Luna Everleigh's POV
***
Kael stood in the doorway, his expression a mask of control, but his golden eyes burned with something sharp—something dangerous.
Behind him, the flickering torchlight made his shadow stretch across the floor, like a predator waiting to strike.
"We need to talk," he said, voice smooth, but edged with steel.
Rhydian rose immediately, stepping between us. "Not now."
Kael's lips curled. "Yes, now." His gaze flickered to me. "She doesn't have the luxury of waiting, Alpha."
Tension crackled in the air.
I gripped the sheets, my heart hammering.
Kael moved before Rhydian could stop him. In an instant, he was beside me, fingers closing around my wrist—not roughly, but firmly enough to make me suck in a breath.
He turned my hand, exposing the underside of my wrist.
My stomach dropped.
A mark—intricate, dark against my skin—had appeared there.
Swirling patterns like intertwining vines, but beneath them, something pulsed faintly, as if alive.
I yanked my arm back, my breath uneven. "What the hell is that?"
Kael straightened, satisfied. "Proof."
Rhydian's gaze snapped to me, something unreadable flickering behind his eyes. "That wasn't there before."
I shook my head, panic clawing at my ribs. "No. It wasn't."
Kael crossed his arms. "Because it only shows itself when your body wakes up to what it really is." He tilted his head slightly, studying me like a puzzle he was piecing together. "And last night, it did."
I couldn't breathe.
Kael leaned in just enough to whisper, "You're not just human, Luna."
I wanted to deny it.
But then—
A voice cut through the thick silence.
"Of course, she's not."
We all turned.
Riven stepped from the shadows, his dark crimson cloak barely rustling as he moved. His piercing, unnatural blue eyes locked onto mine, gleaming with something close to amusement.
"Didn't you realize?" he mused. "She's something much, much more."
His words sent a shiver down my spine.
And deep inside, I knew—
This was only the beginning.
***
(To be continued…)