The battlefield froze around Nancy.
Not literally.
But her mind did.
"What?"
Above them, wolves collided violently with the Veil creatures pouring from the fracture. Silver energy tore through trees while snarls and screams echoed across the forest.
But all Nancy could hear was—
One of you must become something new.
Kai stared at the First Alpha carefully.
"…Define 'new.'"
The ancient wolf's golden eyes shifted toward the fracture.
Neither human.
Nor fully wolf.
Nor vessel.
Evan blinked rapidly.
"That explanation somehow explained less."
Leo was already shaking his head.
"No. Absolutely not. We are not turning anybody into cosmic werewolf royalty."
The First Alpha ignored him completely.
The Veil adapts through connection.
To seal the fracture permanently, something must exist that stands between both worlds.
Nancy slowly understood.
"A balance," she whispered.
The First Alpha nodded once.
A guardian.
The word settled heavily in the air.
Kai's expression darkened immediately.
"No."
Nancy looked at him sharply.
"Kai—"
"You are not sacrificing yourself for this."
"You don't even know which one of us—"
"It's not you."
The answer came too fast.
Too certain.
Nancy's chest tightened painfully.
The First Alpha watched them silently.
Then:
The choice cannot be forced.
It must be willing.
The Veil suddenly roared overhead.
The fracture widened another inch.
Too fast.
The First Alpha's expression hardened instantly.
Decide quickly.
A massive Veil creature crashed into the clearing, sending wolves flying across the ground. It resembled a wolf twisted inside out, limbs bending wrong while silver mouths opened across its body.
Nancy's wolf instincts surged violently.
Wrong.
Wrong.
Wrong.
Leo shifted instantly, his massive dark wolf form slamming into the creature before it reached them.
Kai tried to move toward the fight—
and collapsed hard.
Nancy caught him immediately.
His breathing was uneven now.
The silver cracks had spread across his chest completely.
The bond was killing him.
"Nancy…" he whispered weakly.
Fear clawed through her chest.
Not again.
Not him.
The First Alpha stepped closer slowly.
The transformation would sever the Veil's claim permanently.
But the one who changes will never fully belong to either side again.
Nancy looked down at Kai.
Then at the fracture above them.
Then back at Kai.
And realized something horrifying.
He'd already decided.
"Kai, don't."
His hand found hers weakly.
"If it's me, the Veil loses its anchor."
"No."
"And you stay safe."
"I said no."
The shadows around the fracture suddenly became violent.
The Veil had heard.
And it was panicking.
HE BELONGS TO US.
Kai winced sharply as darkness spread through the cracks beneath his skin again.
Nancy felt rage explode inside her instantly.
"He doesn't belong to anyone."
The Veil creatures shrieked together.
The First Alpha's eyes narrowed slightly at Nancy.
Like he noticed something important.
Then suddenly—
Nyra spoke inside Nancy's mind again.
But this time…
afraid.
Nancy.
The bond is changing on its own.