The moment Nyra collapsed—
Everything changed.
The battlefield fell silent.
Too silent.
The hunters stood still, watching her through the glowing containment field.
Then—
"Extraction complete," their leader said.
The field pulsed once—
And vanished.
Nyra's body dropped lifelessly to the ground.
Kael moved instantly.
But he was too late.
The hunters were faster.
A device activated beneath her—
Light engulfed her body—
And in the next second—
She was gone.
"NYRA!"
Kael's roar shook the entire forest.
Nothing answered.
No scent.
No trace.
Nothing.
Ronan's expression went cold.
Deadly.
"They took her."
Kael turned sharply toward him.
"Where?!"
Ronan didn't respond.
Because he didn't know.
And that made it worse.
The remaining hunters retreated instantly, disappearing into the forest with unnatural speed and precision.
Kael didn't chase them.
Ronan didn't either.
Because they both knew—
It was pointless.
They weren't dealing with normal enemies.
Kael's hands clenched into fists.
His breathing was uneven.
Furious.
Controlled—
Barely.
"I'm getting her back," he said.
Ronan let out a low breath.
"Of course you are."
Kael's eyes snapped toward him.
"You think I won't?"
Ronan met his gaze.
Cold.
Unimpressed.
"I think you should have thought about that before rejecting her."
That hit.
Hard.
Kael didn't deny it.
Didn't argue.
Because right now—
None of that mattered.
"What do you know about them?" Kael asked.
Ronan hesitated.
Then—
"They're not just hunters," he said. "They're organized."
Kael's gaze sharpened.
"Explain."
Ronan's voice dropped.
"They've been watching her for a long time."
Silence.
Then—
"They knew exactly what she is."
Kael's chest tightened.
"And now?"
Ronan's expression darkened further.
"Now they have her."
Kael turned away slightly, his mind already working.
Planning.
Calculating.
"We track them," he said.
Ronan shook his head.
"You won't find them that easily."
Kael's eyes flashed.
"Then I'll burn every place they could be hiding until I do."
Ronan almost smiled.
"Now that sounds like an Alpha."
Silence stretched between them.
Then—
Ronan stepped forward.
"For now," he said, "we work together."
Kael didn't like it.
Didn't trust it.
But he knew—
He had no choice.
"For her," Kael said.
Ronan nodded once.
"For her."
Far away—
In a place no wolf could sense—
Nyra slowly opened her eyes.
Cold metal walls surrounded her.
Strange symbols flickered across glowing screens.
Her body felt weak.
Heavy.
Wrong.
She tried to move—
Pain shot through her instantly.
A device around her wrist pulsed.
Suppressing.
Controlling.
Nyra's breath hitched.
"Where am I…?" she whispered.
A voice answered from the shadows.
Calm.
Cold.
Expecting her.
"You're exactly where you're meant to be."
Nyra's heart slammed.
A figure stepped forward.
Not a hunter.
Something else.
Someone important.
"You've been very hard to find," he said.
Nyra's eyes widened.
"Who are you?"
The man smiled faintly.
Not kind.
Not human.
"Someone who knows what you are," he said.
A pause.
Then—
"And what you're about to become.".