Kael rode through the darkened forest, the wind howling past him. His wolf urged him forward, toward the one person who might have the answers he needed.
His grandmother.
She lived in isolation, deep in the mountains, a powerful witch feared even among wolves.
By the time Kael reached her cabin, the night air was thick with the scent of herbs and ancient magic.
The door creaked open before he could knock.
An old woman stood inside, her sharp golden eyes scanning him like she could see straight into his soul.
"I knew you'd come," she rasped.
Kael stepped inside, the scent of burning sage filling his lungs. "Tell me about the curse."
His grandmother chuckled, a dry, eerie sound. "Still chasing ghosts, are we?"
Kael growled. "No riddles. I need the truth."
She studied him for a long moment, then turned toward the fire. "There is a prophecy, Kael. One that has been written in blood and bound by fate."
Kael's chest tightened.
His grandmother lifted a trembling hand toward the flames. Shadows twisted in the fire, forming two figures—one of a man, one of a woman.
"One path leads to death," she murmured. "The other to love. But both roads are paved with pain."
The fire flared, and suddenly, the male figure collapsed, lifeless.
Kael's heart pounded.
His grandmother turned to him, her voice barely above a whisper.
"She will either love you… or kill you."
The flames died down.
Kael stood frozen, his mind spinning.
She?
He didn't have to ask. He already knew.
Aria.