Sleep refused to come.
Aria had tried everything — pacing her room, sitting by the window, even forcing herself to lie still and count her breaths the way the pack healers had taught her.
Nothing worked.
Every time she closed her eyes, she saw him walking away through the western gate.
Every time she shifted positions, the bond inside her chest seemed to tighten, like a knot that refused to loosen.
By midnight, she gave up.
She wrapped a cloak around herself and slipped quietly into the corridor. The pack house was mostly silent now, save for the occasional guard changing shifts or the faint creak of old wooden beams settling in the cool night air.
The moon was high when she stepped outside.
Instinct pulled her toward the forest.
She told herself she just needed space. Fresh air. Time to think.
But deep down… she knew she was hoping for something else.
The clearing where she had first shifted lay bathed in silver light, unchanged and yet somehow different. The memory of that night lingered in every shadow.
Aria moved to the center and stopped.
Her heart was already racing.
"You shouldn't be here."
She closed her eyes briefly.
Of course he had come.
When she turned, Kael was standing at the edge of the trees, half-hidden by darkness. He looked as restless as she felt, his expression guarded but his eyes giving him away.
"I could say the same to you," she replied softly.
For a moment, neither of them moved.
The bond between them hummed quietly, like a living thing aware of their proximity.
"I leave at dawn," he said finally.
"My father wants me back before the next council meeting."
The reminder hit harder than she expected.
"So this is our last chance," she said.
"To reject each other," he finished.
The words hung in the air, heavy and final.
Aria took a slow step toward him.
"Do you want to?" she asked.
It was the first honest question she had allowed herself to ask.
Kael's answer didn't come right away.
Instead, he studied her as if trying to memorize every detail — the way her hair caught the moonlight, the tension in her shoulders, the uncertainty she was no longer able to hide.
"No," he said at last.
"But wanting something has never made it safe."
A sad smile tugged at her lips.
"I've spent my whole life being told what's safe," she said.
"And none of it prepared me for this."
She meant the bond.
The pull.
The way standing this close to him made everything else feel distant and unimportant.
Another step.
Now there was barely any space between them.
Aria could hear his breathing. Could feel the warmth radiating from his skin despite the cold night air.
"If we don't do it tomorrow," she whispered,
"everything will get worse."
"I know."
"People could die."
"I know."
"Then why does it feel like we're the ones losing something?"
Kael reached out before she could think to stop him.
His fingers brushed her cheek — tentative, almost unsure.
The contact sent a rush of heat through her body. Not overwhelming. Not frightening.
Just… right.
Aria leaned into the touch without realizing she was doing it.
For a brief moment, she allowed herself to imagine a different life. One where pack names didn't matter. Where ancient wars didn't dictate the future.
Where she could simply be a girl standing under the moon with the person she was meant to find.
The thought scared her enough to pull away.
"We can't," she said, though her voice lacked conviction.
Kael lowered his hand slowly.
"No," he agreed.
But neither of them stepped back.
The moon watched in silence as they stood there, caught between duty and desire, knowing that when morning came… words would have to be spoken that neither of them truly believed.
And somewhere deep within Aria, her wolf stirred — restless and unwilling to let go.