Chapter Ten - The King’s Secret
990 Words
Kaelin woke with a jolt.
Her heart thundered in her chest, and the cool morning air seeped into her bones. She sat up in the makeshift cot inside her tent, disoriented for a moment until the sharp scent of blood and earth brought her back.
The borderlands.
The rogue ambush.
Theron—bleeding, fighting, protecting.
She exhaled slowly. Despite the chaos of last night, the camp was quiet now, birds chirping softly beyond the clearing. The scent of meat roasting drifted from the main firepit, and the guards had resumed patrol. Everything looked peaceful—but Kaelin knew better than to be lulled by calm.
The rogues hadn’t attacked on a whim. Something—or someone—was driving them.
She rose, dressed quickly, and made her way to the healer’s tent where Theron was resting. When she entered, he was sitting up, shirtless, the bandages around his shoulder freshly changed. The angry red wound crossed his collarbone like a vicious brand.
“Morning,” he greeted without looking up.
“That cut still looks nasty.”
“I heal fast.”
Kaelin leaned against the wooden post. “You shouldn’t have taken that blow.”
“And you shouldn’t have been unguarded.”
Their eyes met, sharp and unyielding. She wanted to argue—but the words stuck in her throat. He had bled for her. Again.
Instead, she sat beside him and watched the healer mix herbs. The silence between them was filled with unsaid things.
“What happened last night,” Theron said finally, “tan't be ignored. This wasn’t just a rogue attack. This was an orchestrated strike.”
Kaelin nodded. “You think it was Vale?”
“I know it was Vale.”
Her pulse spiked.
The kingdom of Vale was a bitter rival—ruled by Alpha King Darion, a man whose cruelty was whispered about in every pack. Theron and Darion had once been allies. Now, they were enemies.
“There’s more,” Theron added. “You deserve to know.”
Kaelin stilled. His tone was too grim, too deliberate. The hairs on her neck stood up.
“I made a pact with Vale,” he said, voice low. “Five years ago. Before I was crowned.”
She blinked. “What kind of pact?”
“One made in desperation. My father was dying, our borders were weak, and war loomed. I thought if I allied with Darion, I could prevent bloodshed.”
Kaelin swallowed hard. “And?”
“And I signed a treaty that bound our kingdoms for ten years. Trade, territory, and something else.”
Her stomach dropped. “What?”
Theron met her eyes. “A mate bond. Between me and his daughter.”
The air left Kaelin’s lungs.
She stared at him, her heartbeat suddenly deafening.
“You’re mated?”
“No,” he said quickly. “We never completed the bond. I refused. But the promise… it still hangs over me.”
Kaelin stood. Pacing. Shaking.
“So you brought me here—chose me—knowing that?”
“I chose you because I saw strength. Because I wanted something real.”
“But you’re still bound to her by law.”
Theron stood, ignoring the pain. “That’s why Vale is attacking now. Because I broke the pact. Because I crowned you instead.”
Kaelin felt like the ground had shifted beneath her feet. Her breath came fast, shallow. Every wall she had built around her heart threatened to c***k.
She had known the bond was dangerous. But she hadn’t expected this.
“What do you want from me, Theron?” she asked, voice hoarse.
He stepped closer. “I want you to choose me. Not as king. As a male. As a partner. As your equal.”
Her wolf stirred, confused and aching.
“You said you wouldn’t own me.”
“I meant it.”
Kaelin stared at him. He was strong, noble, and vulnerable in a way she hadn’t expected. But could she trust him with her future—with her heart?
She didn’t answer.
Instead, she walked out.
---
The rest of the day passed in a haze. The camp prepared for movement. Scouts reported Vale's troops marching closer. War was inevitable.
Kaelin trained furiously, sparring with anyone who would meet her blade. She needed to move, to burn, to make sense of the storm inside her.
That night, she found herself staring at the stars, seated on a fallen log away from camp.
“You’re thinking loud enough to wake the dead,” came a familiar voice.
It was Elric, Theron’s second-in-command.
Kaelin offered a dry smile. “What gave me away?”
He sat beside her. “You want the truth? I think you scare him.”
She blinked. “Theron?”
Elric nodded. “He’s never looked at anyone the way he looks at you. And he’s afraid you’ll leave.”
Kaelin stared at the sky.
“I don’t know what I’m doing,” she whispered.
Elric chuckled. “None of us do. We just keep fighting.”
She turned to him. “Would you follow him into war?”
He nodded. “Without question. But you? I’d follow you too.”
She smiled softly.
Perhaps that was what made her different.
She didn’t want followers.
She wanted equals.
---
The next morning, Kaelin stood before the gathered soldiers. Theron stood beside her, his arm still bound, his expression grim.
“We march at dawn,” he said. “Vale moves to claim our land, our wolves, our future.”
Kaelin stepped forward, her voice steady. “But we won’t let them. Because this isn’t just Theron’s kingdom. It’s ours.”
The wolves howled in answer.
And in that moment, she knew.
She might not believe in fate.
But she did believe in this fight.
And maybe, just maybe—she believed in him too.
---
- Writer
