Aria stood outside the witch's cabin, the crisp night air biting at her skin. The world felt different.
Or maybe… she did.
For the first time in her life, she wasn't running.
She wasn't the scared girl her parents had tried to break. She wasn't the rejected mate left to suffer alone.
She was something else now.
Something powerful.
Something dangerous.
And she wasn't afraid of it anymore.
---
Kael's Dilemma
Kael watched Aria from a distance.
There was something wrong.
Or maybe… something right.
She looked stronger.
Not in a physical way—but in a way that made the air around her shift. Like she had stepped into who she was meant to be.
And it terrified him.
Because he had seen this before.
His grandmother's prophecy haunted him.
"She will love you… or she will kill you."
He thought back to the way she had looked at him the night before, her silver eyes burning with something unreadable.
Was it rage?
Was it love?
Or was it the beginning of something that neither of them could stop?
He clenched his fists. He needed answers.
But was he ready for them?
---
The Unspoken Connection
Aria turned her head slightly. "You're staring, Kael."
Her voice was steady. Too steady.
Kael frowned but didn't look away. "You're different."
A shadow of a smile crossed her lips. "I finally remembered who I am."
Something about the way she said it sent a shiver down his spine.
"What did my grandmother tell you?" he asked.
Aria met his gaze, but for the first time, he couldn't read her expression. "Nothing I didn't already know."
That wasn't true.
He knew it.
But she wasn't ready to tell him.
And for some reason, that realization angered him.
"We're in this together, Aria," he said, his voice low, controlled. "If there's something you're keeping from me—"
"You'll do what?" she interrupted.
Her words were a challenge.
Kael took a slow step forward, closing the distance between them. "I'll find out either way."
Aria tilted her head, her silver eyes glowing in the dark. "Then find out."
The tension between them was thick, heavy with unspoken words and emotions they were both too stubborn to admit.
Kael exhaled sharply. "You're impossible."
Aria smirked. "So are you."
For a second, he almost kissed her.
Almost.
But something inside him screamed that if he did, there would be no turning back.
And he wasn't ready for that.
Not yet.
---
The Shadows Move
Before either of them could say another word, a low growl rumbled through the trees.
Kael immediately turned, his instincts kicking in.
Something was watching them.
Aria stepped beside him, her body tense. "We're not alone."
Kael's wolf was already pushing against his skin, ready for a fight.
Then, from the darkness, a pair of glowing yellow eyes appeared.
Then another.
And another.
Aria's breath hitched. "How many?"
Kael's jaw clenched. "Too many."
They were surrounded.
And this time, there was no running.
This time, they would fight.