I wake before sunrise.
Not because of an alarm.
Because of power.
Mine.
It hums through my body like a low vibration, warm and sharp, spreading from the Moonfire mark on my wrist to the tips of my fingers. The full moon has fed it all night.
I sit up slowly.
My magic used to feel like a quiet ache.
Now it feels like a heartbeat.
Alive.
Awake.
Hungry.
I flex my fingers. A faint glow dances at my fingertips before disappearing.
"Not yet," I whisper to myself. "Stay calm."
But calmness and I are not friends.
Especially inside a house built by my enemies.
The Penthouse Isn't Sleeping
When I step into the hallway, the penthouse feels different.
Thicker air.
Fresh tension.
Like something happened.
I walk quietly toward the living room.
And I see it—
Broken glass on the floor. A table pushed aside. Deep claw marks on the wall.
Aiden.
He lost control last night.
I run my fingers over the claw marks. The edges are sharp. Fresh.
He didn't shift completely…
but he came dangerously close.
The thought sends a strange shiver through me.
Fear?
No.
Curiosity.
Wolves kill witches.
Witches burn wolves.
But last night…
we didn't destroy each other.
We stabilized each other.
A witch's magic is chaos.
An alpha's wolf is wild.
Together…
Something dangerous is forming.
I step back just as I hear footsteps.
I turn.
Kai enters the living room, hair messy, shirt half-tucked.
He stops when he sees me. "You're awake early."
"So are you," I reply.
He snorts. "Alpha didn't sleep. So I didn't either."
My heart stutters. "He didn't?"
Kai studies me carefully. Too carefully.
"Did something happen between you two last night?"
My pulse jumps.
I control my expression.
"No," I lie smoothly. "Why?"
Kai walks closer. His wolf aura brushes against me like a cold breeze.
"Because," he says slowly, "Alpha usually destroys the entire penthouse on full-moon nights. But last night, he stopped halfway."
I look at the broken table. The cracked wall. The shattered vase.
Halfway?
This is "halfway"?
"What changed?" I ask.
Kai tilts his head. "Good question. He's been pacing the rooftop since dawn."
The rooftop Aiden doesn't allow anyone to enter.
Because it's a wolf territory.
Kai sighs and stretches. "Anyway, Alpha said you shouldn't go outside the penthouse today."
I raise an eyebrow. "Says the man who keeps telling everyone this is a normal business deal."
A grin flashes across his face. "Normal? Liyana… nothing about you is normal."
My breath stalls.
"Why do you say that?"
He steps closer. Too close.
I feel his wolf sniff the air around me—warily, curiously.
"You smell like…" Kai stops, frowning. "Moon. But also fire. But also something I can't recognize."
My stomach tightens.
Witches hide their scent.
Except during full moon.
Except when their power grows.
Except when they touch an Alpha.
I calmly fold my arms. "Maybe your nose is broken."
He laughs. "If only."
Then he leans in slightly. "Be careful around him."
I stiffen. "Aiden?"
"No," Kai corrects, eyes darkening. "Yourself."
For a moment, we just stare at each other.
Then he leaves, shaking his head like I'm a riddle he can't solve.
The Rooftop Door
The moment he disappears down the hall, I walk straight to the forbidden door.
Aiden's rooftop.
The air here is colder, sharper.
I press my palm against the door.
The wood hums under my touch. My magic reacts instantly, flowing into the barrier.
A witch's touch can open almost anything.
Almost.
The lock clicks.
A tiny smile curves at my lips.
So much for "restricted."
The door creaks open.
Cold wind hits my face.
The sky is still dark-purple, sun barely rising.
And at the far edge of the rooftop—
Aiden stands shirtless, facing the city.
His back muscles tense.
His hair wild.
His skin glowing faintly under the dying moonlight.
Power radiates from him like heat from a bonfire.
He doesn't turn when he speaks.
"You shouldn't be here."
His voice is low, rough… and too calm.
"I woke up early," I say.
"You should've stayed inside."
I step closer. "Why? Are you planning to throw me off the roof?"
He still doesn't turn. But I hear the tiny exhale—almost a laugh.
"If I wanted you dead," he says softly, "you wouldn't have walked this far."
Oh.
Good.
Murder-flirting.
Normal.
I cross my arms. "Why didn't you sleep?"
Finally, he turns his head slightly, enough for me to see his profile.
The dark circles under his eyes.
The faint redness near his jaw.
The tiredness he's hiding.
And something else.
Something raw.
"Because," he says, "my wolf didn't rest."
"Why?"
His eyes—storm-grey, intense—meet mine fully this time.
"Because of you."
My breath catches.
"I calmed you," I say slowly. "Just once. It shouldn't affect you this much."
"That wasn't calming," he says, taking a step forward. "That was… something else."
He keeps walking toward me.
One step.
Two steps.
Three.
Until he's only a breath away.
His voice drops to a whisper.
"Wolves don't respond to witches."
I lift my chin. "I'm not just any witch."
"Exactly," he murmurs.
He reaches out and gently touches my wrist—the Moonfire mark. The spot that burned when I touched him last night.
The moment his fingertips brush the mark, the two of us inhale sharply.
A pulse of magic and wolf energy slams between us like a spark.
He freezes.
I freeze.
The air around us crackles—silver and gold.
Aiden pulls his hand back as if burned.
"What the hell are you?" he whispers.
My heart beats once.
Twice.
Slow and dangerous.
I meet his eyes without fear.
"The last Moonfire Witch," I say quietly.
"And the one your family tried to kill."
The wind stops.
The rooftop goes silent.
Aiden's entire body goes still—like a statue carved from storm and steel.
He looks at me with something new.
Not just curiosity.
Not just confusion.
Fear.
A slow, deadly smile curves across my lips.
"For a man who claims he doesn't fear anything," I murmur, "you look… terrified."
His jaw tightens. "You hid this from me."
"You never asked."
His eyes flash silver—wolf rising, anger sharp.
"Witches and wolves are enemies."
"Then why did touching me calm your shift?" I counter.
He steps closer again. His voice drops.
"Because whatever you are… you're tied to me."
My pulse jumps.
Not with fear.
With recognition.
Like something inside me whispers:
Bond.
Destiny.
Danger.
Before either of us can speak again—
A sharp crack of magic sparks between us and explodes into the wind.
Aiden stumbles back a step.
I hold my ground.
The rooftop lights flicker.
My mark glows golden.
Aiden's eyes darken to full silver.
And in that blinding, electric moment, both of us know:
This is not just a contract.
Not just revenge.
Not just magic.
Something ancient… and forbidden… just woke up between us.
And it will destroy one of us.
Or both.