Kael’s POV
I shot to my feet.
The leather chair scraped against the floor. The sound was too loud in the quiet office.
"No."
The word came out hard. Defensive. Like a shield.
Dr. Elena looked up at me. That calm, knowing smile still on her face. Like she’d expected exactly this reaction.
"No," I repeated. Louder this time. "That’s ridiculous. I’m not in love with her."
"Kael—"
"I can’t be." I started pacing. The office was too small. The walls were closing in. "She’s an Omega. A Shadow Moon. Her family is trash. Her brother destroyed my brother. Do you have any idea what Cain did to Lucian?"
Dr. Elena said nothing. Just watched me with those patient eyes.
"I have a girlfriend." The words tumbled out faster. More desperate. "Rebecca. We’ve been together for years. Everyone expects us to mate. She’s going to be my Luna. We’re going to lead the pack together. That’s how it’s supposed to be. That’s the plan."
"Is that what you want?"
"It doesn’t matter what I want!" I spun to face her. "I’m the Alpha heir. I have responsibilities. Expectations. I can’t just throw everything away for some Omega I barely know."
"You’ve spent the last hour telling me about her." Dr. Elena’s voice was gentle. Infuriatingly gentle. "That doesn’t sound like someone you barely know."
I opened my mouth. Closed it.
She was right.
I did know Aria. Knew the way she laughed. Knew the way she cried. Knew the way her hands trembled when she was scared. Knew the way her eyes lit up when she smiled.
Knew the sound she made when I touched her. The taste of her lips. The feel of her body against mine.
I knew her better than I’d ever known Rebecca.
But that didn’t mean—
"You’re wrong." My voice was weaker now. Less certain. "I don’t love her. I can’t."
"Can’t?" Dr. Elena tilted her head. "Or won’t?"
The question hit like a punch.
I stared at her. No words.
"Kael." She set down her notepad. Leaned forward. "I’ve been doing this job for thirty years. I’ve seen countless wolves walk through that door. I know what love looks like."
"This isn’t—"
"The sleepless nights. The inability to focus. The physical pain when you’re apart from her." She counted each symptom on her fingers. "The overwhelming need to protect her. The jealousy when another man touches her. The way your wolf reacts to her scent."
My jaw clenched.
"Those aren’t symptoms of casual attraction," she continued. "Those are symptoms of a deep emotional bond. Whether you want to call it love or not, that’s what it is."
"No." I shook my head. "It’s just the mate bond. Fenrir recognized her. That’s all this is. Biology. Instinct. Nothing more."
"And yet you pushed her away."
Silence.
"If this was just biology," Dr. Elena said softly, "you would have claimed her by now. Marked her. Made her yours. That’s what instinct demands."
I said nothing. Couldn’t.
"But you didn’t." She studied my face. "You let her go. You told her goodbye. Why?"
Because I was afraid.
The answer rose up before I could stop it. True. Devastating.
I was afraid.
Afraid of what she made me feel. Afraid of losing control. Afraid of becoming like my father—twisted by love into something monstrous.
Afraid of needing someone.
"I think," Dr. Moonshadow said quietly, "you already know the truth. You’re just not ready to admit it yet."
I stood there. Frozen. My chest ached like someone had reached inside and was squeezing my heart.
"I have to go." The words came out rough. Strangled.
Dr. Moonshadow nodded. "Of course. Take your time, Kael. This isn’t something you need to figure out today."
But that was the problem.
I’d been trying to figure it out for weeks. And I was further from answers than ever.
I walked out of the office without saying goodbye.
---
The parking lot was empty.
I sat in my car. Engine off. Hands gripping the steering wheel.
My mind was chaos. Thoughts crashing into each other like waves in a storm.
*The Moon Goddess chose her for us.* Fenrir’s voice was smug. Knowing. *She marked Aria as our fated mate before either of us was born. You think you know better than the Goddess?*
I pressed my forehead against the steering wheel. The leather was cool against my skin.
"It doesn’t make sense," I muttered. "Why her?"
I slammed my palm against the steering wheel. The impact stung. Good. Pain was good. Pain meant I could still feel something other than this gnawing emptiness.
*You’re being an idiot,* Fenrir said flatly. *You know that, right?*
"Thanks for the support."
*I’m serious.* His voice turned harsh. *The Moon Goddess gave us a gift. A perfect mate. Someone who matches our soul completely. And you’re throwing it away because of pride. Because of fear. Because you’re too stubborn to admit you made a mistake.*
I closed my eyes. Let the words sink in.
He was right.
God, he was right.
I’d pushed her away. Hurt her. Made her cry. Paid her like she was nothing.
I pulled out my phone. Stared at the dark screen.
My finger moved without permission. Opening photos. Scrolling through images I barely remembered taking.
And then—
There she was.
Aria.
Asleep in that hotel room. The morning after we’d... after everything.
I’d taken the photo like a thief. Quick. Guilty. Not wanting to admit why I needed it.
She looked peaceful in the image. Her silver-grey hair spread across the pillow like silk. Her lips slightly parted. Her face relaxed in a way I’d never seen when she was awake.
Beautiful.
So goddamn beautiful.
I remembered taking this photo. Standing over her in the pale morning light. Watching her breathe. Fighting the urge to climb back into bed beside her.
I’d told myself I took it as proof. Evidence of our transaction. Something to show Rebecca if she asked for details about the "game."
But that was a lie.
I’d taken it because I couldn’t bear to leave without something. Some piece of her to carry with me. Some proof that the night had been real.
My thumb traced the edge of her face on the screen. Gentle. Careful. Like she might feel it somehow.
I stared at the photo for a long time. The parking lot was silent. The world had shrunk to just me and this image on a screen.
"I love her."
The words fell from my lips. Quiet. Wondering. Like I was testing them out.
Something shifted in my chest. The constant ache eased. Just slightly. Just enough to breathe.
I’d spent so long fighting this. Denying it. Running from it.
But I was done running.
Done lying to myself.
Done pretending I didn’t feel exactly what I felt.
The realization settled into my bones. Heavy. Certain. Undeniable.
I was falling in love with Aria.