The air changed first.
Not the wind.
Not the temperature.
Something deeper.
Wrong.
Nancy felt it before anyone said a word.
Her fingers tightened slightly around Kai's shirt. "...Wait."
Kai stilled instantly. "What is it?"
Leo's posture shifted, already alert. "Talk."
Nancy's eyes scanned the tree line slowly.
That new awareness inside her—the one she'd just barely learned to control—it flared again.
But this time?
It wasn't overwhelming.
It was precise.
Focused.
And what she felt—
Wasn't them.
"…We're not alone."
Silence.
Evan's gaze sharpened. "How many?"
Nancy swallowed.
She reached carefully—testing that fragile control.
One emotion.
Then another.
Cold.
Empty.
Disciplined.
Her stomach dropped.
"…More than three."
Leo cursed under his breath. "Hunters."
Kai's expression darkened instantly. "He doesn't do anything halfway, does he?"
No.
The Alpha wasn't chasing anymore.
He was sending people.
A branch cracked.
This time—
It wasn't just one direction.
It came from everywhere.
They were surrounded.
"Stay close," Leo said quietly, stepping slightly in front of Nancy.
Evan moved to the side, calculating. Always calculating.
Kai didn't let go of her.
Not even a little.
"Can you track them?" he asked her under his breath.
Nancy nodded slowly.
Her heart was racing—but her mind?
Strangely clear.
"I can feel them," she whispered. "They're… controlled. No hesitation. No fear."
Evan exhaled. "Not rogues then."
"No," Leo said grimly. "Trained."
Great.
That made things so much worse.
And then—
They stepped out.
One.
Two.
Four.
Six.
Figures emerged from the shadows, dressed in dark gear, movements synchronized, eyes locked on one target.
Nancy.
Always Nancy.
One of them tilted his head slightly.
"Target confirmed."
Nancy's stomach twisted.
Target.
Not a person.
Not a name.
Just—
A job.
Kai stepped forward slightly, his body blocking hers completely now. "You're not taking her."
The hunter didn't even react.
"We weren't given that option."
Leo's lips curved into something sharp. Dangerous. "That's unfortunate."
Because neither were we.
The first attack came fast.
Too fast for a normal human.
One of them lunged—
But Leo met him head-on.
The impact echoed through the trees as they collided, strength against strength.
Not normal.
Definitely not normal.
"Enhanced," Evan muttered, dodging another attacker. "Of course they are."
Because why wouldn't they be?
Nancy's pulse spiked.
Everything was happening at once—
Movement.
Sound.
Emotion—
No.
Focus.
She forced it.
One.
Just one.
Kai.
His presence anchored her again.
"Stay behind me," he said, his voice steady even as he fought off two attackers at once.
"I'm not helpless," she snapped back.
Bad timing.
A mistake.
Because the moment her focus broke—
Everything rushed in again.
Fear.
Violence.
Cold intent.
Her head spun.
One of the hunters saw the opening.
And moved.
Fast.
Too fast.
Nancy barely had time to react before a hand grabbed her arm—hard.
Pain shot up instantly.
"Got her."
"No!" Kai turned sharply—
But he was too far.
Leo was pinned.
Evan was blocked.
And Nancy—
Was alone.
The hunter tightened his grip, pulling her back.
Nancy's heart slammed against her ribs.
Think.
Think.
The bond—
Use it.
She reached again—
Not blindly this time.
Not overwhelmed.
She chose.
Cold.
Empty.
Controlled.
The hunter's own emotional state.
And then—
She pushed.
Hard.
His body froze.
Just for a second.
But a second was enough.
Nancy twisted sharply, breaking his grip and stumbling back.
"What—?" he started.
Confused.
Disoriented.
Good.
"Don't touch me," she said, breath uneven but voice sharp.
Something had changed.
Leo saw it instantly. "…She did that."
Evan's eyes lit with realization. "She's not just sensing anymore."
Kai didn't look away from Nancy. "…She's influencing."
Nancy didn't have time to process that.
Because the hunters recovered fast.
Too fast.
And this time—
They adjusted.
"She's evolving," one of them said coldly.
"Then we stop holding back."
Oh.
That didn't sound good at all.
Everything escalated.
No more testing.
No more hesitation.
They came at once.
And this time—
They weren't trying to grab her.
They were trying to break them.
Nancy's breathing shook.
Her control wavered again.
Too many emotions.
Too much pressure.
Too much—
A sharp sound cut through the chaos.
A whistle.
Low.
Familiar.
Everything stopped.
The hunters froze.
Instantly.
Every single one of them stepped back.
In sync.
Like puppets.
Nancy's blood ran cold.
Because she knew what that meant.
Slow.
Deliberate.
Footsteps approached from the shadows.
Not rushed.
Not worried.
Certain.
A figure emerged.
Tall.
Dominant.
Terrifyingly calm.
The Alpha.
His gaze went straight to Nancy.
Like always.
Like it couldn't go anywhere else.
"…You're learning," he said softly.
No one moved.
No one breathed.
Nancy's heart pounded.
"You sent them," she said, her voice tight.
"Yes."
No denial.
No shame.
Just truth.
Her jaw clenched. "Why?"
His eyes didn't leave hers.
"To see," he said simply.
A pause.
"How much of you is still yours."
That answer?
Was worse than anything else he could have said.
Kai stepped forward again, fury barely contained. "You don't get to test her like she's nothing."
The Alpha finally looked at him.
Unimpressed.
"I don't test what doesn't matter."
Then his gaze returned to Nancy.
And softened—just slightly.
"She does."
Nancy's chest tightened.
That pull—
Stronger now.
More dangerous.
Because this time?
It wasn't just the bond.
It was choice.
And that scared her more than anything.