The car door flew open with a bang. Elara screamed as a huge black wolf leaped inside, his golden eyes blazing with fury. Alpha Kael!
"Get back!" Calla shouted, pushing herself in front of Elara.
The wolf growled, baring sharp teeth. Then, in a blur of movement, he changed back to human form. Kael stood there, breathing hard, his eyes never leaving Elara's face.
"Release her," he ordered. "Now."
Outside the car, Elara could hear fighting—growls and yelps as wolves fought. Kael must have brought his pack to rescue her.
"She doesn't belong with you," Calla said strongly. "You've hidden the truth from her all these years."
"To protect her!" Kael shot back.
"Or to use her power for yourself," Calla replied coldly.
Elara couldn't take it anymore. "Stop! Both of you!" She fought against her ropes. "I'm sitting right here! Someone tell me what's going on!"
Kael and Calla both turned to look at her, shocked by her outburst.
"You're right," Kael said after a moment. "You deserve the truth." He reached out slowly and untied her hands. "But not here. Not like this."
"Why should I go anywhere with you?" Elara rubbed her sore hands.
Kael's face softened. "Because deep down, you can feel it too. The bond between us."
The bond. That strange electric feeling when they touched. The dreams she'd been having.
A loud blast rocked the car. Through the window, Elara saw flames shooting up from another car. The battle outside was getting worse.
"We don't have time for this," Kael said quickly. "More North Pack dogs are coming. We need to go."
Elara looked at Calla, unsure. "Are you really from the White Rock pack? Did you know Zane?"
"Yes," Calla nodded. "And I knew your mother—your real mother. The Moon Queen."
"Don't listen to her fairy tales," Kael cut in. "Elara, please. Trust me."
Elara didn't know who to believe. But one thing was clear—staying in this car in the middle of a wolf war wasn't safe.
"Fine," she said to Kael. "I'll go with you. But I want answers—real answers."
Kael nodded once. "You'll get them."
"This isn't over," Calla warned as Kael helped Elara out of the car. "She needs to know her heritage."
"She will," Kael promised, his voice quieter now. "When she's ready."
Outside, the fighting had stopped. North Pack wolves were fleeing into the forest, carrying their wounded. Kael's wolves watched them go, ready for any tricks.
To Elara's relief, she spotted Zane among Kael's dogs. He had a cut on his face but was otherwise okay. He gave her a small nod, which she returned.
"Let's go," Kael said, keeping a protective hand on Elara's back.
They went for hours, first by car, then on foot through the forest. The moon rose high above them, full and bright. Elara could feel its light like a physical touch on her skin, giving her power despite her exhaustion.
Finally, they arrived at a small house deep in the woods—not Kael's main cabin where she'd been taken earlier, but somewhere more secret.
"We'll be safe here," Kael said, opening the door. "No one knows about this place except me."
Inside was simple—just a table, some chairs, a stove, and a bed in the corner. Kael quickly got a fire going, filling the cabin with warm light.
Elara stood awkwardly in the middle of the room. Now that they were alone, she didn't know what to say or do. This powerful Alpha had just fought to free her, but she still didn't understand why.
"Sit," Kael said, pointing to a chair by the fire. "You must be cold."
Elara sat, grateful for the warmth. "Why did you bring me here?"
Kael took the chair across from her. In the firelight, his face looked younger, less fierce. "Because we need to talk, and I didn't want anyone listening."
"Not even your pack?"
"Especially not my pack." He leaned forward, resting his arms on his knees. "There are wolves who wouldn't understand what you are."
"And what am I?" Elara asked quietly.
Kael studied her face. "You're not just an omega, Elara. You're something we haven't seen in generations. Something special."
"Special how?"
"When I touched you in the forest, did you feel it? The connection?"
Elara nodded slowly. "Like electricity. And I saw... things. Images."
"What did you see?" Kael asked, his voice fierce.
"A ceremony. Wolves running. A baby crying." She paused. "And you. Your face, close to mine."
Kael closed his eyes briefly. "I saw the same things." He opened his eyes again, and they glowed golden in the firelight. "Do you know what that means?"
Heart beating, Elara whispered, "We're mates?"
Kael didn't answer right away. He stood and walked to the window, looking out at the moonlit forest. "It's more complicated than that."
"How?"
He turned back to her. "There's a tale among our kind. About a special omega who can bond with any Alpha—not just one. An omega with the power to strengthen a pack beyond measure."
Elara frowned. "I don't understand."
"Some call them Luna Wolves," Kael continued. "They're extremely rare. The last one was born over a hundred years ago."
"And you think I'm one of these... Luna Wolves?"
Kael nodded. "I've suspected since you were a child. It's why I had you brought to my pack."
Elara felt like the room was spinning. "Wait—you brought me to the pack? I wasn't born there?"
"No," Kael replied. "You were born to the White Rock pack, as Calla said. During a war between our packs, I found you—just a baby—and I knew what you were. I could feel it."
"So you took me." Elara's voice hardened. "You stole me from my family."
"To protect you," Kael urged. "The North Pack was hunting Luna Wolves to extinction. If they had found you..."
"Is that why that man—Darius—called me princess? Because of this Luna Wolf thing?"
Kael paused. "Not exactly. Your mother was the Alpha female of the White Rock pack. Some called her the Moon Queen because of her rare silver fur. When she died giving birth to you, many believed her power passed to you."
Elara tried to take this all in. She wasn't just a nobody omega. She was born to an Alpha female. She had special skills. And Kael had known all along.
"Why didn't you tell me?" she asked, hurt in her voice. "All these years, you knew what I was, and you never said anything."
"I was waiting until you were ready." Kael moved closer to her. "Until your powers began to show themselves."
"My dreams," Elara realized. "My ideas. That's what they are—my powers awakening."
Kael nodded. "And they're just the beginning."
Something still didn't make sense. "If you knew I was special, why did you ignore me until now? I've seen you with so many other women. Everyone knows you never stay with one wolf for long."
A shadow crossed Kael's face. "Because getting close to you was dangerous—for both of us. As long as no one knew what you were, you were safe."
"And now?"
"Now that the North Pack knows you're alive, nowhere is safe." He knelt in front of her chair so they were eye to eye. "But I will protect you, Elara. I promise."
The focus in his golden eyes made Elara's heart race. Without thinking, she reached out to touch his face. The moment her fingers brushed his skin, that electric feeling returned—but gentler this time, like a warm current moving between them.
"What happens now?" she whispered.
Kael caught her hand in his, his thumb drawing circles on her palm. "Now I teach you about your powers. And you pick your own path."
"What if I want to go find Calla? Learn about my real mother?"
"Then I'll help you," Kael said, though she could see it wasn't the answer he wanted to give. "But not until you can protect yourself. The North Pack won't stop hunting you."
Elara suddenly felt very tired. Too much had happened in one night. Her whole life had turned upside down.
"I need time," she said. "To think about all this."
Kael nodded and stood up. "Get some rest. We'll talk more tomorrow."
As Elara lay on the bed later, almost asleep, she heard Kael say something that made her blood freeze.
"I'm sorry, Elara. I hope someday you'll forgive me for what I have to do."
Before she could ask what he meant, darkness took her.