🌖~ Moonlit Obsidian ~ 🌔 [with M-jow]

[mik3la]

Quote

“Come on,” he said gently. “It’s about an hour’s drive. You should pack a small bag with cloth, just in case.”

“Alright” he said taking a deep breath and sighing as he moved to his room and packed a few things in his bag, like shirts and pants and whatever one needed for when travelling and not long after he finished they were on the road to Asher’s pack.

 

 

The moment they arrived and the gates closed behind them, Kaito felt it. It pressed in from every direction, a low hum under his skin, like standing in the middle of a deep forest where something ancient was watched but didn't threaten. Wolves. Dozens of them. Maybe more. He couldn't see most of them, but he felt them, threads of awareness brushing against him as the car rolled forward.

His fingers curled slowly against his thigh and for a heartbeat, the old instinct flared. I don't belong here. Mage. Outsiders. Problem. Then the other presence inside him lifted his head.

(Easy.)

The wolf in him stirred with curious. Its awareness stretched outward, brushing the edges of the pack's collective presence like a cautious paw testing water.

(They are many.)

Kaito swallowed. Can you feel them?

A low, thoughtful hum answered him.

(Pack.)

Something warm and unfamiliar twisted in his chest at the sound of that word but didn’t move or said anything.

As they passed houses and lights and people, Kaito kept his gaze outward, taking everything in. Wolves walking openly. Laughing. Talking. Living. The air itself felt different—thicker, charged with scent and sound and something like belonging.

The deeper they drove in, the more Kaito felt their attention brushing past him in faint threads, curious and assessing. He kept his posture still, controlled, the way years of surviving among people had taught him.

Don't draw attention. Don't look like prey.

But as they passed houses and people, Kaito kept his gaze outward, taking everything in. Wolves walking openly. Laughing. Talking. Living. The air itself felt different, thicker, charged with scent and sound and something like belonging.

His wolf nudged him gently.

(They smell us.)
(And him.)

Asher.

Kaito glanced at him, at the steady line of his profile, the way he drove like this place already knew him down to the bone. Alpha. Home.

Mate.

The thought still made his stomach twist and he didn’t know how to understand the feeling.

When the pack house finally came into view, Kaito forgot to breathe.

It wasn't just big … it was alive . Not in the magical sense, but in the way old places held memory. The stone. The timber. The symbols worn smoothly by time and touch. This wasn't a fortress meant to keep people out. It was something that had grown, layer by layer, around those who lived inside it.

The car rolled to a stop at the base of the steps, and Kaito realized his breath had gone shallow. His heart wasn't racing but it wasn't calm either.

Before he could ground himself further, the front doors opened and a man stepped out, already smiling.

“Asher,” he called, warmth unmistakable in his voice. “Took  you long enough.”

He wasn't as tall as Asher, leaner, compact, but there was strength in the way he moved. Muscles earned through training rather than intimidation. His presence carried authority, but it wasn't heavy-handed.

This was Logan. Alpha brother.

Logan came down the steps without hesitation, clearly expecting Asher and clearly relieved to see him. He clapped a hand on Asher's shoulder in a quick, familiar gesture.

“Garret is inside and losing his mind,” he said with a grin. "We got something. A lead. You're gonna want to hear—" Then his gaze shifted and landed on Kaito.

The smile didn't disappear but it paused.

Kaito felt it instantly. The scent check.

Logan’s brows wrinkle slightly as a concern flickered through his expression.

Mage.

Kaito's stomach dropped.

Of course he smells it.

Logan straightened subtly, attention sharpening as he took a step closer—not hostile, but alert. His gaze flicked back to Asher, then returned to Kaito.

“Who … Asher, do you have anything to tell me? …” Logan started, clearly choosing his words.

Then he took a step closer and froze instantly as the air shifted. Logan’s eyes widened and frowned at the same time as confusion rolled off him in a controlled wave as he leaned in slightly, scenting again like he couldn't believe what he was registering.

“That's not possible,” Logan muttered under his breath blinking a few times then turning to Asher for some explanation.

Kaito lifted his chin before he could stop himself.

Logan's gaze snapped fully to his face now, recognition dawning almost.

“…You,” he said slowly. “You're the one from Noah's place.” The words landed like a blow. The memory surged, blood, magic, darkness, waking disoriented and terrified.

Logan exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair.

“We found you unconscious,” he continued, eyes searching Kaito's face. "Mage signature all over the scene. We thought…." He stopped, shook his head. “We never caught this part.”

He looked back at Asher, confusing giving way to something more serious.

"Asher," Logan said quietly, "he smells like magic. And wolf. I've never—"

“I know,” Asher replied simply.

Logan stared at them both for a long second, then his posture shifted, not relaxing entirely.

“Well,” he said finally, voice careful not unkind, “that explains a hell of a lot” he sigh and then awkward silence fell upon them three for a few seconds.

It wasn't hostile but it was heavy, the kind of silence that carried a thousand unspoken calculations. He stayed still, shoulders squared, hands loose at his sides. Years of surviving as a mage had taught him how to stand when judgment hovered nearby.

Asher stood just half a step closer than before. A presence Kaito could feel like gravity at his back.

Logan’s gaze drifted from Kaito to Asher again, slower now. Studying. Measuring. The shock had faded, replaced by something sharper, responsibility.

Kaito could practically hear the thoughts turning behind Logan’s eyes.

Magic and wolf in one body.
A hybrid.
A walking complication.

Logan inhaled deeply, scenting again, not because he doubted his senses, but because he needed to understand them. His jaw tightened.

“This changes things,” Logan said quietly, more to Asher than to Kaito.

Kaito's stomach sank. He'd expected that.

Logan wasn't glaring at him. He wasn't angry. That somehow made it worse. This wasn't a personal reaction. It was a pack reaction

Kaito's wolf stirred, attentive.

(Alpha mind.)
(Protect pack.)

Logan’s gaze flicked briefly toward the pack house, toward the unseen wolves inside. Kaito followed the look instinctively, suddenly aware again of how many ears, how many instincts, were within those walls.

Some would accept this without question. Some wouldn't. Packs were built on tradition. On bloodlines. On instinct. Even the most progressive packs carried old scars, and mages were etched into werewolf history with fire and loss.

Kaito knew that history. He studied it ever since he discovered what he was and he lived in its shadow.

Logan rubbed the back of his neck slowly, a gesture that betrayed more unease than his steady posture. “You know how this will sound to some of them,” he said under his breath to Asher. "A mage walking into the pack house? With that scent?"

His eyes flicked back to Kaito cautiously.

“And if they caught the wolf part too…” He exhaled. "Some of the older wolves won't react well. Especially not Father." His tone softened, just slightly.

“I know you didn't bring him here without a reason, but still …” Logan said sighing again knowing what this might cause.

Kaito's breath caught.

Please let it be a good one, he thought, guilt curling in his chest. Please don't let this tear your pack apart.

He shifted his weight, finally speaking as the silence was becoming unbearable.

"If this causes problems," Kaito said quietly, eyes steady despite the knot in his stomach, "I can leave. I don't want to put your pack at risk." The words tasted bitter, but honest.

His wolf growled softly at the thought.

(No.)

Logan looked at him again, really looked this time. Not just the scent. Not the anomaly. The person.

“That,” he said slowly, “isn’t a decision you get to make alone.” Then he turned back to Asher, waiting. Waiting for his brother to explain why he'd brought a mage—no, a hybrid —into the heart of the pack ands why he should allow it.

[M-jow]

Asher was honestly glad to be back home. He had missed the feeling of his pack—missed the clean, sharp mountain air and the warm, welcoming sense of safety that only home could offer. Even if it was just for a moment, he let himself be carried by that feeling. He pretended he was just a normal man driving home, about to introduce his parents and family to the person he planned to spend the rest of his life with.

For a little while, he could even pretend there weren’t any psycho mages hunting them.

Asher had never brought a lover home to the pack before, so this was entirely new territory. Even the great Alpha felt a knot of nerves twist in his chest, though he hid it well. Years of leadership had taught him how to keep his emotions locked behind a calm, steady exterior.

When the car engine finally died, the front door of the main house opened. Asher smiled as Logan stepped outside.

It was good to see that his brother still looked the same as ever. Of course, Logan was mated now, which meant he had a partner who made sure he actually rested, ate, and slept—rather than working himself into the ground behind his desk. Honestly, Logan was just as much of a workaholic as Asher. The only difference was that Logan wore suits and managed to look more put together, even with the dark circles etched beneath his eyes.

The brothers greeted each other warmly.

Logan’s gaze shifted past Asher, confusion flashing across his face.

 

[“Who… Asher, do you have anything to tell me? That’s not—”]

 

“Logan, not out here,” Asher cut in sharply.

He tensed, his alpha wolf rising inside him, making itself known—bigger and heavier, a silent warning. He was no less an Alpha than his brother, and he would not tolerate anyone threatening his guest.

Logan wasn’t showing Kaito any outright hostility, but the uncertainty was clear. He looked nervous, cautious. It almost made Asher laugh. Did Logan honestly think he would bring someone dangerous into their home? Someone who meant them harm? If that was the case, Asher might have to knock some sense into his brother later.

He could feel Kaito’s unease beside him. Kaito had been wary ever since they’d left the city apartment, and this tense welcome wasn’t helping at all.

 

Asher felt the shift the moment Kaito spoke about leaving.

He moved without thinking, hand catching Kaito’s wrist before the space between them could widen. He didn’t look at him long enough to turn it into a conversation, only enough to make the intent clear.

“No,” Asher said quietly. Final. “You being here isn’t a problem. You made me promise not to turn away, so you can't run off either."

Then he turned back to Logan.

If Logan expected defiance or some dramatic declaration, he didn’t get it. Asher didn’t bare his throat, and he didn’t puff his chest either. He stood exactly as he always did, tall and stady like a rock.

“Kaito is my guest,” Asher said evenly. “He came here under my protection. That’s it. Full stop.”

Logan’s brows drew together. “Asher—”

“He’s not here to hurt anyone,” Asher continued, cutting in calmly. “Not the pack. Not you. No one. Whatever you’re scenting doesn’t change that.” His voice carried authority. “If you want to talk, we can. But we’re not doing it out here.”

He gestured broadly to the open space, the house looming around them, the unseen wolves ears very much listening in.

“This isn’t a tribunal,” Asher said dryly. “And I’m not putting him on display like we’re rehearsing a school play.”

The corner of Logan’s mouth twitched despite himself, irritation easing just a fraction.

Asher took a step closer to his brother, lowering his voice. “You know me. If I thought he was a danger, I wouldn’t have brought him past the gates.”

Logan studied him for a long moment, eyes sharp, searching for cracks. He didn’t find any.

Asher felt Kaito shift again beside him—felt the tension spike, the instinct to retreat—and this time he turned his head slightly, speaking without opening the floor for argument.

“My brother isn’t as bad as he sounds right now,” Asher said quietly, steady as stone. “He’s just doing what he belives is best.” Then, turned back to Logan and firmly said: “And so am I.”

Logan exhaled through his nose, scrubbing a hand over his face. “You really know how to drop complications in my lap.”

Asher shrugged faintly. “It’s a gift.”

 

Another beat of silence passed.

Logan finally stepped back, angling toward the house. “Fine,” he said. “Inside. Before everyone decides this is more dramatic than it needs to be.”

The front doors opened wider, warm light spilling out along with the unmistakable press of pack awareness and curiosity.

Asher kept his hand on Kaito wrist for a second longer, as a way of reassuring him it was okay. Before releasing him.

“Stay with me,” he said, already leading them toward the steps.

 

Asher felt it the moment they crossed the threshold.

The pack house closed around them—stone, timber, warmth, dozens of familiar presences—but two very important people were missing. The absence tugged at him like a loose thread.

He frowned slightly, reaching outward along the subtle pull of the pack bond.

“…Where is Mom and Dad?” he asked as they moved through the entry hall. “I can’t feel them.”

Logan glanced over his shoulder while leading the way down a side corridor. “You wouldn’t. They’re out. Small gathering with some old friends from the northern packs.” His tone softened a fraction. “They’ll be back tomorrow.”

Asher nodded, relief and tension tangled together in his chest. Relief for the breathing room. Tension because that conversation was only delayed, not avoided.

They didn’t head toward the main living areas. Instead, Logan turned down a narrower hallway and stopped before a heavy oak door reinforced with old iron bands.

“My office,” Logan said, already pushing it open. “Soundproofed. No accidental audience.”

Asher already knew that but still appreciated he said that for Kaito to hear.

Inside, the room was practical rather than ornate—large desk, reinforced windows, shelves filled with maps, reports, and old pack records. The wards hummed softly under the floor, sealing them off from the rest of the house.

Logan gestured for them to sit, then leaned back against the desk, arms crossing. “Alright,” he said. “Start from the beginning. Properly.”

Asher didn’t rush it.

He turned slightly, positioning himself so Kaito was clearly included but not put on display. Then he looked back at Logan.

“This is Kaito,” Asher said evenly, reintroducing him not as a problem, but as a presence. “He didn’t lie to us when we found him. We just didn’t have the full picture yet.”

Logan nodded once, gaze attentive now rather than suspicious.

“His wolf only woke this morning,” Asher continued. “Completely dormant until now. That’s why none of us caught it before. The magic masked it.”

Logan’s brows shot up. “This morning?”

“Yes.”

That got Logan’s full attention.

“And the mages?” Logan asked quietly. “The ones from Noah’s place?”

Asher’s jaw tightened. “They weren’t just passing through. They were hunting.” He paused, choosing his words carefully. “Kaito wasn’t a bystander. He was the target.”

Logan straightened, all levity gone. “You’re sure.”

Asher nodded. “Certain. Whatever they want—whatever they did—it’s tied to him. Noah got in the way.” His voice dipped, grim. “But that group knows Kaito survived.”

A heavy silence filled the office.

 

Logan dragged a hand down his face. “So let me get this straight. A newly awakened hybrid, a hostile mage group, and you brought him straight into the heart of the pack.”

“I brought him somewhere he could be protected,” Asher corrected calmly.

Logan studied him, frustration flickering through concern. “I want to help,” he said honestly. “You know I do. But you’re asking a lot, Asher. Of the pack. Of us.”

“I know.”

“And I don’t understand,” Logan added, voice lowering. “Why you’re putting this much on the line for someone you met—what, a week ago?”

That was it.

Asher felt his pulse kick, his wolf pressing hard against his ribs, restless and insistent. He’d known this moment was coming, but that didn’t make it easier.

He didn’t look at Kaito. If he did, he might lose his nerves.

Instead, Asher met his brother’s eyes and held them.

“I didn’t plan to,” he said quietly. “It just… happened.”

Logan frowned. “Asher—”

“He’s my fated mate.”

The words left him softer than he expected, but they landed like thunder.

Logan froze.

For a heartbeat, the room felt too small to contain the truth of it. Then Logan inhaled sharply, eyes widening before narrowing again, disbelief and dawning understanding colliding.

“…You’re serious,” he said.

Asher nodded once.

Logan let out a low, stunned laugh and then stopped himself, scrubbing his hands over his face. “Of course he is,” he muttered. “Of course.”

He looked up again, gaze sharper now, measuring everything through a new lens.

“That explains a lot,” Logan said slowly. “Your behavior. The unnecessary risk. The stubbornness.”

Asher’s mouth twitched despite the tension. “I’m always stubborn.”

“Yes,” Logan agreed dryly. “But this is next level.”

Silence settled again, different this time. More heavy

Logan straightened, expression shifting into something resolute. Alpha resolve, no judgment.

“…Alright,” he said. “If he’s your mate, then this isn’t just your problem. It’s ours.”

Asher felt something in his chest loosen, just a fraction.

“We’ll need to be careful,” Logan continued. “Strategic. Some of the elders won’t take this easily. But you are already used to that.” He met Asher’s gaze squarely. “But of course I'll help you"

Those words mattered more to Asher than Logan probably realized.

“Thank you,” Asher said quietly.

Logan sighed and looked between the two before him. “Well either way, family helps family. Atleast not mom wouldn’t set you up on those blinddates anymore”

Asher allowed himself a small, tired smile.

Then Logan talk just to Kaito. "My brother might have quiet a few flawes and a stubborn streak. And honestly I can list up more thing about him I find annoying as hell. But when it all comes down to it, he is a great man. And if the moon goddess pared you with him, then I can’t belive you'll have even one evil bone in your body. I am sorry for the way I reacted before. It is real nice too meet you Kaito" Logan smile warmly at Kaito, like he was already family and held his arm out for a handshake.

[mik3la]

Kaito had been holding himself together by habit more than certainty.

From the moment they crossed the threshold, the pack house had wrapped around him like something alive, aware. Dozens of presences brushed against his senses, some curious, some wary, some utterly indifferent, all threaded together by bonds he could feel even without fully understanding them yet. It was overwhelming in a quiet way, like standing in the middle of a forest and realizing every tree could see you.

Kaito stayed close to Asher without consciously deciding to. The wolf inside him leaned toward that gravity, settling whenever Asher’s presence was near, like it had already decided where safety lived. That terrified him almost as much as it comforted him.

Logan had been… a lot. Sharp-eyed, responsible, clearly used to carrying weight that wasn’t always his to bear. Kaito recognized that look. The look of someone who had learned to think three steps ahead because people depended on him. It made Logan less frightening, somehow, even when his scrutiny felt like being dissected.

When Asher said the words fated mate, Kaito’s heart had stuttered so hard he thought it might give out entirely. Not because he didn’t believe it. Because part of him already had.

The wolf had gone utterly still at that moment.

(He claims.)
(We are chosen.)

Kaito had swallowed against the sudden heat behind his eyes, refusing to let it spill over. This wasn’t a fairytale. This was complicated and dangerous and wrapped in grief and blood and unfinished business. And yet Logan’s reaction hadn’t been rejection. It had been… recalibration.

When Logan turned to him directly, the tension Kaito hadn’t even realized he was bracing for finally loosened.

Family.

The word echoed, fragile and unfamiliar.

Logan’s smile, warm, genuine, edged with protective humor, hit Kaito harder than suspicion ever could have. It wasn’t forced. It wasn’t polite tolerance. It was the kind of smile you gave someone you were already trying to make space for.

Kaito took a breath and stepped forward, accepting the offered handshake. Logan’s grip was firm, confident.

“Thank you,” Kaito said quietly, meeting his eyes. “And… I understand why you reacted the way you did. I would’ve done the same.”

His voice steadied as he continued, honesty winning over nerves. “I don’t take this lightly. Being here. Being his mate.” His fingers twitched faintly at his side. “I won’t bring danger to your pack. I swear that.”

Kaito hesitated, then spoke again, softer but resolute. “The mages who came after me … they weren’t random. They wanted what I was carrying. Noah…” His throat tightened, pain flaring sharp and fresh. He forced himself to continue. “Noah died because he stood between them and me.”

The room seemed to dim around that truth.

“I won’t let that happen again,” Kaito said. “I want them stopped. But not at the cost of your people. If there’s a way to deal with them without putting the pack in danger, I’ll take it. If there isn’t…” He shook his head once. “Then I’ll find another way.”

Revenge burned in him, hot, aching, justified.

Kaito looked between the brothers then, something fragile and strange blooming in his chest. For the first time since Noah’s death, since the book, since the chase began. He wasn’t alone. And the thought of this place, these wolves, this family, standing beside him instead of against him made his fear finally give way to something else entirely. Belonging.

Logan straightened subtly, shoulders squaring not in challenge but in responsibility. The Alpha heir slipping fully into place. His gaze moved between Asher and Kaito again, slower this time, no longer trying to figure out what Kaito was, but where he fit.

That felt… different. Heavy in a way that mattered.

Logan released Kaito’s hand and turned, pacing once in the office. His boots were quiet against the reinforced floor, but the air seemed to tighten around him as his thoughts lined themselves up. Kaito could almost feel the pack instincts working through him, territory, risk, loyalty.

“Asher bringing you here tells me three things,” Logan said finally, rubbing his jaw. “One, you’re not lying. Two, this situation is worse than we thought. And three, whatever the mages are planning doesn’t stop with Noah.”

His eyes darkened briefly at the name.

Kaito flinched inwardly. Guilt stirred, sharp and unwelcome, but his wolf pressed close this time instead of recoiling.

Logan stopped pacing and leaned back against the desk again, arms crossing. “If they tracked you once, they’ll try again. And now that they know you survived…” He exhaled slowly. “They’ll escalate.” Logan’s eyes moved to his brother. “Which is why you brought him here.” Logan replied, softer now. He glanced at his brother, something complicated passing between them, years of trust, rivalry, shared loss. “And you were right to.”

That admission mattered. Kaito saw it land in Asher’s posture, the faint easing of tension he’d been carrying since the gates.

Logan turned back to Kaito. “You said you won’t put the pack at risk. I believe you.” His tone was firm. “So here’s how we handle this.”

Kaito straightened instinctively, listening.

“First, we don’t advertise what you are. Not yet,” Logan said. “The fewer people who know about a hybrid awakening, the better. Curiosity spreads faster than fear, and both are dangerous.”

Kaito nodded. That aligned with everything the books had warned him about.

“Second,” Logan continued, “we treat this as a hostile incursion. Unknown mage cell, confirmed lethal intent, interest in arcane artifacts.” His eyes flicked meaningfully to Kaito. “That puts this squarely in pack-protection territory. Meaning we’ll plan before you charge in like an idiot” he said pointing at his brother before Asher could say something.

Kaito almost smiled, almost.

Logan’s gaze softened when he looked back at him. “Third … you don’t face this alone. Not anymore. You’ll be assigned protection, training access if you want it, and a secure place to stay.” A pause. “Officially, you’re Asher’s guest. Unofficially…” His lips twitched. “You’re under pack protection.”

The words settled deep in Kaito’s chest, warm and terrifying all at once.

(Home.)
The wolf sounded happy.

Kaito swallowed. “I can help,” he said quietly. “With the mages. I know their patterns. The spells they use. The way they think.” His hands curled slowly into fists. “And the book … they wanted it because it reacts to bloodlines. Mine specifically.”

Logan’s eyes sharpened again, impressed despite himself. “You’re willing to work with us.”

“Yes,” Kaito said without hesitation. Then softer, more vulnerable, “But only if no one gets hurt because of me. I won’t trade lives for vengeance.”

For a long moment, Logan just studied him then he nodded once. “Good. That tells me exactly the kind of man you are.”

Kaito brushed his shoulder against Asher when he moved a step closer nodding in agreement with Logan and the contact sent a quiet ripple through him, grounding him. His wolf leaned fully into it now, no longer confused by the pull.

Logan noticed. Of course he did. His brows lifted a fraction, understanding dawning not just intellectually but instinctively.

“…The bond’s already settling,” Logan murmured. “Fast.” He sigh. “I can tell you’re holding back ,” Logan said dryly. “You look like you’re one bad second away from hovering.”

Kaito let out a quiet breath that almost counted as a laugh.

Logan straightened again, all business now. “We’ll start by re-examining Noah’s place. With what we know now, we might’ve missed secondary traces. If they were after you, the spells will reflect that.”

Kaito nodded. “I can help identify them.”

“Good,” Logan said, then added more gently, “We’ll get justice for Noah. But we’ll do it smart.”

The word we mattered. Kaito felt it then, truly felt it. Not just Asher. The pack.

The house no longer felt overwhelming. It felt… Protective. Like a circle closing around him, not to trap him, but to hold.

Kaito met Asher’s eyes, heart still racing, fear still there,but steadier now. Anchored and determined.

“I’m okay,” he admitted. “A little worried but I’m not running.” He smiled.

His wolf rumbled approval, warm and certain.

Logan watched them both and shook his head faintly. “Yeah,” he muttered. “This is going to be a pain in my ass.” He mumbled, then, continued : “Welcome to the pack, Kaito. Let’s make sure the people responsible regret ever crossing you.” He winked with a soft smile on his face.

[M-jow]

Asher smiled as Logan welcomed Kaito into the pack, and more importantly, accepted that Kaito would be part of Asher’s future.

“I’d prefer to introduce Kaito to our parents myself, then the rest of the pack when we are ready. For now, this stays between us,” Asher explained. “I’m not saying you can’t tell your mate—just make sure she knows not to pass it on. It’s still quite new for both of us.”

He didn’t want to put any pressure on Kaito or rush him into something he wasn’t ready for.

They hadn’t even shared their first kiss yet, so no—they weren’t ready for the bond. Even if Asher couldn’t stop thinking about it.

 

He straightened slightly. “If the mages escalate, they won’t wait long,” he said. “They probably already know Kaito is here with me. That means probing attacks, maybe attempts to destabilize us from the outside.”

Logan nodded, already thinking several steps ahead. “I’ll call a council meeting tomorrow. Limited attendance—only elders we trust to keep their mouths shut.”

“Good.” Asher replied, looking to Kaito if he wanted to say something.

 

“Rooms in the east wing are free. Close to yours… unless you’re sharing your suite?” Logan said while looking between the two.

Asher didn’t comment. He hadn’t thought that far ahead, but the idea of Kaito staying anywhere else didn’t sit right with him. There was a spare bed in his suite, after all.

The wolf inside him approved it.

He subtly shifted his stance, positioning himself between Kaito and the door.

“As for Kaito’s training,” Asher continued, “I’ll handle it personally—at least at first. Whatever happens, we’ll figure it out. It’s better to learn control with an alpha you trust.”

Logan gave him a long look. “You’re sure you can be objective?”

Asher met his gaze evenly. “Maybe not. But I’ll take better care of my mate than anyone else can.”

That earned him a short, humorless laugh from Logan. “Fair enough.”

“And we’ll deal with it if any mages shows up,” Asher said finally, his voice low and certain. “One step at a time. No reckless charges. No heroics.” he said loud enough so both heard him.

Logan raised a brow. “That coming from you?”

Asher allowed himself a faint smile. “I’m evolving.”

Logan snorted, then sobered. “Go, get out of here. Both of you. Tomorrow’s going to be long, and if nothing I'll see you both around dinner time.”

Asher nodded. As they left the office and stepped back into the warm, living heartbeat of the pack house, he placed a steadying hand at Kaito’s back.

After a moment, Asher slowly lowered it till he touched Kaito’s hand and gently took it into his, while looking at Kaito for any discomfort.

“Want to take a small tour of the place?”

[mik3la]

Kaito hadn’t expected acceptance and that caught him by surprise.

 Logan hadn’t interrogated him, hadn’t demanded proof or loyalty oaths. He’d looked at him like a problem that needed solving with, not a threat to be removed. That alone loosened something tight and aching in Kaito’s chest.

Family. The feeling of belonging and not being alone anymore. They might not realise it now but this meant a lot for Kaito since he had no family of his own for a very long time.

When Logan welcomed him into the pack, something deep inside Kaito shifted. Not relief exactly. More like recognition. As if a door he hadn’t known existed had finally been acknowledged—even if it wasn’t fully open yet.

And Asher…

Gods.

Every time Asher said my mate, it landed differently. Not like a claim meant to cage him. Not ownership. It sounded like intent. Like responsibility. Like a promise made out loud so it couldn’t be taken back.

Kaito felt the heat creep up his neck anyway, a faint flush warming his cheeks. Being named and chosen especially by someone like Asher, who didn’t use words lightly felt … overwhelming.

He didn’t miss how Asher positioned himself subtly between him and the door but didn’t comment on that.

When Logan asked about rooms, Kaito stayed quiet, watching Asher instead. The answer was already written in his posture, in the way his wolf leaned forward under his skin like of course. Kaito’s own wolf stirred in response, but he was a little worried, not that he didn’t trust Asher to behave like a gentleman or anything, but more like, this would be the first time they would sleep in the same room. Would it be the same bed as well? That thought made his cheeks turn pinker.

“I …  if is safer that way … sure I guess” he said quickly, shrugging.

As the mention of training, strategy and planning came along he listened closely, filing away every detail. This wasn’t a fairy tale awakening. This was war preparation. And he was part of it. Kaito had no intention of standing aside while others bled for him.

When Asher said he’d handle Kaito’s training personally, Kaito met his eyes, steady. He trusted him more than anyone. And not because he was alpha, not because of fate, but because he’d proven himself again and again in small, unspoken ways that he would be there beside him.

When Logan finally dismissed them, the tension in the office broke like a held breath released. Stepping back into the pack house felt different now. Less overwhelming.

Asher’s hand at his back grounded him but at the same time send shivers down his spine, making his wolf lean more into the touch. And when that hand slid down, tentative despite everything, and his fingers laced with Kaito’s, he didn’t pull away. His heart started beating so fast that he thought it would jump from his chest and maybe that Asher couldn’t hear it.

They had hold hands before but not like this. This was different.

Quote

“Want to take a small tour of the place?”

“Yeah,” Kaito said quietly when Asher offered the tour. A faint, genuine smile tugged at his mouth. “I’d like that.”

Kaito walked beside Asher at an unhurried pace, their shoulders close but not touching unless the corridor narrowed and made it unavoidable. The pack house felt different now that the tension of the office was behind them, less like a fortress, more like a living thing. The air carried layered scents: wood, stone, old magic worked into the bones of the place, and underneath it all, the steady presence of wolves who belonged here.

His wolf noticed everything. It paced quietly inside him, head low, ears forward, absorbing the territory the way a creature waking from a long sleep might learn the shape of the world again.

Asher started with the obvious, wide halls branching into common spaces, training rooms, living quarters, but Kaito quickly realized this wasn’t a rehearsed tour. Asher pointed things out as memories surfaced, his voice shifting subtly depending on what they passed.

They reached a large open space where long tables were stacked neatly against the wall. Kaito glanced in, thinking that this room looked like a dinning room but it was way bigger than a normal one.

“How many usually live here?” he asked returning to their tour moving on the hall, footsteps echoing softly against stone floors worn smooth by generations. Kaito’s gaze lingered on carvings along the walls, old symbols, pack marks layered over one another rather than replaced, portraits of different people which he thought they were older generations of alphas and their families, reaching those of Asher and his family.

“How are your parents?” he asked looking at Ashers father in the picture. “Is he … strict?” he asked, carefully pointing with his eyes to the portrait, refering to his father. "Do you think he would be .... upset for me being here?". They may have handled Logan, but his father was a different story. 

 

They continued deeper into the house, as Asher responded to his questions, slowing near a window overlooking the forest, the trees stretching out like a dark sea beyond the grounds.

“This place is beautiful”