The days after Kael's declaration were uneasy.
Aradia could feel it in every glance, every muttered word that died when she entered the room. Wolves bowed to Kael, but their eyes slid toward her with suspicion and fear. She was not one of them, and no vow could make it so.
The whispers grew sharper:
"She cursed the hunt."
"Her fire will kill us all."
"The Alpha is blinded by her."
One night, it broke.
Aradia awoke to shouting. She rushed outside the den, the cold biting her skin, to find Kael standing in the snow, surrounded by wolves with bared teeth.
They were his own lieutenants. His most trusted. And they were defying him.
"She weakens us," one growled, his golden eyes burning with defiance. "We follow you, Alpha, but we will not die for a witch."
"She is my mate," Kael snarled, his wolf surging beneath his skin, his voice shaking the air.
"She is your chain," another spat. "And chains break packs."
The wolves lunged.
Kael shifted mid-stride, his massive black wolf crashing into them with fury, his claws raking across fur, his jaws snapping with bone-crushing force. The clearing erupted into chaos, snarls and blood staining the snow.
Aradia stood frozen, her fire trembling in her hands, fear clawing at her chest. If she unleashed her magic, she would kill them all—including Kael.
But when one wolf broke through, lunging for her throat, instinct took over.
Her flames erupted in a circle, roaring high, forcing the rebels back. The snow melted into steaming mud, the air crackling with heat. She stood at the center, her eyes glowing, her fire alive.
"Enough!" her voice thundered, carrying power not just of magic but of command.
The wolves froze, their eyes wide. For the first time, she was not cursed, not feared—she was Alpha's mate, and she was fire.
The rebels fled into the forest, defeated.
Kael shifted back, his chest heaving, blood streaking his skin. He stalked to her, his green eyes blazing. "You see now? You are not their curse. You are their Queen."
Her fire dimmed, her body trembling. She pressed her forehead to his chest, tears spilling, her heart torn between fear and a growing, undeniable truth: she belonged with him