The howl came again—closer this time.
Kaelen's blood ran cold.
That was not a warning howl.
It was a challenge.
His pack.
"They're coming," Kaelen said, already turning toward the sound. Authority bled into his voice without effort. Alpha instinct surged, sharp and absolute. "You need to hide."
The vampire didn't move.
"They will smell me," he said calmly. "Even if I vanish into shadow."
Kaelen clenched his jaw. "Then run."
A faint, almost sad curve touched the vampire's lips. "You know I won't."
Kaelen whirled on him. "Do you want to die?"
"No," the vampire answered. "But I won't let your pack tear this bond apart out of fear."
The word bond hit Kaelen like a blow.
Before he could respond, the forest exploded with motion.
Shadows broke apart as wolves emerged from between the trees—massive forms with glowing eyes, fur bristling, teeth bared. At least six of them, spreading out in a practiced arc.
Pack formation.
Kaelen stepped forward instantly, positioning himself between them and the vampire.
"Stand down," he commanded.
The wolves froze.
A massive grey wolf shifted first, bones cracking as he rose into human form. Broad-shouldered, scarred, eyes burning gold—Beta Rurik.
"You bring a vampire into our land?" Rurik growled. "Under a Blood Moon?"
Kaelen didn't move. "Lower your voice."
Murmurs rippled through the pack as others shifted, suspicion thick in the air.
A younger wolf—Lysa—sniffed sharply. "Alpha… something is wrong. I can feel him."
Kaelen's chest tightened.
So it was true. The bond wasn't hidden.
"He is cursed," Rurik continued. "And now so are you."
The vampire stepped forward then, calm as death itself. "Your Alpha did not summon me."
Every eye snapped to him.
Kaelen shot him a warning look, but the vampire ignored it.
"The Blood Moon chose," the vampire said evenly. "I came to stop what it awakened beneath your land. Nothing more."
Rurik laughed harshly. "Vampires lie as easily as they breathe."
The vampire's eyes flickered—cold, ancient. "Then kill me and see what happens to your Alpha."
Silence slammed down like a blade.
Kaelen spun toward him. "What did you just say?"
The vampire met his gaze, unflinching. "The bond is reciprocal. If I die, the curse will recoil."
Rurik's expression darkened. "Recoil how?"
The vampire didn't answer.
He didn't need to.
Kaelen felt it—a sudden pressure in his chest, a sharp ache blooming beneath the mark. His knees buckled slightly before he could stop it.
"Kaelen!" Lysa gasped.
Rurik swore. "Alpha—"
"I'm fine," Kaelen snapped, forcing himself upright. The lie tasted bitter.
The pack stared.
Fear crept into their eyes.
Rurik exhaled slowly. "This thing has you bound."
Kaelen's voice dropped, dangerous and steady. "This being saved our land tonight. And until I decide otherwise, he is under my protection."
Shock rippled through the clearing.
"You would protect a vampire over your pack?" Rurik demanded.
Kaelen stepped closer, eyes blazing silver-gold. "I protect my pack by making hard choices."
The forest trembled faintly, answering his authority.
Rurik looked away first.
"…Then what do we do with him?"
Kaelen hesitated.
Every instinct screamed at him to reject this, to tear the bond apart with blood and claw. And yet—when he looked at the vampire, standing alone beneath hostile eyes, something fierce and unfamiliar rose in his chest.
Possession.
"He stays," Kaelen said.
The vampire's head turned sharply toward him.
"For now," Kaelen added. "Under watch. Under my rules."
Rurik nodded reluctantly. "If he betrays us—"
"I'll kill him myself," Kaelen finished.
The vampire's gaze softened—not in relief, but in something far more dangerous.
Understanding.
As the pack slowly dispersed, the vampire stepped closer to Kaelen, lowering his voice.
"You didn't have to do that."
Kaelen didn't look at him. "Yes. I did."
The Blood Moon slipped behind the clouds at last, plunging the forest into shadow.
And with it came the terrifying realization that this curse was no longer just theirs.
It now belonged to the entire pack.