The city felt different the next morning. The sunlight slanting through the apartment blinds was harsh, almost alien. Aria rubbed her eyes, her body still buzzing from the night's events. Her wolf stirred constantly, twitching beneath her skin, yearning for freedom she didn't fully understand.
She glanced down at her hands—still trembling from the bond. Mated. Claimed. The words echoed in her mind like a drumbeat she couldn't ignore. Her heart still raced, not from fear, but from something deeper, primal. Something… connected.
And then, a sharp pang in her belly. She froze. It was subtle at first—a flutter, like a heartbeat in her chest—but then it grew stronger, undeniable. Aria pressed her hands to her stomach.
"I… I'm pregnant?" she whispered, though she didn't understand how it was possible. Her body was telling her a truth her mind hadn't caught up to yet.
Her wolf growled low in agreement. This was no ordinary pregnancy—it was tied to her bond, her mates, and the destiny she had tried so desperately to ignore.
A knock at the door shattered her thoughts. Kael's voice followed:
"Aria. I need you to come with me. Now."
Her wolf leapt at the alert, instincts screaming danger. She barely had time to grab her jacket before Kael's presence was beside her, his golden eyes scanning the streets as if they were already under siege.
"Where are we going?" she demanded, trying to sound braver than she felt.
"To the pack," Kael said simply. "You need to learn control, Aria. There's more to your bond than you realize… and there are others who will come for you. Your wolf senses them already."
"Others?" Aria's voice trembled. "What do you mean? I'm… I'm bonded to you!"
Kael's gaze softened for a moment, almost human. "You're mine. But destiny doesn't work that way. There are three… maybe more. They will find you. They are part of your life, whether you accept it or not."
Aria's head spun. She wanted to run, to escape this impossible reality—but every instinct in her wolf screamed that running was pointless. She could feel their presence, faint yet undeniable, like shadows brushing against her mind. Other mates. Already connected. Already claiming her.
They arrived at the pack's headquarters—a towering old building hidden in plain sight among the skyscrapers. Inside, the air was thick with the scent of wolves, both human and lupine. Aria's senses overwhelmed her, picking up every heartbeat, every emotion, every subtle movement.
A figure approached—tall, lean, with a sly grin and eyes that made her wolf growl softly. "You must be Aria," he said, bowing mockingly. "I've been waiting."
Her wolf snarled. Something about him was familiar… electric. The instinctual pull was undeniable, and Aria realized with growing horror and fascination: he was one of them. Another mate.
Before she could react, Kael stepped closer, his presence a shield. "Leo," Kael said flatly. "Control yourself."
The newcomer—Leo—chuckled, stepping closer, eyes locked on Aria. "Oh, I will. But the wolf knows what it wants. And she wants me… eventually."
Aria's stomach twisted. She wanted to deny it, to run, but her wolf stirred at Leo's scent, pulling her in ways she didn't understand. This was no ordinary attraction—this was primal, binding, and terrifyingly powerful.
Kael's hand tightened on her shoulder. "You will learn," he said quietly. "You have to. The city, the supernatural world… it's coming for you. And you won't survive alone."
Aria sank to a chair, her wolf whimpering softly inside her. Her reality had shattered into pieces, leaving her to face a world of mates, monsters, and an unborn child tied to fate itself.
The shadows outside shifted, and she sensed the truth before it was spoken: her life would never be the same again.