Chapter : I Am Not Sulking!!

The journey through the dense forest was marked by silence, save for the occasional rustling of leaves underfoot and the distant howl of wolves. The air was crisp, the scent of pine mingling with the faint metallic tang of Rain's tension.

Each step deepened the unease gnawing at him, but he kept his eyes ahead, refusing to let Nathaniel's imposing presence at his side unsettle him.

Soren stayed close, his sharp eyes scanning the shadows for threats. He moved with practiced precision, his Beta instincts ensuring Rain was never vulnerable, even as he glanced over his shoulder to glare at Nathaniel.

"Do you always walk this slow?" Nathaniel's deep voice broke the silence, his tone laced with teasing condescension.

Rain bristled, his claws flexing instinctively. "Do you always talk this much?"

Nathaniel chuckled lowly, the sound rich and unhurried. "Only when I'm trying to pass the time with wolves who insist on sulking."

Rain stopped abruptly, spinning to face him. "I'm not sulking," he snapped, his silver eyes gleaming in the dim light.

Nathaniel tilted his head, his amber gaze studying Rain with an infuriating calmness. "No? Then what do you call this?"

Rain's chest heaved, his wolf clawing beneath his skin. He took a step closer, his voice dropping to a growl. "I call it patience. Something you wouldn't understand."

The tension between them crackled like static, the bond pulsing faintly as if mocking Rain's attempt to maintain control. Nathaniel's smirk widened, his towering frame looming as he leaned in slightly.

"Patience?" he murmured, his voice low and deliberate. "Is that what you call this fire in your eyes? Because it looks an awful lot like something else."

Rain's breath hitched, his body betraying him as heat coiled in his chest. He hated the way Nathaniel's presence consumed the air around him, the way his wolf responded to the Alpha King's dominance with both resistance and a maddening pull.

"Back off," Rain hissed, his voice trembling with barely restrained anger.

Nathaniel's gaze lingered for a moment longer, his smirk softening into something almost thoughtful. But before he could respond, Soren stepped between them, his posture rigid.

"That's enough," Soren said firmly, his sharp gaze fixed on Nathaniel. "We don't have time for this."

Nathaniel straightened, his smirk returning as he glanced at Soren. "You're right, Beta. We don't."

With that, he turned and continued walking, his long strides forcing Rain and Soren to follow.

As the sun dipped lower in the sky, painting the horizon in hues of gold and crimson, the trio arrived at a secluded clearing. The scent of blood and ash lingered in the air, faint but unmistakable.

"This is it," Nathaniel said, his voice quieter now. "Althea was here."

Rain frowned, his silver eyes scanning the clearing. "How can you tell?"

Nathaniel didn't answer immediately. Instead, he crouched near a patch of disturbed earth, his fingers brushing against the faint outline of a rune etched into the soil.

"This symbol," he said, his tone unreadable. "It's part of the magic binding her to whoever sent her."

Soren knelt beside him, his sharp eyes narrowing. "Binding magic? That's dark stuff. She's not working alone, then."

Nathaniel's jaw tightened, his amber eyes darkening. "No. She's a pawn. But whoever holds the strings isn't far."

Rain crossed his arms, his gaze locked on the rune. "Then why not break the spell? Free her from their control?"

Nathaniel glanced up at him, his expression hard. "Because breaking it could kill her. And right now, she's the only lead we have."

Rain's lips pressed into a thin line, frustration bubbling beneath the surface. "So what's the plan? Wait for her to show up and hope she cooperates?"

Nathaniel stood, his towering frame casting a long shadow over Rain. "No. We draw her out."

Rain frowned. "And how do we do that?"

Nathaniel's smirk returned, though it didn't reach his eyes. "We give her exactly what she wants."

The firelight flickered, casting dancing shadows on the rocky walls of the cave as the three wolves sat in uneasy silence.

Rain leaned against the wall, his silver eyes fixed on the faint glow of the bond's mark on his wrist. It was a constant reminder of everything he was trying to escape—and everything he couldn't.

Nathaniel watched him from across the fire, his amber eyes sharp and calculating. Rain could feel the weight of his gaze, the unspoken tension between them thickening with every passing moment.

Soren cleared his throat, breaking the silence. "So, what's the bait?"

Nathaniel's gaze didn't waver from Rain as he spoke. "Him."

Rain's head snapped up, his silver eyes narrowing. "Excuse me?"

Nathaniel leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees. "You're the key to all of this, Rain. The bond, the Blood Moon, Althea's orders—it all leads back to you."

Rain's chest tightened, his wolf growling low in his throat. "And you think I'm just going to let you use me as bait?"

Nathaniel's smirk softened, though his gaze remained intense. "You don't have a choice. If we're going to stop whoever's behind this, we need her. And the only way to get her attention is to make her think she's winning."

Rain's claws flexed, his anger simmering beneath the surface. "And what happens when she shows up? What's stopping her from finishing what she started?"

Nathaniel's eyes gleamed, his wolf's dominance pressing against Rain's senses. "Me."

The weight of his words hung heavy in the air, the fire crackling softly in the tense silence. Rain wanted to argue, to fight back against the Alpha King's arrogance. But deep down, he knew Nathaniel was right.

The bond pulsed faintly, a steady reminder of the fire that refused to die. And as Rain met Nathaniel's gaze, he couldn't shake the feeling that this was only the beginning of something far more dangerous.

To Be Continued ..