A FEW DAYS LATER
The days dragged by like a slow-moving storm. I kept my distance from Harlan, shutting myself away in my room or occupying myself with the endless arrangements for the ceremony. The pain still lingered, but I buried it beneath the tasks that demanded my attention.
Harlan didn’t come looking for me, and I didn’t seek him out. We lived in the same house but moved as strangers, the silence between us colder than any argument could have been. Lila, on the other hand, had settled into the house as if she’d always belonged. She walked the halls like a queen surveying her kingdom, giving orders to the staff and involving herself in every detail of the upcoming ceremony. I didn’t want her to get on my nerves.
That morning, I stepped into the garden, the soft scent of roses and jasmine wafting in the cool breeze. The arrangements were nearly done, but my mind was elsewhere, lost in a tangle of emotions I couldn’t untangle.
“Careful with those lilies,” I called to one of the servants, “They’re for the centerpiece, and I don’t want them bruised.”
“Yes, ma’am,” the servant replied, adjusting his grip on the delicate flowers.
“Move the vases closer to the fountain,” I instructed another, gesturing toward the shimmering water. “They’ll reflect better in the light there.”
The servant hesitated. “But Miss Lila said…”
I cut him off, “I don’t care what Lila said. Follow my instructions.”
He nodded quickly, avoiding my gaze as he carried the vases to the fountain.
I turned to the head gardener, who was supervising the placement of the pergola. “That beam looks uneven,” I pointed out, shading my eyes against the sun. “It needs to be secured properly before the flowers are added. I don’t want it collapsing halfway through the ceremony.”
The gardener nodded,“I’ll have it fixed right away, Luna anya.”
As I gave the last set of instructions, I caught a faint scent that made my breath hitch. Pine and earth. Strong, grounding, and utterly unforgettable.
Kael.
My body stiffened, my chest tightening involuntarily. I didn’t turn around, refusing to acknowledge his presence, but my wolf stirred immediately, her energy rippling through me like a caged storm.
Ignore him, I told myself firmly, gripping the clipboard in my hands so tightly my knuckles turned white.
But my wolf had other ideas. She growled low, pushing against my restraint, I turned back to the gardener, forcing myself to focus. “Make sure the dais is cleaned and polished before the flowers are set. I don’t want a single speck of dirt visible.”
“Yes, Luna Anya,” he replied, before hurrying off.
I handed the clipboard to another servant and stepped back, my eyes scanning the arrangements. Just as I let out a breath, a loud creak broke through the quiet.
I looked up to see the pergola’s wooden beam splintering, the heavy structure groaning as it gave way. My body froze, my heart lurching in terror as the beam plummeted toward me.
“Anya!”
In a split second someone strong arms wrapped around me, and push me on the ground. We hit the ground hard, the breath knocked out of me. My body landed on top of him, the solid warmth of his chest cushioning my fall. His arms were still around me, strong and protective, holding me against him as if letting go wasn’t an option.
For a moment, everything stay stilled. The beam crashed mere inches away, sending a tremor through the ground, but I couldn’t focus on that. All I could hear was his heartbeat fast, and powerful beneath me, a rhythm that matched the wild pounding of my own.
My hands were splayed against his chest, and I could feel the rise and fall of his breathing, shallow and rapid. His scent surrounded me, pine and earth, grounding yet intoxicating. My wolf stirred, restless and yearning, her energy rippling through me like a live wire.
I tilted my head up, and our eyes met. Silver, intense and blazing with something unspoken. For a long moment his gaze held mine captive. My breath hitched, my chest tightening as I felt the pull between us.
“Anya, are you hurt?” He asked me but my body didn’t react the way I expected. I felt my wolf respond immediately, pushing against the surface, urging me to answer. She wanted to be near him, to feel his presence more than anything.
I’m fine, I sent back, trying to push the words past the overwhelming pull inside me. The world around us seemed to fade, leaving only the two of us, caught in the silence that hung thick in the air.
Don’t make me feel like this again, his wolf growled, low and possessive, I couldn’t speak. My throat tightened, my body frozen beneath him, and my wolf surged forward, craving his touch.
Kael, I tried again, but the word was just a whisper lost in the tension between us.
Our wolves fought for dominance, and the connection between us was so raw it burned. His hand gently cupped my face, his touch leaving an imprint on my skin.
You scared me, his wolf murmured through the bond. You shouldn’t freeze like that.
I wanted to say something, anything, but all I could do was stare up at him. The words wouldn't come. Instead, the only thing that filled the space between us was the rising storm of our wolves, pushing and pulling, unable to break free.
“Anya!”
The sharp call of my name shattered the moment.
We both turned to see Harlan striding toward us, and his gaze flickered between us, lingering on how close Kael was to me.
“What happened here?” he demanded,
“The pergola beam broke,” Kael replied, “I pulled her out of the way.”
Harlan’s expression softened when he looked at me. “Anya, are you hurt?”
“I’m fine,” I said quickly, trying to sit up. But the moment I moved, a sharp pain shot through my ankle, and I gasped.
“ You don’t look like,” Harlan said, before I could say anything in one smooth motion, he scooped me into his arms as if I weighed nothing.
“Harlan, I can walk…”
“You’re not walking,” he interrupted, “You’re hurt. Just let me take care of this.”
As he carried me back to the house, I glanced over his shoulder. Kael was still standing in the garden, his gaze fixed on me.
Kael… I whispered inside my mind, but it was more a plea than a question.
Harlan noticed, his arms tightening around me protectively. “Kael,” he called over his shoulder, “thank you for helping her. But I’ll take it from here.”
Kael didn’t respond, his jaw clenched as he nodded once. His eyes never left mine, and as the distance between us grew, I felt an ache in my chest that I couldn’t explain.
Once inside, Harlan carried me straight to my room and laid me gently on the bed.
“Stay here,” he instructed, as he brushed a strand of hair from my face. “I’m calling the healer.”
“Harlan, I don’t need…”
“You do,” he cut me off, leaving no room for argument. His hand lingered on my cheek for a moment, his thumb brushing against my skin. “You scared me out there.”
I looked up at him, startled by the vulnerability in his voice.
“Please,” he added. “Just let me take care of this.”
Before I could respond, he turned and left, his absence leaving a strange void in the room.
