The moment Kael pulled away, Aria knew—he was going to run from this.
His breathing was ragged, his silver eyes filled with something wild and untamed. But just as quickly as the fire had ignited between them, he buried it.
"This was a mistake," he muttered, stepping back.
Aria's chest tightened. "A mistake?" Her fingers still tingled from where they had touched. "That's not what it felt like."
Kael turned away, running a hand through his hair. "It doesn't matter what it felt like. It can't happen again."
Frustration and hurt twisted inside her. "Because of the curse?"
His jaw clenched. "Because of everything."
Aria took a step forward. "You think if you push me away, it will protect me?" Her voice sharpened. "Or are you protecting yourself?"
Kael exhaled sharply but didn't answer.
Silence stretched between them, heavy with things unsaid.
Then—
A deep, furious howl shattered the night.
Aria's heart lurched as she turned toward the sound. It came from inside the pack's fortress.
And it wasn't just one wolf.
It was many.
---
The Pack Turns
Kael reacted instantly, grabbing Aria's wrist and pulling her toward the main hall. The moment they stepped inside, Aria felt the shift in the air.
The tension.
The hostility.
At least a dozen wolves stood in the hall, their eyes glowing with distrust. The enforcer from earlier—Darius—was at the front, his expression grim.
Kael's voice was sharp. "What's going on?"
Darius hesitated, then spoke. "The elders are meeting. They say she can't stay." His gaze flickered to Aria. "Some believe she's dangerous."
Aria's fingers curled into fists. "Because of a prophecy?"
A wolf with dark scars sneered. "Because of what you are."
Kael's presence beside her was a shield, but even he couldn't stop the way they looked at her—like she was something to be feared.
Something to be destroyed.
Aria lifted her chin. "You're all afraid of something you don't even understand."
A low growl rippled through the wolves.
Darius' gaze darkened. "Maybe we don't want to understand."
Something snapped inside Aria. The crescent mark on her wrist burned, a pulse of energy washing over her. For a split second, she saw things that weren't there—
Shadows creeping along the stone walls.
A vision of blood on Kael's hands.
A whisper in her mind—You don't belong here.
She gasped and stumbled back, gripping her wrist. The world lurched.
Kael was at her side instantly, steadying her. "What's wrong?"
Aria sucked in a breath, staring at the wolves. "Something's coming."
Before anyone could react—
A massive crash shook the fortress.
---
The Arrival of an Enemy
The doors burst open, and a new figure stepped inside.
Caleb.
Aria's blood ran cold.
He looked the same but different—his golden hair tousled, his once-warm hazel eyes now cold and filled with something dark.
His lips curled into a smirk. "Miss me, Aria?"
Kael tensed, his body shifting into pure alpha dominance. "You have no right to be here."
Caleb ignored him, his gaze locked onto Aria. "You left, little mate. And I've come to bring you back."
Something inside Aria snapped. "I was never yours."
Caleb's smirk vanished. His eyes darkened.
"You were," he said, voice low. "Until he stole you." His gaze flickered to Kael. "And now I see why. You have power, Aria. A power I never noticed."
Kael stepped in front of her. "You will not touch her."
Caleb let out a slow chuckle. "You think you can stop me?"
Kael bared his teeth. "Try me."
The air crackled with tension.
Then—
Caleb lunged.
Kael met him mid-air, their bodies colliding with a force that sent shockwaves through the hall.
The fight was brutal—fangs flashing, claws ripping, growls echoing off the stone walls. Wolves scattered, giving their Alpha space, but the battle was a storm of rage and dominance.
Aria's heart pounded.
The mark on her wrist burned hotter.
Something inside her was awakening.
And it terrified her.
---
The Breaking Point
The fight was a blur of motion. Kael was stronger, but Caleb was fueled by something unnatural. His strikes were faster, his strength almost unnatural.
Aria's pulse raced.
Then, Caleb's claws slashed across Kael's chest.
Kael stumbled back, blood dark against his shirt.
Aria's vision exploded.
No.
Something ancient and powerful rose inside her. The mark on her wrist glowed like fire, and suddenly—
Caleb was ripped off his feet and thrown backward by an unseen force.
He crashed against the stone wall, gasping.
The entire room went silent.
The wolves stared at Aria.
At what she had just done.
At the power humming in her veins.
Even Kael, breathing heavily, looked at her differently.
Caleb coughed, wiping blood from his lip. But his smirk returned.
"Well, well," he murmured. "Seems the prophecy was right after all."
Then, before anyone could stop him, he disappeared into the night.
---
Kael's Choice
The fortress was silent.
The wolves around them looked at Aria with fear.
She swallowed hard, turning to Kael. "I—"
He shook his head. His silver eyes burned with something raw.
Then, without thinking, he reached for her, pulling her into his arms.
His grip was firm, unshakable. "We'll figure this out," he murmured.
Aria exhaled, her hands clutching his shirt. "Even if your pack turns against me?"
Kael's voice was pure steel.
"They won't. Because I won't let them."
His gaze locked onto hers, filled with unspoken promises.
But beneath the surface, Aria knew—
The real war was only just beginning.