Chapter 14
845words
The first week reveals my hidden senses—conversations heard across impossible distances, scents that tell stories of creatures long gone, vision that pierces darkness. Each success brings Kayden's rare smile.
"Your mother's gifts run strong in you," he says after I track him blindfolded. His pride affects me more than it should.
I learn to move silently, fall without injury, strike with precision. When frustration overwhelms me, his steady presence reminds me he believes when I don't.
In our forest sanctuary, titles vanish. We're simply Kayden and Freya—teacher and student becoming something like allies.
My fear recedes; confidence grows. My body feels truly mine—stronger, more capable. Running through the forest awakens something wild inside me, something that belongs among trees and sky.
Kayden's formality crumbles here. He laughs, speaks freely. Once, after I master a difficult challenge, he lifts me in spontaneous celebration, then sets me down abruptly, cheeks flushed.
Accidental touches. Lingering glances. Comfortable silences. Trust builds unexpectedly between us. I reveal thoughts I've never spoken; he shares the weight of his position.
"No one sees me as just Kayden," he confesses beside our stream. "Always the Alpha's son, the future leader."
"I see you," I tell him. His response makes my heart race.
Two weeks in, my body transforms—new muscles, sharper reflexes, strange energy beneath my skin. A cut from a rock heals before our eyes.
"It's happening faster than expected," he says, fingers tracing where the wound had been. "Your werewolf side is awakening."
His touch lingers. Tension grows between us—unspoken but undeniable.
In the palace, we play our roles. In the forest, barriers between werewolf and human, noble and servant, blur into meaninglessness.
I never expected freedom in captivity or connection with my captor. Yet I find myself waiting for dawn, for his knock, for our hours among the trees.
Sometimes, when he thinks I'm not looking, I catch him watching me with an expression that makes my pulse quicken—something that feels dangerously like possibility.
Three weeks into our training, the palace atmosphere shifts. Preparations for the Moon Goddess ceremony intensify—servants rushing through hallways with decorations, nobles arriving daily from distant territories. The Western Pack delegation remains, their presence a constant shadow in my thoughts.
I notice the change in Kayden first. In the palace, his mask grows more rigid, his interactions with me more formal. Only his eyes betray him—finding mine across crowded rooms, holding my gaze a moment longer than necessary.
"We should be more careful," he tells me during training. "The ceremony approaches. All eyes watch for weakness."
I understand his meaning without elaboration. Whatever exists between us—this fragile trust, this growing connection—has become dangerous for us both.
Ashley makes her presence known with increasing frequency. I encounter her everywhere—in hallways where she blocks my path, in the kitchens where she criticizes my work, in the gardens where she watches our returns from training with narrowed eyes.
"Enjoying your special privileges?" she asks one morning, cornering me as I carry linens to Kayden's quarters. "Don't get used to them. After the ceremony, things will change."
Her confidence unnerves me. Despite Kayden's assurances that the Moon Goddess makes the final choice, Ashley behaves as if her position is already secured.
The confrontation comes three days before the ceremony. I'm helping prepare the great hall, arranging flowers under Mrs. Winters' supervision, when Ashley enters with her entourage of noble werewolf women.
"Not those," she says, gesturing to the white lilies I'm placing. "They're common. Remove them."
Mrs. Winters bows immediately. "Of course, Lady Ashley."
I continue my work, keeping my eyes lowered as Ashley circles the room, criticizing every arrangement. When she reaches mine, she stops.
"You. Kayden's pet." Her voice carries through the hall, ensuring everyone hears. "These are completely wrong. Start over."
I look up, meeting her gaze briefly. "Mrs. Winters approved this arrangement."
The room goes silent. No human questions a werewolf noble, especially not the future Luna.
Ashley's smile turns predatory. "Are you contradicting me?"
"No, my lady. Simply explaining."
"Then explain why you and Kayden seem so... close lately." She leans in, her voice dropping. "The way he looks at you is most inappropriate."
Heat rises to my face. The implications in her tone are unmistakable.
"I serve Lord Kayden as required," I answer carefully.
"I'm sure you do." Her smile doesn't reach her eyes. "Perhaps you could demonstrate your... usefulness. Climb that ladder and hang these banners."
She points to an impossibly tall ladder leaning against the wall, and heavy velvet banners that would require significant strength to manage while balanced.
"That's typically a job for the male servants," Mrs. Winters interjects cautiously.
"But she's special, isn't she?" Ashley's eyes never leave mine. "Kayden's chosen human. Surely she's capable."
It's a trap—refuse and confirm I receive special treatment, or attempt it and likely fail spectacularly, possibly injuring myself in the process.
"I'll do it," I say, setting down my flowers.
