Aria
The rogue leader's eyes burned like molten steel. Every instinct inside me screamed that this was different from the others. He wasn't just attacking to kill; he wanted something. Wanted me.
My chest tightened, the bond flaring violently. My wolf snarled inside me, coiling like a storm, restless and hungry. I felt my claws itching under my skin, the energy within me trembling, ready to burst.
Kael's presence behind me was a tether, grounding me, controlling the pulse of my power. I could feel his emotions through the bond—anger, determination, something more dangerous: desire. The awareness made my pulse spike in ways I couldn't explain.
"Aria!" Kael's voice broke through my panic. "Focus! You can control it. You will control it!"
I nodded, closing my eyes, trying to push down the chaos inside me. The rogue leader moved forward, and my wolf reacted instinctively, surging outward, clawing, tearing, energy coiling around me like liquid fire.
The shockwave threw him back a step, but he recovered instantly. His movements were precise, calculated—trained, not mindless. He knew exactly how to test us.
My legs shook. "Kael… he's strong… too strong…"
Kael didn't respond verbally. He moved silently, muscles coiled, energy crackling around him. The rogue lunged, aiming straight for me.
Instinct took over. I reached out, hands trembling, energy surging outward like a tidal wave. The leader stumbled but regained his footing immediately.
The bond flared. My wolf roared.
I could feel the pulse in my chest, the raw power, the hunger. The wolf demanded action. Survival. Strength. Kael demanded control. My body trembled under the dual command.
And then it happened.
A single thought, unspoken, untrained… and my wolf leapt.
Kael
I froze for a fraction of a second, sensing the surge. It was massive. Dangerous. Wild. And entirely uncontrolled.
"Aria!" I barked, stepping forward, wolf coiling around me like a shield. "Don't—"
But it was too late. She released the energy. The rogue leader staggered back, thrown against the edge of the training hall, debris scattering around him. The force echoed through the packhouse, sending everyone stumbling.
My wolf growled low, warning the intruder to retreat. I could feel the bond thrumming violently, alive, pulling at me with hunger and command.
Her power… it was awakening faster than I anticipated.
And worse, I realized with a cold, sinking dread: the rogue leader wasn't just strong; he was feeding off the bond.
I narrowed my eyes. His aura was dark, tainted with a power I hadn't felt in centuries. Something familiar… dangerous.
The bond surged violently, warning me. He was here for her—and for the power she carried.
Aria
I stumbled back, panting, sweat dripping down my forehead. My wolf was calm now, but still alert, coiling inside me, ready to strike. My hands trembled as I touched the mark on my collarbone.
It pulsed in response to the rogue leader's presence, a warning, a whisper I didn't understand: He knows. He knows what you are.
Fear gripped me. Not just for myself, but for Kael. I could feel him tense behind me, his wolf surging in protective response.
"Aria," he said, voice sharp. "Don't let him see fear. He'll exploit it."
I swallowed, trying to steady my racing heart. "I'm… I'm trying," I whispered.
The rogue leader's eyes narrowed. "So, this is the Marked One," he hissed, voice like gravel. "The child of the traitors. The one the Goddess favored… and you've barely learned to control your own power."
A chill ran down my spine. "What do you know about me?" I demanded.
He laughed, a low, cruel sound. "Enough. Soon, you'll understand why your parents died… and why I've come for you."
My wolf stirred violently inside me. Rage. Fear. Hunger. Desire. A storm of emotions I barely controlled.
Kael stepped forward, blocking me instinctively. "She's not yours," he growled. "Stay back."
The rogue leader smirked. "Alpha Blackthorn. Always so protective. But tell me… does the bond scare you, or excite you?"
My stomach twisted. The words hit me in a place I didn't want them to. Kael's jaw tightened. His wolf snarled. His control wavered—just slightly—and the rogue noticed immediately.
I realized then that the bond affected both of us. Our emotions, our instincts, even our fear and desire… it made us predictable, powerful, dangerous.
And the rogue was using that against us.
Kael
I could feel the rogue's presence pressing against the edges of the bond, probing, testing. He was experienced—far beyond any rogue I'd encountered. He knew how to manipulate it, to tempt her, to push me into mistakes.
My wolf surged, energy coiling around me, protective, lethal. I had to act fast.
"Aria," I growled, voice low. "Watch me. Follow me. Now."
She nodded, fear and determination colliding in her eyes. My pulse thrummed against hers. Focus the wolf. Control the energy. Survive.
We moved as one. The bond pulsed violently, syncing our actions. My wolf leapt first, striking at the rogue leader with precise, controlled force. Aria's energy followed, coiling around him, disrupting his balance.
He staggered, but only briefly. He laughed, dark, low, full of malice. "Clever. Very clever. But power without control is useless, child. And you…" He turned to Aria, eyes glowing. "You've barely begun."
I growled, baring my fangs. "Stay away from her."
He smirked. "Ah… but the bond calls to me, Alpha. I can sense it. The power between you is… delicious."
My blood ran cold. He's feeding off the bond.
Aria
I felt it. A pull, dark and twisted, trying to reach inside me, to twist my wolf, my energy, my mind. Panic surged. I stumbled, nearly falling, my hands shaking.
Kael's presence anchored me. "Focus," he growled. "Your wolf listens. Obey her. Obey me."
I inhaled, centering myself, feeling the wolf inside me respond, coiling, snarling, resisting the rogue's pull. My hands glowed faintly, energy coiling around them like fire.
The rogue lunged. I struck instinctively. My wolf's power erupted outward, hitting him directly. His body slammed into the wall, dust and debris scattering.
The bond flared violently. Hunger, rage, protection, desire. I felt it all coursing through me, unrelenting. My wolf roared in triumph.
Kael's wolf mirrored mine, surrounding me, shielding, attacking simultaneously. Together, we were unstoppable.
The rogue leader staggered again. But his smirk remained. "Impressive. Very impressive. But you don't yet know who I am… or what I've come for."
Cliffhanger
The rogue leader lifted a hand, dark energy swirling around him like a storm. The bond flared violently in response, pulling at both Kael and me, warning, demanding, screaming.
Aria's wolf coiled, claws sharp, fangs bared. Kael's wolf surged around her, protective and deadly.
The first real battle for our lives… was about to begin.
And the rogue leader wasn't holding back.