The wind whispered warnings through the forest as Kael and Aria moved, fast but cautious, through the narrow paths. The trees, gnarled and dark, seemed to close in around them, amplifying every sound. Kael could feel it—eyes in the shadows. Watching. Waiting.
They hadn't spoken much since Kael's grandmother revealed the prophecy. Since Aria refused to tell him what she knew. Since everything between them had twisted into something more dangerous than silence.
But now wasn't the time for words. Something was coming. And they both felt it.
Kael reached out, grabbing Aria's arm as they neared a clearing.
"Wait."
She froze beside him, heart pounding. "What is it?"
Kael didn't answer immediately. His senses flared. The air had shifted again, just like it did the night those yellow-eyed creatures attacked. But this time it wasn't just danger. It was betrayal.
And it was personal.
A slow, deliberate clap echoed through the trees ahead.
"Well, well," a familiar, cocky voice called. "Still protecting her like some tragic hero, Kael?"
Kael's blood turned to fire.
Aria's eyes widened.
From the trees stepped Caleb, her ex-mate. The male who had rejected her. The one who told her she was weak, unworthy, a burden.
The one who broke her.
Her stomach twisted at the sight of him—smug and perfectly composed, like her pain meant nothing.
She took a step back instinctively. Kael's arm shot out in front of her.
"Touch her, and I'll rip your throat out," Kael snarled.
Caleb smirked. "Relax. I didn't come to take her back. She was never really mine, was she?"
"You don't get to say her name," Kael hissed.
Aria clenched her fists. "What are you doing here, Caleb?"
He tilted his head. "Don't sound so surprised, little mate. Did you really think I'd disappear forever? You think rejection means you're safe from the past?"
Her eyes burned. "I'm not your anything."
Before he could answer, another figure emerged from the shadows—a tall woman with silver-blonde hair and icy gray eyes.
Raven.
Kael stiffened. His voice was a low growl. "I should've killed you when I had the chance."
"Sweet of you to say," Raven replied, voice like velvet and venom. "But you never had the nerve. Always too soft when it mattered."
She stepped beside Caleb, and the two shared a look—one of understanding. Of shared hatred.
Aria's breath caught. "You're working together?"
"And we're not alone," Raven said, smirking.
A third figure stepped from the darkness. She moved with elegance, her black cloak sweeping behind her like wings. Her presence was colder than the night, but somehow… familiar.
Aria's eyes locked on her, her breath caught in her throat. Her chest tightened. She didn't recognize the face, but something deep in her soul responded to the woman's presence.
Kael's voice cut through the tension.
"I knew it."
He looked at the woman like a puzzle piece falling into place.
"You're her sister."
Aria's knees nearly gave out.
"No," she whispered, but the woman smiled—calm, cruel, and confident.
"I go by Seraphina now," she said. "But yes. I am your sister, Aria."
"Liar," Aria whispered, backing away. "I don't have a sister. I—I would've known."
"You never asked the right questions," Seraphina said gently. "And Mother… well, she didn't want you to know. I was the firstborn. The strong one. The chosen one. You were… the mistake."
Kael snarled and stepped in front of Aria again.
"I swear, if you touch her—"
But Seraphina raised a single hand, and the wind itself seemed to freeze. Kael went still, his wolf fighting the force of her presence.
"I have no desire to hurt her," she said. "Not yet. But I will take what belongs to me."
Aria forced herself to speak, despite the storm of emotions churning in her. "What do you want?"
Seraphina stepped forward, eyes glowing faintly with a power Aria had never seen. "You, little sister. Your blood. Your power. The part of you that's still sleeping… I want it awake. And when it is, I will take it."
Aria's heart thudded painfully in her chest. "Why?"
Seraphina's voice turned razor-sharp. "Because it should've been mine."
Kael moved protectively, standing so close Aria could feel the heat of his anger.
Caleb smiled at Aria. "You really think it's a coincidence that you were rejected, cast out, humiliated? Everything that's happened to you—it was meant to break you down."
"It was meant to prepare you," Raven added, walking slowly around them. "So when the time came, you'd either be strong enough to fight… or easy enough to destroy."
Kael's eyes flashed with rage. "You're manipulating fate. You think you can twist the prophecy?"
"We already have," Seraphina said.
Caleb looked at Aria again, softer now. "You could still join us, Aria. There's power waiting for you. Revenge. Answers. Everything Kael's been keeping from you—"
"I don't want revenge," Aria snapped, eyes blazing. "I want the truth. And I want nothing from any of you."
Her sister's expression darkened. "Then you'll die with him."
Lightning split the sky above them.
But before any of them could move, the earth trembled beneath their feet. Power surged through the air—wild, unpredictable.
From within Aria.
It pulsed outward, knocking Raven and Caleb back several steps. Even Seraphina staggered.
Kael turned to her in shock. "What was that?"
Aria's eyes glowed faintly. Her body trembled.
"I—I don't know."
Seraphina's eyes narrowed. "She's waking up faster than expected."
Caleb cursed under his breath.
Raven growled. "We should've taken her now."
"No," Seraphina hissed. "She's not ready. But soon."
She turned her eyes to Kael. "Enjoy your time, Alpha. When the power fully blooms, it will tear her apart."
And then, like shadows fading into the trees, they vanished.
The forest fell silent.
Kael turned to Aria—who stood frozen, tears in her eyes, hands clenched.
"You okay?" he asked gently.
"No," she said. "I just found out I have a sister who wants to steal my soul, an ex who wants me dead, and another who's helping her do it. I'm not okay."
Kael reached for her, but she stepped back. "Why didn't you tell me? You suspected about her, didn't you?"
"I wasn't sure," he said. "And I didn't want to give you another reason to feel broken."
She looked at him, something in her gaze shifting. "I'm not broken, Kael. I'm angry."
And just like that, her power pulsed again.
This time, Kael didn't flinch.
"I'm going to help you," he said softly. "Even if you hate me."
"I don't hate you," she whispered. "But I don't know if I can trust you. Not yet."
Kael nodded.
He didn't push.
But in the shadows beyond, Seraphina watched.
And she smiled.
Because this was exactly what she wanted.
Aria's awakening had begun.