The night was restless.
A cold wind moved through the Darkwood pack territory, whispering through the trees like a warning no one could quite understand.
Inside the Alpha house, Kael stood alone on the balcony, staring into the forest. The moon hung high in the sky, bright and merciless.
He hadn't slept.
Not since the night he rejected her.
Lyra.
Her name burned inside his chest like a wound that refused to close.
At first, he had felt relief. Rejecting her had seemed like the right decision. She was weak, wolf-less, an embarrassment for an Alpha.
At least… that was what he had told himself.
But now something felt terribly wrong.
His wolf was restless. Angry.
It paced endlessly inside his mind, claws scraping against the walls of his control.
You made a mistake, the wolf growled.
Kael clenched the balcony railing.
"I did what was necessary," he muttered under his breath.
You rejected your mate.
"She was weak."
The wolf snarled.
She is ours.
Kael slammed his fist against the stone railing, cracking it slightly.
"Enough!"
But the truth refused to leave him alone.
Ever since the rejection, he had felt something missing. A hollow space inside his chest. Like half of his soul had been ripped away.
And tonight… the pain was worse.
It throbbed deep in his bones.
Something was happening.
Something connected to her.
Far away in the forest, Lyra ran.
Her feet barely touched the ground as she moved through the trees like a shadow.
But she was no longer alone.
The wolves followed her.
Dozens of them.
Massive creatures with glowing eyes and silver fur moved silently behind her, protecting her, guarding her like she was something sacred.
Sienna ran beside her, breathless.
"Lyra… slow down," she gasped.
But Lyra didn't stop.
The energy inside her burned stronger with every step.
Her heart pounded.
Her senses were sharper than ever before. She could hear every leaf, every heartbeat in the forest.
She felt powerful.
Alive.
And terrifyingly… different.
Suddenly Lyra stopped.
The wolves behind her halted instantly.
Sienna nearly crashed into her.
"What is it?" she asked, breathing hard.
Lyra looked ahead into the darkness.
Her silver eyes glowed faintly in the moonlight.
"I can feel them."
"Feel who?"
Lyra's voice dropped to a whisper.
"The hunters."
Sienna's blood ran cold.
"The same ones from before?"
Lyra nodded slowly.
"Yes."
But this time something was different.
Lyra wasn't afraid.
Instead, a dangerous calm settled over her.
A low growl escaped her throat—one that sounded far more wolf than human.
"They're coming for me."
Sienna grabbed her arm nervously.
"Then we should leave!"
Lyra slowly turned her head toward her friend.
Her glowing eyes were filled with something ancient.
"No."
The wind picked up around them.
The wolves began to growl.
Low.
Threatening.
For the first time, Lyra Moonborn smiled.
A dark, powerful smile.
"Let them come."
Back at the Darkwood pack house, Kael suddenly dropped to his knees.
A sharp pain shot through his chest.
His breath caught.
"What the—"
His wolf roared inside his head.
MATE.
Kael's eyes widened.
The bond.
He could feel it again.
Faint… but alive.
"How is that possible?" he whispered.
The rejection should have destroyed it.
But instead…
It felt stronger.
Darker.
More powerful than before.
A terrifying realization slowly crept into his mind.
"What have I done…?"
Her silver eyes burned brightly.
The power inside her surged again, stronger than ever before.
The wolves around her bowed their heads.
Something ancient had awakened.
And the world was about to feel it.
Miles away in the forest, Lyra lifted her head toward the moon.
Her silver eyes burned brightly.
The power inside her surged again, stronger than ever before.
The wolves around her bowed their heads.
Something ancient had awakened.
And the world was about to feel it.