When Fate Calls

Elara stood frozen, the water from the stream soaking her shoes as Kaelen's words hung in the air between them.

"Fated mate?" she whispered, the term both familiar and foreign. Every wolf knew about fated mates—the rare, unbreakable bond that connected two wolves for life. But such things happened in stories, not to exiled rogues like her.

Kaelen stepped closer, his amber eyes never leaving hers. "You feel it too. The pull."

Before Elara could respond, a muscular wolf with dark brown fur stepped between them, growling. He shifted quickly into a tall man with serious eyes and a protective stance.

"Alpha, this is the exiled daughter of Thorne. She's forbidden on our lands," he said, his voice hard. "Her father's orders were clear."

Kaelen lifted his hand. "She's my fated mate, Jorin. The laws of mates supersede even an Alpha's decree."

Jorin's eyes widened, and he looked at Elara with new interest. The other wolves shifted nervously, confused by this unexpected turn of events.

"We're taking her back to pack headquarters," Kaelen ordered. "I want to understand what's happening."

Elara backed away, suddenly afraid. The pull that had drawn her here still buzzed in her chest, but panic was rising faster. "No," she said firmly. "I can't go with you."

Kaelen frowned. "You crossed into our territory. By law—"

"I know the law," Elara snapped. "But I've survived on my own for ten years. I'm not about to become a captive now, fated mate or not."

With that, she turned and splashed back across the stream, ignoring the shocked expressions of the pack wolves. The moment her feet touched the other bank, she shifted and ran, her gray fur flashing between trees as she fled.

Behind her, she heard Kaelen shout, "Let her go!" followed by grumbles of disagreement from his pack members.

Elara ran until her lungs burned, putting as much distance as possible between herself and the Silver Moon Pack. The pull in her chest ached, as if she were stretching a muscle too far, but she ignored it.

Hours later, exhausted and confused, she shifted back to human form and slumped against a tree trunk. She was far from the border now, in a part of the forest she rarely visited. The morning sun filtered through the leaves above, warming her face.

"Fated mates," she whispered, wrapping her arms around herself. How could she be fated to an Alpha? She was nobody—worse than nobody. She was the wolf who had let her sister die.

A rustle in the bushes nearby made Elara jump to her feet, ready to shift again if needed. But instead of a threat, a lean wolf with unusual silver-tipped fur emerged, his blue eyes friendly. He shifted smoothly into a young man with the same silver-tipped hair and an easy smile.

"You move fast for someone so small," he said, his tone light. "I've been trying to catch up to you for miles."

Elara tensed. "Who are you? Are you from the Silver Moon Pack?"

He shook his head. "Name's Finn. I don't belong to any pack." He pointed to himself proudly. "Rogue wolf, just like you."

Elara studied him cautiously. Rogue wolves were rare—most couldn't survive long without a pack's protection. This one seemed well-fed and confident.

"What do you want?" she asked.

Finn sat cross-legged on the ground, looking completely at ease. "I saw you cross the border earlier. Quite the bold move. Then I saw you talking to the big bad Alpha himself." He wiggled his eyebrows. "Kaelen isn't known for letting trespassers walk away."

Elara stayed standing, still not trusting this strange wolf. "You were spying on me?"

"Observing," Finn corrected. "It's how I stay alive out here. Watch, learn, stay hidden." His smile faded. "But you, my friend, are heading into dangerous territory—both literally and figuratively."

"I'm not heading anywhere," Elara said firmly. But even as the words left her mouth, she felt the pull tugging at her again, drawing her back toward the Silver Moon lands.

Finn noticed her discomfort. "You feel it, don't you? The mate bond." He whistled. "Of all the wolves to be fated to, you got the most feared Alpha in these mountains. That's some bad luck."

"Most feared?" Elara asked, curiosity getting the better of her. "What do you know about him?"

Finn's blue eyes gleamed. "Kaelen took over the Silver Moon Pack five years ago after challenging the previous Alpha. He's transformed them from a middle-rank pack to the strongest one in the region. No one crosses him and lives to tell about it." He paused dramatically. "Except, apparently, you."

Elara frowned. "If he's so dangerous, why didn't he force me to go with him?"

"That," Finn said, pointing at her, "is the million-dollar question. And why I'm so interested in you, Elara."

Elara stiffened. "How do you know my name?"

Finn's smile turned mysterious. "I know more than you think. For instance, I know you're not just any exiled wolf. You're the daughter of Alpha Thorne of the Northern Ridge Pack."

"Former daughter," Elara corrected bitterly.

"Details," Finn waved his hand. "The point is, you're special. And now you're fated to Kaelen." He leaned forward. "Do you have any idea what that means?"

The pull in Elara's chest throbbed, growing stronger by the minute. She pressed her hand against it, trying to ease the discomfort. "It means I need to stay far away from him and his pack."

Finn shook his head. "It doesn't work that way. A mate bond can't be ignored. The pull will only get stronger until you accept it—or until it drives you mad."

"Then I'll go mad," Elara said stubbornly. "I've survived worse."

"Have you?" Finn asked quietly. "Worse than feeling like your heart is being torn in two? Worse than dreams so real you wake up reaching for someone who isn't there? Worse than a longing that makes you forget to eat, to sleep, to breathe?"

Elara stared at him. "You sound like you know firsthand."

Pain flashed across Finn's face before his easy smile returned. "Let's just say I've seen what happens when someone tries to deny a mate bond. It's not pretty."

Elara sank down onto the ground, suddenly tired. "What am I supposed to do? I can't go back there. If any of the Northern Ridge wolves find out I'm on pack lands again, they'll kill me."

"The Northern Ridge Pack isn't what it once was," Finn said cryptically. "Things have changed since you left."

"What do you mean?"

Finn stood, brushing dirt from his jeans. "That's a story for another time. For now, you need to decide what to do about your Alpha mate. He won't wait forever."

As if on cue, a distant howl echoed through the forest—a powerful, commanding sound that made the hair on Elara's arms stand up. Kaelen was calling to her.

The pull flared in response, so strong that Elara gasped.

"See?" Finn said, nodding at her reaction. "He's looking for you. And he'll find you eventually."

Elara stood, fighting the urge to run toward the howl. "I need to get back to my cabin. I need to think."

Finn nodded. "I'll walk with you part of the way. These woods aren't as safe as they used to be."

As they walked, Elara's mind raced. A fated mate—after ten years of loneliness, the universe had connected her to someone. But not just anyone—an Alpha wolf with a fearsome reputation, whose territory she was forbidden to enter.

"What's he like?" she asked suddenly. "Kaelen. Beyond the scary Alpha stuff."

Finn considered the question. "Fair. Tough but fair. His pack would die for him, and not just because he's Alpha. He protects what's his with everything he has." He gave Elara a sideways glance. "And now you're his."

"I'm no one's," Elara snapped.

Finn just smiled. "Keep telling yourself that."

They walked in silence for a while, until they reached a small creek that Elara recognized. Her cabin was just a mile beyond.

"This is where I leave you," Finn said, stopping at the water's edge. "Word of advice? Don't fight the pull for too long. It'll only hurt more."

Elara crossed her arms. "Why are you helping me? What's in it for you?"

Finn's smile faltered slightly. "Let's just say I have my reasons for keeping an eye on you, Elara Thorne. You're more important than you know."

Before she could question him further, he shifted into his wolf form and trotted away, his silver-tipped fur soon disappearing among the trees.

Elara continued alone to her cabin, the pull in her chest a constant reminder of what waited for her to the north. When she reached her small home, she found the door slightly ajar.

Heart racing, she pushed it open slowly, prepared to flee if necessary. But the cabin was empty—or so she thought at first. Then she noticed a small object placed carefully on her table.

A silver pin in the shape of a crescent moon—the symbol of the Silver Moon Pack.

Below it lay a note written in bold, masculine handwriting:

Three days. I'll give you three days to come to me willingly. After that, I'll come for you. A mate bond can't be denied, Elara. Not even by someone as stubborn as you.

—K

Elara picked up the pin, her fingers trembling. How had he found her cabin so quickly? And what would happen when the three days were up?

Outside, another howl split the air—closer this time. The pull inside Elara surged in response, stronger than ever. She looked down at the pin in her hand, its silver surface gleaming in the dim light of her cabin.

Three dayChapter 1: The Wolf Who Couldn't Forget

Elara stared at the small cupcake in front of her. One sad candle flickered in the growing darkness of her tiny cabin. Today was her eighteenth birthday, and she was celebrating alone. Again.

"Happy birthday to me," she whispered, her voice breaking the silence that had become her only friend.

The flame danced as she took a deep breath. Before blowing it out, she closed her eyes and made the same wish she'd made for the last ten years.

Please let me stop seeing her face in my dreams.

With a quick puff, the flame disappeared, leaving only a thin trail of smoke. Elara sat back and hugged her knees to her chest. The cabin felt emptier than usual tonight. The walls seemed to press in around her, a constant reminder of how far she'd fallen.

Ten years ago, she had been the daughter of an Alpha, living in a mansion with a loving family and an entire pack that adored her. Now, she was just Elara—the exiled wolf, the girl who killed her sister.

Except she hadn't killed Liora. Not really. But no one had believed her.

Elara grabbed her jacket and stepped outside. The moon hung fat and bright in the sky, not quite full but getting there. The forest around her cabin was quiet, the animals knowing better than to make noise when a wolf was near.

She walked to the edge of the small clearing and looked up at the stars. "I miss you, Li," she said softly. "I'm sorry I couldn't save you."

The water had been so cold that day. Liora's scream still echoed in her nightmares, the splash as her eight-year-old sister fell through the ice of the frozen lake. Elara had tried to reach her, had nearly drowned herself trying to find her under the ice.

They never found Liora's body. Just her small wool hat floating on the surface once the ice had melted enough.

Elara's father, the great Alpha Thorne, had looked at her with cold eyes when they'd dragged her from the lake. "You were supposed to watch her," he'd said, his voice like ice. And then, in front of the entire pack: "You are no daughter of mine."

The exile had been immediate. At just eight years old, Elara had been cast out, saved only by the kindness of Bryn, the pack healer who had secretly helped her build this cabin deep in the woods and taught her how to survive.

Elara lifted her chin, feeling the cool night air against her skin. She wouldn't cry. Not tonight. She was eighteen now—an adult in the wolf world. Old enough to find her own path.

Suddenly, a strange sensation washed over her, making her skin tingle. It started in her chest and spread outward, like an invisible hand pulling at her heart.

Elara frowned and pressed her palm against her chest. The feeling grew stronger—a tug that seemed to be pointing her toward the mountains to the north. Pack territory. Forbidden to her.

"What is this?" she murmured, turning to look at the distant peaks silhouetted against the night sky.

The pull increased, becoming almost painful. Elara took a step forward without meaning to, as if her body was responding to a call she couldn't hear. She'd never felt anything like this before. It was both frightening and exciting.

For a wild moment, she wondered if it was Liora somehow calling to her. But that was impossible. Liora was gone.

Elara hurried back inside her cabin and began packing a small bag. She didn't know what this strange feeling meant, but after ten years of the same lonely existence, any change was worth investigating.

She stuffed a change of clothes into her backpack, along with some dried meat and the hunting knife Bryn had given her years ago. As she moved around the cabin, the pull grew even stronger, making her hands shake with its intensity.

"I'm coming," she whispered to the empty air. "I don't know who you are, but I'm coming."

Elara paused at the small drawer beside her bed. Inside lay the only thing she had left from her old life—a small silver locket with a picture of her and Liora inside. She hadn't opened it in years; the sight of Liora's smiling face hurt too much. But tonight, something made her take it out and slip it around her neck.

Outside again, Elara locked her cabin door and took one last look at the only home she'd known for the past decade. The strange pull was now a constant pressure in her chest, like an invisible rope tied around her heart, tugging her northward.

"I'll be back," she told the cabin, though she wasn't sure if that was true.

Elara closed her eyes and let the change take her. Her bones shifted and cracked as her human form melted away, replaced by sleek gray fur and four powerful legs. The transformation, once painful, now felt as natural as breathing. In wolf form, the pull was even stronger, a beacon calling her to something—or someone—unknown.

With one last look at her cabin, Elara bounded into the trees, following the mysterious call. The forest opened up before her, familiar paths rushing past as she ran faster than any human could. The freedom of her wolf form never failed to thrill her—the speed, the sharp senses, the connection to the world around her.

For hours she ran, the pull growing stronger with each mile. By dawn, she had traveled further from her cabin than she had in years, approaching the borders of pack territory. She slowed, caution replacing excitement. If she was caught here, the punishment would be death. Her father's decree had been clear: step one paw onto pack land, and any wolf had the right to kill her on sight.

Elara shifted back to human form, crouching behind a large boulder at the edge of a stream that marked the boundary. The pull was now so strong it made her dizzy. Whatever was calling her lay just beyond this border.

"This is crazy," she whispered to herself. "What am I doing?"

But even as she questioned herself, she knew she would cross. Ten years of loneliness had left a hole inside her that nothing could fill. This strange new feeling, whatever it was, promised something different—something worth risking everything for.

With a deep breath, Elara stepped into the stream. The cold water swirled around her ankles as she carefully moved forward, heart pounding. As she reached the middle—the exact border between her exile and her old home—the pull suddenly vanished, replaced by a warm sensation that spread throughout her body.

Elara gasped, nearly losing her balance in the rushing water. The feeling wasn't painful anymore, but calm and certain, like finally finding something she hadn't known she was looking for.

Just as her foot touched the far bank—officially entering pack territory for the first time in a decade—a twig snapped in the trees ahead. Elara froze, her eyes scanning the forest.

A low growl reached her ears, and her blood turned to ice as a massive black wolf stepped out from behind a tree. Not just any wolf. An Alpha, bigger than any she had ever seen, with eyes that glowed like amber fire in the morning light.

The wolf stared at her, power radiating from every inch of its massive frame. Then it did something unexpected—it tilted its head, as if confused by her presence.

The warm feeling in Elara's chest exploded into something new and terrifying—a connection that seemed to reach directly from her to the huge black wolf. In that moment, she knew her life would never be the same.

Before she could react, more wolves emerged from the trees, surrounding her. The black wolf shifted, transforming into the most intimidating man Elara had ever seen. Tall and muscular, with those same amber eyes that seemed to look straight through her.

"You," he said, his deep voice sending shivers down her spine. "Who are you, and why do you feel like..."

He didn't finish his question, but Elara felt the rest of it hanging in the air between them. Why do you feel like you're mine?

The other wolves circled closer, growling at the intruder. But Elara couldn't take her eyes off the man in front of her. The strange connection between them hummed like electricity.

"My name is Elara," she said, lifting her chin despite her fear. "And I don't know why I'm here. Something...called me."

Recognition flashed in the man's eyes, followed by shock. "Elara? The exiled daughter of Alpha Thorne?"

Elara stiffened, waiting for the death sentence she was sure would follow. Instead, the man stepped closer, his face a mask of conflicting emotions.

"Do you know who I am?" he asked, his voice quieter now.

Elara shook her head.

"I am Kaelen, Alpha of the Silver Moon Pack." His eyes never left hers as he spoke his next words. "And I believe you are my fated mate."s to decide her fate.

Three days before Kaelen came for what was his.