Alpha Kane

[ 15 ] - seclusion

Seclusion [noun] - the state of being private and away from other people.

author's note: finally on half term so i hope to update twice next week!

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"We're happy to finally be able to spend some time with you, Luna."

I glanced at Clara who had a warm smile on her face. She was Rollo's mate. We were all on a late afternoon walk in the mountains and accompanying me were the mates of all five of Kane's warriors: Carmen, Jess, Emma, Cecile and Clara.

I had wanted to make more of an effort with the pack so that they could see there was more to me than fending off Celeste. This walk would give me a chance to hopefully find some friends among them.

"I'm sorry it took so long to schedule something. It's been a big change, so Kane and I were taking it day by day."

Carmen playfully nudged me with her elbow. "He looks smitten with her already, wouldn't you say, girls?"

I chuckled and waved her off.

Cecile echoed Carmen's sentiment. "Alpha has been a very happy man as of late. Let's not forget how firmly he put Celeste in her place."

Emma gasped at the reminder. "We were mortified by what she said. I don't think I've ever seen Alpha that angry before."

I winced. "I'm aware she has something against me. Do you...do you guys agree with anything she said?"

Jess spoke up this time. "Of course not, Luna.

" She shook her head. "If Celeste allowed herself to see through her jealousy for just a moment, she'd realise that there's nothing that could make two people mates except fate.

She'll have no choice but to see it when you and Alpha mate and mark each other. "

The relief flooded through me as they all nodded in agreement with her. The last thing she said, however, elicited a nervous laugh from me. "Right—the mate process."

Carmen threw her head back with a laugh. "I give you a month tops."

"Three weeks," Clara chimed in. "The pull of an alpha is stronger than any other wolf."

"How about we change the subject?" I replied, my cheeks flushed with embarrassment. "Why don't I take a picture of you all now?" I held up the camera that was hanging around my neck. The walk also proved to be a photography opportunity.

Cecile began fixing her hair. "If we get to take some with you too."

I nodded with a smile. "Okay."

We stopped walking for them to get into a line in front of me. They bunched up close together and I lifted my camera. They were all stunningly beautiful and the smiles on their faces sent warmth through me. I missed bonding with my pack.

I took a few photos before Carmen stepped towards me. "Okay, your turn. Get in there."

My smile mirrored hers when Jess pulled me to her. She wrapped her arms around my shoulder and Cecile put her arm around my waist. We faced the camera and after a few more shots, and each of them taking a turn to have a picture with me, we began walking again.

"The guys should be finishing their training in a wee bit. Do you want to head back?" Carmen broke the silence.

They all agreed, but I was too captivated by the mountains. "I think I'll stay back, get some pictures of the mountains for my portfolio."

Carmen faltered. "Well, do you want one of us to stay with you? There's a storm on the way, so everyone needs to be inside in about two hours."

"No, I'll only be max an hour. You should go and be with your mates." She seemed unconvinced until I continued. "I'll call Kane and let him know where I am, promise."

They all seemed hesitant to leave me alone, but I smiled encouragingly.

"Okay, we'll see you tomorrow," Carmen replied and gave me a hug.

I waved them off and once alone, I looked back out to the mountains.

Snow blanketed the tall, beautiful structures, and I couldn't help but be amazed at the grand landscape.

There was something steadying about mountains; they were firm and rooted in the ground. Their stability was something I envied.

For three years, my world felt as if it was tipped on its axis. The day felt foreign, and the night was haunting. The exasperation that filled me every morning the first few months was maddening—until the nightmares and lack of sleep became a part of my new normal.

The reprieve was equally as foreign. My life felt uprooted again, just for a different reason than before. Despite the nice change, the past three years was engraved in me deeper than I had realised. Healing wasn't linear, but the one thing that helped was that I could see the path forward.

I lifted my camera and snapped a few pictures of the mountains. Snow was beginning to fall again, and the wind was picking up, causing it to glide diagonally into the air. I had an idea to capture the scene from a higher vantage point and looked around me.

When I saw a tree that I could easily climb, I tightened my backpack around my back and gripped onto a sturdy branch. I hauled myself up and climbed until I could rest on one of the thicker branches. I straddled it and faced the mountains again.

After a few snaps, I leaned back against the trunk and blew out of breath. I often made it a habit to climb trees because the higher altitude helped me think, and due to recent events, I had a lot to think about.

I spent a lot longer than I had anticipated thinking and winced when I felt the wind pick up more. I sat up and began to turn myself so that I could climb down when I heard a twig snap.

I looked down, and glowing eyes stared up at me.

The sight stole the breath from my lungs, and I had no control over the fear that flooded me.

It had been a while since I had seen his wolf, and it rattled me.

I lost my footing and felt my grip loosen around the branch.

I began falling before I could stop it, and the scream ripped from my throat.

I felt like I couldn't breathe and closed my eyes, preparing myself for the impact. Instead of feeling the hard, snow-covered ground, Kane broke my fall with his body, but he was still in wolf form.

There was a painful snap, and for a long moment, I couldn't breathe until I forced air into my lungs.

I rolled off him. He was breathing heavily. His eyes were closed. His foreleg was limp, and I instantly could tell that it was broken. He would have a broken arm when he shifted back.

An internal battle raged within me. I was scared to be so close to him in wolf form but also worried about him. I couldn't bear to touch him, and when he opened his eyes, I quickly turned my head.

My body ached, but I knew he was in more pain. The wind was blowing harshly now and it was getting colder. He had come to find me because of the storm.

I tried my hardest to push my fear down. The emotion was thick at the back of my throat and I could feel the tears in my eyes. "I'm so sorry," I whispered, squeezing my eyes shut.

He responded with a low whine, full of pain. He forced himself up onto his good leg, and his large frame created a shadow over me. I stared at the snow, trying to muster up the courage to look at him.

I couldn't.

I flinched when his muzzle gently nudged my shoulder. From my periphery, I saw him hesitantly move back. There was a long moment of stillness, and all I could hear was the whistling of the wind. We couldn't stay outside for much longer and I knew Kane needed medical attention.

He tried again. I tentatively looked up at him. He looked so different when his eyes weren't glowing with threatening anger.

He looked me over, and I slowly stood up. My camera lens was smashed and I was going to have a few bruises, but other than that, I was fine. He turned around and limped in what seemed like a random direction to me.

I followed him. "Where are we going?" I asked, confused. The pack was in the other direction. We had a communication issue, though, since we weren't able to mind-link just yet.

The storm was almost in full swing, and we had to give it extra effort to walk in the wind. He kept close to me but didn't look at me. My heart twisted, and I tried to keep it together.

I could tell the pain was getting to him when he slowed down. I wanted to reach out and comfort him, but my hand felt heavy. He steeled himself and began limping again until we stopped at the mouth of a cave.

I tightened my jacket around me and cautiously followed him inside. It was slightly warmer inside, and he led us further inside until we came to a cavern. There was a small pool in the middle, and he trotted around it before stopping at an opening in the wall.

With his teeth, he pulled the strap of a duffel bag. I watched him for a moment until I realised he was going to shift back. I turned around and winced when he made a sound half between a whine and a groan. I heard the sound of a zipper and didn't move as he pulled on some clothes.

I slowly turned when he stopped moving. His face was marred with a deep frown, and he held his arm awkwardly to his chest. It was swollen and beginning to bruise. My heart ached at seeing his pain.

"Are you okay?" he asked, his voice deep and gravelly.

I blew out a breath of disbelief. "You're hurt and you're asking me if I'm okay?"

"Are you?" he repeated.

I clenched my jaw and tried to undo the knot in my throat. "I don't know how to answer that."

He nodded his head slowly, visibly contemplating what he should say. "I mind-linked Finn to say we're out in the storm, but they can't get to us. We need to stay here until it passes. We'll be safe here."

"I'm sorry you had to come and find me. I lost track of time."

His eyes softened, and he sighed. "You're the most important person in my life, Rina. I will always come to your aid."

A shaky breath fell from my mouth, and my eyes watered. Watching him look so earnest made me feel terrible. I knew my fear hung above us like a dark cloud. He had looked truly wounded, especially after believing that I was no longer scared of him. Especially after I had kissed him first.

Everything became overwhelming, and I could no longer hold back the tears. They felt cold against my cheeks.

"What do I do, Rina?" he questioned. He seemed at a loss for words. "Will you let me touch you?"

"Of course." I wiped the tears off my face but more fell in their place.

"Would you?" his dark eyebrows drew closer together. "The look on your face when you saw me—you were terrified and you could've been seriously hurt if I didn't break your fall. I could barely tell you to follow me. There is something you're not telling me."

"Kane," I sighed, shaking my head.

"I want to comfort you, Rina. I want you to want that too, but you don't. Why are you so scared of me?"

The words felt heavy on my tongue, and my lips seemed like an unmoving gate. This was my most guarded secret and Kane didn't deserve to hear it because of the pain it would cause him.

"You just took me by surprise. You..." I trailed off, physically unable to lie. He didn't believe me either.

There was an expanse between us and he had never felt so far away. Why did he have to come find me in wolf form?

The logical part of my mind rebutted that thought. We were werewolves. There was no separation between our human side and our wolves—they were one and the same. We had barely anything in common with humans except our appearance.

"All I want is for you to let me all the way in." His voice lowered, and he winced as he held a hand to his heart. "I want to be in your heart, Rina. If that's not what you want, rejecting me would be less painful than this."

I vehemently shook my head, sparking myself into action.

I took his good hand and placed it on my heart.

I stared up at him, into his amber eyes and at the deep frown on his face.

"Promise me that you want me for me, not because we turned out to be mates.

Promise me that you didn't want to kill me before we found out. "

His eyes searched mine. "I have wanted you for three years, before I even laid my eyes on you, before that day. I promise I didn't want to kill you."

I forced my gaze down to his broken arm.

I hesitantly brushed my fingers over his skin, trying to offer long overdue comfort.

"You dreamed of me three years," I started, feeling my heart race.

"I never told you that I've dreamed of you too.

Every night for three years, I saw you chase me down exactly like you did the day we met; in my nightmares, you killed me every single time. "

His face sunk and he inhaled sharply. "My god, Rina."

I looked up to see how crushed he was.

He took a step back and shook his head in disbelief. "That's why you ran. What kind of monster am I?"

I closed the distance between us again and cupped his face. "You're not a monster, Kane. You're not." I went on my tiptoes and pressed my forehead against his. "I'm not scared of you, I promise. It's just been hard to let go of the nightmares. I know it wasn't you."

He closed his eyes. "I would never hurt you, Rina," he said, quietly.

"I know," I spoke against his lips. "I know."

His eyebrows furrowed and his jaw tensed. He was holding himself back. Make the first move.

I pressed my lips firmly against his and kissed him gently.

He paused for a moment before he kissed me back, sighing into my mouth.

I focused on him, his scent and the way his touch made me feel.

His good arm wrapped securely around my waist, and it was only until he shivered in my arms that I pulled back.

"You're cold," I pointed out with a frown.

He was in a short sleeve and jeans. "I have bags all around my territory for when I shift. I haven't been here since the summer, so I haven't replaced the bag for the winter one."

I frowned. "This is all my fault." I stepped back and gently cradled his broken arm in my hands. "I did this. We could've been inside, not in some cave in the middle of a storm."

His hand cradled my cheek, and he lifted my head to look at him. "None of this is your fault. I made the decisions and I would make them again. We're together and that's all that matters."

I leaned my face into his hand. "Why are you so perfect?"

He chuckled. "I'm far from perfect. I just want you more than anything I've ever wanted in my life."

I took his hand and slid against the cave wall to sit down. If we were going to wait out the storm, we had to preserve our energy. I sat on his left since his right arm was the one that broke, and leaned my head on his shoulder. He rested his head on mine.

We sat there in silence for a long while, listening to the sounds of the storm. I could tell that he was falling asleep to distract himself from the pain.

The seclusion we had found ourselves in emboldened me to say something I truly meant and knew he wanted to hear.

"I want you too, Kane."

His hand found mine and he squeezed it. I turned my body towards him and slung my arm across his abdomen. His arm came around my shoulder and he held me against him.

This time, as we slept, I held him too.