The moment that creature stepped out of the treeline, my wolf surged so violently inside me that I thought my skin would split apart. That wasn't a rogue. It wasn't a straggler from another pack either. No, the way it carried itself, the way its glowing eyes fixed on me like it already knew me… this thing wasn't just intruding. It was here for a purpose.
I shifted slightly, putting myself in front of Lyra without thinking. Her scent clung to me, sharp with fear but stubborn underneath it, as if she refused to let terror root her to the ground. Spirits, she would fight even if it meant breaking herself in half.
My fingers flexed at my sides. "Stay behind me," I said, voice low, gravel in my throat.
Out of the corner of my eye, I caught the way her chin lifted, ready to argue. Typical Lyra. Always so damn fearless when I wanted her safe. For one heartbeat, I almost smiled. Then the creature let out a snarl that rattled through the night, dragging my attention back.
It stepped fully into the moonlight, and I froze. Not just a wolf. A hybrid. Half-shifted, its form monstrous—limbs too long, claws curved unnaturally, muzzle twisted with rage. Scars cut across its chest, old and new, telling a story of survival through brutality.
And then it spoke. Its voice was guttural, shredded with fury, but unmistakably human.
"Kairo."
Lyra gasped behind me, and I felt her clutch at my arm. My blood turned to ice.
I knew that voice.
It had been buried deep in the corners of my past, a shadow I never thought I'd face again. I had left it behind when I walked away from my old life. And yet, here it was, dragged back into existence like a nightmare clawing out of the grave.
"You should be dead," I muttered, my own voice sharper than I intended.
The creature's lips peeled back in something between a snarl and a grin. "You thought wrong."
My wolf slammed against the barrier of my control, desperate to break free. The earth seemed to tilt, and for the first time in years, I felt truly unprepared.
Lyra whispered, "Kairo… who is he?"
I couldn't answer her. Not yet. Not when the truth itself could tear her world apart.
Instead, I shifted my stance, blocking her view of him completely. "Get inside, Lyra."
"No," she hissed, stubborn as ever. "Not until you tell me what's happening."
The hybrid lunged forward a step, and the air between us thickened with the promise of blood. His glowing eyes darted past me, locking on Lyra like she was a prize waiting to be claimed.
Rage exploded through me, fierce and unrelenting. My bones trembled with the pull of the shift, claws threatening to tear through my skin. My wolf howled inside me, demanding release, demanding I rip him apart before he got anywhere near her.
But the hybrid only tilted his head, lips curling around words that sliced straight into me.
"She doesn't know the truth about you yet, does she?"
My entire body went cold.
Lyra's grip on my arm tightened, and I felt her eyes burning into me, desperate for answers.
The hybrid laughed, the sound jagged and cruel. "Then maybe I'll tell her."