The forest grew darker the farther we ran. The moonlight barely reached us now, swallowed by thick branches overhead. Every few steps, I caught another faint sound behind us—a snap of twigs, the whisper of paws over dirt. Whoever was following us wasn't trying to be silent anymore.
They wanted us to know they were there.
Aria's breath came out in even, controlled bursts. She hadn't said a word since we started running, but I could feel her focus sharpen with every sound. Her fingers brushed her thigh with each stride, a habit I'd noticed before—probably to keep herself grounded, to stop the silver power from sparking to life.
"They're close," she murmured, almost too quiet to hear.
I nodded once. "Keep moving. Don't engage unless we have no choice."
She glanced at me, her silver-streaked hair whipping behind her. "You realize they're going to corner us, right? Whoever they are, they know this forest better than we do."
"They're not cornering us," I said. "Not unless I let them."
Her brow arched, skeptical. "And if you do?"
"Then they won't like what happens next."
Before she could answer, a low growl cut through the trees to our left. Another answered from behind. A third from the right. They weren't hunting anymore—they were herding. Closing us into a perfect trap.
We skidded to a stop, the clearing ahead of us dim and open, the shadows shifting as figures emerged from the trees. Six wolves, all large, their fur marked with crimson streaks. At their center stood a man, tall and lean, his dark coat brushing the ground as he stepped forward.
His smile was sharp, unfriendly. "The Alpha King," he drawled, his gaze flicking to Aria. "And the cursed little reject. What a prize."
Aria stiffened, but said nothing. The faint glow in her fingertips betrayed her restraint.
The man tilted his head. "My name's Kieran. I've been looking for her for a while. You're going to hand her over, Kael. Alive, if you want this to end peacefully."
I took a step forward, keeping Aria behind me. "You picked the wrong night to challenge me."
Kieran chuckled. "Maybe. But you're bleeding energy, Alpha. Your pack's not here. And her power…" His gaze lingered on Aria again, curious. "Unstable. Dangerous. Do you really think you can control her and us at the same time?"
Aria's jaw tightened. "I'm not yours to control."
The glow along her hands brightened, despite her efforts to smother it. The wolves around Kieran shifted restlessly, their instincts picking up on the unnatural pulse in the air.
"Aria," I warned, my voice low. "Not unless you have to."
She met my eyes, her expression unreadable. "What if I have to, Kael? What if holding back is what gets us both killed?"
Before I could answer, Kieran lifted a hand. His wolves lunged, dark shapes breaking through the clearing from every angle.
There was no more time to talk.