But forever was never safe.
The next night, howls echoed through the forest. Not Kael's pack. Not wolves of flesh and blood. Rogues, twisted by shadow, their cries unnatural and chilling.
At their head was Ronan.
Aradia saw him from the ridge, copper hair wild, amber eyes burning with something darker now—power borrowed from the shadow itself. He had changed. His skin bore dark runes, his aura reeked of smoke and death.
"You chose him," Ronan called up to her, his voice carrying through the night air. "But choice is an illusion. You will burn, and when you do, he cannot save you."
Kael stepped forward, his massive frame shielding her, his wolf snarling beneath his skin. "I'll kill you where you stand."
Ronan laughed, cruel and broken. "Kill me, and you'll kill her destiny too. I know the truth, Alpha. I've seen the past you fear to speak."
Aradia's heart thundered. Ronan's words cut sharper than his claws ever could. What truth did Kael keep from her?
And why did she already know it in her bones?