Theron had been watching Leora closely. Too closely, perhaps. Every move she made, every expression that flickered across her face—he had memorized them all. He knew the rhythm of her steps when she was in a hurry, and the subtle tilt of her chin when she was irritated but trying to hide it. He had even come to recognize the sparkle in her eyes whenever she laughed with her friends.
She was a good girl—friendly, kind, and warm in ways that had no business surviving in a world like theirs…not in a place like Crestwood. And maybe that was why he couldn't look away.
But there was something that gnawed at him, something he couldn't reconcile.
The pendant.
Theron's jaw tightened as he recalled the moment. She had handed it to Nyra without hesitation, without even a flicker of doubt. That pendant was not a trinket. It was her anchor, her birthright, her protection. Yet she had passed it over as though it were nothing more than jewelry.
It made no sense. Leora wasn't foolish—he had watched her long enough to know that much. She could be trusting, yes, sometimes far too trusting. But careless? Never.
So what was she thinking?
That question chased him through the night until he finally sought out the only person who might give him answers.
The thought wouldn't leave his mind, not even hours later when the palace had grown quiet and the halls were swallowed in shadow. That night, he slipped away again, his hood drawn low as he made his way to the wooden house in the forest.
He didn't bother knocking this time. Lyandra opened the door before his hand even reached it, her sharp eyes flicking over his tense expression.
"You're back already," she said, stepping aside. "What happened?"
When he was quiet and didn't say anything, she went back into the old chamber she had claimed as her own and sat on her wooden chair, the faint glow of candlelight brushing across her sharp features. She glanced up when he finally entered, her gaze assessing him with a mix of curiosity and annoyance.
"You look troubled," she said smoothly.
Theron didn't waste time anymore ."It's Leora. Something's off."
Lyandra arched a brow. "Off? You'll have to do better than that, Theron. You've been shadowing her like a hawk for weeks. What exactly did you see?"
"She gave away the pendant," he said flatly.
That earned her full attention. Lyandra sat up straighter, her eyes narrowing. "To whom?"
"To her friend. Nyra. Handed it over like it meant nothing."
For a moment, Lyandra didn't speak. Then she leaned forward, voice dropping to a whisper. "That… should not be possible."
Theron frowned. "Why not? She's careless, maybe—"
"No," Lyandra cut in, shaking her head. "Not Leora. The Zaria I know would have taught her well, the Luna —she would never let go of that pendant. Not unless…" Her gaze sharpened. "Theron. Has she ever transformed in your presence?"
He blinked. "No."
"Not even once?"
"Never. She's just… plain," he admitted, the word tasting wrong on his tongue.
"Has she shown any wolf traits? Strength? Speed? Senses heightened beyond human ability?"
"No," Theron said again, frustration building in his chest. "Nothing. She's… normal."
Silence stretched between them. Lyandra's fingers tapped against the armrest of her chair, her mind clearly racing. Finally, she let out a slow, deliberate breath.
"She hasn't unlocked her wolf yet," she murmured. "That's why she could give away the pendant so easily. It doesn't mean anything even if she passes it from one wolf to the other…it would still be hers and it would still come back to her."
Theron's stomach dropped. "Then how? How does she unlock it?"
Lyandra's eyes flicked up, sharp and calculating. "Through mating". She must find her mate." Lyandra said, her eyes glinting in the candlelight. " That is the only way. She has to mate. The bond will awaken what's been lying dormant. Since her father is human, her bloodline is weaker. Only finding her fated mate will trigger her first transformation."
Theron stiffened. He hated the word mate. He never quite understood why people needed another person to complete them, why they couldn't stay alone and in peace for the rest of their lives.
"I haven't seen her with any other wolf," he said after a pause. "No one but Nyra. No male wolves at all."
"Then we'll have to find one for her," Lyandra said simply, as though she were suggesting what meal to prepare tomorrow.
Theron's jaw tightened. The thought of following Leora and her mate around, protecting them almost made him gag. As if just her wasn't enough, he would have to watch the two playing love in his presence. "And if she doesn't have a mate nearby? What then?"
Lyandra's lips curved slowly, dangerously.
"Then," she said, eyes glinting with something he couldn't quite name, "we'll make certain she does. One way or another."
Theron's frown deepened. "You sound far too confident."
"Because I have an idea. If she doesn't find one herself…we'll have to find one for her" Lyandra laughed, her voice echoing through the dark and empty woods.