Saved by the Daughter of the Moon

Chapter 5

Alpha Kael

The night air was crisp, the kind that makes your breath feel sharp in your lungs. I took in the familiar scent of the forest as Jaxon and I patrolled the border, flanked by a small group of warriors.

With the rogue activity increasing lately, I couldn't take any chances. The night had become our territory, our battleground to secure. I wasn’t going to let those rogues break through again, not on my watch.

Jaxon strode next to me, sweeping his gaze over the forest and his hand poised above the hilt of his blade, ever prepared. “We need to reinforce the northern perimeter,” he said, breaking the silence. “That’s where they’ve been pushing lately. I’d suggest adding more traps. Maybe get a few scouts from the Black Claw pack to rotate shifts.”

I nodded, considering his suggestion. ”We’ll strengthen the traps, but I don't want to call any outside force yet. We can handle this.”

Jaxon raised an eyebrow. “You think so? We’ve had two breaches in the last week.”

“We’ve survived worse,” I replied coolly. “Besides, the last thing we need is the Black Claw pack thinking we owe them favors.”

Jaxon smirked, clearly amused by my stubbornness. But before he could say anything else, he suddenly stopped, his head whipping towards the dark forest. “Did you hear that?”

I stopped too, my senses going on high alert. “What is it?”

“A sound… something. It came from that direction,” he said, gesturing toward a darker part of the forest. The warriors behind us stood at attention, searching the trees for any type of movement they could see.

At that moment, something else hit me. It wasn’t the sound Jaxon was referring to. No, this was something different, a smell.

A scent so subtle I almost missed it, yet as it persisted it became bolder, more distinct. Roses and fresh rain. Pure, calming, and oddly familiar.

“Do you smell that?” I asked, turning to Jaxon.

He frowned, sniffing the air. “I don’t smell anything unusual.”

But I did. The scent was undeniable, pulling me in with a force I hadn’t felt in years. My heart raced in my chest, as I felt that irrefutable sensation stir in me.

My wolf, Braun, growled softly in the back of my mind.

“MATE!” Braun yipped in my head, his voice filled with elation.

My body stiffened. No. It can’t be.

Ignoring Jaxon’s bewildered gaze, I started going toward the scent, my steps quickening. The scent was growing stronger, guiding me through the deep underbrush like a beacon in the darkness.

“Kael, what are you…” Jaxon’s voice trailed off as I pushed further ahead, not giving him a chance to finish. My mind raced.

This scent…it couldn’t be. Especially after all that had happened and after I had promised that I would never give my heart to anyone again, the moon goddess would not be so cruel as to make me a slave to someone again. Would she?

However, Braun kept pressing, growling, and pacing in my mind, prodding me onward. “MATE! HURRY!”

As I got closer to our land's border, the trees became less in number, and suddenly I spotted her. Curled up on the ground, a little, frail figure that I almost overlooked in the darkness.

I collapsed to my knees next to her, the aroma of roses now overpowering me. There was no mistaking it, this was her. My mate.

Her clothes were ripped and bloody, and she was lying on her side with muck and grime all over her body. Her frame was startlingly emaciated as if she hadn’t eaten in days.

Her hair was all matted, and her skin was white and clammy. She looked barely alive.

For a moment, I hesitated. To see her that way, helpless and defenseless, made something just twist in me. She wasn’t what I had expected. I don’t know what I’d imagined, but seeing her like this felt… wrong.

But then Braun pushed forward again, his joy too much for me to ignore. “MATE! Mine!”

I felt for her and I rolled her to her back so I could look at her face. Even though her breathing was laboured and her eyes closed, she was still alive. Bittersweet relief rushed through me.

I had never dared to hope for a second chance, yet here she was, broken, vulnerable, and in need of protection. My protection.

“Kael! Jaxon’s voice cut through the haze of my thoughts as he and the other warriors reached me. When he saw her in my arms, his eyes bulged out. “What…what’s going on? Who is she?”

As soon as I looked up at him, the word tumbled out of my mouth. “Mate.”

Jaxon blinked, inhaled sharply, and seemed utterly shocked before his expression transformed to one of amazement and joy. “Mate?” He repeated. “Are you serious?”

My jaw tightened as I nodded. I didn't know how to react. Years had passed as I braced myself against the possibility that I would never have this again, and now she was here. It didn’t seem real.

Jaxon smiled, his happiness genuine despite the surprise. “That’s... incredible, Kael. I never thought...”

“I can’t talk about it now,” I said, cutting him off. “She needs help.”

Without saying another word, I picked her up in my arms and held her against my chest. She was so light, so fragile. Like if I held her too tight, she would shatter.

My wolf, Braun, yipped excitedly in my head, but I pushed him back. This wasn’t the time for celebration. Not yet.

I stood, my thoughts racing. How had she ended up here? Who had hurt her? The sight of her injuries, her broken skin, and the way her ribs seemed to press against her clothes, made my blood boil.

Someone had done this to her, and I would find out who.

“Kael?” Jaxon asked cautiously, watching me. “What are you going to do?”

“I’m taking her to the clinic,” I said, my voice raspy. “She needs immediate care.”

With that, I started to run with her clutched to my chest, like she would fall out of my arms if I didn't hold her. My thoughts were a mess. Stumbling into her, like this, had caught me off guard.

A second chance mate. The moon goddess had granted me my second chance, but why now? And why her? She was a broken woman. Not at all what I had once hoped for.

But as Braun reminded me again, she was still ours. And no matter what condition she was in, I was going to make sure she survived.

The clinic wasn’t far, and as soon as I reached the doors, I kicked them open, startling our pack doctor Nancy, who nearly dropped the charts in her hands.

“Alpha?” she gasped, eyes wide. “What…”

“Help her,” I commanded, my voice thick with urgency. “Now.”

Nancy didn’t need to be told twice. She called for her nurses, and within moments, they were rushing to take her from my arms. I just stared at her face, so white and fragile as they placed her on the table.

"Please," I muttered in a scarcely discernible whisper. “Please save her.”

The doctor nodded and quickly began to examine her. I watched, helpless for the first time in a long while, as they worked to save the woman who had been thrust into my life.

My mate. My second chance.

I had no idea what was ahead, but one thing was certain, I would not allow her to die on my watch.

Not now. Not ever.