Chapter 5 The First Test

• She barely slept that night. She tossed and turned for hours, her body still buzzing with leftover heat from the bond and her mind replaying every single thing Kael had told her. By the time morning light filtered through the window, she was exhausted, grumpy, and still embarrassingly horny.
• She sat up in bed and rubbed her eyes. “Note to self: Never touch glowing rocks in the woods. Terrible life choices. Ten out of ten would not recommend. Zero stars.”
• A knock sounded on the door. Kael stepped inside carrying a tray of food and a stack of folded clothes.
• “Morning,” he said. “I brought breakfast. And some clothes that might fit you better.”
• Elara eyed the tray suspiciously. “Is this a ‘welcome to the pack’ breakfast or a ‘please don’t run away’ breakfast? Because I’m still processing the whole ‘you might die if we don’t complete the bond’ thing.”
• Kael set the tray down on the small table near the window. “Both, honestly. The pack is gathering soon. They want to meet you.”
• Elara picked up a piece of toast and took a bite. “Great. I love being the main attraction at the human zoo. Should I prepare a speech? ‘Hi everyone, I’m Elara. I trigger ancient bonds, make your Alpha horny, and apparently might get us all killed. Nice to meet you.’”
• Kael’s lips twitched in amusement. “Try not to provoke them too much. Some of them are already nervous.”
• “No promises,” she said with a shrug. “I’m running on three hours of sleep and supernatural horniness. My filter is officially broken.”
• After she finished eating and changed into the simple but comfortable clothes he brought, Kael led her out of the room. The compound was already busy. People stared openly as they walked past, whispering to each other.
• “Friendly bunch,” Elara muttered. “I feel so welcome. Really warm and fuzzy vibes here.”
• “They’re curious,” Kael said. “The Eternal Bond is legend. No one alive has seen it awaken before.”
• They entered a large hall filled with pack members. The room went completely silent the moment they walked in.
• An older woman with sharp, intelligent eyes stepped forward. “So this is her? The human who triggered the Eternal Bond?”
• “Yes, Elder Mira,” Kael said. “This is Elara.”
• Mira looked Elara up and down slowly. “A human. Interesting choice, Alpha. The bond is already unstable. If it’s not completed soon, it could kill you both.”
• Elara’s stomach dropped. “Kill us? Kael, you left out the killing part. That feels like important information I should have known yesterday.”
• Kael’s jaw tightened. “I was getting to it.”
• Another man, tall and muscular, stepped forward. Elara recognized him as one of the guards from the night before.
• “This is reckless,” he said loudly. “A human Luna? The pack won’t accept it. She’s weak. She’ll make us weak.”
• Elara raised an eyebrow. “Weak? I survived my cheating ex, losing my job, and a car crash in a storm. I think I can handle a few werewolves giving me attitude.”
• A few people in the back chuckled. The guard didn’t look amused at all.
• Kael’s voice turned cold and authoritative. “She is my mate. The bond has chosen. You will respect her.”
• Tension filled the room. Elara could feel it crackling in the air like electricity.
• Suddenly, a young woman pushed through the crowd. “Alpha, we have scouts reporting movement on the western border. Vesper’s pack. They’re testing us.”
• Kael cursed under his breath. “How many?”
• “Small group for now. But they’re bold. They must have sensed the bond activating.”
• Elara looked between them. “Vesper? Another Alpha?”
• Kael nodded. “My biggest rival. He’s been looking for any sign of weakness. This bond… it makes me stronger. He’ll want to stop it before it fully settles.”
• Elder Mira spoke again, her voice grave. “If the bond isn’t stabilized soon, it will become a liability. Complete it, Alpha. Or we may lose everything.”
• Elara felt a surge of panic rising in her chest. “Complete it? Like… right now? In front of everyone? No thank you. I need at least three dates and a bottle of wine first. Maybe some therapy too.”
• Kael put a hand on her lower back, steadying her. “Not now. But soon.”
• The meeting broke up into tense, overlapping conversations. Kael pulled Elara aside into a quieter corner of the hall.
• “I need to check the border personally,” he said. “Stay here. Stay close to the main buildings. Don’t wander off alone.”
• Elara grabbed his arm. “You’re leaving me here? With the people who clearly don’t want me around and think I’m going to get everyone killed?”
• “I’ll be back as soon as I can,” Kael said. “I promise.”
• He leaned down and pressed a quick kiss to her forehead. The contact sent another strong wave of heat through her body.
• Then he was gone.
• Elara stood there, feeling the now-familiar tug of pain in her chest as he moved farther away.
• “Great,” she muttered to herself. “Abandoned again. This bond is the worst roommate ever. Zero stars. Would not recommend.”
• She wandered around the compound for a while, trying to stay out of everyone’s way. A few younger pack members were nicer than the others. One girl named Lira — who introduced herself as Kael’s younger sister — even offered to show her around.
• “So you’re the famous human mate,” Lira said with a grin. “You’ve got the whole pack talking. My brother has never looked this… alive before.”
• “Alive?” Elara asked. “He seemed pretty alive when he was naked in the rain last night.”
• Lira laughed. “I didn’t need that mental image. Thanks for that.”
• They were walking near the edge of the main buildings when Elara felt a sharp pain in her chest. Much stronger than before.
• She gasped and grabbed her shirt. “Something’s wrong.”
• Lira’s eyes widened. “The bond. Kael must be in trouble.”
• Before Elara could respond, a loud howl echoed from the forest. Then another. Closer.
• “Rivals,” Lira whispered. “They broke through.”
• Chaos erupted. Pack members started shouting and shifting into wolf form all around them. Elara felt another sharp tug of pain in her chest.
• Then she saw him — a large grey wolf bursting from the trees, heading straight toward her with bared fangs.
• Lira stepped in front of her protectively. “Stay behind me!”
• But the grey wolf was fast. It leaped over Lira and slammed into Elara, knocking her to the ground.
• Elara screamed as sharp teeth snapped inches from her throat.
• In that moment, she felt the bond surge with raw power — and pure terror.
• “Kael!” she cried out desperately. “Kael, help!”