CHAPTER 6

Aura

I was adrift. Or perhaps tumbling. I felt as if I was in a state of death or dream, with no weight in my body. My limbs were too heavy to move, my throat was scratchy and dry, and my head was pounding. But beneath me was warmth—solid, constant warmth. And a smell. It wasn't like the rogues or the forest at all. Earthy, reminiscent of wild herbs and wood wet by rain. A smell that drew me in.

“Hey… you’re okay. You’re safe now.”

A voice said. Steady, low, and soft.

The forest's stinging cold was driven away by a soft, constant warmth. Then I felt the softness of a firm yet unexpectedly cozy bed beneath me. It had a subtle earthy and pinewood scent, not at all like the pungent, overpowering smells of the packhouse.

I opened my eyes slowly and blinked against the dim light in the tiny space. Above me was a hardwood ceiling with uneven, rough grain. The aged floors were illuminated by a tiny beam of daylight that spilled in through a small window. This place was silent, old, and unusual in every way.

I winced as I tried to sit up due to a dull ache in my body. As the previous night's events came flooding back, every muscle screamed in protest.

The forest. The rogues. The clearing.

And him.

I found him sitting on a wooden chair next to the bed when I slowly turned my head. He was motionless, with his head lowered slightly as if in deep thought, and his elbows resting on his knees. Sharp, defined, but not harsh, his features danced in the firelight. His eyes were a calm, stormy gray when they finally raised to face mine, and his dark hair hung carelessly over his brow.

His voice was steady and quiet as he said, "I was beginning to think you wouldn't wake up."

My heart faltered at what he said. I hadn't felt that in quite a long time.

"Who—who are you?" My question was hardly audible above a whisper.

"My name is Kai," he introduced himself. “I found you at the border. You were unconscious.”

I was overcome with dizziness as I sat up quickly. Kai put a hand on my shoulder and stabilized me gently as the room whirled.

"Easy," he whispered. “You’ve lost a lot of blood. And you’ve been out for a day.”

Panic clawed at my chest as I held onto the edge of the thin blanket. "Where am I?"

"Ashbourne," Kai answered in a composed tone. “A little distance outside the rogue area. This is a safe place for you. You can't be reached by any member of your pack.”

Ashbourne. I had only heard the name in passing, along with whispers of a village where humans and part-wolves coexisted and pack laws didn't apply.

"Why... why did you help me?" I inquired.

Not quite a smile, his lips quirked. "You look like you need it."

I searched his face for sign of dishonesty, but all I saw was quiet, steady truthfulness. A kind of calm that broke my heart.

"I have to go.” I murmured, throwing my legs off the bed. I ignored the protesting screams from my muscles.

Kai stood up with me and whispered, "Wait. At least eat something first. You’ll collapse again.”

“I can’t stay. If they find me—”

"They won't," he stated plainly in a decisive tone. “Nobody enters this place without a reason, and nobody departs without authorization. You are safe for now.”

His assurance calmed my trembling hands.

With a steady, slow grip, Kai helped me up and guided me out of the cramped room. I didn't realized how simple it was until now, with its rough-timbered walls and the subtle aroma of smoke and herbs permeating the air.

The house was silent, but I could hear voices outside the door, the slight buzz of a little village going about its daily business.

He led me into a kitchen, where a basic, hot supper was waiting on a table. Tea, bread, and soup. The sight made my stomach knot painfully.

He placed a cup of tea next to the bowl and added, "I made it for you. It wil help.”

Despite my hesitation, I took a sip. It was herbal, strange but comforting, and the warmth calmed a restless part of me.

We ate in silence. I glanced at him, this quiet-eyed stranger who had accepted me without asking any question. He had a certain quality. Not sharp, not dominant, not Alpha-like, but grounded. Firm.

"Are you a wolf?" At last, I asked

He looked at me. "Part," he replied. "My mom was a human. My dad wasn't.”

I blinked. I had never encountered a half-wolf before. My pack dislike them, they called them weak and unclean. But there was nothing weak about Kai.

“You also reside here? In Ashbourne?”

"For years now."

"Why?"

He clenched his fingers around the cup he was holding. "This place is... quieter. It's easier to be who you are without having someone else dictate it for you.”

I could relate to that. More than I wanted to.

~~~~~

Kai gave me a tour of the small town after the meal. Despite its simplicity and rusticism, life existed here. Human and half-wolf children raced by us. The roadway was lined with market stalls offering hand-carved items, veggies, and herbs.

The people looked at me with interest but not with ill intent. Unlike my pack, who would have muttered or sneered.

Kai pointed to a broad open space encircled by old stone structures and declared, "This is the old square. Here, we hold meetings and markets. Sometimes music.”

I stopped beside a fountain in the middle, its water glistening in the sunlight of the late afternoon.

I whispered, "It's beautiful."

Kai gave me a glance as a tiny smile lifted his lips. "It's home."

My chest relaxed for the first time in days.

We continued walking toward the town's edge, where thick woods stood sentinel in silence.

"No one crosses those woods,” Kai remarked. "They pose a threat. even for wolves.”

I whispered, "I've already crossed them."

"And you nearly died," he answered, quietly but firmly.

I averted my gaze as my mind darkened once more. Ryder. The pack. The secret that is developing inside me. My stomach ached for reasons other than hunger.

Kai kept a close eye on me. "Who are you running from?"

I parted my lips, then shut them again. The words were too forceful.

"Someone dangerous," I muttered.

He gave a single nod as if it was enough information.

We went back to his cottage as the sun began to set. Strangely, I felt safe.

I laid on the plain bed that night and listened to the noises of Ashbourne settling down in the distance while I gazed at the ceiling. Deep within my chest, I sensed the most peculiar pull.

Kai.

But, I could sense it—the odd pull toward Kai was getting stronger with each breath.

And more than anything else, that frightened me.