Dawn came far too soon.
The air outside was sharp with cold, dew clinging to the grass in silver drops. I wrapped my arms around myself as I crossed the yard toward the training grounds. Warriors were already gathering, their breath fogging in the chill, their eyes flicking to me with open curiosity — and caution.
Kael was there, dressed in black training gear, his hair damp from a recent shower. The Alpha presence rolled off him in waves, commanding attention without a single word.
"Step forward," he said, his voice carrying easily across the grounds.
I hesitated before obeying, the weight of dozens of eyes following my every move.
"This is Aria," Kael told them, his tone leaving no room for argument. "She is under my direct protection. Anyone who challenges her, challenges me."
A ripple went through the crowd. Some looked away. Others exchanged glances.
Kael turned back to me, his gaze sharp. "Today, you start learning to control what's inside you. Until you can, you're a danger to yourself and everyone around you."
"I didn't ask for this," I muttered.
"No one ever does," he said simply. "Now—attack me."
My head snapped up. "What?"
"You heard me. Attack."
"I can't just—"
"You can. And you will."
When I still didn't move, Kael closed the distance between us in two strides, his voice dropping low enough for only me to hear. "If you can't unleash it on me, you won't be able to unleash it on what's coming."
Something in me snapped at his challenge. My palms tingled, heat blooming under my skin. I lunged, my hand slicing through the air. A flash of fire burst from my fingertips—
Kael dodged easily, the flames licking harmlessly at the dirt. "Too slow."
Anger surged, hot and sharp. I tried again, this time pushing harder, but the fire sputtered, erratic. My chest tightened as frustration clawed at me.
"Control, Aria," Kael barked. "Not rage. Rage burns out fast. Control burns forever."
I gritted my teeth, focusing on the heat, willing it to steady. For a heartbeat, it obeyed — fire curling smoothly around my fingers — but then an image of the injured warrior from yesterday flashed in my mind, and the flame exploded outward, wild.
Kael caught my wrists before the blast could hit him, his grip like iron. The fire snuffed out instantly.
"You're letting fear drive it," he said. "That's why you're losing it."
"I'm not afraid," I shot back.
His eyes narrowed. "You should be. The Shadow Court won't care if you mean to hurt someone or not. They'll use every loss of control as a weapon against you — and against this pack."
Something in his tone made the cold morning feel even colder.
Before I could answer, a horn sounded from the watchtower — three sharp notes that sent the yard into motion. Warriors grabbed weapons, their expressions shifting from calm to battle-ready in seconds.
Kael's head snapped toward the forest. "They're here," he said grimly.
The horn still echoed in the crisp morning air when Kael released my wrists.
"Stay behind me," he ordered.
"I can fight," I argued, my chest tight.
"You can't control it yet." His tone was final.
But the warriors rushing past us, the scent of adrenaline spiking in the air, and the distant rumble of footsteps in the forest told me the choice might not be mine for long.
Darius appeared at Kael's side, his expression grim. "Scouts say it's not just rogues. There's a Shadow Court emblem burned into the trees."
The name again — colder this time, heavier.
"What does that mean?" I asked.
Darius glanced at me, then at Kael. "It means they want her to know they're here."
Before I could process his words, the forest erupted. Wolves — huge, feral, their eyes glowing with something unnatural — burst from the treeline. Behind them, figures cloaked in black moved with lethal precision, their weapons glinting in the early light.
The warriors clashed with them instantly, steel meeting claw, the air filling with snarls and the ring of blades.
Kael shifted mid-leap, his wolf a massive shadow of black fur and rippling muscle. He tore into the first attacker with terrifying ease.
I should have stayed back. I knew that. But when I saw one of the cloaked figures breaking through the defense line, heading straight toward a younger warrior, instinct overrode caution.
I ran.
The figure swung a curved blade toward the boy's neck. Without thinking, I threw my hand out, calling to the heat inside me. Fire leapt from my palm, striking the attacker square in the chest.
They screamed — not in pain, but in something like shock — before stumbling back into the shadows.
The boy looked at me with wide eyes. "Thanks."
But the victory was short-lived. The ground trembled beneath my feet, a chill washing over the battlefield. I turned — and froze.
From the forest, something far larger than a wolf emerged. Its form was twisted, half-flesh, half-shadow, its eyes burning red. It moved with a slow, deliberate menace, each step making the warriors falter.
Darius's voice was sharp over the chaos. "Kael! It's a Shadebeast!"
Kael, still in wolf form, snarled, his gaze snapping to me. His thoughts slammed into my mind through the mate-bond I'd tried to ignore for years.
Aria — run.The single word burned through my mind, carrying Kael's urgency like a physical shove.
But my feet didn't move. The Shadebeast's gaze locked on me, and in that instant, I knew it wasn't just here for the pack. It was here for me.
Its maw split open, revealing rows of jagged teeth, a sound like stone grinding on stone spilling out. The air around it warped, the light dimming as if the morning sun had been smothered.
Warriors tried to intercept it. Blades and claws struck its hide, but the steel hissed uselessly against its shadowy flesh. One swipe of its talons sent two wolves flying.
"Aria!" Darius's shout barely cut through the roaring in my ears. "Move!"
I didn't. I couldn't. My pulse was a drumbeat in my skull, heat surging to my fingertips again — this time stronger, steadier.
The Shadebeast lunged.
I threw my hands out, the fire answering with a roar of its own. It hit the beast square in the chest, flames wrapping around it like molten chains. For a moment, I thought I had it — thought maybe I was enough.
Then the fire dimmed, swallowed whole by the creature's darkness. It stepped through the blaze like it was nothing, its red eyes blazing brighter.
Kael slammed into it from the side, his massive wolf form raking claws down its flank. The beast howled, twisting to retaliate. Kael barely dodged, his movements a blur of speed and precision.
"Fall back!" Darius ordered the nearby warriors, dragging the injured away. "This thing isn't dying by normal means!"
The Shadebeast swiped again, this time catching Kael in the ribs. He hit the ground hard but rolled back to his feet, blood staining his black fur.
My stomach twisted. He wasn't going to win this alone.
I ran toward him, ignoring his snarl of warning. "You can't kill it without me!" I shouted over the chaos.
Kael shifted mid-battle, landing in human form between me and the Shadebeast. "You're not ready—"
"I'll never be ready if you keep locking me away," I cut in, my voice trembling but fierce. "This thing wants me, Kael. Let me fight."
His jaw tightened. For a moment, I thought he'd refuse. Then his gaze flicked to the beast, to the blood dripping from its talons, and he gave a sharp nod.
"Fine. But you listen to me, and you don't break focus."
The Shadebeast crouched, muscles bunching like coiled rope. Kael stepped aside, giving me a clear line of sight.
"Find the core," he said quickly. "The heart of its shadow. Burn that."
I closed my eyes, shutting out the chaos. I reached for the heat inside me, but not with rage this time — with purpose. The fire answered, curling through my veins, pooling in my hands.
When I opened my eyes, the Shadebeast was already mid-leap. I waited until I saw it — a faint flicker deep within its chest, like a candle in a storm.
I unleashed everything.
The fire tore from my hands in a single, focused stream, piercing through its shadowy hide. The beast shrieked, a sound that rattled my bones. The red glow in its eyes flickered… then died.
Its body collapsed into black mist, dissolving into the ground until there was nothing left but silence.
The battlefield was still. Warriors stared, some in awe, others in thinly veiled fear.
Kael stepped to my side, his hand brushing mine just enough for the mate-bond to hum between us. "You just painted a target on your back," he murmured.
I swallowed hard. "They were coming for me anyway."
His gaze darkened. "Then we'd better make sure they never take you."
Far off, in the shadows of the forest, I thought I saw movement — a figure cloaked in black, watching. And when the wind shifted, I swore I heard a voice.
This is only the beginning.