ARIA'S POV
The old woman's eyes pin me in place like a butterfly under glass.
"Who are you?" I manage to whisper, even though every instinct screams at me to bow. To submit. To acknowledge the raw, ancient power pouring off her in waves.
"I am Magda Thornwood." She steps into the cabin, and the air itself seems to bend around her. "Last of the Primordial Elders. Guardian of the old bloodlines. And, apparently, your teacher."
"My teacher?" I pull Darius's jacket tighter. "I don't understand."
"You will." Magda moves closer, her glowing eyes studying every inch of me. "Tell me, child—what do you remember about your parents' death?"
The question hits me like a physical blow. "Why does that matter?"
"Because everything matters when it comes to Primordials." She sits in the cabin's only chair like she owns it. "Your parents didn't die in a random rogue attack. They were murdered. Hunted down specifically because of what you are."
My legs give out. I sink onto the bed. "That's not—the pack said—"
"The pack lied." Magda's voice is gentle but firm. "Or more likely, they never knew the truth. Your parents were Primordial wolves hiding in plain sight, just like you've been doing. But someone discovered their secret. Someone who wanted to make sure your bloodline ended."
"But I survived."
"Because your mother used the last of her power to lock your wolf away." Magda leans forward. "She made you appear defective so no one would look too closely. So you'd be dismissed as weak rather than hunted as powerful. She saved your life by making you invisible."
Tears blur my vision. "She made me suffer for twenty-two years to save me?"
"She made you survive for twenty-two years." Magda's tone sharpens. "Do you know what happens to Primordial children when Alphas discover them? They're either killed as threats or taken and trained as weapons. Your mother chose a third option—she chose to let you live a small, quiet life until you were strong enough to protect yourself."
"But I'm not strong." The words come out broken. "I couldn't even keep my own mate."
"Your mate was a fool who couldn't recognize treasure when it slept beside him every night." Magda waves a dismissive hand. "Forget him. He's irrelevant now."
"He's my son's father—"
"And you'll deal with that when you're ready. Right now, we need to focus on keeping you alive." She stands, pacing the small cabin. "Your transformation tonight sent a signal across every pack territory within two hundred miles. Every Alpha with sense will be asking questions. Some will be curious. Others will be terrified. And a few—a very dangerous few—will want to capture you before you become too strong to control."
Fear coils in my stomach. "I don't want any of this. I just want—"
"What? To go back?" Magda's laugh is sharp. "Back to being treated like you're broken? Back to a mate who chose another wolf over you? Back to raising a son who calls someone else Mommy?"
Each word is a knife, but they're true. All of them.
"I don't know what I want," I admit quietly.
"Then we'll figure it out together." Magda's expression softens. "But first, you need to understand what you are. Primordials aren't just strong wolves. We're the original shifters—the ones who existed before the Moon Goddess divided us into Alphas, Betas, and Omegas. We can't be controlled by pack bonds. We can't be commanded by Alpha orders. And we carry power that can reshape entire territories."
"That's impossible."
"You shifted into a wolf twice the size of an Alpha tonight. You rejected a mate bond and survived. You're radiating enough power to make every wolf in my territory nervous." Magda raises an eyebrow. "Which part sounds impossible?"
She has a point.
"What happens now?" I ask.
"Now? Now I teach you to control what you are before it controls you." Magda moves toward the door. "But first, we need to deal with the Alpha currently tearing apart my forest looking for you."
My heart stops. "Rowan's here?"
"And making quite a mess." Magda's smile is sharp. "He's demanding we return his mate. Threatening war if we don't comply. Generally acting like an Alpha who just realized he threw away something priceless."
"I'm not going back to him."
"Good." Magda's approval is clear. "Because going back would be the stupidest thing you could do. But we still need to handle him. If we don't, he'll keep making noise. Keep drawing attention. And right now, attention is the last thing you need."
The door opens again, and Darius steps in. His silver eyes meet mine, and something passes between us—understanding, maybe. Or recognition.
"Rowan Ashford is at the border with fifty wolves," he reports. "He's invoking old rights, demanding to speak to any Alpha harboring his mate."
"He rejected her," Magda says flatly. "The bond is broken. She's not his mate anymore."
"Try telling him that." Darius crosses his arms. "He looks half-mad. His wolf is deteriorating fast—probably the bond rejection backlash. If we don't give him answers, he'll attack."
"Let him." The words surprise me as much as them. Both Darius and Magda turn to stare. "What? You said I'm powerful. You said I need to learn control. So let me practice on the man who spent six years treating me like garbage."
Magda's smile is terrifying and approving. "I knew I'd like you."
"Aria." Darius's voice holds warning. "You shifted for the first time tonight. You don't know what you're doing yet. Facing down an Alpha and fifty wolves—"
"Is exactly what I need to do." I stand, and the movement feels different now. Stronger. "I've spent twenty-two years being afraid. Being small. Being what everyone expected me to be. I'm done with that."
"This isn't about bravery," Darius argues. "This is about survival."
"Then I'll survive by showing Rowan Ashford exactly what he lost." I look at Magda. "You said Primordials can't be controlled by Alphas. Does that mean I can face him without submitting?"
"It means you could make him submit, if you knew how." Magda's eyes gleam. "But you don't. Not yet."
"Then teach me. Fast."
For a long moment, Magda just stares at me. Then she laughs—a sound like wind through ancient trees. "Oh, you're definitely your mother's daughter. She had that same reckless courage." She gestures to Darius. "Stall him. Give me ten minutes."
"Ten minutes?" Darius looks incredulous. "To teach her what?"
"Everything she needs for this specific situation." Magda grabs my arm. "Come, child. We have work to do."
She pulls me outside into the darkness. The forest is alive with tension—I can feel wolves moving through the trees, watching us. Waiting.
"Close your eyes," Magda commands.
"But—"
"Close them."
I obey. Immediately, the world shifts. I can feel everything—every wolf in the territory, every heartbeat, every breath. The connections between pack members glow like threads in my mind. And one thread burns brighter than all the others.
Rowan.
Even with the bond broken, I can still sense him. Can feel his rage and desperation and pain rolling off him in waves.
"Do you feel him?" Magda whispers.
"Yes."
"Good. Now, push back."
"What?"
"You're a Primordial. His Alpha power means nothing to you. So when he tries to dominate you—when he tries to force you to submit—you push his power back into his face. Show him what real strength feels like."
"I don't know how—"
"Yes, you do. Your wolf knows. Trust her."
Before I can argue, Rowan's howl splits the night. Not a search call this time. A command.
COME.
The word vibrates through my bones, and I feel my body trying to obey. This is what an Alpha command feels like—irresistible, absolute, making every instinct scream to submit.
But my wolf snarls.
No.
Power floods through me, and I push back against Rowan's command like pushing against a physical wall. The pressure releases, and somewhere in the forest, I hear him gasp.
"Good," Magda murmurs. "Again. Harder."
Rowan's command comes again, stronger: RETURN TO YOUR ALPHA.
This time, I don't just push back.
I push through.
My power crashes into his like a tidal wave, and through our broken bond, I feel him collapse.
"Excellent." Magda's smile is vicious. "Now, let's go show your ex-mate what happens when you underestimate an Omega."
We walk toward the border, and I can see them now—fifty Ashford Pack wolves lined up in battle formation. And in front of them all, on his knees in the dirt, is Rowan.
He looks up as we approach, and his eyes go wide.
"Aria," he breathes. "What are you?"
I smile.
"I'm what you never bothered to see."
Then the forest behind Rowan explodes with movement.
More wolves pour into the clearing—easily a hundred, all wearing Ashford Pack colors.
And leading them, wearing a crown of silver and a smile of pure malice, is Celeste.
"Hello, little Omega," she purrs. "Did you really think running away would save you?"