Luna Everleigh's POV
***
Whispers followed me everywhere.
In the halls, in the training grounds, even in the marketplace. Eyes darted toward me before quickly looking away, hushed voices murmuring things they thought I couldn't hear.
"She's not just a human.""Did you see what she did?""Could she be... one of them?"
I kept my head high, pretending the words didn't burrow under my skin like thorns. But inside, I was unraveling.
The surge of energy that had erupted from me in the forest was still a mystery. It hadn't happened again—not yet. But that didn't stop the way my body felt different, like something deep within me had shifted, waiting for the right moment to break free again.
And the wolves could sense it.
I caught glimpses of their unease in the way they moved around me—too careful, too wary. Even those who had once been indifferent now watched me with thinly veiled suspicion.
I wasn't just an outsider anymore.
I was a threat.
—
Kael wasted no time.
The moment I stepped inside the castle, I was dragged into one of the war rooms, its stone walls lined with maps and faded tapestries. A fire crackled in the hearth, but the warmth did nothing to soften the hard expression on his face.
"Sit."
I remained standing.
His lips pressed into a thin line. "Fine. Then answer me this—what the hell are you?"
I stiffened. "I don't know."
Kael's golden eyes narrowed. "You expect me to believe that?" He stepped closer, his presence crackling with barely contained anger. "You made every wolf in the area fall to their knees, Luna. That's not normal—not for a human, not even for most wolves. So I'll ask again—what are you?"
"I don't know," I repeated, my voice sharper this time. "Do you think I asked for this? Do you think I wanted to explode like that?"
Kael exhaled through his nose, his gaze assessing.
"I know what the others are whispering," I said, lowering my voice. "About the prophecy. About—about them."
His jaw tensed. "Then you know why this is dangerous."
I swallowed hard. "I know."
Kael studied me for a long moment before finally stepping back.
"I don't trust you," he said bluntly. "Not yet. But Rhydian does." His gaze darkened. "Don't make him regret it."
—
To be continued...