Chapter Five
PACKHOUSE
*Sara's POV
The next morning, Kael moved us to a more secure wing of the packhouse. I walked beside him, feeling the weight of every stare from the pack. Some eyes were curious. Others burned with open hostility.
"You will stay in this room," Kael said, opening a heavy wooden door. It was larger than the last one, with a proper bed and a small balcony overlooking the forest.
"Thank you," I replied softly.
Kael paused at the doorway. "Do not thank me. This is not kindness. It is necessity."
He left without another word.
I stepped inside and explored the space slowly. The room felt less like a prison than the safe room, but I still felt trapped. My mind kept drifting back to Snow — the way he had looked at me, the way his gentle touch had made me feel truly seen for the first time since my rejection.
Later that afternoon, a soft knock came at the door. I opened it carefully.
It was Snow.
He slipped inside quickly and closed the door behind him. His ice-blue eyes locked onto mine with burning intensity.
"We do not have much time," Snow said. "Kael is in a meeting with his warriors."
He stepped closer. The air between us crackled with tension. I could smell his scent — pine, moonlight, and something darker that made my wolf stir.
"Sara," Snow murmured, his hand cupping my cheek. "I have been thinking about you since last night."
This time I did not pull away. I leaned into his touch. His thumb brushed my lower lip, sending sparks racing through my body.
"You feel it too," Snow whispered. "The pull. Not just the forced bond with Kael. Something real."
I nodded slowly. "It is dangerous."
"The best things usually are," Snow said softly.
Snow leaned in and kissed me — slow, deep, and exploring. Nothing like Kael's rough claiming. This felt like something else entirely. When voices sounded in the hallway outside, he pulled back quickly, his eyes full of regret.
"We will find time," Snow promised. "Be careful. There are those in this pack who do not want you here."
He slipped out, leaving me flushed and unsettled.
That evening, the tension in the pack grew thicker. I overheard warriors arguing in the hall. Some blamed me for the recent attacks. Others said Kael was distracted because of the bond.
During dinner, Lira — one of the she-wolves close to Kael — watched me with open hostility. She was beautiful and strong, with sharp features and long auburn hair. She sat near Kael, touching his arm possessively every chance she got.
I kept my head down, but I could feel her eyes burning into me the entire time.
Later that night, Kael came to my room again. He did not speak much. The bond between us surged the moment he stepped inside, and what followed was consuming and fierce — his touch rough and possessive, mine helpless against the pull that tied us together. Afterward, he dressed quickly, his expression as distant as ever.
"This bond is getting harder to ignore," Kael admitted coldly. "But do not mistake this for affection, Sara. I still do not want a mate."
He left me there alone again.
The next few days followed the same pattern. Kael's rough claiming at night. Growing tension within the pack. And secret stolen moments with Snow, where he made me feel desired and valued for the first time since my father died.
One afternoon, Snow found me walking in the gardens. He pulled me behind a thick cluster of trees, away from prying eyes.
"I cannot stop thinking about you," Snow confessed, kissing me deeply.
We heard footsteps approaching. Snow pulled back with a frustrated growl.
"Soon," Snow promised quietly. "I will have you properly."
The internal conflict grew stronger every day. Lira began spreading whispers that I was a spy sent by Blackthorn. Some warriors started avoiding me completely. Others looked at me with open suspicion.
Kael noticed the division but said nothing. His focus remained on strengthening the borders and preparing for the next attack.
I spent my days quietly investigating whatever I could about my father's death. I found old maps and letters in the pack library, hinting at secret alliances between Blackthorn and unknown parties. Someone had framed my father. I was sure of it.
But every step forward brought more danger.
One night, as I returned to my room, I found a note slipped under the door.
*Leave Silvermoon or you will end up like your father.*
The handwriting was elegant. Feminine.
*Lira.
The conflict inside the pack was no longer hidden. It was building toward something explosive.
And in the middle of it all, Snow's secret attention became my only source of warmth, while Kael's cold claiming kept me tethered to a bond I could not escape.
