The howls broke the night.
Low and long, they rose from the edge of the forest like a dirge, echoing across the valley. Sera sat upright in bed, heart hammering in her chest. She didn't know how she knew—but something inside her screamed:
They're here.
Before she could move, the door burst open. Lucien stood there, fully dressed, a blade strapped across his back, his eyes glowing bright gold.
"They've crossed the border."
Sera slid from the bed. "The Crimson Fang?"
He nodded once, eyes scanning her body as if checking for wounds. "They know you're unmarked. That makes you a weakness. A target."
"I thought no one could cross the border without permission."
"They didn't ask."
Lucien tossed her a black jacket — heavy, lined with something stronger than cloth. "Stay close to me. No matter what happens."
Outside
The Nightfang territory, once eerily calm, was alive with movement. Wolves and men gathered under the trees — some already shifting, bones cracking, bodies twisting as fur took over skin. It wasn't gruesome. It was sacred. Like watching nature break its own laws.
Ronan appeared beside them, already half-shifted, his jaw thick with fangs.
"Scouts report six Crimson bastards coming fast. They're not here to talk."
Lucien's lip curled. "Good. I'm tired of talking."
Sera stood among monsters, her heart pounding — and yet not from fear. Something ancient pulsed inside her. A thrum she couldn't explain. Like the beat of war drums buried in her blood.
Lucien turned to her, gripping her waist.
"If they touch you, I lose control. If I lose control, people die."
Her eyes locked onto his. "Then don't let them touch me."
He stared at her for a long second — then kissed her. Not soft. Not gentle. It was a promise written in heat.
And then he let go.
The Ambush
The first of the Crimson Fang emerged from the trees with blood-red eyes and a sneer to match. Sera recognized the scout from her apartment window. Only now, he wasn't hiding.
Lucien stepped forward, shifting as he moved. His bones lengthened. Muscles snapped. Fur tore across his body like flame. In seconds, he stood tall in his half-shifted form — massive, lethal, breathtaking.
"I warned you," he growled.
The scout laughed. "You can't protect her forever, Nightfang. She's not one of you."
"She's mine."
The wolves clashed like thunder.
Fangs met claws. Blood hit bark. Lucien was a blur of motion and fury, tearing through one attacker with the rage of an alpha unleashed. Ronan held the left flank, defending the outer ring. But they kept coming.
And Sera—
Something inside her snapped.
As the Crimson scout broke from the trees and lunged straight for her, time slowed. His claws reached out—
And Sera screamed.
But not in fear.
In command.
The sound tore from her throat like a spell, shaking the trees. The attacker stopped mid-air, crashing backward as if struck by an invisible force.
Sera's eyes burned.
Her body radiated with something wild and dark — ancient.
Lucien turned mid-battle. He saw her glowing, saw the enemy convulsing on the forest floor.
And for the first time, he looked afraid.
"Sera… what did you just do?"
She was panting, eyes wide. Her fingers trembled.
"I—I don't know. It just happened."
Lucien stepped toward her, wiping blood from his jaw.
"You're not just human."
"I never felt like I was," she whispered.
Aftermath
The Crimson Fang retreated, dragging their wounded.
Lucien ordered guards doubled around the cabin, but his focus stayed on Sera — his mate who had just pushed back a rogue wolf with nothing but her will.
"I need answers," she said softly as he cleaned her palm, still shaking from the burst of energy.
"You're connected to something ancient," Lucien said. "There are bloodlines older than our packs. Power hidden in human form — until it's awakened by proximity to a mate."
"Meaning… being near you triggered something in me?"
Lucien nodded. "But this… this is beyond what I expected."
Sera pulled back from his touch.
"So I'm not prey anymore?"
Lucien met her eyes — and smiled.
"No. You're a storm."