KAEL'S POV
The howls were getting closer.
I could smell them now—at least forty males, maybe more. Wolves, foxes, bears. Every predator in the territory was converging on our position.
They'd caught her scent. The Lifebringer. The rarest female in existence.
Over my dead body.
"How far to Silverwood?" I asked Ryder, keeping Aria behind me.
"Too far. We'll never make it." Ryder's face was grim. He shifted into his massive black wolf form, positioning himself beside me. His patrol wolves did the same, forming a protective circle.
Aria's hand gripped the back of my torn shirt. "What's happening?"
"They're coming to claim you," I said flatly. "Every unmated male within miles just caught the scent of a Lifebringer female. They'll fight to the death for you."
"That's insane!"
"That's the Beastworld." I shifted into my leopard form—white fur, black rosettes, muscles finally strong again after years of weakness. The transformation felt right for the first time in forever. No pain. No black veins. Just pure, clean power.
All because of her.
I would die before I let anyone take her from me.
The first wave burst through the trees—a dozen wolves, their eyes wild with need. They saw Aria and lunged.
I met them head-on.
My claws raked across the lead wolf's face. He yelped and fell back. Two more came at me from the sides. I twisted, faster than I'd moved in years, and caught one by the throat. The other got my back leg, fangs sinking deep.
Pain exploded but I didn't let go.
Ryder was a whirlwind of black fur and fury, taking down three wolves at once. His patrol fought beside us, but we were outnumbered. More shifters kept coming—foxes darting between our legs, a massive bear crashing through the underbrush.
"Kael!" Aria screamed.
I spun. A copper-furred fox had slipped past our defense. It was running straight for her, teeth bared.
No.
I launched myself across the clearing. Caught the fox mid-leap. We rolled, a tangle of claws and fangs. He was fast, but I was desperate. My jaws closed around his neck.
He shifted back to human, gasping. "Please—I just want to meet her—"
"She's MINE," I snarled.
His eyes widened at something behind me. "Look out—"
The bear's paw hit me like a boulder. I flew ten feet and crashed into a tree. My ribs cracked. Blood filled my mouth.
Through blurred vision, I saw the bear lumber toward Aria. She backed away, her mark glowing.
"Stay back!" she warned.
The bear kept coming.
Her power exploded.
Golden light slammed into the bear, forcing him back. But three more males rushed in from different directions—two wolves and a lynx. Her power swept across them too, but I could see her swaying. She was running out of energy.
I forced myself up. Every breath was agony but I didn't care. I shifted back to human—easier to speak this way.
"Aria, listen to me," I called out. "You need to run."
"I'm not leaving you!"
"You have to—"
"No!" Her voice cracked. "I'm so sick of leaving people to die! I won't do it again!"
Something in her words hit me hard. This wasn't just stubbornness. This was old pain. Old guilt.
She'd lost someone before. Maybe many someones.
"Then we fight together," I said.
She met my eyes. Nodded.
I ran to her side. The moment I touched her arm, I felt it—the mate bond flaring to life, connecting our energies. Her golden power mixed with my silver leopard strength.
"On three," I said. "Pour everything into it."
The males circled us like sharks. At least thirty now, with more coming.
"One."
They crouched, ready to spring.
"Two."
Aria's hand found mine. Our fingers laced together.
"Three."
We released everything.
The combined power erupted outward in a shockwave. It wasn't just light—it was pure force. Every male in the clearing was thrown backward, crashing into trees, hitting the ground hard. Some shifted back to human from the impact. Others stayed in beast form, unconscious.
Silence fell.
Aria and I stood in the center of destruction, breathing hard. Her mark had stopped glowing. My legs were shaking.
"Is it over?" she whispered.
Then I heard it. A slow, deliberate clapping.
A figure stepped from the shadows—a male with copper hair and amber eyes that gleamed with intelligence. He was in human form, completely relaxed, like he'd been watching a performance.
"Impressive," he said, his voice smooth. "A perfect combination of Lifebringer light and leopard strength. The Old Gods have outdone themselves."
"Zephyr," Ryder growled, limping forward in human form. "You're supposed to be in the eastern territories."
"I was. Until every fox in a fifty-mile radius started howling about a Lifebringer female." Zephyr's amber eyes locked onto Aria. "I had to see if the rumors were true."
He took a step closer. I immediately moved between them.
Zephyr smiled. "Protective already, Snowpaw? The mate bond works fast."
"She's under my protection," I said.
"And mine," Ryder added.
"How generous of you both." Zephyr circled us slowly. "But here's the problem. Every pack, every tribe, every clan in this territory will want her. You can't fight them all."
"Watch me," I growled.
"Oh, I believe you'd try. But you'd die. And then she'd be claimed by whoever's left standing." He stopped circling and looked directly at Aria. "Unless she chooses to come willingly."
"To where?" Aria demanded.
"To Silverwood, as the Wolf King suggested. But under the protection of all three tribes—Wolf, Leopard, and Fox." Zephyr's smile was dangerous. "A united front is the only thing that might keep the others at bay."
"Foxes are tricksters," Ryder said. "Why would you help?"
"Because my sister is dying from the Fading." Zephyr's smile disappeared. "And I will do anything—including cooperating with wolves—to save her."
Aria's expression softened. "Your sister?"
"Nineteen years old. The black veins reached her heart two days ago." His voice was carefully controlled, but I heard the desperation underneath. "The healers say she has a week at most."
Aria stepped forward. I tried to stop her but she pushed past me, walking right up to Zephyr.
"Take me to her," she said.
"Aria, no," I protested. "You're exhausted—"
"A girl is dying." Her brown eyes were fierce. "I'm not going to debate this."
Zephyr studied her for a long moment. "You're either very brave or very foolish."
"Probably both," she said. "But I'm a nurse. Saving people is what I do."
Something shifted in Zephyr's expression—respect, maybe, or hope. "Then let's move quickly. My sister doesn't have time for politics."
Ryder stepped forward. "If this is a trap—"
"It's not." Zephyr's voice was cold. "I'm a fox, not a monster. I won't harm the one person who might save Lyra."
"Fine," Ryder said. "But my wolves come with us."
"And I stay with Aria," I added. Not a request.
Zephyr's lips quirked. "Of course. The protective mate. How traditional."
We started moving through the forest, faster now. Aria walked between me and Ryder, with Zephyr leading the way. The unconscious males were starting to wake behind us.
"They'll follow," Ryder warned.
"Let them," Zephyr said. "Once they see what she can do, they'll either worship her or fear her. Either way works."
Aria looked at me. "Is everyone in this world insane?"
"Yes," I said honestly. "But you'll get used to it."
She laughed—a short, slightly hysterical sound. "I died and woke up in a world of naked shapeshifters who want to either kill me or marry me. I'm never getting used to this."
Despite everything, I smiled. Her spirit was unbreakable.
We reached a clearing where a small shelter stood—more of a den than a house. Zephyr pushed the entrance open.
Inside, a young female lay on furs. Her skin was ashen. Black veins covered her arms, her neck, her face. They pulsed with each shallow breath.
Aria gasped. "Oh God. She's so young."
"This is Lyra," Zephyr said quietly. "My baby sister."
Aria was already moving forward, dropping to her knees beside the girl. Her mark started glowing before she even touched her.
"The Fading in her is strong," I warned. "It almost killed you healing me, and I wasn't this far gone."
"I don't care," Aria said. Her hands pressed against Lyra's chest.
Golden light poured out.
But this time, something was different. The black veins didn't just retreat—they fought back. Like living things with their own will. They wrapped around Aria's wrists, crawling up her arms.
Aria screamed.
I lunged forward but Zephyr caught me. "Don't! If you break the connection now, they'll both die!"
Aria was shaking, tears streaming down her face. The black veins were spreading across her skin now, poisoning her.
"She's taking the Fading into herself," Ryder breathed. "She's absorbing it."
"Stop!" I shouted at Aria. "Let go!"
"No!" Her voice was strained. "I can save her—I just need—"
The black veins reached her neck. Her face.
Then her eyes rolled back and she collapsed.