The sky split open.
Figures of fire and starlight descended, their voices thunder and silence. Gods. The same she had seen in her vision.
"You defy the balance," one boomed.
"Your fire was not meant for mortal hands," another whispered.
"You are too strong to exist," a third thundered.
The battlefield froze. Wolves and rogues alike trembled before the divine.
Kael stood bleeding, his body broken, but his green eyes unyielding. He stood before her, his massive frame shielding her from gods and shadow alike.
"She is mine," he growled, his voice raw. "I don't care if you are gods. I don't care if the shadow itself hungers for her. She is mine. My mate. My Queen. And I will burn with her until the stars fall."
Aradia's tears spilled, her fire trembling.
And for the first time, the gods wavered.
Because in his voice, in their bond, they heard not defiance.
But truth.