chapter fourteen

Caspian Voretti's pov

Nikolas ate in silence, stabbing at his food like it had personally offended him. His entire body was tense, his jaw tight as he avoided looking at me. I sighed and reached for my own meal, knowing better than to push him right now.

Ronan, however, never knew when to quit. He smirked as he leaned in closer, his voice dripping with amusement. "You know, Nikolas, you should enjoy this while you can. Being the mate of an Alpha comes with a lot of perks."

Nikolas slammed his fork down, his sharp gaze cutting toward Ronan. "I am not his mate!" he snapped, his voice echoing across the dining hall.

The room fell silent. Warriors and pack members turned to look at us, their expressions ranging from curiosity to amusement. Some of them smirked knowingly, while others quickly turned away, pretending not to have heard.

I placed my goblet down carefully, leveling a hard stare at Ronan. "I told you to stop."

Ronan raised his hands in surrender, laughing under his breath. "Alright, alright. I'll behave." He shot Nikolas a wink before turning back to his plate.

Nikolas was still tense, his breath uneven. I could feel his frustration, his desperation to escape the situation. But I wasn't going to let him bolt. Not again.

"Eat, Nikolas," I said, my tone softer now, but firm. "No one's forcing you to be anything you don't want to be."

He hesitated for a moment, his hands clenched into fists. But then, without a word, he picked up his fork and continued eating. His movements were stiff, but at least he was eating.

I let the conversation around the table flow again, making sure no one else brought up the mate bond. Nikolas needed time, and I would give it to him even if he fought me every step of the way.

The meal continued in uneasy silence, but I was watching Nikolas closely. He wasn't just angry he was cornered, and he hated it. I knew better than to push him further, so I let the topic drop.

Just as I was about to finish my drink, a warrior approached, his expression tense. He bowed slightly before speaking. "Alpha, we spotted hunters near the northern border."

My grip on the goblet tightened. The hunters had been growing bolder. I set my drink down and stood immediately. "How many?"

"Five, from what we could see. But they were scouting, not attacking."

Ronan let out a low whistle. "They're moving closer."

I nodded, already making my way toward the door. As I passed Nikolas, I placed a firm hand on his shoulder. "Stay here."

He stiffened under my touch. "I'm not a prisoner."

"No, but you're under my protection," I said simply. Then, turning to one of the warriors, I ordered, "Watch him."

Nikolas scowled, but I didn't give him the chance to argue. I strode out, Ronan falling into step beside me.

"This is the third time in a month," Ronan muttered as we made our way toward the office.

"I know," I said, my mind already working through our next move. The hunters weren't just testing our borders anymore. They were preparing for something bigger.

And I wasn't going to let them catch us off guard.

I entered the office, the heavy wooden door creaking behind me as I took my seat at the large desk. Ronan followed, leaning against the wall as I opened a map of our territory.

The hunters were getting dangerously close, and this time, I knew they weren't just scouting. Something was coming. The thought of Nikolas being caught up in the mess only made my jaw clench tighter. But I couldn't let my feelings cloud my judgment.

Ronan watched me closely, his gaze shifting between the map and my face. "You've got that look again. You're thinking too much."

I didn't respond immediately. Instead, I marked the location of the hunters' sighting with a small red pin. "It's too close. I'm calling in more warriors to patrol the north."

Ronan nodded but then hesitated. "You're not just worried about the hunters, are you?"

I paused, lifting my gaze to meet his. "What do you mean?"

He gave a sly grin, his voice dropping into a more serious tone. "Nikolas. He's more than just a distraction for you, Caspian. I've never seen you this... preoccupied."

I felt my muscles tense, but I kept my expression neutral. "I'm focused on the pack."

Ronan let out a soft chuckle, clearly not buying it. "Sure. But let's be honest, Caspian. You've got a mate now, and you're already attached. The way you act around him says everything."

I shot him a sharp look, my patience thinning. "Drop it, Ronan."

He held up his hands in mock surrender. "Fine, fine. But you can't ignore what's happening, can you? The mate bond it's already pulling you in deeper than you're willing to admit."

I didn't respond right away. Instead, I leaned forward, my fingers tapping against the edge of the desk. I hated how easily Ronan could see right through me. I wasn't ready for Nikolas to know the depth of my feelings. Hell, I wasn't ready to admit it to myself.

"Let's focus on the hunters, Ronan. We'll deal with everything else later."

Ronan raised an eyebrow but didn't argue. "Alright, Alpha. But you'll have to deal with him sooner or later."

I ignored his remark and turned my attention back to the map, formulating a plan to protect the borders. I couldn't afford distractions right now, no matter how much I wanted to protect Nikolas. The hunters were closing in, and I had to be prepared for anything.

As I finalized the plan, my thoughts kept drifting back to him the way he looked at me, the way his presence affected me.

I couldn't afford to let my emotions take control now. But as I walked out of the office, my eyes instinctively found Nikolas again. The way he was so withdrawn, so on edge, made something inside of me ache.

I had to keep him safe. I had to.

The sun was beginning to dip below the horizon, casting long shadows across the field as my warriors continued their training. I stood at the center, watching them with a keen eye, pushing them harder, demanding more. My commands echoed through the air as they moved in sync, sparring, blocking, and attacking with precision. I didn't stop—they couldn't afford to stop.

"Let's move, move!" I barked, my voice carrying over the field. I saw the warriors push through the exhaustion, their bodies drenched in sweat, but they kept going. I needed them at their peak. We couldn't afford to be caught off guard, not with the hunters so close. Not with everything on the line.

The sound of metal clashing, the grunts of exertion, and the rhythmic pounding of feet against the earth became a familiar soundtrack as I watched each warrior fight with everything they had. They were good, skilled, but tonight... tonight I needed them to be better.

We trained for hours, until the light had completely faded, and the field was bathed in darkness, lit only by the flickering torches we'd set around the perimeter. My warriors were tired, but there was still fire in their eyes. They would rest tonight, but tomorrow, we would train harder.

As the last of them filtered away toward the barracks, I stood alone for a moment, taking in the quiet of the night. The wind rustled through the trees, the only sound besides my own steady breathing. But as much as I focused on the pack, my thoughts kept drifting back to Nikolas.

His face, his sharp eyes, the tension in his posture it all circled around my mind like a whirlpool. I'm supposed to keep him safe, I reminded myself, but he's already pushing me away.

I exhaled sharply, shaking the thoughts from my head. I couldn't afford to get lost in them, not when the pack needed me. But no matter how hard I tried to focus on the mission, my mate was always there, lingering at the back of my mind.

I left the training field and made my way toward my house, my pace quickening despite the fatigue in my limbs. The house was quiet when I entered, the only sound the soft echo of my footsteps against the stone floors. I moved through the hall, eyes scanning the dimly lit space, my heart pulling me toward the room where Nikolas had been.

He was there, lying on the bed, his body barely visible in the darkened room. I could see the rise and fall of his chest as he slept, his face soft in rest. The weight in my chest tightened again, my thoughts mixing with the tension that had been building all day.

I couldn't help it. I walked toward him, pausing at the edge of the bed, watching him for a moment longer.

I can't let him go, I thought.

But how could I keep him with me when every part of him screamed for freedom?

I sighed, my fingers brushing through my hair as I turned away, taking a moment to compose myself before sitting at my desk. But even as I focused on the paperwork in front of me, Nikolas's presence loomed over me. I could feel his pull, even from across the room.

I didn't know how long I could hold on to my control.

But tonight... tonight I had to keep my distance.