The moment Kael crossed the boundary stones, the world shifted.
Ayla felt it like a pressure change in her skull—sharp, disorienting, and unmistakably wrong. The air grew colder, heavier, as though the forest itself recognized Kael's defiance and recoiled from it.
Behind them, the Nightborne compound vanished into the trees, swallowed by darkness and distance.
They were no longer protected.
Kael didn't slow.
He moved through the forest at a relentless pace, his strides long and sure, senses stretched taut as steel wire. Ayla struggled to keep up, her legs aching, breath coming in ragged bursts. Every few steps, a wave of dizziness washed over her, heat flaring beneath her skin in unpredictable surges.
"Kael," she gasped. "I—can't—"
He stopped instantly, turning toward her.
The urgency in his expression softened the moment he saw her sway. He closed the distance in two steps, catching her by the arms before she could fall.
"Easy," he murmured. "You're pushing yourself too hard."
"I don't have a choice," she snapped weakly. "Apparently, I'm on a deadline."
His jaw tightened. "I won't let them touch you."
"That's what you said about the Council," she shot back. "And they still gave you an ultimatum."
Kael exhaled sharply, dragging a hand through his hair. The Blood Moon's red glow painted his sharp features in shadows, making him look even more dangerous—more unreal.
"They gave us three nights," he said. "That doesn't mean I intend to play by their rules."
Ayla laughed bitterly. "You just declared war on the most powerful wolves in existence."
A corner of his mouth twitched. "Wouldn't be the first time."
That didn't reassure her.
He guided her toward a fallen log, motioning for her to sit. She did, pressing her palms into the cool bark as she tried to steady her breathing.
The forest around them was eerily alive—too quiet in some places, too loud in others. Every rustle made her flinch.
Kael crouched in front of her, eyes level with hers. "You need to rest. The bond is accelerating."
"The bond," she repeated flatly. "You say that like it's a weather condition."
His gaze darkened. "It might as well be."
She hesitated, then asked the question that had been clawing at her since the Council ring. "What happens if you… if you mark me?"
Silence stretched between them.
Kael looked away first.
"When an Alpha completes a Blood Moon bond," he said slowly, "it binds the mate to him permanently. Mind, body, instincts. She becomes pack-bound."
Ayla's stomach dropped. "Meaning I'd lose myself."
"No," he said immediately. "Meaning the pack would have a claim on you."
"That's not better."
"No," he agreed quietly. "It's worse."
She swallowed. "And if you don't?"
His eyes returned to hers, burning gold. "Then the bond will continue to grow unstable. It will hurt. It will confuse you. Eventually…" He paused. "It could kill you."
Her breath stuttered.
"So either I become someone's property," she said, "or I die."
Kael's hands curled into fists. "That's what the Council believes."
"And you?"
"I believe they're wrong."
The certainty in his voice sent a strange warmth through her chest—followed immediately by fear.
"You don't sound sure."
He didn't deny it.
Before she could press him further, a sharp crack echoed through the trees.
Kael was on his feet instantly, shifting slightly in front of her, his body a shield. "Stay behind me."
A figure stepped into the clearing.
Rowan.
Relief flooded Ayla—brief, fragile.
"You followed us," Kael said flatly.
Rowan lifted his hands. "Before you rip my head off—yes. And no one else did."
"Yet," Kael muttered.
Rowan's gaze flicked to Ayla, concern etched into his features. "You okay?"
She nodded, though it wasn't entirely true.
"They'll track you," Rowan said quietly. "Lyra already has scouts moving."
Kael's eyes flashed. "I should've killed her when I had the chance."
Rowan grimaced. "She's not the real problem."
Kael stiffened. "Who is?"
Rowan hesitated.
That hesitation chilled Ayla more than the night air.
"The eastern packs are mobilizing," Rowan said. "But that's not what worries me."
"Spit it out," Kael growled.
"The Council isn't planning to wait three nights."
Ayla's heart slammed against her ribs. "You said they gave you time."
"They did," Rowan replied grimly. "Publicly."
Kael's lips curled into a snarl. "And privately?"
"They've activated the Moonbound."
The word landed like a blade.
Kael went very still.
"No," he said quietly.
Rowan nodded. "They think she's too dangerous to leave unclaimed."
Ayla looked between them. "You're going to have to explain that."
Kael turned to her, his expression grave. "The Moonbound are enforcers. Hunters bred and trained to retrieve—or eliminate—anything the Council deems a threat."
"Anything," Rowan emphasized.
Ayla's blood ran cold. "You mean me."
"Yes," Kael said.
"And they won't stop," Rowan added, "until you're either marked… or dead."
The forest seemed to close in around them.
Ayla pushed herself to her feet, fear sharpening into something else—anger.
"No," she said firmly.
Both men turned to her.
"I didn't ask for this," she continued. "I didn't ask to be marked, hunted, or sentenced by a council I didn't even know existed. So no—I'm not running blindly into another cage."
Kael studied her intently. "What are you saying?"
"I'm saying," she met his gaze without flinching, "if this bond is killing me, then I want to understand it. Control it. Not be dragged around like cargo while everyone decides my fate."
Rowan let out a low whistle. "Moon above."
Kael's eyes burned—not with anger, but something far more dangerous.
Respect.
"That," he said slowly, "is exactly why the Moon chose you."
A sudden surge of heat rolled through Ayla's body—stronger than before. She cried out, clutching her chest as pain lanced through her veins.
Kael caught her as her knees buckled.
The forest answered.
A low, ancient hum vibrated through the ground, the Blood Moon flaring violently overhead.
Rowan swore. "That's not normal."
Kael felt it then—felt her power pushing back.
"She's reacting," he said sharply. "Not just to the bond."
"To what, then?" Rowan demanded.
Kael lifted his head slowly, eyes glowing gold.
"To the hunt."
And somewhere in the darkness, a howl answered—close enough to promise blood.
The howl came again—closer this time.
It cut through the forest like a blade, vibrating in Ayla's bones rather than her ears. Whatever answered that call was not wild. It was disciplined. Purposeful.
Moonbound.
Kael swore under his breath, tightening his grip on Ayla as the ground beneath them trembled faintly. The air grew sharp, charged with hostile intent.
"They're already inside the perimeter," Rowan said grimly. "Faster than I thought."
Ayla forced herself upright, ignoring the lingering ache rippling through her veins. Heat pulsed beneath her skin, rhythmic and insistent, like a second heartbeat that didn't belong to her. "How many?"
Rowan tilted his head, listening. "At least three. Maybe four."
Kael's jaw clenched. "That's a retrieval squad."
"For one untrained human?" Ayla asked bitterly.
Kael met her gaze. "For a weapon they don't yet understand."
Another howl—this one answered by the snap of branches and the soft thud of paws against earth.
"They're flanking us," Rowan said. "We need to move."
"No," Ayla said suddenly.
Both men turned to her in shock.
"No?" Kael echoed sharply.
"If we run," she said, her voice steadier than she felt, "they chase. They always will. And I'm tired of being hunted."
Kael stared at her, something fierce and conflicted burning in his eyes. "This isn't the time to be brave."
"This isn't bravery," she snapped. "This is survival."
She took a step forward before either of them could stop her. The forest reacted instantly—leaves rustling, shadows stretching unnaturally long as the Blood Moon flared brighter overhead.
Rowan sucked in a breath. "Kael… she's doing something."
Ayla didn't know how she knew what to do—only that her body moved with instinct older than thought. She raised her hand, palm outward, and the heat surged violently through her veins.
The ground answered.
A shockwave rippled through the clearing, throwing dust and debris into the air. The approaching footsteps faltered.
Then the Moonbound emerged.
They didn't shift fully into wolves. Their forms hovered between human and beast—elongated limbs, glowing eyes devoid of emotion, jaws lined with too many teeth. Silver markings carved into their skin pulsed faintly, etched directly into muscle and bone.
"They're branded," Rowan whispered. "Council property."
The lead Moonbound stepped forward, head tilting as its gaze locked onto Ayla. Its voice was wrong—layered, echoing.
"Asset identified."
Kael moved instantly, placing himself in front of her, eyes blazing gold. "You don't touch her."
"Alpha Nightborne," the Moonbound replied. "Stand down. You are in violation of Council decree."
"I don't answer to tyrants," Kael growled.
The Moonbound's lips curled back. "Then you will be neutralized."
The attack was instantaneous.
One moment they stood frozen in tension—the next, the forest erupted into chaos.
Rowan shifted mid-leap, bones cracking as fur exploded across his body. He collided with one Moonbound, claws tearing through flesh that healed almost as fast as it ripped.
Kael shifted fully, massive and terrifying, his wolf form dwarfing the others as he slammed into the lead enforcer with bone-crushing force.
Ayla staggered back, heart pounding, watching in horror and awe as bodies clashed and blood darkened the forest floor.
One Moonbound broke away.
Straight for her.
Time slowed.
Ayla felt the bond snap tight, a violent pull in her chest that dragged power from somewhere deep and buried. Her vision blurred crimson as instinct overrode fear.
"No," she whispered.
She slammed her hand into the ground.
The earth split.
Roots erupted upward like serpents, wrapping around the Moonbound's limbs, crushing and binding it mid-lunge. The creature shrieked—a sound devoid of pain but full of rage.
Everyone froze.
Kael turned, eyes wide—not with fear, but shock.
Ayla stood trembling, her breath ragged, the forest bending subtly toward her will.
"What am I?" she whispered.
The Moonbound thrashed, breaking free with unnatural strength. It lunged again—
And Kael tore its throat out.
The remaining enforcers hesitated.
That hesitation cost them.
Rowan took down another with savage efficiency, while Kael ripped through the last, his movements fueled by fury and something dangerously close to terror.
When it was over, the forest fell deathly silent.
Kael shifted back, breath heaving, blood streaking his skin. He crossed the clearing in three strides and grabbed Ayla's shoulders.
"Are you hurt?" he demanded.
She shook her head numbly. "I—no. I think… I did that."
"You did," Rowan said softly, shifting back to human form. His expression was unreadable. "And the Council just felt it."
Ayla's stomach twisted. "So that's it, then. No more hiding."
Kael cupped her face gently, his touch grounding. "Listen to me. What you did was instinctive—but uncontrolled. If the Council sees you as a threat now—"
"They already did," she interrupted. "At least now I'm not helpless."
He searched her face, conflict raging behind his eyes. "You're changing faster than I feared."
"Because of the bond?"
"Yes," he admitted. "And because of what you are."
She swallowed. "Tell me."
Kael hesitated—then nodded. "There were stories. Old ones. About a bloodline meant to balance the Moon's power. A living conduit."
"A regulator," Rowan added. "Or a destroyer."
Ayla let out a shaky laugh. "No pressure."
Kael rested his forehead against hers, voice low and fierce. "This is why they want to claim you. Control you. If the Council marks you through me—or anyone else—they own that power."
"And if no one does?" she asked.
"Then the bond will either stabilize on its own," Rowan said carefully, "or tear you apart."
Ayla closed her eyes.
Three nights.
Three choices.
None of them safe.
She opened her eyes and met Kael's gaze, something resolute settling into her chest. "Then we don't give them what they want."
Kael stiffened. "Ayla—"
"I won't be marked like property," she said firmly. "Not by the Council. Not by tradition. If this bond is going to exist, it does so on my terms."
Silence stretched between them.
Then Kael nodded slowly.
"On your terms," he agreed.
The Moon flared overhead, crimson and watchful, as if acknowledging the vow.
But deep within Ayla's chest, the bond pulsed—hungry, impatient.
And somewhere far away, the Alpha Council prepared for war.