The Runaway 5

 

Chapter 5 

When I agreed to remain and look after Kael, one of my friends couldn’t resist making fun of me: 

“You’ve completely fallen under his spell, haven’t you?” 

I wasn’t unattractive-before Kael, plenty of males had shown interest in me. 

I could have chosen someone gentle, married quietly, and lived a simple life. 

But none of them were Kael. No one else had ever been enough. 

So when he asked me to accept the mate bond, my decision had already been made. 

Even knowing it meant spending my life under the shadow of his so-called “precious Beta,” Claire Ramos, I 

still took that risk. 

Because Kael Frost was the one I had been drawn to for as long as I could remember. 

The moment he walked into my home in full Alpha authority, I had already lost myself to him. 

My eyes were still swollen when I finally stepped into the healer’s ward. 

Only a few wolves stood guard outside his room. His parents were absent-my mother had persuaded them 

to rest. The only ones left were Damien and two sentries. 

Damien’s expression shifted the instant he saw me. The Beta who usually carried himself with an iron mask 

almost broke down in front of me. 

“You came back… at last.” 

He explained that Kael had discovered the bond dissolution contract and gone into a rage. 

He’d sent Damien to track me down, and when he heard I’d collapsed, Kael had refused food for days. 

“When he couldn’t reach you, he drove aimlessly through the city. Once we confirmed your flight, that was 

the first time I ever saw Alpha Frost break down in tears.” 

Damien’s voice wavered as he went on. 

“He sat with me in the study, rereading every old message you sent him, asking if I noticed anything wrong. Then he’d fall silent, saying you were heartless, saying you’d abandoned him. Athena, I’ve followed him for 

years, and I’ve never witnessed him like that.” 

Then Damien swore Kael was innocent. 

“Those photos? They were fabricated. Claire and the others manipulated the angles. Those messages? She stole his work phone, cut pieces out of normal conversations. He never had any idea.” 

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His fists clenched tight, voice filled with conviction. 

When I asked about the deed near the training grounds, Damien faltered. His face turned red, and he pressed back against the wall. 

“That… I can’t explain. That’s something Alpha arranged himself.” 

He lowered his head, but then added with determination: 

“You have to trust me. Every mission, he carried your picture in his pocket. The moment we uncovered Claire’s tricks, he had her transferred without hesitation. He told the Council she was never to stand near him again.” 

His words knotted in my chest. 

I wanted to accept them. I wanted proof. 

But the truth remained-Kael had kept things from me, and the sting of betrayal hadn’t faded. 

Fatigue weighed on both of us, though not for the same reasons. 

I drifted off in the corridor until the first light of dawn broke through the sky. 

Then I heard the healer’s voice call out: 

“Alpha is awake. Family may go in.” 

My legs felt unbearably heavy as I forced myself to open the door. 

The healers had already removed the tubes and given him water. Kael sat propped up against the bedframe, 

eyes locked directly on me. 

He stayed silent at first. 

Damien nudged me forward, and my body moved without thought. 

Finally, Kael rasped, his voice rough, his eyes bloodshot: 

“You didn’t want me anymore. Now you’ve decided to return?” 

Before coming in, I had promised myself to remain calm. He was still recovering, and I owed him that. 

But hearing those words cut through me sharply, leaving me raw. 

I turned, ashamed, ready to leave. 

But Kael’s arms shot forward, wrapping tightly around my waist, unwilling to let me go. 

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