POV Kiara
Back in the safety of our shared cabin, Thomen examined my body with growing concern, his gentle hands moving over skin that should have been torn and bloody.
Light bruises and minor scratches marked my arms and shoulders, but nothing that matched the amount of blood he'd found me covered in.
"What happened back there?" he asked, as he carefully cleaned the superficial wounds. "When I felt your pain through our bond, it was... intense. But these injuries don't match what I sensed."
I watched his face, knowing I had to be careful with my words.
Thomen's jealousy regarding my past with Aleron was something we'd never fully resolved. Even after all these years as Alpha and her Beta, as mates.
He knew that Aleron had been my best friend and my first love, my first betrayal and my first heartbreak.
Everything had changed when I turned eighteen and recognized Thomen as my true mate. But those earlier feelings had left scars that still ached sometimes.
"I ran into Helena when separated from the team," I said simply. "We had a brutal fight—she's faster than I expected, more vicious."
"Aleron's lieutenant," Thomen said grimly, his fingers gentle as they traced a fading bruise on my collarbone.
"But I managed to seriously injure her—opened up her throat and chest pretty badly. That's where all the blood came from,” I lied, but still leaning into his touch. “She escaped with the others before you found me."
I deliberately omitted any mention of Aleron's presence, watching as Thomen's expression softened with relief that I hadn't been more seriously hurt.
The guilt of lying to my mate gnawed at me, but the alternative—explaining that I'd been saved by the man who'd broken my heart and murdered my father—was unthinkable.
"I'm just grateful you're alright," Thomen murmured, pulling me closer. "When I felt your pain spike and then suddenly disappear, I thought... I was terrified of what I might find."
"But you found me," I whispered against his chest. "You always find me."
His arms tightened around me, and I could feel the emotional conversation shifting into something deeper, more primal. Thomen's lips found the healing scratches on my shoulder, his tongue gently licking the wounds in custom of mate care.
"Let me take care of you," he said softly, his voice rough with emotion and desire.
"Always," I breathed, surrendering to the tenderness that escalated quickly into passionate need.
His mouth captured mine with desperate tenderness, as if he needed to taste life on my lips to believe I was real. The kiss started gentle, reverent, but quickly ignited into something fiercer.
His hands tangled in my hair, tilting my head back so he could deepen the connection, and I melted against him with a soft moan.
"I thought I'd lost you…" he breathed against my mouth, trailing kisses down my throat to the healing wounds.
His tongue flicked across each mark with instinctive mate care, soothing the ache while sending heat spiraling through my core. My fingers found the hem of his shirt, desperate to feel skin against skin.
"I'm here," I gasped as his hands roamed my body, mapping every curve like he was memorizing me all over again. "I'm still alive."
When he lifted me against him, my legs wrapping around his waist, the world narrowed to just us. Just this moment of affirmation that we'd survived another nightmare together.
Our sex always feels affirming, every touch and whispered endearment reconfirming the bond between us. We lost ourselves in each other, washing away the fear and uncertainty of the battle with the physical proof of our connection.
In Thomen's arms, I could almost forget the taste of power that still lingered on my lips.
* * *
The next morning dawned crisp and clear, perfect for training with the younger pack members. I led a group of fifteen through the forest trails, their eager faces bright with determination to improve their skills.
"Remember, speed isn't just about your legs," I called out as we ran through the dense pine forest. "It's about finding your rhythm, working with your environment instead of fighting against it."
But as we ran, I realized I was holding back far more than usual. My speed somehow had increased dramatically. I could feel it in the effortless way my feet found purchase on uneven ground. In how the trees seemed to blur past me if I let myself go.
I had to consciously slow down to avoid outpacing the others.
"Alpha Kiara, you're not even breathing hard!" sixteen-year-old Jake panted as we reached our destination.
"Good conditioning," I said, though internally I was puzzled by the change.
The sparring sessions that followed were even more revealing. My enhanced agility and flexibility surprised even me—my movements felt fluid, almost dance-like in their precision.
I found myself anticipating attacks before they happened, my body flowing around strikes with an ease that felt both natural and alien.
"Whoa, Alpha," fifteen-year-old Sarah said after I'd easily avoided all her attacks while barely seeming to move. "How did you do that spinny thing?"
"Practice," I said, but my voice carried uncertainty I hoped she didn't notice.
When training concluded and the young wolves headed back to their families, I was struck by an overwhelming hunger that hit me with unexpected intensity. My stomach was cramped with need despite eating as usual.
"I'm starving," I told Thomen with a laugh that didn't quite hide my confusion. "How about we grill those steaks tonight? The really thick ones?"
"Absolutely," he agreed enthusiastically, his eyes lighting up at the prospect of a hearty meal. "I could eat a whole deer myself after today's patrol."
But even as he spoke, I couldn't shake the feeling that something fundamental had changed within me.
"Maybe we should get two steaks each," I said, trying to keep my tone light. "I feel like I could eat my weight in meat right now."
"Long day of training," Thomen said, embracing me with his strong and warm arm. "Plus all the stress from yesterday's mission. Your body is probably just demanding fuel to recover."
I nodded, grasping at his rational explanation. "You're right.”
Constant training, the stress from our ongoing conflict with the vampires, all these restless thoughts about what Aleron's latest words and actions might mean… it's probably just wearing me down physically.
Yeah, my body is just telling me to eat more, rest more, take better care of myself. That’s probably the case.
But as we walked back toward our cabin, hand in hand in the gathering dusk, I couldn't entirely convince myself that stress and training explained everything. The changes felt too specific, too pronounced, too... strange.
The memory of Aleron's blood on my lips flashed through my mind unbidden, and I quickly pushed it away. Whatever was happening to me, I would figure it out on my own terms, in my own time.
I had to.