Chapter 5

Laura stood in the middle of the small field Kael had cleared, her breath still coming in gasps after several attempts at the survival techniques Kael had taught her.

"Repeat again," Kael said in a calm but firm voice, his arms folded across his chest.

Laura let out a long breath. "I can't even focus. Are you sure I can survive if I'm completely alone?"

Kael leaned closer, looking deeply into her eyes. "You're much stronger than you think, Laura. You just don't believe in yourself yet."

The words were comforting, but they also made something pound in Laura's chest. She gripped the wooden staff she had been practicing with, trying to direct her energy. But as her mind drifted to the image of Axel, the lingering rejection, the humiliation she received in front of the entire pack her feelings overflowed.

Suddenly, a thin silver light emerged from her palm. The light was brief, as if moonlight was penetrating her skin.

Laura was startled, dropped her stick, and looked at her own hands in panic. "What was that?"

Kael, who had been merely observing, immediately approached and grasped her wrist. "That's... not ordinary power," she said quietly, her eyes widening in surprise. "It's moon blood."

"Moon blood?" Laura repeated in a trembling voice.

Kael released her slowly, but kept staring at Laura as if he was seeing something impossible. "I've heard stories from the elders. About the descendants of the Moon Blood ancient bloodline that only appears once every few generations. They carry the light of the moon in their bodies. You... you are one of them."

Laura shook her head quickly. "No, that doesn't make sense. I'm just a child of a beta family. There's nothing special about me."

"But you saw it yourself." Kael bowed his head slightly, his voice softening. "I wasn't wrong, Laura. That power is real. And that means... you are the key to something much greater than simply being a rejected mate."

The words made Laura even more confused. She took a step back, her body trembling. "I don't want to. I can't even control my own life, Kael. How can I be... the key to whatever it is?"

Kael wanted to answer, but Laura was already turning, moving away, trying to compose herself. That night, when she finally fell asleep in their small cottage, her answer came in the form of a dream.

She stood in a vast field illuminated by a full moon. The night breeze blew softly, carrying the scent of wildflowers. Far away, a woman walked towards him. Her body glistened faintly, her face was graceful, and on her head was a crown of moonlight.

Laura held her breath as the figure stopped in front of her. The woman's lips moved, her voice like a whisper in the wind but clearly piercing into the heart.

"You are the key," she said. "Your blood will decide the fate of the wolf world."

Laura wanted to ask, but the light from the crown of the moon grew brighter until everything disappeared. She woke up with cold sweat on her forehead, her heart pounding.

Kael, who was sleeping by the campfire, woke up immediately at the sound of Laura's labored breathing. "What happened?" he asked, his eyes alert.

"I... had a dream," Laura replied in a low voice. She described the moon-crowned woman, and how her words made her body tremble with fear.

Kael listened with a tense jaw. "This is not just a dream. This is an omen. You must not underestimate it, Laura."

Laura looked at him with watery eyes. "Why do all these strange things have to happen to me? I just want a normal life. I just want to be seen as myself."

Kael reached out his hand, touching her cheek gently. "Maybe your destiny is bigger than yourself. But I promise, I will not let you face it alone."

The touch made Laura's body tremble. She looked down, trying to hold back the feelings that were getting harder to control. But as Kael wiped away her tears with his thumb, the wall she had built slowly crumbled.

Laura looked up at him, then unconsciously, the distance between them narrowed. Their first kiss before was still lingering, but this time was different. Kael lowered his head, his lips almost touched Laura's, then stopped.

"I can't," he whispered, his breath warm on Laura's face. "You are still Axel's mate, even though he has rejected her."

Tears rolled down Laura's cheeks. "He has already rejected it, Kael. You're the only one who makes me feel alive."

This time, Kael did not hold back anymore. Their lips touched, filled with mixed emotions of despair, guilt, but also unspoken longing. The kiss grew deeper and bolder, as if both of them had finally succumbed to a pull that could not be ignored.

When they finally parted, Laura looked down with a flushed face and a pounding chest. Kael looked at her deeply, then let out a long breath. "I don't care what the world says. I just know I can't let you go."

In the days that followed, they grew closer. Kael taught her to hunt, showed her how to read animal tracks on the ground, and started a fire with just two stones. Laura, who had never touched blood, now learned to skin game. Although difficult, she feels she is slowly starting to find her own strength.

Yet every time her emotions overflowed, when she was angry at failing, or frustrated at feeling weak the strange vibrations returned. Things around them shook, sometimes the fireplace burned brighter for no reason, sometimes the wind suddenly picked up.

Laura looked down at her hands in horror every time it happened. "I can't control this, Kael. I'm afraid of hurting you."

Kael grasped her hand tightly. "Listen to me. I will help you. You just need time. Don't let fear get the best of you."

She said it with conviction, but Laura knew Kael had his own worries. And underneath it all, there was a shadow closing in: Axel.

Rumors about Laura being alive began to spread. Horde troops began combing the forest, looking for her trail. Kael knew there wasn't much time.

One night, as they sat in front of the campfire, Laura looked at Kael worriedly. "This is all my fault. Had I not been here, you wouldn't have had to fight against your own brother."

Kael turned his head, looking at her sharply. "Don't even think that. My decision to protect you was my own. No one can force me."

Tears welled up in Laura's eyes again. She looked down, feeling both guilty and grateful. At that moment she realized that despite the world's opposition, she could no longer deny her feelings. Kael was not just her protector. He was her home.

And in the deep forest, elsewhere, Axel heard reports from his troops that there was a hut built by Kael. His gaze hardened, anger burning behind his cold eyes.

"If Kael really did protect that woman," he muttered in a sharp voice, "I'll make sure he regrets it."