The night was too quiet. That was the first warning.
Darius had left me inside his lodge with orders to stay put. He hadn't shouted, but his voice had been firm, leaving no space for argument. His wolves obeyed him without hesitation, and he clearly expected the same from me.
But I couldn't sit still. My wolf paced inside me, restless, her claws scraping against my ribs. The air carried the sharp tang of smoke and fire, even though no flames burned nearby. That could only mean one thing—Kael was close.
The pull in my chest proved it. The fire bond stretched tight, like a rope being yanked, begging me to run toward him. But the icy bond to Darius tugged back with equal force, rooting me in place. My body felt like a battlefield, my soul split down the middle.
I pressed my hand against my chest and staggered to the door. The night air hit me like a slap—cold, sharp, laced with the howl of wolves. Not playful howls. Not peaceful. These were deep, guttural war cries.
Kael had come.
I followed the sound, my bare feet slapping against the dirt, the moonlight guiding my way. Each step closer made my bonds ache, hot and cold at once, pulling me toward disaster. The trees parted, and I stumbled into a clearing.
And there they were.
Kael stood at the edge of the border, flames of rage in his eyes, his wolves spread behind him like a storm about to break. Darius faced him with his pack lined in neat rows, disciplined and ready. Fire and ice stared each other down, both refusing to yield.
When Kael's gaze found mine, the growl ripped from his throat, primal and raw. "You kept her here," he snarled at Darius. His voice shook with fury and something else—desperation. "You think you can hide what belongs to me?"
"She doesn't belong to you," Darius answered, his voice cold as steel. He didn't raise it, but every wolf present heard him. "She's bound to both of us. The Goddess does not make mistakes."
Kael's laugh was sharp and bitter. "Bound to me, yes. To you? That's the mistake. A curse. And I'll break it tonight."
My legs carried me forward before I could think. "Stop!" My voice cracked, raw and trembling. "Both of you, stop this before it's too late!"
For a heartbeat, silence fell. Every wolf turned to look at me, two pairs of Alpha eyes burning into mine—one fire, one ice.
And then Kael roared.
He launched forward, claws flashing, his wolf surging beneath his skin. Darius met him head-on, his own claws sharp, his body moving with lethal precision. They collided like storms colliding—Kael's fire scorching, Darius's ice cutting.
Their packs erupted into chaos. Wolves snapped and lunged, teeth clashing, snarls tearing the night apart. The ground shook beneath their weight.
I froze, horror flooding me. Every strike they landed echoed inside me as if my own flesh were being torn. When Kael bled, my chest burned. When Darius staggered, ice cracked through my veins.
The bonds weren't just pulling me. They were making me feel everything.
I dropped to my knees, gasping, clutching at my chest as pain ripped through me. My wolf clawed at my insides, howling in agony. My vision blurred. My voice tore from my throat.
"Stop!"
The sound wasn't human. It rang with something deeper, something powerful. The ground trembled beneath me. For a moment, the battle froze. Wolves halted mid-lunge, their heads snapping toward me.
Kael and Darius both turned, their chests heaving, their faces twisted with shock.
Because I wasn't just shouting. I was glowing.
Silver light bled from my skin, faint at first, then brighter, like moonlight spilling straight from my veins. My hands shook as I stared at them, terrified.
"What… what's happening?" My voice trembled.
Darius's eyes widened, icy control faltering for once. "The Goddess," he whispered. "You're…"
Kael staggered a step forward, his fire dimming in awe. "Aria…" His voice cracked with something raw, almost reverent.
But I didn't feel holy. I felt like I was shattering from the inside out.
The pain of both bonds twisted through me, ripping, tearing, until I thought I would break apart completely. My wolf howled louder, demanding release, demanding I do something before the two halves of me ripped me into nothing.
Tears blurred my vision as I screamed again, my voice shaking the clearing. "Do you hear yourselves? You're tearing each other apart! You're tearing me apart!"
The silver glow flared brighter, spilling across the clearing, washing over the packs. Wolves whimpered and lowered their heads as if bowing to something they couldn't understand.
Kael's fire dimmed further, though his chest still rose and fell with rage. "Come with me," he rasped, his voice thick. "I'll protect you. I'll burn down anyone who dares to take you from me. You're mine, Aria."
Darius's voice cut through, sharp but steady. "No. With me, you'll have peace. Strength. Freedom. You won't be chained by fire. You'll be free to choose."
My heart twisted, pulled in two directions at once. Both of them looked at me like I was the center of their world. Both bonds screamed for me to choose.
And yet… deep inside, I felt something shift.
For so long, I had thought I was powerless. A girl cursed by the Goddess, dragged into a nightmare I couldn't escape. But standing there, glowing under the moon, with two Alphas frozen before me, I realized something.
The bonds weren't just theirs. They were mine.
And maybe, just maybe, I wasn't the one who had to choose between them. Maybe they were the ones who would have to prove themselves to me.
I straightened slowly, though my body trembled. "If either of you truly want me," I said, my voice raw but steady, "then you'll stop this war. Because if you keep fighting, you'll both lose me."
The words cut through the night like a blade.
Kael froze, his fists clenching, his eyes burning with fire and frustration. But he didn't move. Darius's shoulders eased a fraction, though his jaw remained tight, his icy gaze locked on Kael.
Around us, the packs stilled. Wolves lowered their heads, waiting. Watching.
The silence stretched long and heavy, broken only by the pounding of my heart and the soft crackle of dying flames.
For now, the war had stopped.
But this wasn't the end.
Two Alphas.
Two bonds.
And me—no longer just caught between them, but standing at the center of something far greater than I had ever imagined.
The Moon Goddess hadn't cursed me. She had marked me.
And I wasn't sure if that made me chosen… or doomed.