The word echoed in Nyra's mind.
Origin.
It didn't make sense.
It didn't feel real.
And yet—
Something inside her reacted to it.
Recognized it.
The air remained tense, heavy with unspoken questions.
Kael was the first to move.
His eyes never left Nyra as he stepped forward, his presence pressing against the space between them.
"Stay away from him," he said.
The command was directed at her.
But his gaze flicked briefly toward the stranger.
And Ronan.
Nyra didn't move.
"I'm not yours to command," she said calmly.
The words landed harder this time.
Because she meant them.
Kael's jaw tightened.
Ronan smirked faintly.
"She learns fast," he said.
Kael ignored him.
His attention remained locked on Nyra.
"You don't understand what's happening," he said.
Nyra's eyes flickered.
"Then explain it," she replied.
Silence.
Kael hesitated.
Just for a moment.
And that moment changed everything.
Ronan noticed.
The stranger noticed.
Nyra noticed.
"You can't," she said quietly.
Kael's expression hardened.
"Not here," he said.
"Then when?" she asked.
Before he could answer—
The stranger stepped forward again.
"You're wasting time," he said.
Ronan's eyes narrowed.
"You're talking too much."
The man ignored him.
"They're coming," he said.
Kael stilled.
"What?"
The man's gaze shifted toward the horizon.
"Hunters," he said simply.
Silence fell.
Cold.
Deadly.
Nyra frowned.
"What hunters?"
Ronan's expression darkened immediately.
"That's not possible."
Kael's voice dropped.
"It is."
The tension shifted instantly.
Because this—
This was bigger than their fight.
The stranger looked at Nyra.
"They've been searching for you."
Her chest tightened.
"For me…?"
"Yes," he said. "And now they've found you."
A distant howl echoed through the forest.
Not wolf.
Something else.
Something wrong.
Nyra's heart began to race.
"What are they?" she asked.
No one answered immediately.
Then—
Kael spoke.
"They don't hunt wolves," he said.
His eyes locked onto hers.
"They hunt what wolves fear."
A chill ran down her spine.
Ronan stepped closer to her.
For once—
Not claiming.
Protecting.
"Looks like your story just got more complicated," he said quietly.
Nyra swallowed.
Her power stirred again.
Reacting.
Answering.
Because deep down—
She knew.
This wasn't just about survival anymore.
This was about what she truly was.