Chapter Nineteen: Fire Beneath the Skin
Days passed. But peace never came.
Rina trained with the elders in secret, far from the eyes of the pack. She learned to feel the hum of the earth, the pull of fire beneath her skin, and the weight of her Ravenspell blood. Her hands, once only for healing, now could summon flame. Small, quiet flickers at first. But they were growing.
Kael watched from the shadows more often than he spoke. His touch was still gentle, but his eyes—his Alpha's eyes—grew distant.
She felt it.
One night, she confronted him beneath the moon.
"You're afraid of me," she said.
Kael didn't deny it.
"I'm afraid for you," he replied, jaw tight. "If that power consumes you, I don't know if I'll be strong enough to stop it."
Rina stepped closer. "Do you want to?"
His silence answered her.
She stepped back, pain flashing through her chest.
Kael reached for her. "Rina—"
"No. Let's speak truth now." Her voice trembled. "You chose me. As your mate. As your Alpha. But if that choice only holds when I'm safe and small, then maybe it was never a choice at all."
The wind howled between them.
Finally, Kael said, "I love you. That hasn't changed. But the pack must come first. If you fall—"
"I won't fall."
But deep down, Rina feared she might.
That same night, the raven-cloaked woman returned.
This time, she crossed the warding line.
And no one stopped her.
She appeared in the training field, smoke swirling around her boots, and her eyes burned like coals. Wolves growled, warriors gathered, and Kael stepped forward, blade drawn.
"I warned you," she said to Rina. "Now I bring choice."
She threw a stone to the ground — smooth, obsidian-black, pulsing with ancient energy.
"Use this, and you can rip the power from yourself. Leave the fire behind. Be wolf only."
Rina stared at it, heart pounding.
"And if I don't?" she asked.
"Then the fire will rise. And it will choose between love and dominion. You won't get both."
Kael's voice was low. "Don't listen to her—"
But Rina wasn't sure anymore.
Because in her chest, something ancient was awakening.
And it was hungry.