Alpha Kael

~Jada

We departed that afternoon, ready for however many days we might be out there.

Axel didn’t agree to come right away, until Kael demanded it and he noticed Alpha Grayson was also coming. Naturally, he wants to impress the other Alpha, putting his hatred toward me aside. If hatred is even the right word. It sure seems like he feels that way, with the way he ignores me and almost seethes in my presence.

Ace seems nervous about coming, but would never disobey Kael. Neither of the two Silent’s know anything about what we are doing. All Kael told them is that they are tracking something, and they are there for backup only.

I’m just pleased Kael trusts me enough to bring me along. It’s important he trusts me. Especially since we are mates, and I’m planning to tell him on this trip.

Hopefully we will get some time alone.

Grayson walks at the front of the group, tracking in a way I don’t understand and he hasn’t been willing to talk about yet. Axel is behind him, avoiding me, and Ace is behind him. And right behind me, is Kael, keeping a look out for anything from the back. Considering how dense the forest is, I doubt anyone is going to be hiding among he brush.

This forest is ominous. As we walk, the forest seems to get darker, trees clumping together more, the only source of light coming from dappled streams through the canopy. Not to mention, Grayson is taking us off a path into nowhere, tracking us wherever he feels. I wish he would tell us how he is doing it.

There seems as though there is no end in sight. Just thick forest for miles upon miles. Why would Kael’s mother come all the way out here unless she knew she didn’t want to come back out?

Clearly, that’s what she wanted.

Once night fell, we set up camp along the path, which wasn’t technically a path. We have been bashing through bush this entire time, leaving space for us to come back when we need to. It doesn’t bother me that we are out there. What is on my mind is Kael lying in his tent next to mine. For awhile, I struggled to fall asleep, until I heard muffled voices.

“What do I do?” I hear Kael ask, voice low but right outside my tent. He must be assuming I’m asleep. Sitting up slightly, I decide to listen in, curious.

“I’m sure you have plenty of questions,” Grayson’s voice fills the air. The crackling of the fire accompanies their voices as someone stokes it. What are they still doing up so late when we are to leave early tomorrow?

All I can tell is they are surely talking about his mother.

Kael sighs audibly. “Many. Although it’s hard to know what to do after that. Can I forgive her, or will she even forgive me for taking her mates life?”

Every inch of me goes still as I listen. His mother must be very sick. Losing a mate severs a bond build into our intrinsic value. To lose a mate is to basically lose your other heart, literally. If she has much of her life yet to live, I doubt it will be dealt with blaming Kael. However, I’ll never say it to him. Not now at least.

“At least you will have closure. Right?” Grayson’s says. I’m glad Grayson is being calm with him, rather than feeling sorry for him. It seems like Kael needs that. It makes me lay back in my sleeping area, listening intently.

It doesn’t seem like anything is about to be revealed, however, listening to their voices is calming. Especially Kael, which without warning, soothes me right back into sleep.

I don’t know how much time passes before I’m woke again.

This time, it’s a short yelp that echoes through the trees, rousing me immediately. I sit up, looking around, everything is covered in darkness. On my left, the sound of a tent being rustled around is so loud I can’t ignore it. Then, a low groan, almost in pain. I freeze, until I hear it again, same pitch, like someone is in serious pain.

Delirious, I unzip my tent and stumble outside, looking around. As the fog over my brain lifts, I realise it’s Kael, wild limbs pressing up against the side of his tent, illuminated only by moonlight.

For a moment, I don’t know how to react.

Should I step inside his tent? Or should I stand outside and try to rouse him. No one else stirs from their tents, but that doesn’t surprise me. They must be knocked out from exhaustion, and they aren’t right beside his tent. Which means it’s up to me to see if he’s okay.

“Kael, are you hurt?” I question, as his groans continue to pierce the silence of the forest. There’s no response.

I decide, he must be having a nightmare. Poking the side of his tent, I call out his name again. He continues to move absurdly. I eye the entrance to his tent, wondering if he would think it would be too far to go in there to wake him. That’s his personal space, but it’s not as if I haven’t done it before.

I have to do it.This belongs © NôvelDra/ma.Org.

Unzipping his tent, I pray that would be enough to wake him. Naturally, it doesn’t, so I pull the flap back so I the moonlight shines in on him.

Sweat drenches every inch of him that I can see. His naked torso gleems under the light, but I’m more concentrating on his expression. He looks in serious pain, his expression screwed up as he twists and turns within his blankets. Clambering into his tent, I sit down by his feet, clapping my hands. Nothing does it.

I contemplate for a moment whether I should touch him or not. It might be the only way to wake him, however, what if this is enough to let him know we are mates? But I want him to know…

Without thinking anymore, I reach up and tap on his chest rapidly.

Finally, he shoots up into a sitting position, gasping for air. Wild eyes dart toward me, startling at the sight of me. It takes a moment for him to calm his breathing down, realising he’s released from his nightmare, and I’m sitting in his tent.

“I’m sorry,” he breathes, raking his hand through his hair. “Did I wake you?”

Adjusting myself awkwardly, I wonder whether I should just get up and leave right now. I’m sitting in the Alpha’s tent right now. However, he clearly is searching for answers, so I stay sitting.

“It’s okay. I thought you were in pain, so I thought I would investigate,” I murmur, tucking a piece of hair behind my ear. “Are you okay?”

“I was just having a nightmare. Everything with this trip and knowing my mother is out there really is getting into my head,” he explains. I nod solemnly. I can’t imagine how hard it must be for him, and as much as I want to crawl into his blankets and comfort him, I refrain, as painful as it is.

Without thinking, I place my hand on his leg, which is covered by a blanket. Kael doesn’t even flinch, watching my hand sit there. My cheeks burn, once I realise what I’ve done.

However, I don’t move it.

“I’m glad I have you on this trip with me,” Kael breathes, eyes hot and blazing as they focus on me fully. “It seems like you’re the only person who cares about me past the whole Alpha business. I like you a lot, Jada.”

Warmth consumes me as I pray he can’t see my blush. “You changed my life.”

That couldn’t be more true. Before I was offered the contract in the competition, I was thinking I would be spending my life within the depths of a prison, having no life left. Now, I’m in the middle of the forest, feeling more free than I ever have. And once he knows we are mates, I’m sure he will change more of my life.

“I’m sorry about everything my family did to you. I wish I could have stopped that like I stopped what happened to my mother. Seriously, I would have done everything had I known,” Kael tells me seriously.

Shaking my head at him, I dismiss his apology. As much as I believe him, that’s not what I want to speak about right now.

“Can I ask you something?”

Noticing how serious I am, he freezes, waiting for me to speak. It takes me a moment, though, as I realise his reaction might not be sweet and understanding. He might reject the idea of us being mates, and I’ll be forever heartbroken. He might be too busy with his own mother’s mystery to even give me a chance…

Taking a deep breath, I decide to ask. “How would you feel if we were mates?”