Kael found her before dawn. She stood at the river's edge, her reflection flickering in the water, her eyes haunted.
He strode toward her, his fury barely contained, his presence filling the clearing like thunder. "You were with him."
Her lips parted. "Kael—"
"Don't deny it. I can smell him on you." His jaw tightened, his green eyes blazing. "Did he touch you?"
Her heart raced. "He only—"
"That is enough." Kael's hands fisted at his sides, his wolf clawing for release. "If he dares lay a hand on you again, I will tear his heart from his chest."
A laugh broke from the shadows.
Ronan emerged, calm and deliberate, his amber eyes gleaming. "Always so possessive, Alpha. Tell me—do you protect her, or cage her?"
Kael shifted, his body trembling with rage. "She is mine."
"She is no one's," Ronan countered, stepping closer. "Least of all yours."
And then they clashed.
Kael lunged, shifting mid-stride, his massive wolf form crashing into Ronan's half-shifted body. Claws met claws, teeth met flesh, snarls shook the air. They fought like gods, like storms, their power shaking the very earth.
Aradia screamed, her fire surging around her in a circle, her body trembling as her magic begged to intervene. But she couldn't move.
She could only watch as the two men who wanted her—one bound by fire, the other tempting her with freedom—tore each other apart in the snow.
Blood stained the earth. The air reeked of smoke and rage. And Aradia knew, with a sick twist of longing and dread, that no matter who won… she would lose.