pack?"
Kael looked up from the fire, his face serious. "Not just any pack. The Silver Moon pack was the oldest, most powerful pack in the area. Before they were betrayed."
"By Thorne's family?"
"Yes. They were sworn friends until greed took over." Kael's eyes hardened. "Your father trusted them. That was his mistake."
Aeryn absorbed this, one hand on her growing belly. "So my baby..."
"Would be heir to the Silver Moon legacy." Kael came to sit beside her. "Which is why Thorne's family wants you both gone. They can't risk anyone questioning their claim to power."
"But I don't want power," Aeryn argued. "I just want to be safe. To raise my child in peace."
"I know." Kael's hand hovered near hers, not quite touching. "But you may not have a choice. Sooner or later, you'll have to face your past."
A crack of thunder shook the cabin. Rain lashed against the windows as if trying to get in.
"There's something else you should know," Kael said quietly. "About your brother."
Aeryn's heart jumped. "Lars? Have you heard from him?"
"Not directly. But I have sources in Thorne's area." Kael's face got grim. "Lars was caught for trying to help you escape. He's being held prisoner."
Horror washed over Aeryn. "We have to help him!"
"Aeryn—"
"No!" She stood up, hands clenched. "I won't leave my brother in Thorne's hands. It's my fault he's there!"
"It's too dangerous to go back. Especially now." Kael nodded at her belly.
"I don't care." Tears burned in Aeryn's eyes. "Lars is the only family I have left."
Kael was quiet for a long moment. Then he sighed. "Not the only family."
"What do you mean?"
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, worn leather bag. From it, he extracted a silver ring with a crescent moon pattern.
"This belonged to your mother," he said, holding it out. "She gave it to me before she died."
Aeryn took the ring with shaking hands. "You knew my mother too?"
"Yes." Kael's voice was barely heard over the storm. "She was my sister."
The ring slipped from Aeryn's fingers, bouncing on the wooden floor. She stared at Kael, unable to process his words.
"Your sister?" she whispered. "That would make you—" "Your uncle." Kael met her eyes steadily. "Your father's brother-in-law. And the last living adult member of the Silver Moon pack."
The room seemed to spin around Aeryn. "But the mate bond—"
"Isn't possible between blood relatives," Kael finished. "Which means my sister wasn't your birth mother, Aeryn. You were accepted into the Silver Moon pack as an infant."
Thunder crashed again, matching the shock in Aeryn's heart.
"Then who am I?" she asked, her voice breaking. "Who are my real parents?"
Kael picked up the dropped ring and pressed it into her palm, closing her fingers around it.
"That," he said softly, "is what Thorne would kill to keep you from discovering."