She awoke screaming, fire spilling from her hands. Kael caught her, his rough arms holding her, his voice low. "It's only a dream. Only a dream."
But it was not.
The next night, Ronan struck again. Wolves clashed, blood painted snow, fire and shadow tearing through the forest.
Kael fought at her side, his massive wolf unstoppable, but the shadow found him. Tendrils of smoke wrapped his body, dragging him down, suffocating.
"Kael!" she screamed, her fire blazing, but it was too late. He staggered, his green eyes dimming, his body collapsing in the snow.
Something inside her snapped.
Her fire roared—not gold, not warm, but white-hot, blinding, consuming. Wolves fell back, rogues screamed as their bodies turned to ash, the very earth cracking beneath her feet.
She stood at the center, her eyes glowing white, her voice thundering.
"You will not take him. Not in this life. Not ever again."
The shadow recoiled, its endless eyes narrowing, its laughter fading into the distance.
And when the fire dimmed, Kael gasped, his chest rising again, his green eyes locking on hers with awe and fear.
She fell to her knees, trembling, as he caught her, holding her tight.
"You saved me," he rasped, his voice raw.
Her tears burned her cheeks. "No, Kael. I doomed us both."