The light faded slowly, like the last embers of a dying fire.
When my vision cleared, the clearing was unrecognizable. The earth was scorched with glowing cracks, trees around us stripped bare, their trunks blackened as if lightning had ripped through them. Draven's wolves were scattered—most unconscious, some crawling away, their eyes wide with terror. Even Draven himself had staggered back, his massive wolf form trembling, blood matting his fur.
And Aria…
She stood in the center of it all, her hair whipping around her face as though caught in a wind only she could feel. Her glow had dimmed, but not gone. Her hands still sparked faintly, silver veins crawling up her arms and fading into her skin.
Her breathing was ragged. Her eyes, however, were empty—like she was somewhere far away, trapped in whatever force had just spilled out of her.
I approached cautiously, my claws retracting as I shifted back to my human form. The air around her still pulsed faintly, prickling against my skin, but it wasn't the raw power that worried me most. It was how detached she looked.
Like she didn't care that she'd nearly leveled the forest.
"Aria." My voice was low, careful. "You need to pull it back. Whatever that was, it nearly killed you."
Her head turned slightly, her gaze locking on me. For a heartbeat, I thought she didn't recognize me at all. Then she blinked, the glow in her eyes softening.
"I… didn't mean to," she whispered. Her voice cracked. "It just—took over. It's like… something inside me wakes up when I fight. And once it starts, I can't stop it."
Behind me, Draven snarled weakly, forcing himself upright despite his wounds. "She's cursed," he spat, his voice rough. "That power doesn't belong to any wolf. She'll bring ruin to every pack that shelters her."
Aria flinched but didn't look away from me. "Maybe he's right. Maybe I should just run."
"No," I said, sharper than I intended. My wolf stirred, restless, growling in my chest. "Running won't help. That power will follow you—and so will every Alpha who sees you as a weapon."
Her brow furrowed. "And you? What do you see me as, Kael? A threat? A burden? Or just something to control?"
The question hit harder than I expected. My jaw tightened, but I didn't answer. Not yet.
Instead, I turned to Draven, my voice dropping to a growl. "Take your pack and leave. Now. Next time you cross into my territory, I won't let you walk away."
His crimson eyes narrowed, but he didn't argue. With a low growl, he shifted fully into his wolf form and limped back into the trees, his pack trailing behind him.
When they were gone, silence settled over the ruined clearing.
Aria finally looked away, her shoulders tense. "Why did you protect me, Kael? You rejected me. You made it clear I was nothing to you."
I stared at her for a long moment, the faint glow still lingering on her skin. My wolf growled softly, not in anger, but in something closer to… longing.
"Because," I said quietly, "if you lose yourself to whatever that power is, no one will be able to stop you. Not even me."
Her eyes met mine again, searching for something I wasn't ready to give. Before either of us could speak, a low, distant howl echoed through the forest—a warning. Not rogues this time. Another pack.
And they were coming.