The hunter's weapon fired.
Lucien moved faster than thought, catching the bolt mid-flight as it grazed his shoulder. The impact drove him back a step, but he didn't fall.
"Elara—run!" he ordered.
But she didn't move.
The mark on her wrist burned like fire now, pulsing in time with her heartbeat. Each surge sent a wave of energy through her body—wild, unstable, growing stronger by the second.
Around her, the battle raged.
Lycans clashed with hunters in a storm of claws and steel. Gamma tore through one attacker, only to be forced back by another. The beast roared behind her, its massive form slamming into the ground as it drove two hunters away.
But more kept coming.
Precise.
Relentless.
Focused on her.
The hunter leader stepped forward through the chaos, untouched.
"You can feel it, can't you?" he called out.
Elara's breath came uneven. "Feel what?"
"The truth," he said. "Your power is breaking free."
Another pulse hit her—stronger this time.
She dropped to one knee.
Lucien turned instantly. "Elara!"
"I can't stop it!" she cried.
The silver light burst from her again, flickering violently around her body.
The hunter's eyes gleamed.
"You were never meant to."
Lucien growled, stepping closer to her. "Listen to me. You don't have to give in to it."
Elara looked up at him, fear and frustration clashing in her eyes.
"If I don't—" she gasped as another surge hit her, "they'll keep coming!"
As if proving her point, another hunter lunged forward. The beast intercepted him, sending him crashing into the ground, but it wasn't enough.
There were too many.
The mark flared again.
This time—
It hurt.
Elara screamed as the energy inside her surged violently, pushing against something that was barely holding it back.
A seal.
Breaking.
The hunter leader took another step closer.
"Stop fighting it," he said softly, almost calmly. "Let it out."
Lucien's voice cut through sharply.
"No."
The single word carried force.
Authority.
But even that wasn't enough.
Elara felt it slipping.
Control.
Reality.
Herself.
"I don't know how to hold it!" she cried.
Lucien dropped to one knee in front of her, grabbing her shoulders firmly.
"Then don't hold it," he said.
She froze.
"What?"
"Control it," he continued, his voice steady despite the chaos. "It's yours. Not theirs. Not the hunters. Not the past."
The words hit something inside her.
For a moment—
The energy paused.
Balanced on the edge.
The hunter leader's expression sharpened.
"Careful, Alpha," he warned. "If she learns to control it…"
Lucien didn't look away from Elara.
"She will."
The beast stepped closer behind her, its presence steady, grounding.
Not forcing.
Not pushing.
Waiting.
Elara closed her eyes.
The power surged again—but this time, she didn't fight it.
She reached for it.
The silver light exploded outward, brighter than before—but different.
Not chaotic.
Focused.
The ground trembled as the energy wrapped around her like armor.
Her breathing steadied.
Her fear… quieted.
When she opened her eyes—
They glowed.
Not wildly.
But with control.
The hunters hesitated.
Even the leader took a step back.
Elara rose slowly to her feet.
The mark on her wrist burned one last time—
Then dimmed.
Not gone.
But no longer controlling her.
Lucien stood beside her, watching carefully.
"Elara?"
She didn't look at him.
Her gaze was fixed ahead.
On the hunters.
"They wanted my power," she said quietly.
The air around her shifted.
Cold.
Sharp.
Dangerous.
Her voice dropped.
"Now they'll see what it does."
The hunter leader tightened his grip on his weapon.
For the first time—
He didn't look certain.
And in that moment—
The balance of the fight changed.