Kaelenna returned to her mother's chambers long after the lanterns had been lit, her steps slow, her thoughts loud. She told herself she was tired, that the day had simply weighed on her—but her wolf knew better. Her luna refused rest, prowling beneath her skin, unsettled and restless, replaying San Qi's presence over and over until sleep became impossible. Kaelenna lay awake, staring at the ceiling, feeling as though something irreversible had shifted and no one had thought to warn her.
Far from the palace, San Qi rode hard into the night.
At first, it was only to clear his head. Then the urge came—sharp, demanding. He reined in abruptly, dismounted, and handed the horse off without ceremony. He wanted answers. Not from anyone else—from himself.
He set his feet against the earth and ran.
The world blurred.
Wind tore past him, the ground folding beneath his strides as distance collapsed into nothing. Time fractured. When he finally stopped, breath steady, heart calm, he realized he had crossed more land on foot than most scouts could in half a day.
San Qi stared into the darkness, stunned.
So this is what I am now.
A presence moved ahead—familiar, heavy with authority.
His father stepped into view, having sensed him long before he arrived. The Alpha King's eyes narrowed, not in surprise, but in calculation.
"You're early," his father said. "Too early."
San Qi straightened. "Then something's wrong."
His father's jaw tightened. "Elder Jain betrayed us."
The words landed like a blade.
"He leaked our infiltration routes to a vampire outpost near the western ridge," his father continued. "Not a rogue nest. A base tied directly to the vampire court."
San Qi's fists clenched.
"And Commander Isa?" he asked, already knowing.
"Captured," his father said grimly. "Held alive. They want leverage."
Among wolves, commanders were symbols as much as soldiers. Isa was one of their finest—strategist, warrior, loyal to the bone. Losing him wasn't just a tactical blow; it was a message.
"The vampires have kings too," his father went on, voice low. "Many crowns, one throne. And their High King does not play small games."
San Qi looked toward the horizon, mind already moving. Elder Jain's betrayal explained too much—the mistimed ambushes, the sudden resistance, the traps that should never have existed.
"This wasn't a mistake," San Qi said quietly. "It was preparation."
His father studied him, something unreadable passing through his gaze. "You've changed."
San Qi didn't deny it.
"They think holding Isa will slow us," San Qi said. "It won't. It will force our hand."
"And the wedding?" his father asked.
San Qi exhaled once, sharp. "It still stands. "