It started with a shift in the air.
Subtle.
Wrong.
I froze mid-step.
"Do you feel that?" I asked quietly.
Leo's head snapped toward the door.
Kai straightened instantly.
Evan—
Went completely still.
That told me everything.
"The bond…" I whispered.
It wasn't pulsing like before.
It wasn't chaotic.
It was—
Responding.
"To what?" I asked, my voice dropping.
Evan's gaze darkened slightly.
"Not what."
A pause.
"Who."
A chill ran down my spine.
"No," Leo said immediately.
Like he already knew.
Like he didn't want it to be true.
But the bond tightened.
Sharp.
Heavy.
Almost like it was—
Being pulled.
"He felt it," Kai muttered.
My stomach dropped.
"The Alpha?" I asked.
Even saying it felt dangerous.
No one answered.
They didn't need to.
Because suddenly—
The connection shifted again.
Not toward them.
Away.
Like something far… far stronger had just latched onto me.
I gasped softly, grabbing onto the edge of the table.
"What is that—?"
Evan stepped closer instantly.
"Describe it."
"Cold," I said quickly.
"Not like you."
My grip tightened.
"It's heavier."
And then—
It changed.
Heat.
Intense.
Dominant.
Overwhelming.
My breath hitched.
"Oh," Kai said quietly.
Not amused this time.
Not teasing.
Serious.
"That's him."
Fear slid through me.
Real fear.
"I've never even met him," I said.
"So why does it feel like he—"
"Owns you?" Leo finished.
Silence.
Because that was exactly what it felt like.
"No," I said immediately.
Pushing the feeling back.
"I'm not his."
The bond reacted.
Violently.
Not the one with them.
The other one.
And for a second—
I felt something that wasn't mine.
Interest.
Sharp.
Focused.
And then—
A voice.
Low.
Deep.
Inside my head.
"You will be."
I stumbled back like I'd been hit.
"What happened?" Kai demanded.
I shook my head quickly, breath uneven.
"He—he spoke."
All three of them went still.
"That's not possible," Evan said immediately.
"He did," I insisted.
"In my head."
Leo swore under his breath.
"That means the bond isn't just detected," he said.
"It's active," Evan finished.
Kai's jaw tightened.
"So he knows exactly who she is now."
Silence.
Heavy.
Unavoidable.
"And where I am?" I asked.
No one answered.
Which was answer enough.
The bond twisted again.
Painfully this time.
I gasped, pressing a hand to my chest.
And then—
Another flash.
Not a feeling.
A vision.
Dark forest.
Wind cutting through the trees.
Heavy footsteps.
Slow.
Certain.
Coming closer.
I sucked in a sharp breath and snapped back.
"He's moving," I whispered.
Leo didn't hesitate.
"Then we don't wait."
Kai stepped forward immediately.
"Pack what you need."
Evan was already thinking three steps ahead.
"We need to mask the bond."
"How?" I asked.
No one answered fast enough.
Because deep down—
We all knew something.
You don't hide from an Alpha.
Especially not one who already feels you.
The bond pulsed again.
Not theirs.
His.
Closer now.
Stronger.
And this time—
There was no mistaking it.
He wasn't just curious anymore.
He was coming for me.