The morning sun barely warmed the frostbitten air that clung to the academy grounds, and yet my palms were damp. My fingers curled at my sides as I walked into the main training arena, the scent of worn leather, dust, and adrenaline thick in the air.
I had barely slept.
Kieran's words from the night before haunted her—sharp, unforgiving, but oddly honest. He had seen her, truly seen her, in a way no one had in years. It unsettled her more than she cared to admit.
Today, the combat circle buzzed with excitement. Students lined up in pairs, sparring and growling through their drills. Laughter and grunts echoed under the vaulted roof. Aria lingered at the back, hoping to stay invisible.
But then he entered.
Kieran's presence stilled the air like thunder rolling in from the hills. He didn't bark orders; he didn't need to. His authority pulsed through the room with every step of his boots across the floor.
"Today we train for instinct," he said, voice clipped. "When thinking fails, when chaos reigns—your instincts will be the difference between life and death."
The students nodded. Some looked nervous. Some are thrilled. I stood stone-still.
Kieran's piercing gaze scanned the group. Then, of course, it landed on her.
"Aria," he called. "Front."
My chest tightened. A few murmurs rippled behind her. Wasn't she the mute? The broken girl? Why was she being called out again?
I stepped forward anyway.
Kieran didn't look at her like the others did. His expression was unreadable—cool, but focused.
"We'll demonstrate," he said. "Close contact defense. When your opponent is stronger, faster, you rely on angles and instinct. Watch closely."
I swallowed hard. I was barely breathing when he stepped into her space.
"Attack me."
I blinked. Did he mean it?
He tilted his head. "I won't break."
The way he said it wasn't taunting—it was a challenge. So I moved.
I lunged, fast but careful, aiming for his side. In a blink, he blocked and twisted, guiding her motion harmlessly past him. Her feet skidded. He was faster—so much faster—but he didn't throw her to the ground like last night.
"Again," he said calmly.
I struck again. Duck, strike, pivot. He countered easily, his breath steady. Students watched, wide-eyed, whispering.
This time, when I turned her body to break his hold, he reached—just slightly—fingertips grazing her wrist.
And everything inside her ignited.
It was like a jolt—not painful, but impossibly warm. A spark that traveled up my arm and into my chest, radiating into my ribs, my neck, my spine. My wolf, the one that had remained dormant for so long, suddenly stirred like it had been slapped awake.
I gasped—no sound, just a shuddering intake of air. My knees buckled slightly.
Kieran's eyes flickered—just for a moment—shocked, almost… aware. His hand dropped immediately, but the heat remained, coiling in her veins like firelight.
He backed off, adjusting the cuff of his sleeve, expression clouded.
"Break," he barked.
The room dispersed into pairs again, but Aria stood frozen.
What was that?
My heart pounded. Not just from the fight. That touch—I could still feel it on her skin, in her bones.
My wolf paced now, restless. It hadn't made a sound in years. But now, it scratched behind my thoughts like something forgotten trying to claw its way back.
Mate?
The word echoed from somewhere deep, wordless but sure.
No, that couldn't be. It was too soon. Too impossible. Too dangerous.
I turned away, trying to shake the sensation from her limbs, but her body still buzzed. My fingers trembled.
"Aria," came a low voice behind her.
I flinched and turned—he stood there again, closer this time, concern hidden behind his stoic mask.
"You felt that," he said quietly.
I met his gaze, heart still hammering, and nodded once.
His jaw tensed.
"It's… nothing to dwell on," he said after a moment. "Focus on the training."
But it wasn't nothing.
I could still feel the ghost of his hand on my wrist—like it had branded her.
Kieran hesitated, then stepped back. "Dismissed."
I fled the arena.
I walked quickly across the courtyard, wind stinging her eyes. I didn't know if I was running from him—or from myself.
I didn't stop until I reached the edge of the inner courtyard garden—a place most students overlooked in favor of the training fields or their dormitories. A crescent-shaped bench sat beneath a silver willow, its pale leaves whispering in the wind like ghosts.
I slumped onto it, pressing my palm over my chest where my heart still pounded.
I didn't want to believe it.
I couldn't.
A mate bond? With him? With my instructor?
It wasn't just unlikely—it was forbidden. And yet… my wolf had responded. After years of near silence, the creature within me had risen at a single touch. My fingers twitched at the memory, tingling as if the sensation hadn't faded.
I glanced up at the sky. Pale clouds drifted lazily, unaware of the storm unfurling in my chest.
"Why now?" I thought. "Why him?"
My life had been a battle for quiet. For invisibility. For survival. Now, something ancient and wild stirred within her, threatening to change everything.
A quiet rustle broke my thoughts. I felt tense, and smelled before seeing.
Kieran.
He stood at the edge of the courtyard, watching her from the shadows of an archway. He didn't approach.
Aria stared back, her throat dry.
His eyes, always unreadable, looked different now. Not just cold or calculating—but conflicted. Like a war raged inside him that he didn't want her to see.
And then, as if sensing her question, he turned and walked away.
She didn't follow.
She couldn't.
Not when she didn't even understand what had happened between them.
Her wolf stirred again—low, curious, and hungry. It whispered of belonging. Of fate. Of him.
Aria curled her fingers tighter into her lap. Her wolf might recognize him.
But she didn't. Not yet.
And she wasn't ready to surrender to anything she couldn't control.
That night, Aria lay in her bed, eyes fixed on the ceiling. The moonlight filtered through the high dorm windows, casting silver across the floor.
Her roommate, Nessa, snored softly in the next bed.
Sleep wouldn't come.
She couldn't stop thinking of his touch. Of the look in his eyes. Of the way her body had betrayed her.
Was this how it started? With a touch? A flicker?
A slow descent into something inevitable?
Her wolf didn't answer. It only curled quietly in her soul, patient now. Waiting.
Aria turned onto her side, drawing her knees to her chest.
Tomorrow would bring more training. More tests. And most likely, him.
But tonight—she let herself feel it. The terrifying pull. The weight of the bond quietly bloomed beneath her skin.
The touch hadn't just sparked something inside her.
It had changed everything.