Chapter 97 Chapter Ninety-Seven

Chapter 97 Chapter Ninety-Seven
Light broke around them in a brief, blinding flash—

and then it was gone.

The world settled into stillness.

Cool air wrapped around them immediately, crisp and clean, carrying the sharp scent of pine and earth. Towering evergreens rose in every direction, their branches thick and dark against a sky that showed through in narrow slivers of pale blue. In the distance, mountain ridges stretched along the horizon, layered and endless.

It was quiet—not empty, but untouched.

Kaelani didn’t let go of his hand.

“This way,” she said softly, already turning as she guided him forward.

The ground beneath their feet shifted from packed dirt to a carpet of fallen pine needles, softening their steps as they moved deeper into the trees. The forest closed in slightly around them—not suffocating, but protective.

Julian took it all in as they walked, the distance from everything they’d left behind immediate and absolute.

“Where are we?” he asked.

Kaelani didn’t look back.

“Somewhere quiet,” she said.

After a few more steps, she added, “Somewhere hidden.”

They continued forward as the trees began to thin, light opening up ahead—

and then the cabin came into view.

It sat tucked against the mountainside, as if it had been placed there to be forgotten.

Rough-hewn timber, darkened with time, gave the cabin a solid, grounded presence. A wide porch stretched across the front, lined with worn chairs angled toward the view, while a stone chimney rose along one side beneath a steep, snow-ready roof.

It wasn’t large or showy, but it felt complete—self-contained, like it needed nothing beyond what it already had.

The wooden steps creaked softly beneath their weight as they climbed onto the porch, where a swing bench hung from thick beams, swaying gently in the mountain air.

The space felt peaceful in a way that settled deep.

Kaelani moved straight to the door, releasing his hand just long enough to punch in a code on a small keypad beside the frame. The lock clicked almost instantly—no hesitation, no fumbling, like she’d done it countless times before.

The door opened with a soft creak.

She stepped inside first.

Julian followed.

The air inside was cooler, carrying the faint scent of wood and something clean—unused, but not abandoned. The space opened into a modest living area, the furniture simple but solid. A simple couch sat facing a stone fireplace, a small table beside it, and a blanket folded neatly over the arm, placed with intention rather than use.

Nothing about the space was extravagant, but everything felt deliberate.

Julian’s gaze moved slowly, taking it all in.

The kitchen sat just off to the side—compact, efficient, and fully stocked. Cases of bottled water lined the lower cabinets, while shelves held rows of canned goods and sealed dry food—enough to last far longer than a weekend. Even the smaller details—the extra batteries, stacked firewood near the back door, a first aid kit placed within easy reach—spoke of careful planning.

Prepared.

Julian’s expression shifted slightly as he took it in—not because of what was there, but because of what it meant.

His gaze lingered on the shelves a moment longer before returning to her.

“What is this place?”

Kaelani closed the door behind them, the soft click settling into the quiet. She moved further inside, brushing her fingers lightly along the edge of the table as she passed.

“I bought it a couple years after I left Silveredge,” she said.

Her voice was steady, matter-of-fact.

“After things started to settle. After I built something stable. Opened the bakery.”

She glanced around briefly before continuing.

“I didn’t like the idea of not having somewhere to go… to disappear, if I had to.”

Her gaze shifted back to him.

“In case my past caught up to me. Someone recognizing me. Asking questions.”

A small shrug.

“I needed somewhere safe.”

Julian watched her carefully, the weight of it settling in.

“You didn’t want to risk being taken back there.”

It wasn’t a question.

Kaelani shook her head.

“No. Going back was never an option.”

There was no hesitation in it.

No doubt.

“I paid for it in cash. Made sure nothing traced back to me.” She gestured lightly toward the kitchen. “There’s a local company that comes up once a month—cleans, rotates anything close to expiring, restocks it.”

Her expression shifted, quieter now.

“After our… first encounter,” she added, “I thought about leaving everything behind and coming here.”

Julian’s jaw tightened slightly.

“I’m glad you didn’t,” he said. “I might never have found you.”

Kaelani’s lips curved faintly.

“That’s kind of the point of this place.”

She paused, a hint of dry humor slipping through.

“Lucky for you… for us… your beta has a very trusting disposition.”

Julian let out a quiet breath, a faint smile pulling at his mouth.

“Yeah,” he said. “He’s definitely getting a raise. A big one.”

Kaelani smiled at that.

Julian’s expression shifted again as he looked around the cabin.

“So you were just… prepared to live here? Alone?”

Kaelani gave a small shrug, like the answer didn’t carry the weight it should have.

“There are worse things than being alone.”

Julian’s gaze lingered on her.

“Maybe,” he said. “But I hate that you believed it was your only option.”

Kaelani didn’t answer right away.

Something in her expression shifted—caught between a smile and something older, quieter, like a memory brushing too close to the surface.

Then it was gone.

She shook it off.

“Come here.”

Her hand found his again, easy this time. No hesitation. No second-guessing. It just felt right.

She didn’t look at him as she led him toward the back of the cabin, pushing the door open and stepping out into the open air.

The world beyond stretched wide and endless.

The trees fell away into a vast expanse of rolling mountains, their peaks layered one after another, fading into soft blue as they met the horizon. The sky above was open and clear, the wind sweeping through unobstructed, carrying the scent of pine and something colder, cleaner.

Freedom.

They walked side by side, hands still linked, the ground sloping gently beneath their feet as they moved farther out.

A few quiet minutes passed, filled only by the sound of the wind.

Then the edge came into view.

Julian slowed as the realization settled in.

They were at the top.

The mountain dropped off sharply beyond them, the valley below sprawling wide and untouched, sunlight catching along the ridges and spilling into the distance.

His breath caught slightly.

“What a view.”

Kaelani’s lips curved as her gaze drifted out over it.

“It is,” she said softly. “So open. So free.”

Julian didn’t answer.

He was already looking at her.

The wind caught a loose strand of her hair, pulling it across her face. His hand lifted without thinking, brushing it back, his fingers lingering just a second longer than needed.

“I’ve seen views like this more times than I can count,” he said. “But this one’s different. Everything just looks better… with you in it.”

Kaelani smiled, her gaze dropping as the warmth of his words settled somewhere she didn’t quite know how to hold.

Her eyes shifted—and caught on the dark stain spreading through his shirt.

Her smile faltered.

“Oh my god.”

Julian glanced down, like he hadn’t noticed it until now. The fabric at his side was soaked through, the color crimson and spreading.

“Oh…” he exhaled softly. “Didn’t even feel it.”

Kaelani didn’t hesitate this time.

“Come on.”

She took his hand and led him back inside, the door closing behind them as she guided him toward the kitchen table. One of the chairs scraped softly as she pulled it out.

“Sit.”

He did.

She stepped back just enough to look at him.

“Take your shirt off.”

Julian didn’t argue.

The fabric peeled away—and that was when she saw it.

The damage wrapped around him, cutting across his back, his side, his chest—

Jagged.
Twisting.
Relentless.

Her breath caught.

A soft, involuntary sound slipping past her lips as her wolf stirred—uneasy, pained.

Kaelani stepped closer, her hand lifting slowly.

Violet flickered to life at the palm of her hand.

She hovered it over his back, and the energy spread, seeping into the wounds, pulling them closed piece by piece.

Careful.

Intentional.

Her hand lifted, shifting around him, the violet trailing faintly in its wake as she moved to his side—then to his chest.

Her touch hovered there for a second—

The glow deepened.

Julian’s gaze fixed on her now—on the way that violet burned through her eyes, brighter with every second, catching the light, holding it, like it had a life of its own.

“You’re…” he started, then stopped.

A faint breath.

“Not what anyone could’ve prepared me for.”

“Is that a bad thing?” she asked.

“No,” he said.
“It just makes me realize how close I came to losing something I should’ve never taken for granted.”

Kaelani looked at him and whatever she saw there held her. The sincerity in it. The weight of what he’d just admitted. It wasn’t just words. It was something settled deep in him now, something he wasn’t stepping back from.

Something in her softened—just a fraction—before her hand lifted once more as she shifted to his other side.

When she was done healing the last of his wounds, her hand fell away. The glow in her eyes dimmed, the violet receding until they settled back into that familiar storm-gray.

“How do you feel?” she asked.

Julian exhaled slowly, rolling his shoulder once, testing it. “As good as new.”

She looked back at him—and this time, neither of them looked away.

The air between them shifted, thickening.

His wolf stirred first—sharp, insistent, rising fast beneath his ribs. Hers answered immediately, the bond tightening between them, pulling, urging, closing the distance that still existed between their bodies.

It wasn’t subtle.

It wasn’t quiet.

It was need.

Primal. Immediate. Demanding.

Kaelani felt it just as strongly, her heart kicking a little harder in her chest as the pull intensified.

And before it could take hold completely, she broke the moment.

“Are you hungry?” she asked, stepping back just enough to put space between them. “I can fix us something to eat.”

Julian swallowed, his jaw tightening slightly like he was holding on to the last thread of control.

“Famished, actually,” he said, a faint hint of something lighter slipping into his tone. “You’re going to cook for me?”

Kaelani smiled, the shift in mood not lost on her.

“I don’t have to,” she said. “I can always teleport somewhere. Bring something back.”

Julian shook his head, his gaze steady on her.

“No,” he said. “I’d be honored to have you cook for me.”

Something in her lit up at that.

“Is there anything you don’t like?” she asked.

Julian shook his head again.

“I’m not picky.”

“That’s good to hear,” she said, a small smile pulling at her lips. “Because I’m actually quite the foodie.”

Julian let out a quiet breath, watching her. She was… adorable.

“Would it be alright if I showered?” he asked. “I haven’t had one in what feels like forever. Last time I managed was in a lake.”

Kaelani glanced at him for a second, then nodded.

“Yeah… of course. It’s right down that hall.” She lifted a hand, pointing. “Last door on the right.”

She hesitated just a fraction before adding, “Do you need something to wear? I think I have some clothes in the bedroom that might fit.”

Julian’s brow lifted slightly.

Then stilled.

Something in his posture shifted—subtle, but immediate. His shoulders tightened, his jaw setting as his gaze darkened just enough to be noticed.

“You have men’s clothes in the bedroom?”

The question came out calm.

Too calm.

“Who do they belong to?”

Kaelani didn’t even blink.

“Relax,” she said. “I bought them and had them shipped here.”

Julian held her gaze, waiting.

“A mix of everything,” she added, gesturing vaguely. “Men’s, women’s… even some kids’ stuff.”

“Mostly to throw off anyone who comes up here to clean. I didn’t want it looking like this place belonged to a single woman.”

The tension left him just as quickly as it had come. His shoulders eased, his jaw loosening as he let out a quiet breath.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “That was… purely instinct.”

“I’ll work on that.”

Kaelani smiled, something softer—slightly amused—touching her expression.

“It’s okay,” she assured. “I might even think it’s a little cute.”

A quick wink.

Then she turned.

“Come on.”

She started down the hall, leading the way.

Kaelani pushed the bedroom door open, stepping inside.

The space was simple but put together—neutral tones, a neatly made bed, a small nightstand on either side.

She went straight to the closet and slid the door open on the left.

Inside, rows of clothing hung neatly, pressed and untouched. Some still wrapped in clear plastic from the dry cleaners, the faint scent of detergent and starch lingering in the air.

Julian’s gaze moved over it, taking in the variety without saying a word.

“Take your pick,” Kaelani said, gesturing lightly. “There are undergarments in that drawer.”

She nodded toward a low dresser near the wall.

“Soaps, shampoo, toothbrushes, clean towels—they’re all in the bathroom. Everything you need.”

She turned back to him, offering a small smile.

“I’ll go get started in the kitchen.”

And just like that, she stepped out, leaving the door open behind her.

Julian took a moment, scanning the closet before selecting what felt right.

With the clothes draped over his arm, he headed into the bathroom.

It was just as put together as the rest of the cabin—clean lines, double sinks, everything in its place. A small window sat above the far wall, letting in soft natural light and offering a quiet view of the trees beyond, their branches swaying gently in the distance.

He turned the shower on, steam beginning to fill the space as he stepped under the spray.

The heat hit him instantly.

And for the first time in what felt like forever—

he could breathe.

His head didn’t slow down, though.

If anything, it picked up.

He wanted to look good for her.

No—he wanted to be right for her.

Everything about this… about her… mattered in a way nothing else ever had.

She deserved that.

More than that.

If he knew how to cook, he would’ve been the one in that kitchen right now. But the thought of it almost made him huff a quiet laugh under his breath.

He’d probably burn the cabin down.

Take half the forest with it.

The thought faded as quickly as it came. The truth sat heavier than the humor.

She made him nervous.

No one had ever done that to him before.

He let the water run over him a little longer, letting the tension bleed out of his muscles, letting the quiet settle in.

When he finally stepped out, he reached for a towel, drying off before moving to the counter.

Everything he needed was there.

Of course it was.

He found the razor and shaving cream, taking his time as he worked through the stubble, leaving his jaw clean and smooth. Then his toothbrush, the mint sharp and grounding as he brushed, rinsed, and set it aside.

A comb followed, dragged through his sandy hair, taming the worst of it. No gel—but a small container of smoothing balm sat nearby. He worked it through his hair, adjusting it until it fell into place in a way that felt… right.

He dressed after that—boxer briefs, the white button-up, the black slacks.

When Julian stepped out of the bathroom, the first thing that hit him was the smell.

Warm.

Rich.

Something savory that made his stomach tighten with sudden, sharp hunger.

It mixed with something else almost instantly—

her.

That familiar, sweet scent that cut through everything else and settled somewhere deeper.

He followed it—

and then he saw her.