“Did Harlan send you?” I asked, with irritation as I wiped at my tear-streaked face.
Kael smirked, his silver eyes glinting like shards of ice. “You know the answer to that.”
Of course, Harlan had sent him. It was such a Harlan move too busy to deal with me himself but too controlling to let me wander off unchecked. And Kael, as always, had no problem obeying orders without question.
“I don’t need a babysitter,” I snapped, glaring at him.
Kael’s expression didn’t waver. If anything, his smirk deepened slightly, as though my anger amused him. “I’m not your babysitter. I’m your shadow.”
“Whatever you want to call it, I didn’t ask for this,” I shot back.
“No,” he said, “but it seems like you need it.”
My wolf stirred uneasily, and her instincts sharper than mine. It wasn’t fear…no, that would’ve been easy to brush off. This was something else, something deeper and more primal. A pull. It was subtle, like a whisper at the back of my mind, but it was there, tugging at me in a way that made my skin prickle and my heart race.
I clenched my fists, trying to ignore the way my wolf perked up at his presence, her interest clear and annoying. “Why does Harlan trust you so much?” I asked,him.
Kael raised an eyebrow, “You’re assuming he does.”
I blinked, caught off guard by his answer. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
He stepped closer, his movements as fluid and deliberate as a predator stalking prey. “Harlan trusts what I can do for him. That doesn’t mean he trusts me.”
His words sent a chill down my spine, though I couldn’t tell if it was from his tone or the truth behind them. Kael was an mystery loyal to the pack on the surface, yet detached in a way that made me question his motives. Harlan might have given him a place in the Moonshine Pack, but it was clear Kael operated on his own terms.
“And what exactly is it you do for him?” I asked, narrowing my eyes.
Kael’s lips twitched, but he didn’t smile. “What he needs me to do.”
“That’s not an answer.”
“It’s the only one you’re getting,” he said,
My wolf growled softly in the back of my mind, her frustration mirroring my own. She didn’t trust him either, not entirely but she couldn’t ignore him. The pull was stronger now, like an invisible thread tightening between us with every word exchanged.
I took a step back, needing to put some distance between us. “You’re infuriating, you know that?”
Kael shrugged, looking completely unbothered. “So I’ve been told.”
I crossed my arms, glaring at him. “If you’re here to spy on me, just go ahead and report back to Harlan. Tell him I cried, or complained, or whatever it is he wants to hear.”
Kael’s silver eyes darkened, and for the first time, his smirk disappeared completely. He stepped closer, “I don’t work for Harlan like that. I’m not here to tattle on you, Anya.”
“Then why are you here?” I demanded, my frustration bubbling over.
“To make sure you don’t get yourself killed.”
I opened my mouth to argue, to tell him I didn’t need his protection, but the look in his eyes stopped me. There was something there, just for a fleeting moment.
“And what makes you think I can’t take care of myself?” I asked,
Kael tilted his head, “Because you don’t even see the threats around you.”
The words hit harder than I expected, and my wolf stirred again, uneasy and restless. Kael’s gaze lingered on me for a moment longer before he turned away, as he walked toward the riverbank.
I watched him, my mind racing with questions I didn’t dare ask. Kael was a mystery, a puzzle I wasn’t sure I wanted to solve. But my wolf… my wolf wasn’t so cautious. She was drawn to him in a way I couldn’t explain, her instincts pulling her toward him despite the warning bells ringing in my head.
“You don’t have to like me,” Kael said suddenly, his back still turned to me. “But if I were you, I’d start paying attention. There’s more going on in this pack than you realize, Anya. And not all of it has your best interests in mind.”
I stared at him, “What are you trying to say?”
He glanced over his shoulder, his silver eyes glinting in the sunlight. “Figure it out. You’re smarter than they give you credit for.”
And just like that, he was gone, disappearing into the trees like a shadow fading with the dawn.
I stood there by the river, my thoughts a tangled mess. Kael’s words lingered.
Who kael really is? And why did I feel like he saw through me?
