Chapter 25 OUT OF PLACE
Adam's POV
Everything happened fast.
One second the scout was collapsing, shouting that the Star Moon Pack was coming for me.
The next second Kael went into a full on Alpha protective mood.
“Guards!” his voice boomed, echoing through the hall.
Warriors sprinted toward us immediately.
Kael didn’t look at them. He grabbed my wrist, firm but gentle, and pulled me behind him.
“Five of you, form a perimeter,” he commanded. “No one gets close to him.”
I blinked, startled. “Kael—”
“Not now, Adam,” he said, voice low and sharp. “You stay at my side. Understand?”
I nodded even though my pulse was racing.
He guided me down the hallway, his body angled slightly in front of mine as if shielding me from invisible threats.
Every pack member we passed stopped what they were doing.
They stared. Not in confusion or curiosity.
But with blame.
Their eyes said it clearly:
He’s the reason trouble is here.
I swallowed hard. My skin felt too tight on my bones.
Kael didn’t notice. He was too focused on giving orders.
“Double the border patrol.”
“Send runners to the east ridge.”
“No one moves without Beta Rowan’s approval.”
“Report all scent trails immediately.”
He was a storm; powerful, controlled, commanding…
But a storm that followed me.
\---
When we reached the upper hall, two warriors were whispering behind us.
“…this is what happens when the Alpha lets a human stay—”
“—told you he’s compromised—”
“—infatuated with the boy—”
“—the Star Moon Pack is coming for him, not us—”
“—why should we risk our lives for someone who isn’t even one of us?”
The words hit me like cold water.
I didn’t turn around or react.
Didn’t give them the satisfaction.
But Kael didn’t hear them.
He was too busy strategizing, shifting between protective Alpha and caring… whatever he was with me.
He opened the door to his wing and pulled me inside.
Once the guards positioned themselves outside the door, Kael turned to me, cupping my face with both hands.
His voice softened instantly.
“Adam, look at me.”
I looked.
I shouldn’t have.
Because the moment I met his eyes, my heart stuttered.
“You are safe,” he whispered, brushing his thumb across my cheek. “I won’t let anyone touch you.”
I tried to steady my breathing. “Kael… your pack—”
“Will do as I say,” he interrupted, tone final.
“They hate me,” I said quietly.
“Adam… don’t listen to them.”
“How can I not?” My voice cracked. “It’s my fault the Star Moon Pack is coming. My fault the borders are in chaos. My fault your people are scared. I don’t belong here—”
“Stop,” Kael whispered, stepping closer.
He brushed a loose strand of hair behind my ear, fingers lingering near my jaw.
“You’re not a burden,” he said softly. “You’re not trouble. You’re not a mistake.”
“That’s not what they think.”
“I don’t care what they think,” he murmured, forehead almost touching mine. “I care about you.”
My breath caught.
Because I wanted to believe him.
I wanted to bite down on the hope he was offering me and never let go.
But the truth sat heavy in my chest.
“You don’t love me,” I whispered. “Your wolf does.”
Kael froze for a moment.
He didn’t deny it. He didn’t argue. He didn’t lie.
His jaw tightened, and he looked away.
That was all the answer I needed.
A painful silence settled between us.
I stepped back.
Kael reached out instinctively, as if he couldn’t help it, but stopped himself before touching me again.
“I’ll keep you safe, Adam,” he said, voice rough. “Even if you hate me for it.”
I didn’t hate him.
That was the problem.
\---
Hours passed in a blur.
Kael had guards following me everywhere. Not discreetly… they stood beside me like I was some fragile artifact that might break.
Pack members stared, muttered, glared.
A pair of teenagers laughed as I walked past.
Someone whispered, “Why is he even here?”
A council member muttered, “The Alpha is blinded by instinct. Humans don’t belong in power dynamics.”
Another said, “If the Star Moon Pack wants the boy, maybe Kael should negotiate.”
Negotiate.
As in: give me away.
Give me up.
Hand me over.
A sour, hollow feeling spread through my chest.
I shouldn’t have been here.
I didn’t fit.
I didn’t belong.
But when Kael returned, his expression softened at the sight of me; like everything troubling him melted for a second.
“Adam,” he said quietly. “You okay?”
I lied again. “I’m fine.”
He stepped closer, fingers brushing my hair gently out of my face.
His thumb slid across my temple.
His hand cupped the back of my neck.
He leaned in, close enough that I could feel his breath.
“I worry,” he whispered. “Every second you’re not in my sight, I worry.”
That was the problem.
Kael cared because something supernatural inside him demanded it.
Not because I mattered.
Not because he chose me.
I forced a smile. “I’m… really fine.”
He didn’t believe me. I could tell. But he didn’t push.
He pressed a soft kiss to my forehead instead.
My heart betrayed me instantly; melting, cracking, warm and broken.
\---
By evening, Kael insisted on taking me to the pack hospital for a routine check, “just in case.”
I sat on the examination bed while a nurse checked my temperature and pulse. Kael stood a few feet away, arms crossed, eyes never leaving me.
He looked tense.
On edge.
Wolf-close-to-the-surface tense.
“Nothing unusual,” the nurse said softly. “He seems stable.”
Kael nodded but didn’t relax.
The nurse stepped into the supply room to fetch something.
Kael moved to my side again and gently took my hand.
“You’re safe here,” he whispered.
I opened my mouth to answer—
B A N G !!
The hospital door slammed open so violently it rattled the walls.
Kael shoved himself in front of me instantly.
A man stood in the doorway.
Not a pack member.
Not familiar.
Blood splattered across his clothes.
Eyes too bright.
Posture aggressive.
And a scent so sharp and hostile was rolling off him in waves.
His gaze locked onto me instantly.
“There you are,” he s
narled. “The supposed human.”
Kael growled, deep and dangerous.
The man stepped forward and pointed directly at me.
“Alpha Kael,” he said through gritted teeth. “I’m here for him.”
My blood ran cold.