Chapter 6 - The One Who Saved Me
By the time the training session ended, the sun had climbed higher in the sky, warming the clearing behind the packhouse. The warriors slowly dispersed, some heading toward patrol routes while others returned inside to wash up before the midday meal.
I followed Alya and Navya back toward the packhouse entrance, still thinking about everything I had seen.
The training had been intense but strangely fascinating. Every movement had purpose. Every wolf trusted the one beside them. It was nothing like Crescent Valley, where fear had always ruled over cooperation.
As we stepped into the large hallway of the packhouse, I noticed Mukti standing near the staircase with Abhimanyu. They were speaking quietly, their heads close together as if sharing something important.
Mukti looked... different.
Her usual confident energy was still there, but now it was softer somehow, Warmer. The moment she saw me enter, her expression brightened immediately.
"Nandini," she called gently.
I walked toward her without hesitation. Over the past day, Mukti had become the one person I trusted most in this unfamiliar place. She had been the one who found me, the one who stopped Abhay and the others from hurting me further.
If she hadn't arrived when she did...
I pushed the thought away.
"You look tired," Mukti said softly, studying my face.
"I'm alright," I replied.
Her eyes softened slightly, as if she could see through the answer. Before she could say anything else, Cabir, Dhruv, Alya, and Navya entered behind me, bringing with them their usual lively presence.
"Why does everyone look so serious?" Cabir asked casually as he leaned against the wall.
Mukti glanced at Abhimanyu for a moment before turning back toward the group. Her smile slowly widened.
"I suppose there's a reason," she said.
The room quieted slightly as everyone turned their attention toward her. Even Manik had just entered from the courtyard, stopping a few steps away with his usual calm composure.
Mukti took a breath.
"I just found out something... important," she said gently.
Abhimanyu stepped closer beside her, his hand resting lightly at the small of her back.
"We're expecting a pup."
For a moment, the entire hallway fell silent. Then everything changed at once.
Navya gasped first, her hands flying to her mouth before she rushed forward to hug Mukti.
Alya squealed in excitement and immediately followed her.
Dhruv's serious expression softened into a wide smile.
Cabir blinked in disbelief before laughing loudly. "Well, that explains the secret conversation."
Raj and Neyonika appeared at the end of the hallway just in time to hear the announcement. Neyonika's eyes filled with emotion almost instantly.
"A pup?" she whispered.
Mukti nodded, her smile growing even brighter.
Raj placed a steady arm around his mate's shoulders as both former Alpha and Luna walked forward. "My daughter is going to be a mother," Neyonika said softly, pulling Mukti into a gentle embrace.
Watching the scene unfold in front of me stirred something deep in my chest. This was what a family looked like.
Warm.
Protective.
Happy.
Without realising it, I had stepped closer to Mukti. My gaze instinctively scanned the hallway, as if checking for threats.
Mukti noticed.
She tilted her head slightly, studying me.
"Nandini?" she said gently.
I blinked, realising everyone was now looking at me.
"I'm sorry," I said quietly. "I just..." I hesitated, unsure how to explain the feeling.
"You're protecting her," Dhruv said calmly.
His observation made my cheeks warm slightly.
"I didn't mean to make it obvious."
Mukti's expression softened even more.
"You don't need to hide that here," she said warmly.
Something inside me relaxed slightly at her words.
She had saved me.
And now that I knew she was carrying a pup...
My instincts were clear.
I would protect her too.
I had been watching Nandini the entire time. Not because I intended to—but because every instinct I had refused to ignore her presence.
When Mukti announced her pregnancy, the entire packhouse erupted with excitement. My parents were overwhelmed with joy, Cabir had already started joking about being the pup's favorite uncle, and Alya and Navya were planning celebrations before the pup had even been born.
Yet through all of it, Nandini stood quietly beside Mukti.
Alert.
Protective.
She had moved closer to my sister without hesitation, her eyes scanning the room as if she expected danger to appear at any moment.
That reaction told me more about her past than any story could. She had lived too long in a place where happiness was fragile.
Shadow stirred within my mind.
My wolf noticed it too.
"She trusts Mukti," Cabir said quietly beside me.
"Yes," I replied.
"And she's already acting like Mukti's personal guard."
I didn't look away from Nandini as she spoke softly with Mukti.
"She protects what she values."
Cabir glanced at me sideways.
"Sounds like someone else I know."
I ignored the comment.
Instead, I stepped forward. When I reached them, Mukti looked up at me with a teasing smile.
"You look thoughtful, Brother."
"You just gave our parents their first grandchild," I replied. "That tends to create reactions."
She laughed softly, then she looked between me and Nandini.
"You two should talk more," she said casually.
Nandini immediately looked nervous.
I remained calm.
"There will be time for that."
Mukti studied us both for a moment before nodding knowingly.
"Of course there will."
The excitement continued through the afternoon.
Plans were already forming for celebrations, and the packhouse felt brighter than it had in years.
Yet amidst the laughter and happiness, two quiet shifts were taking place.
Nandini had unconsciously chosen her place beside Mukti, her instincts already forming a protective bond with the woman who had saved her.
And Manik Malhotra, the Alpha of Blood Moon Pack, had begun watching her even more closely.
Not because he doubted her.
But because something about Nandini Murthy felt increasingly important to the future of his pack.
Neither of them fully understood the reason yet.
But the bond between them was slowly growing stronger with every passing moment.