Chapter#21

Selene’s POV

Liam stayed close, as he always did. His actions spoke louder than words. He’d have a steady hand on my arm when the path grew steep, and a quick glance to make sure I was keeping up. Those little things showed how much he cared. But there were moments when his gaze lingered too long, which made my heart race.

“Kaelen,” he said quietly as we crossed a narrow ledge, “You okay?”

I nodded, forcing a small smile, “Yeah, I’m fine.” But was I?

My attention shifted to Varian, walking ahead. He was a puzzle I couldn’t solve, an enigma wrapped in sharp edges and cold stares. Yet something about him drew me in.

“Kaelen,” Varian’s voice broke through my thoughts, “Keep up.”

“I’m right here,” I shot back.

He glanced over his shoulder, “Good. We don’t have time to babysit you,” he mocked, and I bit back a retort, unsure if I was more annoyed at his words or the fact that he was right.

Night fell as we found a safe cave to rest in. Its walls were jagged and cold. The faint drip of water echoed in the darkness. We lit a fire and gathered around it. I sat cross-legged, arms wrapped around my knees.

I clenched my fists, trying to steady the storm inside me as my father’s face flashed in my mind, then Kaelen’s, and finally Damien’s. Revenge. The word burned in my chest, a fire fueled by the Alpha who’d stolen everything.

“Alright, Selene,” Rowan whispered, careful not to let Varian and Liam hear, pulling me back to reality, “Why did you wander off on your own earlier?”

I sighed, “I didn’t mean to. I just… needed a moment with that tree, I guess.”

“A moment?” Rowan’s brows furrowed, “This valley isn’t exactly a place to take a stroll. You could’ve gotten yourself killed…or worse.”

Caden, sitting beside him, held up a hand. “Rowan, let her explain.”

“She already did,” Rowan snapped, “And it’s not good enough.” He turned back to me, “Do you have any idea what went through my head when I couldn’t find you? After everything we’ve been through…after what we’ve lost…you just decide to wander off like it’s nothing?”

His words stung, “I wasn’t trying to worry you. I don’t even know how I ended up there. I’m still trying to process it. It’s… a lot, Rowan.”

“And you think it’s not for us?” Rowan shot back, “Caden and I have been carrying this weight too, Selene. You’re not the only one dealing with…”

“Enough,” Varian’s voice cut through, “If you want to scold someone, save it for later. We’re all here now, and arguing isn’t going to get us anywhere.”

Rowan’s jaw tightened as he turned to Varian. “And you. You’re awfully calm for someone who’s supposed to be watching out for him,” he growled as his fists clenched.

Varian raised an eyebrow, “I didn’t realize I was the designated babysitter for your big brother.”

“Stop saying that,” Rowan growled.

“Why?” Varian replied, “It fits, doesn’t it? You're hovering over Kaelen like he can’t take a step without you. Maybe if you loosened the reins, he’d figure things out on his own.”

“That’s enough!” I stood as I glanced between them, “We’re all trying to survive this, okay? This isn’t helping.”

Liam cleared his throat, “Maybe we all just need some rest. It’s been a long day, and we’ve got a lot ahead of us.”

Rowan nodded reluctantly, letting out a slow breath, “Fine. But Kaelen, no more disappearing. Got it?”

I nodded, settling back down. My eyes fluttered open later to the faint crackle of embers. Rowan, Caden, and Liam were sprawled in various positions, catching what rest they could. But something was off. Varian wasn’t there.

Quietly, I got to my feet, careful not to wake the others. Then I heard it: a howl, cutting through the silence, sending shivers down my arms. My heart pounded as the sound echoed. It was familiar, the same howl from my dream, the golden wolf’s call, a summons I couldn’t ignore.

Without thinking, I rushed toward the sound, but I stopped. The howl came from everywhere, and then suddenly it stopped. My breath hitched as I turned in place, trying to find its source. “Looking for something?” Varian’s voice came from behind. His blue eyes bore into mine as I spun around.

“Where were you?” I asked.

“Someone has to keep lookout,” he replied flatly, crossing his arms. “What about you? Wandering off again?”

“I wasn’t wandering,” I shot back, “I heard something.”

“Something?” he repeated, taking a step closer, “Why don’t you stop dodging and tell me the truth? What are you hiding, Kaelen?”

His words struck a nerve, “I’m not hiding anything,” I said defensively, though my pulse quickened.

Varian tilted his head, “Don’t lie to me. I’ve seen the way you act. The way you hesitate, the way you look at others like you’re afraid they’ll see through you. And then there’s… this,”

“This?” I echoed, taking a step back.

“You,” he said, “The pull I feel when I’m near you. It’s like… gravity. Something’s different about you, and I want to know what it is.”

I clenched my fists. My voice trembled despite my efforts. “I don’t owe you any explanations, Varian.”

“Maybe not,” he muttered, “but you can’t keep running forever.”

“I’m done with this,” I snapped, turning on my heel to head back to the cave.

But his next words stopped me in my tracks. “I felt it too,” he confessed.

Slowly, I turned to face him. “What?” I asked.

Varian took a step closer as vulnerability broke through his cold exterior. “Back at the tree. When you stood there, staring at it like it had some hold on you… I felt it too. That pull, that… energy. It hit me like a wave,”

I swallowed hard. “What are you saying?”

“I don’t know,” he admitted, “but whatever it was, it was real. And if you’re hiding something, it’s maybe tied to that. To whatever happened back there.”

My heart stopped. The realization crashed over me. He felt it too! The ancient energy, the connection to Lunareth’s magic, the mate bond tying us together. A thought crossed my mind, a possibility I couldn’t ignore; what if we were fated mates? What if everything I’d endured, my father’s death, Kaelen’s sacrifice, losing Damien, had led me to this moment…to him?

This was it, the moment I could tell him everything, that I wasn’t Kaelen, that I wasn’t the son of an Alpha, that I was his mate, the one he’d been feeling near him. “I…” My voice faltered. The truth was on the tip of my tongue. My eyes met his as vulnerability mirrored between us.

Varian’s gaze softened further, “Who are you, really?” His whisper was a plea as he softly grabbed my arms.

I opened my mouth to speak, to finally tell him the truth. Until another howl pierced the night, closer, louder, more menacing, shattering the moment. Varian’s expression hardened. His hand instinctively gripped the hilt of his sword as he turned toward the sound.

“Stay close,” he ordered, “We should head back to the cave.”

I nodded as the truth retreated behind the wall of my disguise. For now, the truth would have to wait.