The garden shimmered under the moonlight, dew-kissed petals glowing silver as Sophia strolled quietly beside Kael. Though her thoughts were tangled with Lucian, she found some comfort in the stillness, in the way Kael didn't push too hard, just offered a listening ear.
Kael glanced at her, his dark hair falling loosely around his face, a gentleness in his expression that surprised her. "You know," he said, voice low, "Lucian wasn't always like this. He used to laugh more. Speak less like a war general and more like a boy who wanted to fly."
Sophia raised a brow. "Fly?"
Kael chuckled. "Don't tell him I said that. But yes—he used to climb the cliffs near the werewolf border and leap, as if his dragon blood might finally carry him somewhere else."
Sophia smiled faintly, her fingers brushing the rim of a rose. "He still seems like he wants to fly. Just… away from me, sometimes."
"He doesn't," Kael said without hesitation. "He's just scared. You're not like anyone he's ever known, Sophia. You make him want things he doesn't know how to deserve."
She looked at Kael then, her expression softening. "That's… actually kind of beautiful."
He grinned, then leaned in slightly, his voice quiet. "And if he's too much of a fool to hold on to you, I can't promise I'll keep my distance."
Before she could respond, a sudden gust of wind rushed through the garden, carrying with it a pulse—magic, thick and ancient. The ground trembled gently beneath her feet. Sophia gasped as warmth spread through her spine.
Then came the pain. Sharp, blinding.
She dropped to her knees, clutching her sides as a radiant light burst from her back. Wings. Her wings.
Feathers of crystal and gold unfurled behind her, stretching high and wide, catching the moonlight and glowing with ethereal power. The roses bowed beneath the surge, petals scattering like confetti.
Gasps echoed from the balcony above—Lucian's family, nobles, even servants had stepped out, drawn by the magic.
Lucian himself was frozen at the entrance of the garden, his heart in his throat. She was transcendent. Goddess-like. His goddess. His mate.
Sophia knelt in the center of the transformation, breathing hard, eyes glowing white-gold. Her body trembled, not from fear—but release. This was her true form.
Kael stepped back, his face unreadable now. "Well," he murmured, "guess that answers that."
Lucian stormed forward, dropping to his knees in front of her. "Sophia…" His voice cracked.
She blinked slowly, still dazed, but as her eyes locked with his—something ancient, unbreakable, pulsed between them.
Behind him, his mother placed a hand to her heart, whispering, "The Bond is awakening."