The air felt… wrong.
I noticed it the moment we stepped outside.
Too quiet.
Too still.
Like the world itself was holding its breath.
"Do you feel that?" I asked quietly.
Kai's expression darkened. "Yeah."
Leo stopped walking.
Evan's gaze lifted slightly, scanning the area.
And then—
Footsteps.
Slow.
Confident.
Not hiding.
My heart started to pound.
Whoever it was…
They weren't afraid.
He stepped out of the shadows like he owned them.
Tall.
Calm.
Dangerous.
His presence alone made the air feel heavier.
Different from Leo, Kai, and Evan.
Stronger.
Older.
My instincts reacted instantly.
Not fear.
Not exactly.
But something close.
"Relax," he said smoothly.
His voice was deep. Controlled.
"I'm not here to fight."
Leo moved slightly in front of me anyway.
Protective.
"We didn't invite you," he said coldly.
The stranger's lips curved faintly.
"I don't need an invitation."
Kai stepped forward slightly.
"State your business."
The man's gaze shifted.
And landed on me.
Everything in my body went still.
The bond reacted instantly—
Violent.
Sharp.
Warning.
"So it's true," he said softly.
My chest tightened.
"What is?" I asked.
His eyes didn't leave mine.
"Silver eyes."
My heart dropped.
Leo's voice cut in, sharper now.
"Watch your words."
The man didn't even look at him.
Interesting.
Dangerous.
Evan stepped slightly closer to my side.
Subtle.
But I noticed.
"You came here for a reason," he said calmly.
"Say it."
The man finally looked away from me.
Just for a second.
Then back again.
Like I was the only thing that mattered.
"I wanted to see her myself," he said.
My stomach tightened.
"Why?"
He smiled slightly.
Not warm.
Not kind.
Just… certain.
"Because," he said,
"…she shouldn't exist."
Silence dropped.
Heavy.
Sharp.
My chest tightened.
"I'm right here," I said. "You could at least pretend to make sense."
Kai let out a quiet breath beside me.
But the man only looked amused.
"You don't know what you are," he said.
It wasn't a question.
That annoyed me.
"Then enlighten me."
For a moment—
He just watched me.
Like he was measuring something.
Then—
"She's an Origin."
Leo's jaw tightened.
Kai went still.
Evan didn't react outwardly—
But I felt the shift in him.
"So you already know," the man continued.
Leo's voice dropped dangerously low.
"Say what you came to say and leave."
The man ignored him.
Again.
Instead—
He took a step closer.
Every instinct in me flared.
Danger.
"Do you feel it?" he asked me.
My breath caught.
"The bond," he continued. "How unstable it is."
My chest tightened.
I hated that he was right.
"It's getting stronger," he added calmly.
"And soon…"
His gaze darkened slightly.
"You won't be able to control it."
Kai's voice cut in. "She's not alone."
The man's eyes flicked to him briefly.
"Exactly."
That one word…
Didn't sound reassuring.
At all.
"What is that supposed to mean?" I asked.
He looked back at me.
And this time—
There was no amusement in his expression.
Just truth.
Cold.
Clear.
"Origins don't bond like normal wolves."
My heart pounded.
"I figured that out already."
He shook his head slightly.
"No."
A pause.
Then—
"They don't choose one mate."
Silence.
Heavy.
Slow.
Realization hit me.
Hard.
"They bind multiple," he finished.
My breath stopped.
I looked at Leo.
Then Kai.
Then Evan.
The bond pulsed—
Strong.
Connected.
All of them.
"No," I said immediately.
"That's not—"
"It is," he cut in.
Kai cursed under his breath.
Leo's expression went completely unreadable.
Evan…
Evan was already thinking.
Processing.
"That's not possible," I said again.
But my voice wasn't steady.
Not anymore.
The man tilted his head slightly.
"Then why can't you reject each other?"
Silence.
No one answered.
Because we all knew the truth.
My chest tightened painfully.
"This doesn't mean anything."
But it did.
And I hated it.
The man took another step back this time.
Like he had said what he came to say.
"Now you understand why they're coming," he added.
My stomach dropped.
"Who?"
This time—
His expression darkened fully.
"No one wants an Origin to live long enough to grow."
A chill ran down my spine.
Leo stepped forward.
"You've said enough."
The man smirked slightly.
"Have I?"
Then his gaze flicked to me one last time.
Sharp.
Certain.
"Be careful who you trust."
And then—
He turned.
And walked away.
Just like that.
Like he wasn't afraid of any of them stopping him.
None of them did.
Silence filled the space again.
Heavy.
Uncomfortable.
My heart was still racing.
"Who… was that?" I asked quietly.
Kai exhaled slowly.
"Trouble."
Evan answered properly.
"An Alpha."
Leo finished it.
"One we don't want as an enemy."
My chest tightened.
Because something told me—
We already were.
The bond pulsed again.
Stronger.
Heavier.
More real than ever.
And now…
I finally understood why.