Night fell quickly, bringing with it the biting chill of the northern mountains. The mansion lay in silence, save for the occasional footsteps of patrolling guards and the rustle of leaves dancing in the wind.
In Kael's private chamber, the candle wax had begun to melt low, casting dim shadows across the corners of the room.
Vel had already returned to her room—accompanied by Erianne, who wouldn't stop teasing her the whole way.
Kael sat alone at his desk, poring over an old scroll filled with ancient notes about rare Omegas. His eyes narrowed. He wasn't sure why he was bothering with all this.
He had never cared before.
Especially not about the theory of true bonding between Lunaris—Alpha and Omega said to be created to find and complete each other—Aruvin. Kael always thought it was nonsense. An overblown myth meant to tie two individuals together through something irrational. Emotion, instinct, and attachment. All that talk of love—he saw it as nothing more than revolting human lust.
To him, it was annoying. Troublesome. Too loud.
His Lunaris had rarely even stirred. Since childhood, Kael had been like an Alpha without roots. Calm, controlled, unmoved. He'd never been tempted by any Omega, never felt the possessive urge or desire to mark someone.
He thought he was broken—and honestly, he liked that part of himself.
But Vel … Vel was chaos in its smallest and deadliest form.
Since the first moment they met—even when she was just a trembling little cat curled in his arms—his Lunaris stirred to life.
An irritating, burning, crawling sensation.
At first, he thought it was because Vel was a rare Omega. Of course, his body would react to something so unfamiliar.
But days passed, and the girl kept seeping in. With her soft voice. With the way she looked at him like the world spun only for them. With that sweet scent. With that warmth he couldn't understand.
His Lunaris grew wilder. As if every dead feeling inside him had returned to demand their due.
Kael leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes.
For a moment, he saw Vel behind his eyelids. Not as a human. Not as a cat. But something in between—soft, fragile, and somehow... important.
He hated it.
Hated how his mind had started entertaining thoughts it shouldn't.
"I won't leave you, Vel," he had said earlier. And it didn't feel like an empty promise.
Kael stared at his own hands. The same hands that had wrapped his cloak around Vel today. That had held her close. That had touched her shoulder gently to calm her down.
These were hands that were growing used to softness. Not just gripping a sword. Not just hurting. It didn't feel like him anymore.
"You're a fool," he muttered under his breath to himself.
He stood from his desk, walking toward a tall bookshelf tucked in the corner. Behind a stack of strategy books and war records, a hidden drawer rested, nearly forgotten.
Kael slid it open and pulled out a small round object—metallic, carved with delicate markings.
A Lunaris clasp.
A sacred relic only used after the formal acknowledgment of a true bond between mates. Kael didn't even know why he'd kept it all this time. It had been gifted to him by his father two years ago. He never cared about it … but something had told him to keep it.
His fingers curled around the metal. His lips twisted into a bitter smirk.
"Don't be insane. She's still in pre-heat. This is just a natural reaction. Hormones. Emotions."
He spoke as if trying to talk himself down. But his Lunaris throbbed gently beneath his skin.
Not wild—just steady.
His words said one thing. But his heart and instincts said something else entirely.
He wanted to bite Vel's Lunaris.
***
Vel awoke with sweat clinging to her temples. Her breath came in gasps, her body trembling slightly. A strange dream. She had seen herself surrounded by golden light—then swallowed by a black fog. It was hot, exhausting, and painful.
"What was that .... " She touched her chest, where her heart pounded erratically.
Outside the window, the night wind howled, branches scraping against each other. Vel turned toward the sound—then froze.
There was someone standing on the rooftop across from her. A shadowy figure. Still. Watching her room.
Vel hastily pulled the curtains shut, her hand shaking. She grabbed the small bell Kael had given her, the one beside her bed, and rang it.
Not even a minute passed before the door swung open. Kael appeared—without his cloak, wearing only the thin black shirt he usually used for night training.
"What is it?" he asked, instantly alert.
"I … I saw someone. On the rooftop over there." Vel pointed toward the window.
Kael moved swiftly, pulling the curtain aside and peering out. But all he saw were tree shadows and a dark sky. No one was there.
Still, his instincts screamed otherwise. His breath tightened. He drew a short dagger from his belt.
"Vel, lock your door. Don't open it for anyone but me or Erianne. I'll check the grounds."
Vel grabbed his arm. "Kael … be careful."
Kael turned to her. For a moment, time slowed. In Vel's gaze was fear. Trust. Hope. And something else beginning to bloom—an emotion not yet fully formed.
Kael gave a small nod. "I'll come back."
And with that, he vanished into the dark. Vel shut the door slowly. The click of the lock echoed louder than usual. Her hands were still trembling as she leaned against the wall, trying to calm her breathing.
But it wasn't easy to settle herself—not when the fear crawling under her skin felt far too familiar.
It wasn't just the shadow that unsettled her.
It was Kael.
The way he had looked at her—as if he wanted to protect her from everything that might harm her. As if she were something important. Precious.
Was she allowed to feel that way?
Vel bit her lower lip. "Don't get your hopes up. One day … he might hurt me too," she whispered to herself.
She walked to the window and peeked through the curtain—just slightly. There was no one. Only night wind and a sky full of stars. But the unease in her chest didn't fade.
If anything, it grew stronger.
***
Meanwhile, outside the castle, Kael moved through the cold, empty corridors. Every step was silent, leaving no trace. He moved like a shadow, merging with the night.
Behind sharp eyes, his mind spun with possibilities. Who would be foolish enough to trespass on a night like this? And why had they been staring at Vel's room?
Kael leapt onto the outer wall with ease. He paused briefly, then climbed to the rooftop where Vel had pointed. He found nothing—no footprints, no strange scent—only tiles slick with nighttime dew.
Still, his instincts wouldn't quiet.
Kael closed his eyes, focusing on the area around him. Faint heartbeats echoed in his mind. Suddenly, the air changed. The temperature dropped sharply.
Kael turned instantly, drawing his blade.
A shadow darted across the edge of the roof—too fast for any ordinary human.
Kael chased it without hesitation. His feet struck tile and stone as he leapt from rooftop to rooftop, pursuing the silhouette that danced nimbly among the mansion's ancient structures.
They were almost like dancers—Kael and the intruder—chasing each other in silence.
At the final rooftop, the figure vanished. As if they had melted into the air.
Kael stood still. His chest rose and fell. His dagger was still gripped tight in his right hand.
Then—he felt something. A faint scent. Not that of a typical Alpha. Too strong. Something that shouldn't exist here.
"Damn it … this wasn't a normal break-in," he muttered.
Kael stared at the night sky. Silent. But his expression had changed.
No more hesitation. No more retreat.
His Lunaris pulsed—this time with a force he couldn't ignore. A foreign urge. Demanding. Overwhelming.
Kael's aura flared.
Suddenly, the air grew heavy. The ground beneath him trembled. Blackish-purple mist began to rise from his body like a cloak of magic.
Nyx Aura. A rare power, awakened only in Alphas destined to become truly formidable.
The wind stopped. Light itself seemed to drain from the surroundings. In the distance, a crow screeched—and fell from the sky.
Footsteps echoed behind him.
"Kael!"
The deep, commanding voice made him turn.
His father—Duke Alvaren—stood at the loft's edge, his expression grim, eyes wide.
His night robe hung loosely, the family crest glinting on a chain around his neck.
"Control your aura. Now."
Kael didn't speak. His gaze was fixed on the place where the shadow had vanished. His aura still surged, wild and volatile.
"Someone was watching Vel's room. I saw it." His voice was hoarse.
Duke Alvaren strode toward him. "I don't care if she was being watched by a hundred eyes. If you keep releasing your Nyx Aura like that, this entire mansion could collapse."
"I can't hold it back anymore." Kael clenched his jaw. "She's awakening more and more each day, Father. My Lunaris is … it's starting to awaken her completely."
Those words made Duke Alvaren fall silent.
For several seconds, only the wind returned to fill the space.
"Since when?"
Kael's eyes stayed sharp. "Since my Lunaris was drawn to Vel."