chapter 10

Rayne POV

Kael's hand brushed mine, his touch grounding yet possessive, as if silently claiming something neither of us had acknowledged. It was totally strange, this feeling of comfort around him, like a tether that held me steady against the storm of emotions and power surging through me.

But across the clearing, I caught Mateo's gaze, his expression sharp and watchful over my every foot step, as if he were trying to decipher a puzzle no one else could see apart from him.

"Rayne," Kael's voice brought me back from my thoughts, his tone low and reassuring at same time.

"We should keep moving. Staying here only invites more danger and harm."

I nodded, feeling the weight of his words.

My heart was still pounding from the encounter with the mysterious figure in the woods, and Kael had insisted we get as far from the rogues as possible.

But Mateo's presence was an anchor I couldn't just ignore or walk away from, his silent suspicion clinging to every step Kael took.

"Mateo," I said, hoping to break the builded tension, "thank you for helping us back there. I… I don't know what would've happened if you hadn't shown up."

Mateo's eyes softened, if only for a second he could get me back to himself.

"You don't have to thank me for any of that, Rayne. I'd never let anything happen to you, not when am still here."

Mateo's words hung in the air, heavy with a meaning I wasn't sure I wanted to unpack from him and have my life with the man who accepted me for himself.

He already rejected me, torn me apart in front of everyone in the whole pack, and yet… there was still something there, some thread of a bond that hadn't fully snapped.

Kael's hand tightened slightly on mine, as if sensing the pull. His eyes flashed with an intensity I hadn't seen before, a warning or perhaps a reminder of something, which I just didn't care about.

"We don't have time to linger on gratitude and thanks," Kael said, his gaze shifting to Mateo, distracting us both. "The rogues are still out there, and they're not going to give up easily until they get what belongs to them."

Mateo's jaw clenched, his suspicion evident.

"Funny, coming from someone who just appeared out of nowhere with no past and no pack. And suddenly you're here, claiming to be Rayne's second chance mate?" He stepped closer, his voice a low growl and sending warnings.

"What's your game and main reason here, Kael?"

Kael didn't flinch a bit. Instead, he met Mateo's stare, unyielding.

"My loyalty to Rayne is real and from the heart. I don't owe you any explanations, Mateo." His tone was calm, but there was a deadly edge to it, as if daring Mateo to challenge him further to release some words.

I could feel the tension sparking up already between them like wildfire, and it was all centered around me.

I pulled my hand from Kael's tight grip on me, stepping between them.

"Enough of this childishness.This isn't the time for a power struggle or any agurment. We're all targets right now, and if we don't work together, we won't make it pass the Rogues"

Mateo's gaze softened, though he still looked wary of Kael.

"Fine. But Rayne, you deserve the whole truth for yourself. Something's not right here and I know you're are also feeling it." He looked at me with an intensity that made my heart race with what he was saying. "I'm not convinced he's who he says he is."

A flicker of doubt crept into my mind, but I forced it down, not trying to believe those words of his.

Kael had protected me for awhile now, guided me through some of my darkest moments. And yet… Mateo's suspicions tugged at me, casting a shadow over everything I thought I knew about.

Kael's voice broke the silence that was already up, gentle but firm.

"Rayne, do you trust me?"

It was a simple question to give an answer to, but the weight of it settled heavily on my shoulders.

" Did I trust him? " I asked myself.

The answer should've been an immediate yes, yet Mateo's words had stirred something—a fear, a flicker of uncertainty.

"I…" I hesitated, caught between the two men standing before me.

The forest around us was fully silent, as if it too were holding its breath, waiting for my decision.

Kael's eyes softened, his hand reaching out to touch my face, his fingers light against my tender skin.

"You don't have to answer right now, Rayne. Just know that I'm here for you. I'll protect you, no matter what happens in the nearest future."

Mateo scoffed, breaking the fragile moment.

"Protect her you say?" Mateo laughed," That's rich, coming from someone who keeps slipping into the shadows whenever things get intense and hard. Where were you before all this started happening, Kael?"

Kael's expression hardened, his hand dropping away, with his look dangerous.

"You don't understand. I had my reasons, and those reasons are none of your concern, Mr Alpha."

Mateo took a step closer, his voice low and challenging.

"If you hurt her, if you're hiding anything that puts her in danger, I'll make sure you regret it and you die."

Kael's eyes darkened, a flash of something almost sinister crossing his features before it vanished.

"You're welcome to try."

The air grew thick with unspoken threats, the intensity between them impossible to ignore or walk out from.

I felt as if I were standing between two Strong storms, both dangerous, both powerful, and I was the center point.

But before I could say anything, a chill ran down my spine. A familiar, ominous feeling. We weren't alone in this forest.

"Did you hear that?" I whispered, every instinct on high alert, with my eyes scanning there with anxiety.

Both Mateo and Kael fell silent, their senses sharp, scanning the dark shadows around us.

The forest was fully quiet, too quiet.

And then, from the darkness, a set of eyes gleamed, watching us. It was Rogues. Dozens of them, creeping closer, surrounding us with there eyes red and bloody.

"We need to move, now!" Kael barked, grabbing my hand again, urgency in his grip.

But Mateo stepped in front of us, his gaze locked on the approaching rogues.

"Run, Rayne. I'll hold them off for some time."

I froze, torn. I couldn't just leave him there to die in a fight.

"Mateo, no—"

"Go!" he shouted, a fierce determination in his eyes.

"I'll find you later. Just get out of here at once!"

Kael pulled me back, his grip firm but gentle.

"We don't have a choice at all, Rayne. If we stay, we're all dead and never enjoy this sweet life."

With one last look at Mateo, I let Kael lead me through the trees, my heart pounding as we ran. But the sense of dread only grew stronger, and the sound of fighting echoed behind us, Mateo's fierce growls and the rogues' snarls blending into a chaotic symphony.

We reached a spot, and Kael pulled me to a halt, his breath ragged. He was tense, his gaze darting around, as if anticipating another strong attack.

Before I could catch my breath again, he turned to me, his expression dark and strong.

"Rayne, there's something you need to know. Something I've kept from you from a very long time."

My heart skipped a beat, with my heart trying to Know what he was hiding.

"What do you mean?" I smiled.

Kael's face was shadowed, a strange vulnerability crossing his features.

"The rogues… they're after me. I'm the reason they're here."

I stared at him, shock and confusion swirling in my mind.

"What?"

He swallowed, his gaze dropping.

"There's a lot you don't know about me. I came here because… because I was trying to escape my past and move on with life. But it seems my past has caught up with me."

The weight of his words settled heavily over me, and suddenly, everything started to make a twisted kind of sense. His mysterious appearance, the secrets, the power he seemed to possess.

"You… you brought them here to kill us?" My voice was barely above whisper, the betrayal slicing through me, like a loaf.

Kael's eyes were filled with so much regret, his hand reaching out as if to touch me, but he stopped himself.

"I never meant for this to happen to anyone, Rayne. I just wanted to protect you and make you have a good life."

Before I could respond to his words, a rustling sounded behind us, and I turned to see Mateo stumbling into the clearing, bloodied but alive.

His eyes locked on Kael, fury and accusation blazing within them.

"I knew it," he spat, his voice trembling with rage and anger already.

"You're the reason for all of this, aren't you?."

Kael took a step back, his expression guarded.

"It's not what you think, Mateo."

But Mateo wasn't listening to his words.

He stepped between us, his gaze fierce and also protective.

"Rayne, you need to get away from him as soon as possible. He's dangerous and wicked. I can't let you stay with him for another second."

My mind was spinning at this point, torn between the two men, who hated themselves, the truth hanging in the air like a poisonous cloud.

Kael was my protector, my anchor, and yet… he had brought the danger right to my doorstep, and still always try to make us not fight it.

I took a shaky step back, the weight of betrayal and fear crashing over me, with my heart skipping.

"Is it true, Kael? Did you… did you bring them here?"

He looked at me, his face a mask of regret and something else I couldn't just explain.

"Rayne,