Ronan screamed, his shadow writhing, his runes burning blacker.
"You defy me?" His voice thundered across the battlefield, shaking the earth. "Then burn with him! Burn forever!"
He unleashed his full power, the shadow surging in a tidal wave of smoke and claw. Wolves screamed, the earth split, the sky blackened.
But Kael held her tighter, his body anchoring hers, his voice steady in her ear. "Breathe with me. Burn with me. Don't fight the fire. Guide it."
Her chest heaved, her fire trembling. Together, their bond roared alive.
His wolf howled, her flames blazed, and the shadow crashed against them like waves against stone.
For the first time, they did not falter. For the first time, the fire did not consume him.
It fed him.
Their bond twisted, deepened, became something greater. Wolf and witch, Alpha and flame—united, unstoppable.
Ronan staggered back, his eyes widening. "No… impossible…"
But it was only the beginning.