"This isn't working."
Leo's voice was sharp, controlled—but I could hear the tension underneath.
We were all in the same room.
Too close.
And the bond…
It wouldn't calm down.
If anything, it felt stronger the longer we stayed together.
I leaned against the wall, arms crossed, trying to ignore the heat building under my skin.
"Then leave," I said.
Kai let out a dry laugh. "You think we haven't tried that?"
My eyes flicked to him.
He wasn't joking.
Evan pushed off the wall slowly. "We tested it."
I frowned. "Tested what?"
Leo exhaled, clearly annoyed. "Distance."
My stomach tightened.
Kai continued, "The farther we go from you… the worse it gets."
"And not just uncomfortable," Evan added quietly. "Painful."
That explained earlier.
My chest tightened slightly.
"So what are you saying?" I asked.
Leo's gaze locked onto mine.
"We can't stay away from you."
The words hung in the air.
Heavy.
Unavoidable.
Before I could respond—
The lights went out.
Everything dropped into darkness.
I froze.
"What just—"
A loud metallic sound echoed through the building.
Then silence.
Deep. Wrong.
Kai cursed under his breath. "That's not normal."
Leo moved instantly. "Stay where you are."
"I can't see anything," I snapped.
"Exactly."
Then—
A low sound filled the air.
Not human.
Not normal.
My heart started racing.
"Did you hear that?" I whispered.
Evan's voice came, quieter than usual.
"Yes."
Another sound.
Closer.
Something scraping against the walls.
My breath hitched.
"What is that?"
No one answered immediately.
And that scared me more than anything.
Suddenly—
A hand grabbed mine.
I gasped.
Kai.
"Don't move," he said under his breath.
The bond exploded at the contact—stronger than ever.
But this time…
It didn't feel overwhelming.
It felt…
Stabilizing.
Like it was grounding me.
Leo noticed.
I felt his presence shift closer.
"Stay together," he ordered.
Evan moved to my other side.
Now I was in the middle.
Surrounded.
My heart pounded—but not just from fear.
The bond was… calmer.
Balanced.
"What is going on?" I whispered.
Evan answered this time.
"Something forced a lockdown."
My stomach dropped. "Why?"
Another sound echoed.
Closer now.
A low growl.
My fingers tightened around Kai's hand.
"That's why," Kai muttered.
The emergency lights flickered on suddenly—dim red.
And that's when I saw it.
At the end of the hallway.
A figure.
But it wasn't human.
Its posture was wrong.
Its eyes—
Glowing.
My breath caught.
"What… is that?" I whispered.
Leo's expression darkened instantly.
"Rogue."
The word sent a chill down my spine.
"A what?"
"A wolf that lost control," Evan explained quietly.
The creature tilted its head slightly.
Then—
It smiled.
Something inside me dropped.
"That's not normal," Kai said.
Leo stepped slightly in front of me.
Protective.
Without thinking.
"Stay behind me," he said.
I blinked.
Wait—
What?
Before I could react—
The rogue moved.
Fast.
Too fast.
I barely saw it before—
It lunged.
Everything happened at once.
Leo shifted first.
Not fully—but enough.
His eyes glowed.
His movements sharper, faster.
Kai pulled me back hard.
Evan stepped forward—
And blocked the attack.
The impact slammed into the wall beside us.
I gasped.
My heart was racing so fast it hurt.
This was real.
This was actually happening.
The rogue growled again, pacing now.
Like it was watching us.
Studying.
Waiting.
And then—
Its eyes landed on me.
My breath stopped.
The bond reacted violently.
Not warm.
Not pulling.
Warning.
Danger.
"It's targeting her," Evan said quietly.
Kai's grip tightened. "Why?"
Leo didn't take his eyes off it.
"Because of the bond."
My stomach dropped.
Of course.
Of course this wasn't just our problem.
The rogue crouched slightly.
Ready to attack again.
And this time—
I felt it.
Something inside me shift.
My chest tightened.
My pulse changed.
My senses sharpened.
The world suddenly felt…
Too clear.
Too loud.
Too real.
"What's happening to me?" I whispered.
No one answered.
Because they saw it too.
Leo's voice dropped.
"…No way."
Kai stared at me.
"Your eyes…"
Evan stepped closer, something unreadable in his expression.
"It's activating," he said.
My heart slammed.
"What is?!"
The rogue lunged again—
And this time—
Something inside me snapped.