The moon climbed higher, casting silvery light across the jagged mountain peaks. Inside the cabin, the air was thick with tension.
Aria paced, every nerve alive with unease. Lucian sat by the fire, his eyes fixed on the flickering flames, but his mind clearly elsewhere.
"They want me," Aria whispered, breaking the heavy silence. "The Forsaken. Why me?"
Lucian looked up, his jaw clenched. "Because you're different. Half human, half wolf. That bloodline is rare — powerful. The Forsaken want to harness that power. Or destroy it."
Her heart hammered in her chest. "But what about the mate bond? Doesn't that protect me?"
Lucian's gaze darkened. "It's a shield, yes. But it's also a beacon. It calls to others, sometimes to those who mean harm."
Aria sat beside him, searching his face for hope. "What can we do?"
"We prepare," he said, voice firm. "You must learn to control your shifts. To embrace the wolf within. Only then will you stand a chance."
The thought terrified her. The memory of her first shift — wild, uncontrollable — haunted her.
Lucian reached out, his hand brushing hers, grounding her. "You're not alone, Aria. I'll be with you every step."
She looked into his eyes and saw the fierce promise there. Despite the danger, despite the unknown, she felt a spark of courage.
Outside, the wind howled, carrying distant howls — a reminder of the world waiting beyond these walls.
The Forsaken were coming. But so was she.