He didn't have to say his brother's name.
I could see it in the way Kael's shoulders tensed, in the way his breath slowed like he was preparing for war — not a conversation.
"What does your brother want?" I asked, rising slowly to my feet.
Kael's eyes scanned the trees. "Power. Control. Me."
"And now me," I said quietly.
Kael didn't deny it.
Before I could ask more, a voice drifted through the trees — calm, arrogant, and laced with amusement.
"Well, well… the prodigal son returns."
From the shadows stepped a man who looked like Kael — only colder. His features were sharper, lips curled into a smirk, and his eyes glowed not silver… but gold.
Dominant. Dangerous.
Alpha.
"Ronan," Kael said, his voice like steel.
"Little brother." Ronan smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "I heard you marked someone. Thought I'd see for myself."
His gaze slid to me, and I froze under its weight. It was like being scanned by a predator — one that didn't need to chase because it already knew you couldn't outrun it.
"So this is her," Ronan said, stepping closer. "She doesn't look like much."
Kael moved in front of me, blocking his view. "You're not touching her."
"Oh, relax," Ronan said, lifting his hands. "If I wanted her dead, I wouldn't have announced myself."
My heart pounded. I didn't understand the rules of this world yet, but I could feel it — power rolled off Ronan in waves. If Kael was the storm, Ronan was the wildfire.
Unpredictable. Consuming.
"You marked a human," Ronan continued, circling us. "Against every law our kind honors. That makes her a liability."
"She's not human," Kael snapped. "Not anymore."
"Exactly my point," Ronan said, his smile widening. "She doesn't know what she is. She's unstable. A risk."
"I'll train her."
"You don't have time."
"She's mine," Kael growled, the sound deep and primal.
That word again. Mine.
It sent a strange chill down my spine — not fear. Something else. Something I wasn't ready to name.
Ronan raised an eyebrow. "Is that the bond talking, or your guilt?"
Kael didn't answer.
They stared at each other, and the air thickened between them, charged like a wire ready to snap.
I stepped forward before I could stop myself. "If you're here to kill me," I said to Ronan, "get on with it."
He turned to me slowly, intrigued. "Feisty."
"I'm not your pawn," I continued. "And I didn't ask to be dragged into your power games."
Ronan tilted his head. "You marked a good one, Kael. Mouthy. Brave. She might actually survive the shift."
My blood ran cold. "The shift?"
Kael turned sharply. "Don't."
"She doesn't know?" Ronan laughed. "Oh, this is rich."
I grabbed Kael's arm. "What is he talking about?"
Kael looked at me, guilt written all over his face. "The bite isn't the end, it's the beginning. The real transformation… happens under the next full moon."
I blinked. "What happens then?"
"You shift," Ronan said smoothly. "Bones, blood, instincts. You won't be human anymore. You'll be one of us."
"And if I don't want that?"
Kael swallowed hard. "You don't get to choose."
I took a step back, heart thudding. "You mean I'm going to become… a wolf?"
Kael nodded. "It's painful. The first time always is. But I'll be there. I'll help you through it."
"And if I can't do it?"
Neither of them answered.
"Tell her," I said, turning to Ronan. "What happens if I can't survive the shift?"
Ronan's golden eyes gleamed. "You die."
The forest swayed around me. The air felt too thin. My knees buckled slightly, but I stayed standing.
"You should've told me," I whispered to Kael.
"I was going to—"
"Don't," I said, stepping away. "Don't lie to me."
The silence was deafening.
"I didn't ask for this," I said again, voice trembling. "You stole my choice."
"I saved your life," Kael said quietly. "You would've died out there without me."
"So I get to live… just to die under a full moon?"
"You won't die," he said fiercely. "I won't let you."
Ronan clapped slowly. "Beautiful. Truly. But your time's running out, little brother. The moon rises in three nights. If she doesn't survive it, the bond breaks… and she dies. Along with your claim."
He turned to leave, then paused. "And Kael… the Elders know."
Kael tensed. "What?"
"They'll come for her. And if she shifts… she'll either be accepted by the pack—or hunted by it."
Ronan vanished into the trees, his laughter fading into the wind.
I stood frozen, the truth burning through me like fire.
Three nights.
Three nights to survive.
Or die trying.
Kael came toward me, slow, cautious, like approaching a wounded animal. "I'll help you. Every step."
I shook my head. "This isn't about you anymore, Kael."
He opened his mouth to speak, but I turned away.
I didn't know who I was becoming.
I didn't know if I could survive the shift.
But I knew one thing for sure.
If I did, I would never be anyone's pawn again.