Darkness.
That was the first thing Nyra felt.
Endless, heavy darkness… wrapping around her like a cocoon. But unlike before, it didn't feel empty.
It felt… alive.
You finally woke me.
The voice echoed again.
Deeper this time. Clearer.
Nyra frowned slightly, her consciousness drifting between sleep and awareness.
"Who… are you…?" she whispered weakly.
A low, almost amused sound brushed against her mind.
I am what you were meant to become.
Before she could respond—
Cold air hit her skin.
Nyra's eyes snapped open.
She wasn't in the forest anymore.
The scent was different.
Stronger.
Darker.
Dangerous.
Her body tensed instantly as she pushed herself up, ignoring the dull ache still lingering in her chest.
She was lying on a large bed, inside a dimly lit room made of stone and wood. The atmosphere felt heavy—like stepping into territory that didn't belong to her.
Or worse…
A place she wasn't supposed to survive.
"Awake already?"
The voice came from the shadows.
Deep.
Smooth.
Dangerously calm.
Nyra froze.
Slowly, she turned her head.
And saw him.
He leaned lazily against the far wall, arms crossed, one boot pressed against the stone behind him. His presence filled the room in a way that made her instincts scream.
Not fear.
Not exactly.
But something close.
His dark eyes locked onto hers, sharp and knowing. A faint smirk played on his lips, like he already understood something she didn't.
"Who are you?" Nyra demanded, her voice stronger than she expected.
The man straightened, pushing himself off the wall as he walked toward her slowly.
Each step deliberate.
Controlled.
Predatory.
"Ronan Black," he said simply.
The name hit the air like a warning.
Nyra's breath caught.
She had heard that name before.
Everyone had.
A rogue Alpha.
A threat.
An enemy to every pack.
"What do you want with me?" she asked, her body tensing as he stopped just a few steps away.
Up close, he was even more intimidating.
Not just powerful—
Dangerous in a way that felt… different from Kael.
Kael was cold.
Ronan?
He looked like chaos.
Ronan tilted his head slightly, studying her like she was something rare.
Something valuable.
"Interesting," he murmured.
Nyra frowned. "What is?"
"You."
Her chest tightened.
"I'm not playing games," she snapped. "Take me back."
At that, he chuckled softly.
Low.
Amused.
"Back?" he repeated. "To the pack that humiliated you? To the Alpha who broke your bond without hesitation?"
His eyes darkened slightly.
"Tell me, Nyra… why would you want to go back there?"
The way he said her name made her pause.
"You know me," she said slowly.
"More than you think."
Something about his tone sent a chill down her spine.
Nyra swung her legs off the bed, forcing herself to stand. Her body wavered slightly, but she held her ground.
"I don't belong here," she said firmly.
Ronan's gaze dropped briefly—to her chest.
Right where her heart was.
Where the broken bond still ached.
"No," he agreed quietly. "You don't belong anywhere near weak wolves."
Nyra stiffened.
"I'm not weak," she said.
The words came out before she could stop them.
Ronan's smirk returned.
"Good," he said. "Because if you were… you'd be dead already."
Silence filled the room.
Heavy.
Tense.
Nyra's heart began to beat faster—not from fear, but from something else.
That same energy.
It flickered again beneath her skin.
Ronan noticed.
Of course he did.
His eyes sharpened instantly.
"There it is…" he murmured.
Nyra stepped back. "What are you talking about?"
Instead of answering, Ronan took a step closer.
Then another.
Until there was barely any space between them.
"Do you have any idea what you are?" he asked softly.
Nyra shook her head.
For a moment—
Something serious crossed his face.
Not playful.
Not mocking.
Real.
"That power inside you…" he said, his voice lower now, "it doesn't belong to an omega."
Her breath hitched.
"I told you—I'm not—"
"You're not," he cut in smoothly.
Silence.
Nyra's heart pounded.
"What does that mean…?" she whispered.
Ronan leaned in slightly, his voice brushing against her ear like a secret.
"It means," he said, "the Alpha who rejected you… just made the biggest mistake of his life."
Her chest tightened.
Kael.
The memory of his cold eyes. His voice. His rejection.
Pain flickered through her—
But it didn't break her this time.
It burned.
Slowly turning into something else.
Something stronger.
Nyra lifted her chin slightly, her gaze hardening.
"Then that's his problem," she said quietly.
Ronan pulled back, studying her.
Then—
He smiled.
Not soft.
Not kind.
But satisfied.
"Good," he said.
"Because from now on…"
His eyes gleamed with something dark and dangerous.
"You belong to me."