The Chosen One •

12

🐺 Kun 🐺

The early morning air was sharp, cold enough to nip at my skin despite the fitted hoodie I wore. Jacob and I worked in silence, loading his Jeep Wrangler with the last of the supplies. Medical kits, wolfsbane injections, and enough weapons to take down a small army were secured in the trunk alongside our duffle bags. The quiet was heavy, broken only by the occasional sound of a door slamming or a bag shifting.

My father stood nearby, watching us like a hawk. His eyes were sharp, his arms crossed, his presence commanding. Even without saying a word, his authority filled the space.

"Make sure you report back to me after every encounter," he said finally, his voice low but firm. "If things escalate or if you notice anything unusual—anything—you pull back immediately. We don't know what's making the rogues stronger, and I don't want any surprises out there."

I nodded, unable to meet his gaze. "Yes, Alpha," I murmured, my voice barely above a whisper.

Jacob stood by the driver's side door, his arm draped around Tara. They whispered to each other, soft words meant only for them, but I didn't need to hear to know what they were saying. His lips brushed against her mark—the mate mark that stood out vividly on her neck. They had completed their bond.

A pang shot through my chest, sharp and undeniable. I tried to ignore it, but my eyes betrayed me, lingering on the sight longer than I wanted. My mind flashed, unbidden, to Isabel. To the bond I had cruelly ignored and pushed away.

"Kun," my father's voice broke through my thoughts. He gestured for me to step aside, away from Jacob and Tara. Reluctantly, I followed, keeping my head down.

"I've always expected more from you," he said, his tone laced with disappointment. "The way you treated Isabel—your mate—was unacceptable."

I hung my head, unable to argue. Shame clawed at me, as relentless as Gray's silence in my mind. "I know," I muttered. "I regret it."

His eyes softened, though his voice stayed firm. "Regret is only useful if it changes your actions. Think about that, Kun."

I swallowed hard as he placed a hand on my shoulder. "Be careful out there," he said, his voice softer now. "And remember that no matter what, you are loved."

I nodded, still unable to speak. My mother appeared beside him, wrapping her arms around me in a hug that smelled of jasmine and warmth.

"Stay safe, my son," she said, her voice thick with emotion. She kissed my cheek, and for a fleeting moment, I felt like a child again.

I turned and climbed into the passenger seat of the Jeep without looking back at Tara. She didn't say anything either, but her voice slipped into my mind through a private link.

"I love you, Kun. No matter how much of an ass you've been lately."

A faint smile tugged at my lips despite myself. "I love you too," I linked back.

Jacob started the engine, and the Jeep rumbled to life. Tara stepped back, her arms wrapped around herself as she watched us pull away from the pack house. The sun was still a faint glow on the horizon, and most of the pack was asleep. No one outside our inner circle knew about the rogue situation. My father had insisted on secrecy to prevent panic.

As we drove north, the weight of the mission settled over me. The quiet between Jacob and me was thick, but my thoughts weren't on the rogues or the danger ahead.

They were on her.

Isabel.

No matter how much I tried to push her out of my mind, she was there, her presence like a ghost haunting me. I could still faintly feel her emotions through the bond—a whirlwind of sadness, anger, and something deeper that I couldn't place. It clawed at me, an invisible chain tethering me to her despite everything I'd said.

I shifted in my seat, staring out the window as the landscape blurred past us. The guilt was unbearable, a weight I couldn't shake. The bond was still intact, and that meant I hadn't truly let her go.

And now, as much as I hated to admit it, I wasn't sure I ever could.

🌙

The Jeep came to a slow stop in front of Alpha Derrick's pack house, its grand structure casting long shadows under the late evening moonlight. Jacob killed the engine, and I stepped out, stretching my legs after twelve grueling hours on the road. The crisp air carried a faint but familiar scent of pine and damp earth, but there was something else—something sharper. Tension.

The pack house doors opened, and a group of wolves stepped out to greet us. Alpha Derrick, a tall, broad-shouldered man with sharp gray eyes and streaks of silver in his dark hair, led the group. His presence radiated authority, much like my father's, but there was an edge of wariness in his expression.

"Kun. Jacob." Derrick's voice was steady as he approached us. "Welcome. Thank you for coming."

Jacob and I inclined our heads respectfully, acknowledging his rank. "Alpha Derrick," I said. "We're here to help."

He nodded, his gaze lingering on me for a moment longer than necessary. "Good. We've got a lot to discuss."

We followed him inside, where several others were already gathered—a mix of betas and alphas from allied packs. The room buzzed with low murmurs, a collective unease that hung in the air. Wolves didn't like surprises, and the rogues had been one surprise after another.

Alpha Derrick wasted no time. "The rogues have been sighted near our eastern borders," he began, gesturing to a map spread across the large oak table in the center of the room. "They've grown more aggressive over the last few weeks, attacking indiscriminately and retreating before we can mount a proper response."

Jacob leaned in, his brow furrowed. "Do we know how they're getting past your patrols?"

Derrick shook his head, his jaw tight. "No. It's like they know our movements before we make them. They've been using wolfsbane and other weapons, which is unusual for rogues. They're coordinated, almost militant."

I studied the map, my eyes tracing the red markers that indicated rogue activity. "How many casualties so far?"

Derrick's expression darkened. "Too many. And the injuries... some of them are like nothing we've seen before. It's as if they're stronger—faster. We're not just dealing with ordinary rogues."

That confirmed what we'd already suspected. Something—or someone—was behind this. Rogues didn't band together like this unless they had a leader, and that leader was clearly dangerous.

One of the betas, a tall woman with a scar running down her cheek, spoke up. "We've set traps along the border, but they've managed to avoid most of them. Whoever's leading them is smart."

Jacob exchanged a glance with me. "We'll need to see those traps and the areas they've been targeting. The more we know about their movements, the better we can prepare."

Derrick nodded. "I'll have one of my betas take you out there in the morning. For now, you should rest."

Rest. The word sounded foreign. My body was worn from the drive, but my mind wouldn't stop. Not with everything swirling in my head—Isabel, the bond, Gray's silence, and now the looming threat of these rogues.

As the meeting concluded, Derrick pulled me aside. "Kun," he said, his voice low. "I can see something's weighing on you. Whatever it is, you need to put it aside for now. We can't afford distractions."

I nodded stiffly. "I understand."

He studied me for a moment, then clapped a hand on my shoulder. "Good. Get some rest. Tomorrow will be a long day."

Jacob and I were shown to a set of guest rooms on the second floor. The pack house was quiet, but the air felt heavy, charged with the kind of tension that came before a storm.

Jacob flopped onto the bed in his room, running a hand through his hair. "Man, this is gonna be one hell of a mission."

I grunted in agreement, leaning against the doorframe. My eyes drifted to the window, where the moon hung high and bright. My chest tightened as the bond stirred faintly again.

Isabel.

No matter how far I went, she was still there, a constant presence in my mind. And for the first time since I'd told her to leave, I wondered if I'd made the biggest mistake of my life.