Page 30

H azel

The wind rushes past me as the horse gallops across the open field, carrying me away from the suffocating weight of the estate. The rhythmic pounding of hooves against the earth steadies my thoughts, giving me something solid to hold onto in the chaos of my mind.

I shouldn’t have agreed to this.

But when Kieran had appeared outside my room this morning, reins in hand, other than every fiber of my being wanting to melt into him against my will, something about the quiet determination in his eyes made it impossible to refuse.

“You need air,” he'd said simply, his voice low, unreadable. “And I need your mind.”

I almost laughed at the irony. For so long, he’d dismissed me, ignored my worth, put me last, and now he sought my counsel?

I should have told him to go to hell. Should have sucker punched his gloriously beautiful face, spat at his feet and slammed the door.

Instead, I find myself here, gripping the reins tightly as we cut through the dense forest, Kieran riding just a few paces behind me .

His presence is a steady pulse at my back, his scent—earth and storm—carried by the wind.

It stirs something in my chest, something I don’t want to pay attention to.

But my wolf’s excitement and happiness swell in my heart.

It almost feels like she’s playing with his wolf.

Under the seal, there’s not much she can do to bond with Kieran’s wolf.

But this; it fills her heart with so much joy, and I know her tail has got to hurt from that much excited wagging.

I slow the horse as we approach a clearing, the trees thinning to reveal a stretch of rugged hills beyond. The air smells of damp soil and foliage, crisp and untamed. It reminds me of freedom. It’s bittersweet because I wonder if I will ever truly be free.

Kieran pulls up beside me, his dark hair tousled by the wind.

He has taken off the shirt he had on earlier and tied it around his waist. My eyes linger on his torso.

He’s all rock hard and defined rippling muscle as he works the reins.

My heart races, and I bite my lip as my eyes eat his body right up.

Then his face, which is adorned by that scar on his left eyebrow.

And for the first time, I notice scars, spots, lines, that make up his handsome, angular face.

I catch myself staring. I groan and look away, trying to keep my wolf under control. I blame her for this, even though I know my body aches and is literally begging to have him.

He looks at me, his sharp blue eyes scanning my face as if searching for something. It makes my breath hitch, and I focus on calming my heartbeat. I’m sure he can hear it.

“Feel better?” he asks.

I keep my expression neutral, focusing on the distant horizon.

“Why am I really here, Kieran?” I don’t want to beat about the bush with him.

He’s hurt me in more ways than one. This ride has been good for my mind, but it’s done nothing to alleviate the crazy discomfort that has now become a daily companion.

A muscle in his jaw ticks, but he doesn’t look away. “Because I need your help.”

I huff a laugh, shaking my head even though his eyes on me makes my core throb and my wolf whine. “That’s new.”

His lips press into a thin line. “I should have valued your strengths sooner. I know that now. ”

The admission catches me off guard, but I don’t let it show. What in the world happened to him? This isn’t the same Kieran who would never take my word. This isn’t the Kieran that intends to use me for selfish reasons. He actually seems to mean it.

I arch a brow. Even though he sounds different, I still don’t trust him. And if there’s something he wants to say to me, I need him to say it outright. I know it’s going to drive him nuts, and I feel the amusement bubble in my belly. “And what strengths would those be?”

His gaze doesn’t waver. It make me focus on his words.

“Your mind. Your ability to see weaknesses where others don’t.

You were trained as a warrior, Hazel. You understand strategy in a way most don’t.

You communicate and train in a way that honestly…

” he trails off, and it’s as if he’s shy to say it.

He looks away and continues, “Even among my ranks, you will be an exceptional leader.”

Something shifts in my chest. Not quite trust, but something less sharp-edged than the anger I’ve carried. But the anger is still there, the distrust blowing soft winds to fan it. But there’s also the satisfaction that he’s saying it, being vulnerable.

I tilt my head, studying him, still processing all the emotions flooding through me. “You’re inviting me to help with defending the pack?”

He pauses. Like he has more to say. Like there are a million words on his tongue, but he can’t utter them. “Yes.”

“Well, I’ll take you up on that if you can catch me.” I grab my horse’s reins and speed away.

I turn back to see his face as he realizes my challenge. A smile spreads on his face as he turns his horse around. He has an “oh you asked for this” look on his face and it fills me with a burst of excitement.

Weaving a path through the trees, I still manage to keep an eye on his horse.

Damn he’s fast…but I’m faster.

I work my reins and pick up speed, but Kieran is right on my tail. I can’t lie, I’m enjoying this a bit more than I should. I think up something naughty and I don’t think twice .

Looking around, I find a clear path and steer my horse left. It’s off the trail, but it means Kieran might miss me with his speed. A little hide and seek sounds like fun.

But then I get to a cliff and the view takes my breath away. I slow down the horse to stop at a safe distance and climb down, taking it all in. I take out my phone and take a picture. I’m so caught up in admiring the view that I don’t notice Kieran walking up behind me.

I trip and fall into him. But instead of staying standing, he falls back, too, and in a moment we are both rolling backward on the soft grass. I don’t realize it at first, but when we stop, I hear myself giggle.

I open my eyes to see him staring at me. There is nothing I want more in this moment than to kiss him. I’m pretty sure my jaw is dropped all the way to the ground, but I don’t even want to stop. The look on his face tells me he’s having as much fun as I am right now.

But then, I remember why we’re here in the first place.

“There’s no argument. I caught you, and now you have to help.” There’s a playfulness to his words that makes my chest flutter, and my wolf wants nothing more than to nip him and prance around with his.

It’s a risk, acknowledging that he needs me, but Kieran doesn’t flinch. For the first time, I see it—the man he could have been if he hadn’t let pride and duty cloud his judgment.

I exhale slowly and bite my lip. I look into his eyes, and I almost regret doing it. Warmth settles between my legs, and my wolf stirs with need as we get lost in his sea blue eyes. “Fine. But don’t think this means anything. I’m here to help the pack, not you.”

His lips twitch, not quite a smile but close. “Understood.”

Back at the estate, the war room is dimly lit, the flickering candlelight casting long shadows across the table covered in maps and scattered documents. The scent of paper and ink lingers in the air, mingling with the faint scent of Kieran’s cologne.

I stand at the table, my fingers trailing over the detailed map of Moonfang territory. Kieran leans over beside me, his presence close enough that the heat of him brushes against my arm. It’s like an electric fire in my veins. But I tighten my jaw. This is not the time and place to be so crass .

He’s watching me, I can feel it.

I clear my throat, focusing on the map. “Your southern border is vulnerable. Too many entry points, and your patrol routes are predictable. If I were leading an attack, I’d strike here.” I tap a spot near the river’s edge.

Kieran’s brow furrows. “We’ve reinforced that section.”

“Not enough,” I counter, meeting his gaze. “You’re thinking like an Alpha, but I’m thinking like an outsider. Eldon won’t come at you head-on. He’ll find the cracks. Just like he did with Damon.”

His expression darkens, but there’s no anger in it—only consideration. “And how would you fix it?”

I blink, momentarily thrown by his willingness to listen. He sounds kind of like he’d actually do what I say. “You need rotating patrol schedules. Make them unpredictable. Set up false encampments to throw them off. If you control their information, you control the battlefield.”

His lips part slightly, and for a moment, he looks almost..

.impressed. But my wolf can’t think of any other thing to do than bite that bottom lip of his.

It’s getting harder to keep her thoughts away from mine.

But it’s also getting trickier to differentiate them.

I know I can’t indulge her as often, but the restlessness is clouding my thoughts and the constant flashes of warmth, the way my entire soul keeps craving his touch, is making it harder to focus.

“That’s just the beginning,” I say, forcing my thoughts back and making sure my voice stays even. “If you want to win, you have to stop thinking like an Alpha protecting his land. You need to think like a warrior preparing for war.”

Silence stretches between us, thick with unspoken things. Then, Kieran exhales, rubbing a hand over his jaw.

“I see why they feared you,” he murmurs.

I glance at him. “Who?”

“Your pack. Your father. They knew what you were capable of.” His gaze meets mine, unreadable. “And they knew they couldn’t control you.”

The words hit somewhere deep, somewhere raw. I don’t want to acknowledge how much they mean to me .

How does he know to say the right thing? It’s making staying mad at him harder. I feel my wolf’s playfulness rise to the surface again. And even under the seal, it seems her need for the Mate bond is getting past the seal somehow. She is one determined wolf. I want to resist her.