Chapter 5 CHAPTER 5

Kaelan didn’t slow down as he pulled Talia and Lila toward the pack house, his grip firm but careful, his wolf still simmering beneath his skin. The sounds of the forest behind them grew louder with every step, snarls, snapping branches, the thunder of paws tearing through underbrush. Talia stumbled once, her legs still shaking from the earlier attack, but Kaelan steadied her without looking back. His focus was fixed ahead, on the safety of the pack house, on the children and vulnerable members who were already being ushered inside.

The moment they reached the entrance, Kaelan thrust Lila into the arms of an older wolf who immediately carried the sobbing child deeper into the building. He turned to Talia, his expression tight with worry.

“Inside,” he said, voice low and urgent. “Stay with the others. Don’t leave the pack house unless Elara or I come for you.”

Talia opened her mouth to argue, she didn’t know what she planned to say, only that she hated the idea of being shut away while everyone else fought. But Kaelan’s expression left no room for debate. He wasn’t speaking as the pack's Alpha, he was speaking as her father.

She nodded.

Kaelan exhaled, relief flickering across his face for a brief moment before he turned and sprinted back toward the forest, shifting mid‑stride. His wolf disappeared into the trees, swallowed by the chaos erupting beyond the clearing.

Talia stepped inside the pack house, closing the heavy door behind her. The room was crowded, children huddled together, elderly members sitting stiffly on benches, and a few injured members were being tended to by Mia and two other healers. The air was thick with fear; the pack hadn’t experienced an attack before, even though they trained every day for it. This was the first real threat.

She scanned the room, searching for familiar faces.

“Tal!” Two small bodies collided with her legs, nearly knocking her off balance. Lyanna and Thane, her five‑year‑old twin siblings, clung to her, their faces pale, their eyes wide with confusion and fear. Lyanna’s curls were tangled, her cheeks streaked with tears. Thane’s little hands trembled as he grabbed her shirt.

Talia dropped to her knees and pulled them both into her arms, holding them tightly. The twins burrowed into her, seeking comfort, safety, something steady in the chaos.

“It’s okay,” she whispered, smoothing Lyanna’s hair with one hand and rubbing circles on Thane’s back with the other. “You’re safe. I’ve got you.”

But even as she said the words, a cold truth settled in her chest… She hadn’t been able to protect Lila. She wouldn’t be able to protect the twins either. The realisation hit her with brutal clarity; she was a liability, a weakness, and a danger to herself and everyone around her. If Kaelan hadn’t arrived when he did, Lila would be dead, and so would she.

The minutes stretched, heavy and suffocating. The sounds of battle outside rose and fell, snarls, yelps, the crack of bones, the distant roar of wolves fighting. Every sound made the twins flinch, and Talia held them closer.

Eventually, the noise began to fade. The snarls grew distant, and everyone waited for the confirmation that it was over and they were safe. When the door finally opened, Elara stepped inside first, her clothes torn, her hair wild, blood streaking her cheek. Kaelan followed, his chest rising and falling with exhaustion. Relief rippled through the room.

“It’s over,” Elara said, her voice steady despite the strain. “The rogues have been driven back. You’re all safe.”

A collective exhale filled the room.

Kaelan’s gaze found Talia immediately. He crossed the room in a few long strides, dropping to his knees beside her. “Are you alright?”

Talia nodded, though her arm throbbed and her chest felt tight. “I’m fine. The twins are fine.”

Elara knelt beside her, brushing a strand of hair from Talia’s face. “Let Mia look at your arm.”

Mia approached, her hands gentle as she cleaned and bandaged the wound. Talia barely felt it. Her mind was elsewhere; she was replaying the moment the rogue lunged at Lila, the moment she’d been too slow, too weak, and too human.

When Mia finished and moved on to another injured wolf, Talia realised Elara and Kaelan were still watching her. Their expressions were soft, worried, too knowing.

“Talia,” Elara said quietly, “talk to us.”

Talia swallowed hard. The twins were still pressed against her, their small bodies warm and trusting. She looked at them, at their innocent faces, and something inside her cracked.

“I’m not safe here,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Kaelan frowned. “What do you mean?”

“I mean…” She took a shaky breath. “I can’t protect anyone. Not the children, not myself, not even you. I’m human. I’m slow and breakable. If you hadn’t been there today to save us.”

“Talia—”

“No,” she said, shaking her head. “I need you to hear me. I’m a danger to myself and everyone around me. I can’t stay here and pretend I’m something I’m not. I can’t keep putting people at risk because I want to belong.”

Elara’s expression softened, but Talia could see the heartbreak behind her eyes. “You’re acting out of fear. Today was traumatic, but you don’t make life‑changing decisions in the middle of fear.”

“I’m not making it in the middle of fear,” Talia said quietly. “I’m making it because it’s the truth.”

Kaelan reached for her hand, but she pulled away gently. “I think… it might be best if I leave. If I go somewhere human. Somewhere I won’t be a liability, and I certainly won’t get anyone killed.”

Elara shook her head. “Talia, you are not a liability. You are family, and you are our daughter.”

Talia’s throat tightened. “I know. And that’s why I have to go. Because I love you. Because I love the twins. Because I can’t keep pretending I’m something I’m not and no amount of therapy will fix that.”

Elara opened her mouth to argue, but Talia cut her off. “I’m not changing my mind. I just… I need time to think. But I know what the answer is.”

Elara exhaled slowly. “Then promise me you won’t do anything rash tonight.”

“I promise,” Talia said, though the decision was already carved into her bones.

Kaelan looked like he wanted to argue, to forbid it, to lock her in the pack house if he had to. But he didn’t. He just nodded, his jaw tight, and his eyes full of pain.

Talia stood, kissed the twins on their heads, and slipped away before anyone could stop her. She climbed the stairs to her room, closed the door behind her, and leaned against it, letting the silence settle around her.

Her hands trembled as she crossed the room and sat at her desk. She opened her laptop, the screen glowing softly in the dim light.

She typed: Human towns near me.

Search results filled the screen. She clicked the first one, then the next, and the next. She didn’t hesitate; she sent off a few emails.

The truth has always been staring at her since she lost her wolf… She couldn’t stay.

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