Chapter 16
Chapter 016
~~Kaia p>
The moon goddess must be mocking me by now.
Chaos every turn I take.
I bring drama and trouble along with me.
The forest is damp. Wet from rain. Now, it smells like blood and rain.
I stood in the middle of it–mud mixed with the scout’s blood on my hands, my pulse pumping too loud in my
ears.
While the patrol circled me like wolves ready to bite. Their blades glinted wetly in the dawn light.
Somewhere behind them, the scout I’d saved was still breathing. Barely.
“Guys,think about it, why would she save him if she led them to attack him? She’s not who you think she is”
Samson said,trying to defend me.
He was the only one who thinks I’m not evil.. Dangerous. Cursed like everyone else seemed to believe.
“She has managed to get into your head, Samson. Stay out of this otherwise I will be forced to hurt you” One of the soldiers said,threatening.
I didn’t bother defending myself anymore. Not with words. Words never saved me.
It has never saved me. So,why bother anymore.
“She was the first to spot him. She jumped over his body claiming to save him. Isn’t that suspicious?” One of the patrol soldiers asked, glaring at me.
With doubts. Suspicion and hate in his eyes.
“None of us saw the attackers but somehow, she saw him buried in his own pool of blood. He was half–dead, and didn’t scream for help. Yet,she knew where to find him” one of them snapped.
I met his eyes.“It’s not my fault I had good eyesight and healing instincts”
The man sneered. “Easy to say, stray p>
Before I could answer, the forest stirred–branches cracking, hoofbeats pounding through the mist.
The air shifted, thickened. Every wolf in the clearing straightened, scenting the Alpha before he appeared.
Theo Ashford rode in like thunder, dark coat spattered with mud, eyes burning with restrained fury.
He dismounted without a word. The tension in the patrol fractured like glass.
“Whats going on here?,” Theo asked as soon as he saw us.
His aura Alpha rolling off of him like striking thunderstorms.
No one answered.
“Well, she spotted the injured scout before any of us did. She might be in cohorts with the attackers” one of them managed to say, holding his breath.
“So, you drew swords on a healer who saved a man’s life? Your man’s life?” Theo questioned, his voice dangerously low.
Theo moved past them and knelt beside the scout, checking the wound. His gloved hand brushed over the bandages I’d tied–tight, efficient.
I watched his expression flicker, almost imperceptibly, as if he hated how much that impressed him.
“He’s alive,” Theo muttered, softly.
“It’s because of her, Alpha Theo,” Samson said before I could stop him.” She saved him p>
Theo’s gaze lifted to mine–steady, unreadable, too intense.
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Chapter 016
For a moment, the forest disappeared, and it was just us.
Lost in each other’s eyes.
Then he rose, his authority filling the air again. “You’ll all return to the Packhouse with me. No one touches her. That’s an order p>
“But Alpha Theo, the council- ”
The soldiers hesitated, caught between obedience and resentment.
But they obeyed. No one disobeyed Alpha Theo Ashford twice.
The journey back was silent. I walked beside Theo’s horse, refusing his offer to ride.
Pride, stubbornness–call it whatever. I just couldn’t stand to sit close to him, afraid of the outcome.
Or maybe I didn’t want to feel his breath fanning my throat and arousing something in me.
Something that shouldn’t exist.
When we reached the Pack fortress gates, the guards didn’t bow. They only stared. Whispers rippled through the courtyard.
The traitor returns.
Theo didn’t look at them. “Get her cleaned up,” he ordered curtly. “Then bring her to the Council Hall p>
My stomach sank.
Another judgment. Another room full of wolves deciding what I was worth.
The Council chamber smelled of polished stone and incense, but nothing could hide the conspiracies beneath.
I stood in the center while six elders sat around the long crescent table, their robes trimmed with silver threads. Their eyes cut sharper than any blade.
They glared at me. With doubts. Suspicion and anger.
Theo stood near the head of the table, hands clasped behind his back, expression carved from stone.
“You sent her there to die,” Theo says.
“And she didn’t. That’s your real problem”
“We tested loyalty,” Daren sneers. “not luck p>
“We sent her on this mission,” One of them echoed,“And now we found her in the middle of another
bloodstained trail. How rather convenient”
Thor’s jaw tensed. “Convenient? She saved the scout’s life p>
“Or staged it,” Councilor Daren sneered.“She might’ve drawn the attackers in and pretended to save him too…. To save face”
I almost laughed. Almost.
“If I wanted your scout dead,” I said quietly, “I wouldn’t have stopped the bleeding p>
The chamber went still. My voice sounded too calm even to me.
I’m done. Done being preyed and trampled upon by everyone. Everywhere I went.
The councilors and Elders looked at each other in shock.
I’m sure they weren’t expecting me to reply. Especially not like that.
They turned to each other, murmuring.
“She was near the body p>
“Rogues attacked again after she arrived p>
“Enough!,” Theo said finally, his voice slicing through the noise. “You tested her. She helped. She lived. You wanted proof -There it is”
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Chapter 016
“Proof?, ” Daren murmured, “Or performance”
“Alpha Theo, the council has decided –” before the leader of the council, Elder Corwin could finish,l
interrupted.
“I’m sorry, councilors but I have something to say. Please give me a chance to speak” I pleaded, avoiding Theo‘ s gaze.
I’ve had enough. Enough of putting him in the spotlight.
Something that’s causing chaos in the Pack.
Giving his pack members a chance to question his authority.
If I can’t go away from this pack without confirming their doubts about me.
I might as well, make them see Alpha Theo didn’t make a mistake bringing me here.
To Shadowclaw Pack.
“I’m willing to do anything to show you that Alpha Theo didn’t make a mistake bringing me here. I’m not a stray who will bring diseases and deaths to the pack p>
The silence that followed was worse than screaming. Something I’m used to by now.
When the decision came, it was swift and cold.
“The council has decided that you’ll remain in Shadowclaw territory but under supervision.” Councilor Daren began,” You will work in the healer’s hall where your talents could be evaluated. If you failed to meet our expectations, not even the Alpha can save you then”
I feel the same hatred from the Silvermoon trial – the looks, the whispers, the sense that justice is a lie.
But this turned out so much better than Silvermoon’s judgement.
Theo didn’t speak again. He looked at me.
But when the guards approached, he gave them a look that made them step back instantly.
“I will take her myself,” he said.
While walking me to the Healer’s Hall he couldn’t stop himself from asking.
“You could’ve run. You didn’t. Why p>
“Because he would’ve died. I’ve seen enough death to last a lifetime” I exhaled.
My answer seems to shake him.
“Still. You should put yourself first. Sometimes,Kaia. Please”
“I’m not guilty,” I said. “So,I don’t have to run from helping because of judgement”
The healer’s hall was all white stone and polished floors, too clean, too quiet.
It smelled like herbs and distrust.
Mistress Amelia met us at the entrance–a tall woman with silver streaks in her hair and sharp eyes that saw everything.
“This is the one?, ” She asked,glancing at me.
Theo nodded. “Yes. She will stay here until further notice p>
Amelia’s tone was calm.” I run this place by rules,Alpha. If she breaks them p>
“Then I will deal with it”
Theo turned to leave, but paused. For just a heartbeat, his gaze softened. “You saved a life today. Remember that, even if they don’t p>
He left before I could answer.
Amelia’s sigh broke the silence. “You’ve made quite the entrance, healer. You’ll find no sympathy here–only work. The wounded don’t care who you are, only if you can keep them breathing p>
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Chapter 016
That, at least, I could do.
I threw myself into the work immediately.
Binding wounds, grinding herbs, ignoring whispers.
The other healers watched me like I was a ghost that hadn’t realized it was dead.
By nightfall, my hands were stained with blood again. I scrubbed them raw in the basin until the water turned pink.
Through the window, I could see the moon rising over the fortress walls.
The world felt both impossibly small and endlessly wide.
Endlessly wide for those who get to see it and small for people like me, locked away by exile.
“Maybe trust isn’t given. You earn it one heartbeat at a time” I muttered under my breath.
Theo returned hours later.
Theo looked around. “You shouldn’t be here alone ”
Kaia replied, not meeting his gaze. “I’ve always been alone”
Theo clasped my hand.“Not anymore”
I felt shivers running down my spine.
His touch aroused something in my core.
And his breath so close to me, made me hold my own breath.
Somehow,we both raised our heads to look at the moon.
With his hand still clasping mine.
“I have something to ask, Theo, do you mind?” I asked, loading my head.
“I don’t mind. Go ahead”
“What do you think of me?” I asked.
Maybe, this isn’t the question I wanted to ask.
But I can’t bring myself to ask.
Not like this.
Not when I’m nothing but an outcast Luna with a dormant wolf.
“Kaia. You’re perfect. Absolutely perfect”
I could swear my stomach did a flip.
For a long moment, neither looked away.
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4/4
Cedella
Cedella is a passionate storyteller known for her bold romantic and spicy novels that keep readers hooked from the very first chapter. With a flair for crafting emotionally intense plots and unforgettable characters, she blends love, desire, and drama into every story she writes. Cedella’s storytelling style is immersive and addictive—perfect for fans of heated romances and heart-pounding twists.