(Nyx POV)
The courtyard was silent except for the hum of drones and the murmurs of guards. Then—something changed.
A rustle.Soft. Deliberate. Too heavy for a bird. Too smooth for the wind.
Every muscle in my body locked.
Dorian heard it too. His silver eyes narrowed toward the tree line. Cassian's fingers brushed his weapon.
Act, Dorian ordered through the link.
But I didn't wait for permission.
My heels scraped the marble as I sprinted forward and vaulted clean over the perimeter fence separating the courtyard from the forest beyond. Gasps followed me, but I didn't look back. The night air struck cold across my face, the scent pulling me forward—blood, sweat, human.
I landed in a crouch, absorbing the shock through my legs. Kelly coiled inside me, snarling with anticipation.
Through the link, the Queen's voice came, calm and regal.I'm sorry, my Queen, I sent it quickly, but this dress is about to get a beating.
Go, my child, she answered. Do what needs to be done. Catch whoever dares disturb our peace and harm our people.
"Thank you, my Queen."
I tore the gown up the front, jewels scattering like rain. My body shifted as Kelly surged free—bones elongating, muscles tightening, fur bursting through skin.
Kelly was magnificent—storm-gray with silver streaks, black-tipped ears, eyes molten amber. And furious.
We ran.
The night opened ahead, the forest alive with heartbeat and scent. The trail cut sharp—fresh, frantic. Whoever it was, they were fast.Almost as fast as us. Almost.
Kelly growled deep in her chest, and we lunged forward, a blur of motion through the dark. The runner's heartbeat thundered ahead. They vaulted a fallen log. Mistake.
I launched higher, colliding midair. We crashed hard, rolled, dirt and leaves flying. Pain sliced across my stomach—steel—shallow cut. Kelly roared, the sound echoing like thunder.
We rolled again, and I shifted mid-motion, hitting the ground human—bare, wild, breath ragged.
The assassin faltered. She hesitated a second too long at the sight of me—hair loose, moonlight catching my skin.
That half-second cost her.
She was human. I could smell it.Perfect.
I caught her wrist before she struck again, twisting until the knife clattered free. She countered fast—trained—but I ducked under her blow and drove my elbow into her ribs. She stumbled. I swept her legs, slammed her down, and pinned her, knee grinding into her arm, forearm pressed across her throat.
Her breath came ragged. The scent of witch sigils and iron clung to her.Shadow Fang.
Boots pounded behind me—Dorian, Cassian, and Tamsin.
"Perimeter secure," Tamsin reported through comms. "No others nearby."
Dorian's voice pressed through the link, low and controlled.Stand down. Let Nyx work.
They stopped. Watching. Silent.
I leaned close to the assassin. "Who sent you?"
Her smile was blood and teeth. "You already know."
Her jaw flexed—biting down.
"Damn it!" I jammed my fingers into her mouth, forcing it open. I found the capsule tucked inside her cheek and tore it out. I crushed it under my heel. "Not tonight."
Her hood fell back.
A woman. Young. Striking.Almond eyes. Ink-black hair. A scar down her left cheek, faint and surgical. She looked like she'd been made, not born.
Cassian stepped closer, sniffing the air. His body went rigid.
Tamsin froze too, eyes widening.
"What is it?" I asked, still pressing the woman down.
Cassian's breath shook. "No. That's not—"
Tamsin whispered, "It can't be."
Then, at the exact moment, both said it—
"Mate."
The word hit the air like lightning.
The assassin's smirk deepened. "Took you long enough."
Cassian took a step back, disbelief written across his face. Tamsin's wolf flared through her eyes—panic and hunger colliding.
Before I could react, the assassin twisted beneath me. She drove her elbow into my ribs, forcing space between us, then rolled hard, kicking dirt and leaves from the forest floor into my eyes. I heard the snap of her boot blade sliding free.
She slashed upward. I caught her wrist, but she spun with unnatural speed, using my momentum to push off the ground. She flipped backward, landed light as a cat.
Cassian lunged—missed by inches. Tamsin cut her off from behind. The assassin ducked, swept Tamsin's legs, then backflipped, driving both boots into Cassian's chest.
She was fast. Faster than a normal human had any right to be. Hybrid blood—part witch, part wolf, maybe more.
"Enough!" Dorian's command cracked through the clearing, his Alpha power shaking the air.
The assassin stopped, breathing hard, eyes glowing faint silver.
For a moment, no one moved.
Then she smiled. "Tell your Queen… the game's just begun."
She flicked her wrist—something metallic arced through the air. A flashbang.
The explosion seared white light across the forest, deafening us all.
When the smoke cleared—she was gone.
Vanished into the trees, leaving only the scent of blood, ash, and the faintest trace of something ancient.
Cassian swore under his breath. Tamsin didn't move, eyes locked on the forest. Dorian turned toward me, jaw set.
Track her, his voice cut through the bond.
Kelly was already pushing forward inside me, ready to run again. But I knew—we wouldn't find her tonight.
The hunt had only just begun.