**CHAPTER TEN: THE BOND AWAKENS**
Koda stirred beneath soft blankets in the guest room of the Raven Blood packhouse. The scent of pinewood and fresh sheets filled his lungs, and the silence was soothing in a way his childhood home had never been. A faint ache lingered in his bones, a dull reminder of the excruciating transformation he had nearly undergone.
He had kissed Tristian.
And something had shifted inside of him—not just emotionally. The kiss had awakened something primal, and though he couldn't explain it, he could *feel* Tristian's presence even when he wasn't in the room.
A knock sounded at the door. It opened to reveal Zara, arms full of clothes.
"Tristian said you'd need these. We figured you wouldn't want to wear hospital gowns forever."
Behind her stood Nova, a small smile on her face.
"We're all hanging out downstairs after school. We saved you lunch," Nova added. "Come when you're ready."
Zara hesitated, glancing at Koda's pale face. "Take your time. We just… wanted to check in."
---
Koda made it to the kitchen later that day, where everyone was lounging across the living room with plates of food. The packhouse was spacious and modern, buzzing with a sense of family that made Koda both comfortable and awkward.
Zara waved him over enthusiastically.
"We saved you a seat!"
He shuffled over with his tray, suddenly self-conscious, but the warmth of the group smoothed some of the jagged nerves.
Tristian wasn't there yet.
Orion was in the kitchen, chatting with Eliah while handing out drinks. The tall, calm warrior had a silent charm to him. Even Koda felt strangely at ease around him.
Nova dropped beside Zara on the couch, and when Zara leaned against her with a tired sigh, Nova instinctively wrapped an arm around her. Zara looked up with a small smile, and the moment lingered between them, unspoken but noticed.
---
The next morning, Koda was back at school. Whispers followed him—about the bruises, his sudden disappearance, and now his strange entourage. But he didn't walk alone. Zara, Nova, Eliah, Tala, and Orion walked with him, the new wolves of the school keeping silent watch.
Reed was waiting by the lockers.
"Hey, you okay?" he asked, eyes on the fading bruises that makeup couldn't hide.
Koda forced a smile. "Yeah, just... slipped down the stairs."
Reed frowned. "You should stop living in horror movies."
Koda chuckled lightly and moved on.
Throughout the day, he noticed the changes. He was eating better—meals at the packhouse were warm, constant, and generous. His once-thin frame had begun filling out with lean muscle, and more than once, he caught students staring at him with confusion.
Even *he* didn't recognize his reflection some mornings.
---
That night, Tristian returned to the room with two bowls of steaming stew.
"You're eating again," he said softly. "It shows."
Koda flushed. "I guess I was always hungry. I just didn't know how much until someone fed me."
Tristian smiled faintly, setting the bowl beside him.
"Your scent... it's changing."
Koda looked up. "Scent?"
Tristian hesitated. "Only I can smell it. It's... complicated."
Koda touched his chest. "Is something happening to me?"
Before Tristian could answer, Koda gasped and clutched his ribs. The warmth he'd felt earlier was rising again—stronger, hotter. He stumbled to the side of the bed.
"Tristian—something's wrong."
His bones began to crack.
Tristian rushed to him, catching him before he fell.
"It's starting again," Koda breathed.
And then came the pain.
Koda's scream was sharp, his spine arching as his limbs twisted. The room seemed to shake with the force of his transformation.
Tristian held him through it, helpless as his mate's body fought itself.
This was no fever.
This was the wolf.
---
It ended in a collapse. Koda lay trembling, drenched in sweat, eyes wide with fear.
"I—I almost changed," he whispered.
"You *are* changing," Tristian said. "I don't understand it, but it's happening."
He called his mother.
"I need answers," he said to Luna Mireya. "Koda's not just human."
His mother was silent. "Then we must prepare. He may be something the world hasn't seen in a long time."
---
The next morning, Koda sat outside on the porch, wrapped in a blanket. Tristian sat beside him.
"I don't understand any of this," Koda murmured.
"You don't have to. Just know we're here."
Koda looked at him. "You stayed. Even when I was breaking."
"I'd stay through fire for you."
The way Tristian said it made Koda's breath hitch.
And when Tristian reached over and held his hand, it wasn't just comfort—it was a promise.
For the first time, Koda didn't pull away.
---
Later that night, the living room was dimly lit, the oversized sectional crammed with wolves, blankets, and bowls of popcorn. A movie flickered on the screen—some cheesy 2000s horror flick Koda barely followed—but the laughter and side comments made it worth watching.
Zara and Nova were tangled together under a throw, whispering and giggling as a jump scare startled Tala enough to spill her drink.
"Classic," Orion said with a grin, handing her a napkin without missing a beat. "Bet the werewolf shows up just before the credits. They always get it wrong."
"You'd know, wouldn't you?" Eliah teased, tossing a pillow his way.
Orion caught it mid-air and launched it right back, igniting a full-blown pillow skirmish.
Koda sat nestled between Tristian and Orion, his head gently leaning on the Alpha's shoulder without thinking. Tristian didn't move or breathe too hard—afraid to ruin the peace of the moment.
Orion cracked open a can of soda and passed it to Koda. "You look better already."
Koda blinked at him. "Thanks… for everything."
Orion winked. "Get used to it. You're stuck with us now."
The room fell into quiet again as the movie rolled on, but laughter and warmth buzzed beneath it. Orion, always the calm in the storm, made sure everyone had food, a place to lean, and someone to laugh with.
And for the first time in a long time, Koda didn't feel like he was just passing through someone else's world.
He was becoming a part of it.
---
The bond was awakening.
The boy who once felt invisible was starting to see himself.
And maybe, just maybe, he was ready to believe he belonged.
Hii babes this is chapter 10 I can't believe how consistent im being see yall in the next chapter