The Price of Defiance

The three days Kaelen had given Elara flew by like leaves in a storm. Each morning, she woke with the pull in her chest growing stronger, more demanding. Each night, she fought the urge to run toward it.

On the fourth day, Elara stepped outside her cabin, determined to hunt despite the ache inside her. Her stomach had been empty for too long. The mate bond made it hard to focus on anything else, even food.

"Just a quick hunt," she whispered to herself, bow in hand. "Then I'll figure out what to do about... him."

The forest welcomed her with familiar sounds—birds calling, leaves rustling. But something felt different today. The air crackled with tension, as if the woods themselves held their breath.

Elara spotted a young deer grazing in a small clearing and crept closer, her footsteps silent on the forest floor. The pull in her chest throbbed as she raised her bow, making her aim waver. She took a deep breath and tried to ignore it.

The deer's head snapped up suddenly, its ears twitching. Before Elara could release her arrow, it bounded away, disappearing into the trees.

"Darn it!" Elara kicked at the ground in frustration. This was the third time today her prey had escaped because she couldn't focus through the pain of the bond.

Desperate for food, Elara followed the deer's trail. She moved quickly through the trees, tracking its footprints in the soft earth. The forest grew denser, the trees taller, but Elara hardly noticed. Her mind was fixed on her empty stomach and the distraction from the constant pull.

It wasn't until she crouched to examine fresh tracks that she realized her mistake. The trees here were marked with slashes of silver—boundary markers for the Silver Moon Pack.

"No, no, no," she muttered, rising quickly. She had crossed into their territory without even noticing. The mate bond had led her right to where she'd promised herself she wouldn't go.

Elara turned to flee, but froze at the sound of twigs snapping behind her. She was surrounded. Six wolves emerged from the trees, their eyes locked on her. She recognized Jorin, the serious-faced warrior from the stream, at the front of the group.

"Don't run," he warned as he shifted to human form. "You're already in enough trouble."

Elara gripped her bow tighter. "I didn't mean to cross your border. I was tracking a deer and—"

"Save it," Jorin cut her off. "The Alpha has been waiting for you. Your three days are up."

The other wolves moved closer, forming a tight circle around her. Elara's heart pounded as she weighed her options. She could fight, but she was outnumbered. She could shift and run, but they would catch her.

"Fine," she said finally, lowering her bow. "Take me to him."

A glimmer of surprise crossed Jorin's face, as if he'd expected more resistance. "This way," he said, gesturing ahead.

As they marched through the forest, Elara felt the pull growing stronger with each step. By the time they reached the pack's settlement, it was a roaring fire in her chest, almost pleasant in its intensity.

The Silver Moon Pack lived in a valley protected by steep cliffs on three sides. Modern cabins and houses dotted the landscape, centered around a massive stone building that could only be the pack headquarters. Wolves in both human and wolf form stopped to stare as Jorin led Elara through the settlement.

"The rogue!" someone whispered.

"Alpha's mate," another corrected.

"Thorne's daughter," a third voice hissed. "The one who killed her sister."

Elara kept her head high despite the whispers. She'd endured worse.

Jorin led her up the steps of the stone building and through heavy wooden doors. Inside, the air was cool and smelled of pine. They walked down a long hallway, past rooms filled with pack members who watched her with curious eyes.

Finally, they reached a set of double doors at the end of the hall. Jorin knocked once before pushing them open.

"The rogue wolf, Alpha," he announced. "Found her hunting on our lands."

Elara stepped into the room, her eyes immediately finding Kaelen. He stood by a large window, his broad shoulders tense beneath a simple black t-shirt. When he turned to face her, the pull in her chest flared so powerfully that she gasped.

"Leave us," Kaelen ordered, his amber eyes never leaving Elara's.

Jorin hesitated. "Alpha, protocol states—"

"Out!" Kaelen growled, his voice carrying the unmistakable command of an Alpha.

Jorin and the other warriors quickly retreated, closing the doors behind them.

For a long moment, Kaelen and Elara just stared at each other. The room fell silent except for the sound of their breathing, which seemed to sync with each passing second.

"You ignored my warning," Kaelen said finally, his deep voice sending shivers down Elara's spine.

"I didn't mean to cross the border," she replied, trying to keep her voice steady. "I was hunting."

Kaelen's lips curved slightly. "Were you hunting, or was the bond bringing you to me?"

Elara crossed her arms. "I don't know what you mean."

"Don't you?" He walked toward her slowly, like a predator approaching cornered prey. "The mate bond doesn't just pull us together emotionally. It literally draws us to each other physically. Like gravity."

Each step he took made the pull in Elara's chest sing. By the time he stood directly in front of her, the sensation was almost overwhelming—not painful anymore, but warm and electric.

"I gave you three days," Kaelen said softly. "You chose to defy me."

"I'm not one of your pack wolves," Elara shot back. "I don't follow your orders."

Something flashed in Kaelen's eyes—admiration, perhaps, or amusement. "No, you're something far more important. You're my mate." He reached out, his fingers brushing her cheek. "And now you're where you belong."

The touch sent sparks racing across Elara's skin. She jerked away, alarmed by the intensity of her body's reaction.

"I don't belong anywhere," she insisted. "Especially not here."

Kaelen studied her face. "You're afraid."

"I'm not afraid of you."

"No," he agreed. "You're afraid of what's happening between us. The bond."

Before Elara could respond, the doors burst open. A tall woman with striking red hair strode in, her eyes widening when she spotted Elara.

"So it's true," the woman said, looking Elara up and down with obvious distaste. "The rogue wolf who killed her sister is your fated mate."

Kaelen growled. "Seraphina, I didn't give you permission to enter."

The woman—Seraphina—ignored him, circling Elara like a shark. "How interesting that fate would give you a murderess, Kaelen. Perhaps even the goddess thinks you deserve punishment."

"Enough!" Kaelen barked, his Alpha power filling the room.

But Seraphina's words had already hit their mark. Elara's chest tightened with familiar shame.

"Is that what they say about me here too?" Elara asked quietly. "That I killed Liora?"

Something shifted in Kaelen's expression. "What happened with your sister isn't my concern. What matters is that you're here now, and you're my mate."

"Your mate?" Seraphina laughed coldly. "She's an exile, Kaelen. Taking her as your mate would weaken your position. The other packs would see it as—"

"Get out," Kaelen ordered, his voice deadly quiet.

Seraphina's mouth snapped shut. She glared at Elara once more before turning on her heel and stalking out.

Elara's mind raced. She'd hoped to leave her past behind when she was exiled, but clearly her reputation had followed her.

"You know who I am," she said to Kaelen. "What I did."

Before he could answer, shouts erupted from outside. The doors flew open again, and Jorin rushed in, his face pale.

"Alpha, there's trouble at the northern border," he reported urgently. "Intruders. They've attacked our patrol and—" He stopped, his eyes shifting to Elara. "They're demanding to speak with you. They say they're from the Northern Ridge Pack."

Elara felt the blood drain from her face. The Northern Ridge Pack—her father's pack. The people who had cast her out and would kill her if they found her.

Kaelen's expression hardened. "Secure her in my quarters," he ordered Jorin. "No one enters or leaves until I return."

"My quarters?" Elara protested. "I'm not staying here!"

Kaelen gripped her shoulders, his touch sending fresh waves of warmth through the bond. "Listen to me, Elara. If the Northern Ridge wolves find you here, they will demand your return for execution. Is that what you want?"

Elara swallowed hard. "No."

"Then for once in your life, do as you're told." His eyes softened slightly. "Please."

Before she could respond, he turned and strode from the room, leaving Elara with a terrible sense of foreboding. Why were wolves from her father's pack here? What did they want?

And most troubling of all—why did Kaelen think they would demand her execution when everyone believed her sister was already dead?

Unless...