Chapter 42 DIVIDED
The tension in the pack had reached a level no one could pretend to ignore anymore. What once felt like a unified, breathing body of wolves working together now felt like two angry halves forced under the same roof.
Wherever Adam walked, he could feel eyes on him. Some people stepped aside as if his shadow alone could burn them. Others whispered in corners, muttering prayers to their ancestors in hopes the glowing marks on his body weren’t the beginning of something catastrophic.
Kael stood in the center of these storms like a stubborn pillar. His shoulders were always squared, his voice unwavering, his gaze steady. Each day he returned from meetings with the Elders or patrol leaders looking tired, weighed down, but never backing down. He handled the chaos with a kind of calm defiance, as though he believed he could push back the tide with strength alone.
But Adam saw through him. Kael was pretending. Not for himself, for the pack. And maybe for Adam too.
The packhouse courtyard became a battlefield of opinions one morning. Adam happened to be walking by, intending to return to Kael’s office with documents he’d promised to review in an attempt to make himself a little useful. But when he heard raised voices, he stopped.
“He’s putting us all in danger!” someone shouted. “We’ve already lost two border guards in clashes with Star Moon. And why? Because he refuses to hand over that boy!”
“That boy is his mate,” another countered sharply. “And when has he ever abandoned us? Would you dare accuse him of being selfish? He's been a good leader, we can't judge him off this.”
“He is being selfish! He’s thinking with his heart instead of his head!”
“He’s trying to save a life! Isn’t that what an Alpha does?”
“Well, he can’t save us and save him at the same time! We’re terrified— don’t we matter too?”
“Mate bond isn't something that can be severed. He didn't choose any of this but he's trying really hard to keep things stable. There's no need to put more pressure on him. Blind, crippled, or even crazy, the Alpha's mate is our Luna and we shouldn't speak ill of our would be Luna.”
“That sick boy can't be our Luna.”
Adam froze. Their voices tangled, clashed, scraped against his ears. Not one voice or two… many. A dozen. Maybe more.
He knew Kael heard similar words in Elder meetings. But hearing them himself tightened something painful inside his chest. The guilt he’d been carrying since rejecting Kael’s proposal sharpened into something heavier… acidic. The kind that made it hard to breathe.
He stepped closer, unintentionally. Maybe hoping they’d see him and stop. Maybe hoping they’d understand he wasn’t a threat.
But instead, one man gasped and backed away as though he were a monster emerging from the shadows.
“Look! Even now—the curse is listening—”
“Don’t call him that,” another snapped.
“Then what should we call him? Look at what’s happening! If the marks spread to us and even our children, are you going to accept responsibility for dragging us into ruin?”
“Kael is trying—”
“He’s trying to buy us!” a man yelled. “Money, resources, compensation. He thinks throwing wealth at us will blind us to the fact that something is wrong with that boy.”
Adam recoiled.
Their voices crashed into him: fear wrapped in anger, worry soaked in accusation. His nails dug into his palms as warmth built behind his eyes. He shouldn’t have listened. He shouldn’t have been here.
But he was.
And the words were sinking deep.
…I’m hurting them.
…I’m putting everyone at risk.
…Maybe I am a curse.
His vision blurred. He tried to blink the tears back, but the pain in his chest swelled and overflowed despite him.
And as if reacting to his emotions, the marks on his arms and neck shivered under his skin, then ignited in brilliant, glowing patterns.
Gasps erupted instantly.
“It’s lighting up again—!”
“Back away!”
“Oh ancestors—”
Adam fell to his knees, clutching his arm as the burning sensation flared violently. His breath hitched. Tears streamed helplessly down his face. He wanted to scream at his body to stop betraying him. To stop making things worse. To stop proving them right.
Footsteps rushed toward him…
Kael burst through the crowd, breath heavy, eyes wild with worry rather than fear.
He dropped to his knees in front of Adam without hesitation, hands gently cupping Adam’s face. His thumbs brushed away falling tears, his expression a storm of anger; not at Adam, but at everyone else.
“Adam,” Kael whispered, voice tight. “Hey… look at me. Look at me, sweetheart.”
Adam couldn’t. He turned his face downward, trembling. “I’m a curse,” he choked out. “They’re right. I’m hurting everyone. I’m hurting you.”
Kael’s breath shook. “No. Don’t say that. Don’t you ever say that.”
But Adam kept talking, voice breaking. “Everything keeps getting worse because of me. Your people hate you now because of me.”
“Adam.” Kael’s voice deepened. “Please, look at me.”
Adam forced himself to lift his gaze. Kael’s eyes shone with a fierce glint; protective, and desperate.
“I’m not afraid of you,” Kael whispered. He pressed their foreheads together, blocking the world out. “I never will be.”
Adam tried to pull away, embarrassed by how weak he was, but Kael tightened his hold, keeping him grounded.
“You hear me?” Kael continued softly. “You’re not a curse. You’re not danger. You’re my mate.”
Adam let out a quiet sob.
Kael brushed his hands through Adam’s hair. “I know you’re scared. I know you’re hurting. But I’m bringing in a physician to help you. This isn’t something you should endure. I need to find a way to sort it.”
Adam’s eyes widened with fear. “But—”
“You need help. And you deserve help. And I’m going to make sure you get it.” Kael swallowed hard. “You’re not being locked away. You’re not being handed over to anyone. You’re being treated like someone whose life matters.”
The crowd around them grew silent. Not from understanding, Adam could still feel their fear, but they didn’t dare speak against Kael when he looked like that, kneeling in the dirt with his mate in his arms.
Slowly, carefully, Kael stood and lifted Adam into his arms. No hesitation. No shame.
Just protectiveness.
Adam’s fingers clung weakly to Kael’s shirt.
Kael shot the crowd a warning glare. “Anyone who threatens my mate again will answer to me.”