Evelyne said nothing. She needed to let him continue.
“I lost my parents and my trust in the same night,” Kaldrek said, a hollow edge to his voice. “And I couldn’t hold it all in. I had to tell someone before it broke me. So when Holden noticed the tattoo had transferred to me, I told him. I had to ask him about it. How could the alpha role pass to someone who wasn’t truly part of their bloodline?”
His eyes filled with tears, but he smiled through them, a smile touched with pain and pride.
“Holden, the sentimental bastard, just laughed and told me blood means little when the alpha mark speaks. He said, ‘We follow the one it chooses. And it chose you.’”Kaldrek let out a soft, breathless laugh at the memory. “So he and I kept it quiet. To protect the pack and to ensure they wouldn’t look at me differently… Wouldn’t lose faith in me.”
Evelyne’s heart twisted for him. Damn him. Even after everything, she still loved him. Loved the man he was underneath all the scars, the man who fought so hard to protect those he cared about.
“Why couldn’t you just tell me, Kaldrek?” Her voice trembled, caught between heartbreak and frustration. “You knew why I traveled north, and I trusted you. I let you in. Gods, I fell for you so hard I forgot how to breathe without you. And I truly believed you felt the same.”
Kaldrek didn’t hesitate.
He stepped forward and took her hands gently but firmly in his own, like he couldn’t stand another second of distance between them. The scent of him was so intense and consuming that her body instinctively leaned toward him.
“I didn’t tell you,” he said, voice ragged, “because I was afraid. Afraid that the truth about my mother, about who I am, would terrify you. That once you knew, you’d turn away. And I couldn’t bear that.”
His hand rose to her chin, lifting her gaze to his. The pain in his eyes was laid bare and raw.
“You mean everything to me, Evelyne. You gave my life purpose again. You made me feel when I thought I would be numb forever. I know I broke your trust. But please, believe this—I love you. Fuck, I love you so much it hurts. I’d burn the world for you. Destroy anything that dares cause you pain… even if that thing is me.” His voice cracked, but he pressed on. “I’m sorry. For the secrets, the lies. They ate me alive, every single day. I told myself I was protecting you, but the truth is… I was a coward. I didn’t trust you to be strong enough. But you are. You’ve always been strong.”
He leaned in then, achingly close, his lips brushing the air near her neck. She felt the warmth of his breath, the way he inhaled her like a lifeline, and a low sound rumbled in his throat—half groan, half reverence. Like the very scent of her was enough to drive him to his knees.
His lips barely brushed her skin before he pulled away abruptly, realization flickering across his face like a flame extinguished too soon. “I’m sorry,” he muttered, dragging a hand through his tousled hair. “I—I wasn’t thinking.”
Evelyne’s voice was softer when she replied. “I feel it too, Kaldrek. That pull between us.”
His eyes locked onto hers, searching. “You do?”
She gave a small nod. “Yes,” she whispered, her gaze dropping to his lips as he stepped closer once more.
“I think you’re my mate,” he said.
The breath caught in her throat. She closed her eyes for a moment, steadying herself.
“When did you sense it?”
“At the tunnel,” he said, taking a breath. “Right after you shifted back. It hit me all at once—your scent. It nearly knocked me over. All I could think about was how right it felt to be near you.”
She didn’t respond right away, just stared at him as the truth hung between them. Deep down, she felt the same.
“I think that’s why I’ve always been drawn to you,” he continued, his words quicker now, tinged with nervousness. “Maybe it’s the bond. Or maybe it’s just… you. But if you don’t want it, if it’s too much, you don’t have to accept the bond. You can reject it.”
The ache in his voice squeezed something inside her. She should have told him to go to hell. Should have turned away, hurt still raw in her chest. But instead, part of her reached for him. Wanted to ease the doubt shadowing his face. And that part—however small—was winning.
“I’m still furious with you,” she whispered, her voice trembling. “So furious I could scream.”
His head dipped low in shame, but he did not step back. He stayed, bearing it, letting her anger wash over him.
“But after everything we’ve survived…” Evelyne looked up at him, really looked at him, her soul aching with everything they had lost and could still have. “All I want right now is for you to hold me. Please just hold—”
He moved before she finished speaking, closing the remaining space between them and gathering her into his arms. He held her as if he would never let go.
She lifted her hand and touched his face, her fingers brushing his jaw. The bond between them hummed, warm and relentless, threading them together with a force neither could resist.
“But you can never lie to me again,” she mumbled against his skin.
“Never,” he vowed, the word breaking from him like a promise sealed in blood.
