The forest felt different after the messenger left.
Heavier.
Like the future had just become real.
I sat on a fallen log, staring at the fading glow of my mark. Marriage proposals. Alpha politics. Council summons. None of this was supposed to be my life. A few months ago, I was just trying to survive exile.
Now I was becoming something everyone wanted.
Or feared.
Lucien broke the silence first. "The Council invitation isn't optional. If you refuse, they'll assume you're hiding something… or planning something."
I sighed. "So I either go willingly or get treated like a threat?"
"Yes," Lucien said simply.
Kaiden hadn't said a word.
He stood a few steps away, shoulders tense, jaw tight. His silence said more than anger ever could.
Finally I stood and walked toward him.
"You've been quiet."
His answer came flat.
"I'm thinking."
"About the Council?"
His eyes shifted to mine.
"No."
The intensity in his gaze made my heartbeat speed up.
"I'm thinking about the part where other Alphas think they can negotiate for you."
The air between us tightened.
"That's politics," I said carefully.
"That's possession," he corrected.
His voice had changed. Less controlled. More personal.
I crossed my arms. "You don't own me either."
His eyes flashed instantly.
"I know that."
Too fast again.
Too emotional.
That told me everything.
Lucien quietly stepped away, clearly deciding this wasn't his conversation anymore.
Kaiden exhaled slowly, like he was trying to regain control.
"I don't like it," he admitted.
"Why?"
Silence.
Then honesty.
"Because power attracts predators."
I tilted my head slightly. "You mean like the apex?"
His gaze didn't move.
"I mean like Alphas who will smile while trying to cage you."
My chest tightened.
"And you?" I asked quietly.
His expression softened slightly.
"I'd rather stand in front of the cage."
That answer hit deeper than I expected.
"Why?" I whispered.
For a moment he didn't answer.
Then he stepped closer.
Not touching.
But close enough that I could feel his warmth again.
"Because every time you fight," he said quietly, "you don't just try to survive."
His eyes dropped briefly to the glowing mark on my neck.
"You try to become stronger."
My breathing became uneven.
"And that kind of determination…" he continued, voice softer now, "is rare."
The tension between us thickened again.
Dangerous.
Personal.
Real.
"And you think protecting me is your responsibility?" I asked.
His answer surprised me.
"No."
He paused.
"It's my choice."
My heart slammed hard.
Before I could respond, my mark suddenly pulsed again. This time not pain.
Awareness.
Connection.
Kaiden felt it too. His eyes widened slightly.
Lucien spoke from behind us.
"The bond is stabilizing."
Kaiden didn't move away.
"What does that mean?" I asked.
Lucien answered carefully.
"It means whatever this connection is… it's becoming permanent."
Silence.
Kaiden finally stepped back slightly, but his voice remained steady.
"Then we prepare."
"For the Council?" I asked.
He nodded.
"And for the Alphas who think they can take what isn't theirs."
My mark glowed brighter.
And deep down…
I had a feeling the Council meeting wouldn't just decide my future.
It might decide who stands beside me when the war begins.