Page 58 of Fated (The Bonded Legacy #1)

CHAPTER FORTY-THREE

LENA

T he scent of orange and nutmeg wrapped around Lena like a quiet embrace as she sat against her headboard, Kai’s oversized shirt draped loosely over her frame.

Dawn light filtered through the curtains in soft hues of gold and rose, but she barely noticed.

Her attention was fixed on the ritual planning binder in her lap, pen idle in her hand as she toyed absently with the corner of a page.

Her gaze drifted downward to Kai sprawled beside her, his head resting on her thigh with one arm draped loosely over her legs.

Dark hair fell haphazardly across his forehead, and his long lashes cast delicate shadows over his cheeks as soft, rhythmic snores escaped his parted lips.

His fingers twitched faintly in sleep, his broad shoulders rising and falling with each unhurried breath—his entire body completely at ease.

Lena reached out, fingers moving gently through his hair, smoothing the wayward strands.

She was in awe of the sight of him so unguarded, so trusting in his unconscious state—nothing like the alpha-heir she’d met at the summit almost a month ago.

That Kai had been hard-edged, rigid with duty and expectation, words clipped, presence commanding.

This Kai was softer, quieter. The cracks in his armor had widened, allowing her glimpses of the male beneath.

Her fingers stilled in his hair, and she smiled softly before returning her attention to the binder in her lap.

Lena had been up for hours, reviewing the final details for Cian’s alpha ceremony. Each page was packed with meticulous notes and lists, the result of weeks of planning with Nerina. Everything was coming together now, and Lena couldn’t help but feel a swell of pride as she reviewed the plans.

The ceremony would be perfect. She was certain of it.

From Cian’s oaths beneath the full moon to the pack run that would mark his first as alpha, the night promised to be unforgettable.

She pictured her twin’s wolf, Zephyr, strong and commanding as he led the run, his presence uniting the pack in a shared rhythm.

Her thoughts turned to the reception that would follow—a night of dancing, laughter, and celebration.

She couldn’t decide what excited her more: watching Cian take his place as leader and swearing in Ryker and Jace as his beta and gamma, the run, or the chance to share the joy of the evening with Kai.

Her smile softened as she imagined the two of them slipping away from the crowd, finding a quiet moment for themselves amid the celebration. Or maybe they’d just stay until the last song played, her hand tucked in his, their laughter mingling with the music.

She resumed stroking Kai’s hair absently as the thought lingered, glancing down at him again. Last night had been the first time he’d stayed over in her suite. She hoped it wouldn’t be the last.

The past two weeks had been nothing short of extraordinary. Lena closed her eyes, letting the kaleidoscope of memories flash vividly behind her eyelids. They weren’t just moments—they were pieces of something bigger, something that felt like it was slowly, steadily, becoming hers.

Their morning runs—sacred rituals before dawn—where Orion and Elara moved as one through the forest. The wolves expressing what they themselves couldn’t yet name.

The way Orion would press against Elara, nipping playfully before mounting her with a possessiveness that left both wolves—and their humans—trembling with satisfaction.

These weren’t mere animal instincts, but the physical manifestation of the bond Selene had blessed them with.

Two halves finding wholeness.

It wasn’t the divine bond that made her pulse quicken.

It was Kai himself—the way his emerald eyes darkened when he looked at her after a run, hunger and tenderness impossibly mingled.

The way he challenged her during afternoon sparring sessions, movements fluid and precise, never condescending even as he pinned her with frustrating regularity.

“You’re getting closer,” he’d tease, that infuriating grin making her simultaneously want to punch and kiss him.

And then there was the sex. Goddess , the sex.

Heat pooled low in her belly as highlight reels played in her mind—Kai waking her with his mouth, tongue tracing paths that left her gasping.

.. His whispered filth as he took her hard against the pantry shelves, the thrill of staying silent while her brother and friends sat feet away.

.. His hands mapping her body as if memorizing sacred text…

Lena bit her lip, thighs clenching involuntarily. The chemistry between them was undeniable, but what she cherished most weren’t the physical moments. It was the quieter ones.

The sweet notes they’d slipped under each other’s door that hinted at emotions neither one of them were ready to voice out loud.

The long walks to the ritual grounds, where they talked for hours under the soft light of the moon.

Beneath the stars, she’d come to know Kai in ways that made her heart swell.

He wasn’t the proverbial Prince of the Pacific Northwest packs.

He was a young wolf who’d grown up too fast, burdened with expectations too heavy to carry alone.

Somewhere along the way, in those quiet moments, she’d fallen completely. She loved him. Every messy, imperfect, beautiful part of him.

And that…that terrified her.

Lena opened her eyes, fingers still threaded in her sleeping mate’s hair.

The joy of these past weeks shifted beneath uncertainty.

She and Kai existed in a beautiful bubble at Moonshadow.

But bubbles always burst. They hadn’t discussed what would happen when he returned home—to his pack, to his responsibilities.

To Ava.

The thought pierced like barbed wire wrapped around her chest, each breath catching on its sharp edges.

Ava’s name lingered in her mind like an uninvited guest who refused to leave.

Lena wanted to believe their connection—the laughter, stolen moments, quiet conversations under stars—was enough to build something lasting, but Ava was part of his history, his pack. Possibly still his heart.

Was it selfish to want him to stake his claim?

To make it undeniable that he was hers. That he felt the rightness of them too, the way they fit together beyond even Selene’s design.

She wasn’t imagining the way his face softened when he looked at her.

Or how his shoulders eased when she was near.

If he could just make it clear, maybe then she’d find the courage to bear his mark.

To give him hers. Lena wanted that. She wanted him.

But wanting wasn’t the same as having .

As this reality settled over her, a warm current of certainty flowed through her chest—not her own emotions, but Elara’s. “He needs time, but he will choose us,” the wolf murmured in her mind, steady and sure.

Lena closed her eyes, breath slowing to match the calm rhythm emanating from her wolf. The frantic edges of her doubt softened under Elara’s quiet confidence, like jagged ice melting under gentle heat.

“Trust me,” Elara urged. “I’ve felt it since the first run. I feel it even now as he sleeps. He is ours .”

But it wasn’t that simple. Lena wanted to be chosen for herself, not because Selene had deemed it so.

As much as she wanted to believe in Elara’s certainty, the practical side of her knew that Kai’s heart was a battlefield.

She was fighting against years of history, of promises and memories that didn’t include her.

Her chest tightened as she thought of what would happen when Kai returned to Bloodstone.

Will the expectations of his birthright overwhelm him again, force him to retreat into the guarded, stoic alpha-heir I met at the summit?

Will he fall back into old patterns, drawn to the comfort of Ava’s familiarity?

Lena had no intention of sharing him—she’d drawn that line clearly—but what if, after everything, he still couldn’t let Ava go?

Her fingers slipped from Kai’s hair, and she stared down at him, overwhelmed by unspoken fears. He looked so peaceful, face untroubled by the storm she felt was coming. For now, they were safe. Together. That didn’t mean the future wouldn’t demand answers they weren’t ready to give.

A knock at the door broke through Lena’s thoughts, jolting her back to the present. She glanced down at Kai, his soft snores undisturbed, and carefully untangled herself from him. Padding across the room, she cracked the door open to find Cian standing in the hallway.

“Hey,” she whispered, pulling the door closer to her body to block the view inside. “What’s up?”

“Have you seen Kai?” Cian’s jaw was tight, shoulders rigid with tension.

“Darius has been trying to reach him all night, but he’s not answering.

He’s not in his suite, and we can’t—” His eyes flicked over her shoulder, landing on the naked figure sprawled in her bed.

Then back to hers and down to her throat.

His brows shot up, but he smoothed his features with practiced ease, swallowing whatever comment was forming.

“Wake him up. Dad needs to talk to him. It’s important. ”

“What’s going on?” Lena’s hand clutched the doorframe, knuckles whitening as her chest constricted at the seriousness in his tone.

Cian shook his head, already backing away. “Just get him to Dad’s office. Quickly .” Without another word, he turned and headed down the hall. His hurried footsteps echoed in the quiet corridor.

Lena stood frozen for a moment, staring at the spot Cian had just left, the urgency in his voice replaying in her mind. She breathed deep, steeling herself as she returned to her mate’s side.

“Kai,” she murmured, fingers tracing gentle circles on his back. “Wake up.”