Everly's POV
The SUV hit a pothole, and my head slammed against the window.
I bit back a cry of pain, unwilling to show weakness in front of Elara. The woman sat across from me, perfectly composed, studying her nails like we were on a casual road trip instead of being escorted by hostile wolves.
Kael sat beside me, hard and silent. He'd tried to speak to me three times since we left the office. I'd ignored him every time. "How long until we reach Winterfang?" Elara asked the driver, one of her dogs in human form. "Two hours, Lady Elara."
Two hours. Two hours until I faced a board that would probably reject me. Two hours until I had to watch Elara try to claim what was mine.
Except Kael wasn't mine. Not really. He'd been promised to her first. "You're making a mistake, you know," Elara said suddenly, looking at me. "Kael is a king. He needs a queen who understands politics, power, and custom. Not some person playing dress-up." "I never said I wanted to be queen," I shot back. "No?" She raised a question. "Then why are you here? If you don't want the crown, you can leave right now. I'll even have my wolves guide you safely back to your little clinic."
It was a trap. I knew it was a trick. But part of me, the scared, confused part, wanted to say yes. Wanted to run back to my simple life. "She stays," Kael said firmly. "The mate bond means nothing if the council rejects it," Elara stopped. "And they will. A person queen? It's never been done. It goes against every rule, every tradition." "Laws can change." "Not these laws." Elara leaned forward. "The council exists to protect our kind from exactly this from kings who forget their job because of fleeting emotions." "What I feel for Everly isn't fleeting." "You've known her for two days." Elara's voice dripped with disdain. "I've known you for ten years. We grew up together. Trained together. I understand your life, your responsibilities. What does she understand? How to bandage puppies?"
Anger flared in my chest. "I understand loyalty. I understand keeping your word. Something Kael reportedly struggles with."
Kael flinched as I slapped him.
Good. He earned it. "Finally, the little human shows some energy." Elara smiled. "But spirit won't save you when the council tears you apart. They'll dig into every corner of your past, reveal every weakness. And when they're done, you'll beg to go home." "Then let them try." I met her eyes steadily. "I'm not afraid of your council."
That was a lie. I was afraid. But I wouldn't give her the pleasure of seeing it.
Elara laughed. "Oh, I'm going to enjoy watching you fail."
The rest of the drive passed in tense quiet. I stared out the window, watching the scenery change from forest to mountains. Snow covered everything, clean and beautiful.
My phone buzzed. Maya.
MAYA: Where are you?? The office is closed, and you're not answering!
I typed back quickly: Family situation. Need to be away for a few days. Can you feed the animals?
MAYA: Of course! Are you okay?
No. I wasn't okay. Nothing was okay.
ME: I will be. Thank you for everything.
I turned off my phone before she could ask more questions. The less Maya knew, the safer she'd be. "Smart," Kael said quietly. "Protecting your friends."
I didn't respond. "Everly, yes. Let me explain about Elara. "There's nothing to explain." I kept my eyes on the window. "You were engaged. You didn't tell me. End of story." "The engagement was planned when we were children. I never wanted it. Never loved her." "But you agreed to it." "I was seventeen and newly crowned. I didn't know how to say no to the group." His voice was raw with anger. "The moment I felt our bond, I knew I had to break it off. I was going to tell you everything, but then Silas attacked, and" And it was easier to just not say it?" "I was trying to keep you alive!" His control snapped. "Silas wants you dead. Elara wants you shamed. The entire council will try to break us apart. I was trying to shield you from all of that for just a little while longer."
I finally looked at him. "I don't need covering. I need honesty. If we're supposed to be mates, friends, equals, then treat me like one. Stop trying to protect me from the truth."
Something shifted in his face. "You're right. I'm sorry." "Sorry doesn't fix this." "I know." He reached for my hand, but I pulled away. Pain flashed across his face. "But I will fix it. I'll make the council accept you. I'll dissolve the engagement properly. I'll do whatever it takes." "What if it's not enough?" I whispered. "What if I'm not enough?"
Before he could answer, the SUV lurched to a stop. "What's wrong?" Elara asked.
The driver's voice was tight. "Roadblock. Someone's blocking the way."
I looked out the glass, and my breath caught. A line of wolves stood across the road, at least twenty of them, all in fighting stance.
And standing in the middle, wearing a cruel smile, was Silas. "Oh, this is interesting," Elara muttered.
Kael shifted quickly, snarling. "Stay in the vehicle." "Are you insane?" I grabbed his arm. "There are too many of them!" "I can handle it." "No, you can't!" I could feel it through our bond: his tiredness, his injuries from the earlier fight. He was still weak. "Kael, please."
But he was already out of the SUV, facing down Silas. "Cousin!" Silas called out. "What a pleasant treat. And you brought the human. How convenient." "Turn around and leave," Kael growled. "This is your last warning." "I don't think so." Silas pointed, and his wolves moved closer. "You see, I've been thinking. Why wait for the council to reject your little mate when I can just remove the problem now?" "You'd start a war." "I'd be doing the kingdom a favor." Silas's eyes gleamed with madness. "The king who abandons his fiancée for a human? Who breaks holy traditions? You're weak, Kael. And weak kings don't earn their crowns." "Then challenge me properly. In front of the council." "Why bother with ceremony when I can take what I want right now?" Silas shifted, his bones breaking and reforming. His wolf form was massive, almost as big as Kael's, with midnight-black fur.
The other wolves shifted too, surrounding us.
Elara's wolves jumped out of the SUV, making a protective circle. But we were outnumbered at least two to one. "Everly, stay down," Kael directed.
But I couldn't. Not when I felt his fear through the bond. Not when I knew he couldn't win this fight.
That golden power stirred inside me again, warming my chest. "I won't let them hurt you," I whispered.
I stepped out of the SUV, and everyone froze. "Everly, no!" Kael's voice was desperate. "The human wants to play hero," Silas laughed. "How cute. Kill her first."
Three wolves lunged at me.
I threw my hands up, and golden light burst outward in a wave. The wolves yelped and flew backward, falling hard in the snow. "She's a healer!" one of Silas's wolves shouted. "She has the old gift!" "Impossible," Silas snarled. "She's human!" "She's mine," Kael said, pride and awe in his voice. "And you just made a fatal mistake."
The light kept coming from my hands, stronger this time. It wrapped around Kael and Elara's dogs, healing their wounds, strengthening them. I could feel my power reacting to my desperate need to protect.
But something else was happening too. The light was spreading through the snow, touching the trees, touching the ground itself. And I could feel... something. A power. Ancient and vast and watchful. "What is she doing?" Elara breathed.
I didn't know. The power had taken on a life of its own. It pulsed through me like a heartbeat, like breathing. Natural and powerful.
Then the trees began to move.
Not moving in the wind. Actually going. Their roots pulled free from the frozen ground. Their branches reached out like arms. "Forest magic," someone whispered. "She's woken the forest."
Silas's wolves backed away, whimpering. Even Silas looked uncertain now. "This isn't possible," he said. "Forest magic died out ages ago. Only the First Healers could."
He stopped, his eyes widening as he stared at me. "No," he breathed. "You're not just part wolf. You're descended from the First Healers. From the original family."
I had no idea what that meant, but from the shock on everyone's faces, it was important.
Very important. "The group needs to know about this," Elara said quietly. "Immediately."
The trees had made a wall now, blocking Silas and his wolves from reaching us. The golden light still pulsed from my hands, but I was starting to feel weak. Dizzy. "Everly." Kael caught me as my legs gave out. "Stop. You're going through too much energy." "Can't... stop..." The words came out slurred. The power was out. Needed out. "You have to. You'll hurt yourself."
But I couldn't stop it. The light kept flowing, kept building, until I thought I might burst from it.
Then everything went dark.
I woke up in Kael's arms, his worried face hanging over mine. We were moving he was carrying me. "What happened?" I mumbled. "You passed out. Used too much power too fast." His voice was soft. "But you saved us. Silas retreated." "The trees are back to normal. Whatever you did, it faded when you lost awareness."
I tried to sit up, but my body felt like lead. "Where are we going?" "Winterfang. Elara urged us to continue. She says the council needs to see you immediately." "Because of what Silas said? About the First Healers?"
Kael's jaw clenched. "Yes. If you really are descended from them, everything changes. The council can't reject you. They wouldn't dare." "Why? What's so special about" "Because the First Healers were the original masters of our kind," Elara said, appearing beside us. Her face was unreadable. "Before there were kings and governments, the Healers led us. They were holy. Untouchable." "But they died out," I protested. "We thought they did." Elara's eyes narrowed. "But if you carry their blood, if you have their power, then you're not just Kael's mate. You're royalty. Possibly more powerful than Kael himself."
The implications hit me like a truck. "That's insane." "That's politics." Elara smiled slightly. "Welcome to your new life, little person. The group is going to be very interested in you now."
Kael held me tighter. "I won't let them use you." "You might not have a choice," Elara said.
As we drove through huge gates into what had to be Winterfang, I saw the palace rising before us, enormous, ancient, built from white stone that gleamed in the afternoon sun.
And standing on the steps, waiting, were dozens of people in formal clothes.
The council. "Everly Reed," Kael whispered. "Whatever happens in there, remember you are not alone."
But looking at all those cold, judging faces, I'd never felt more alone in my life.