The journey back to Kael's pack was eerily quiet.
The forest was alive with whispers—the rustling of unseen creatures, the occasional distant howl—but it wasn't just the night sounds that unsettled Aria. It was Kael himself.
Since they had left the cabin, he had been silent, his body rigid with tension. His silver eyes flickered with unreadable emotions, and though he stayed close, his presence felt cold.
Aria glanced at him. "You don't have to act like I'm some kind of threat."
Kael didn't stop walking. "You don't understand what's happening to you."
Her fingers brushed over the mark on her wrist, the crescent moon faintly glowing beneath her touch. "Then explain it to me."
A muscle in his jaw twitched. "I don't know if I can."
That sent a shiver through her. Kael—unshakable, unbreakable Kael—was afraid.
Of her.
Or for her?
Before she could press further, a branch snapped nearby.
Kael's head snapped up, his entire body going still.
They weren't alone.
---
The Watchers in the Dark
Aria barely had time to react before Kael grabbed her and spun her behind him, his posture shifting into pure battle-readiness. His nostrils flared, his sharp gaze scanning the darkness.
A heartbeat later, six wolves stepped out from the shadows.
They weren't just any wolves.
They were Kael's enforcers.
Aria's stomach twisted. They had been waiting.
One of them, a broad-shouldered man with scars crisscrossing his arms, stepped forward. "Alpha."
Kael's grip on Aria's wrist tightened, just for a second, before he let go. "You've been following me."
The enforcer's dark eyes flickered to Aria. "We were tracking her scent."
She stiffened.
Kael's voice was like ice. "And?"
The man hesitated. "The elders are waiting for you. For her."
Kael didn't move. "Did they say why?"
"They believe she's dangerous."
Aria's breath caught, but Kael didn't flinch. Instead, he tilted his head slightly, his tone unreadable.
"And what do you believe, Darius?"
The scarred enforcer hesitated, then said, "I believe something is changing. And not just in her."
For a moment, something passed between them—an understanding, a warning.
Then Kael nodded. "Then let's not keep the elders waiting."
Aria's stomach twisted. Something told her that whatever was waiting for her at the pack was worse than the forest shadows.
---
A Pack Divided
The pack's fortress was nothing like the warm, secluded cabin Kael had kept her in.
It was a castle of stone and fire, towering against the night sky. Its walls were lined with torches, the heavy gates guarded by warriors in wolf-hide armor. As they entered, all eyes turned to her.
Suspicion. Distrust. Fear.
Aria swallowed hard as they passed through the gates, Kael's presence a shield beside her.
But even he couldn't stop the whispers.
"She's cursed."
"She shouldn't be here."
"She'll bring death upon us."
Aria clenched her fists, refusing to let them see her fear.
A tall, silver-haired elder stepped forward, his sharp eyes locking onto her. "Bring her inside."
Kael didn't move. "She's with me."
The elder's gaze flickered between them before settling on Kael. "Then you should hear this, too."
---
The Prophecy Unveiled
The elder led them into the council chamber, an ancient stone hall lined with tapestries of wolves and moons.
The moment the doors closed, the elder turned to Aria.
"You bear the mark."
Aria tensed. "What does it mean?"
The elder's expression darkened. "A thousand years ago, a seer foretold that when the cursed wolf meets the moon's chosen, fate will be rewritten."
Kael exhaled sharply, his fists clenching.
The elder continued. "The cursed wolf—marked by blood, doomed to wander without a mate." His eyes flickered to Kael. "You know of whom I speak."
Aria's heart pounded. Kael.
The elder's gaze returned to her. "And the moon's chosen—the one marked by the crescent. The one who was forsaken but cannot be erased."
Aria's throat went dry. "You're saying… this prophecy is about us?"
The elder nodded.
Kael finally spoke, his voice tight. "And what does this prophecy say will happen?"
The elder hesitated, then said, "Either the curse will be broken… or it will consume you both."
Silence filled the chamber.
And in that silence, Aria felt it—the weight of fate pressing down on her.
---
The Forbidden Pull
That night, Aria couldn't sleep.
The prophecy wouldn't leave her mind.
The way Kael had gone completely silent afterward, refusing to speak, his expression unreadable.
She couldn't take it anymore.
She found him standing on the castle balcony, staring at the night sky.
"Are you going to ignore me forever?" she asked.
Kael didn't turn. "You shouldn't be here."
Aria stepped closer. "I don't believe in fate, Kael."
His jaw tightened. "That doesn't change what's happening."
She hesitated. Then, carefully, she reached out, brushing her fingers against his.
A spark ignited. A wildfire beneath her skin.
Kael sucked in a sharp breath, but he didn't pull away.
Instead, he turned to her, his silver eyes burning with something raw and dangerous.
"This is a mistake," he murmured.
Her heart pounded. "Then stop me."
His breathing was ragged. His hands clenched at his sides.
And then—
He kissed her.
It wasn't gentle. It wasn't careful. It was a collision—of fire and fury, of longing and denial.
It was everything forbidden.
And yet, Aria knew.
They were past the point of turning back.
Fate had already made its choice.