emerged from the moonlight, the

ve my lungs in a s

I didn't rec

cause

e, sharp and merciless. Betrayal. Blood. The night everything chang

Kael's body

e told me

this per

e danger was deep

smaller, the shadows pressing close

chi

dn't move forwa

certain... as though this meeting h

around the dagger hid

ow through the communicator, control

in my throat, but

ispered. "I

was the

ere easier to fight wh

ne...

a single step forward. S

ike silver, revealing eyes that he

, forcing my voice to remain st

d slightly, but

rmured. "Still pretend

ed coldly. "I stopped being a

was a

hey k

ng to close the distance. He hadn't shown himself yet

n Alpha s

t been the night

est, quick and unwelcome. I

t

he

ge was finally

ou want?"

ghtly, studying me as if I were so

" they sa

ru

e... forg

p tigh

tasted like poison. "You

almly, "you deserve to kn

tween us, heavy

ter how much I hated it-w

ything had been taken f

ger... behind

a wound that h

apped softl

e flickered past m

l the warni

" I br

la

ranger

cise. Not

api

orward, fury burni

etreating into the deep

emerged, blocking their path with lethal speed. His

said, voice cold eno

id choose the

the stranger's cal

hed in th

l p

f this?" they shot back.

jaw tig

e has a

would destroy the en

struck lik

ed violently a

manded. "What are

of them

standing on opposite sides of an old battlefie

of s

of s

s of

it wa

. Wai

stranger said

I wi

nsion snapped

ward, eyes blazi

ll say

the stranger replied. "She deserv

orld

t, I couldn

use

uestion that had h

h

he humil

he cast

ed at me like I

ifted slow

sion... wa

somethi

e

d me more than an

shook despite my

they talki

dn't

ed-tight... suffoca

in the forest, a distant

ilver

fer

st

ng c

f us felt i

ger's eye

foun

toward the sound, in

w m

to start

slid down

y pack had crossed

ust about the

about s

me, voice sharp

back to Silverpi

ad fiercely. "Not u

lir

g protected fr

out of me, raw

eat, everyth

howls c

ouder... su

ween us, urgency replac

id, "none of us will make i

es locked

t burne

u

gr

er he still re

d me," he s

dagger, he

I an

.. we fight

dow moved bet

ano

anot

r eyes opened

. waiting.

hought was c

rived

exploded

h the darkness, deep enou

bled. Branc

closing in from

erpine w

em

ightly as if to shield me without touching. Even now... eve

t harder than the

ed, eyes scanning the shadows.

scent. I tried to lose them before reaching Silve

to our borders,"

nger shot back. "And someon

owl-closer

between the trees

red, but fear d

arpen

Silverpine Pack ha

rged someth

on't have time to argue

hesitated o

k," they said. "

pression

y i

dered your rejec

liced throu

ven the forest see

ars

fused to u

...?" I

idn't

e than any bl

speak again, th

th, aiming straight for Kael's throat. He shifted instantly, pow

t shook t

came at me

rward with precise force. A snarl turned into a yelp as steel me

o

underes

e cut throu

y cl

ving!" I fired b

nother wolf circled behi

fa

cl

rcepted, slamming into the attacker and s

the three of u

alli

enem

far more c

hed in the

re throug

blood thicken

motion lethal. This was the Alpha the Silverpine Pack feared.

wisted something d

t of me sti

truste

il

o

gger into another attacker's shoulder, se

y kept

ma

," I realized suddenly. "They'

erstood

stran

id, breath ragged. "If they ta

hesit

ith suspicion

he choic

ve. To

ard, cutting off the northern path-

ap

le

den between dense pines. An old escape route from my

n't ques

rst time i

sted m

r

s whipp

pounded

rough the night

rned, but I

rs were finall

away from revealing the trut

clearing overlooking the dista

... so

cl

ment we steppe

ged from the

. Wai

nown exactly whe

uptly, fury igni

ou

mer smile

. Ce

erf

in my body sc

r beside me

uldn't be

they?" I

e ans

truth was worse

e settled on me wi

hey sai

existence nearly destroy

oded my

d forward,

and you won't leav

nesty, doesn't she?"

as never rejected b

art s

hy?" I

widened

d a secret powerful enough to start a

ilted benea

lence con

leeples

ry

broken

... built

me-hotter than pain,

I was worthless," I

e suffer f

burned with

ng to keep

stroyi

e was answ

s burst into the clearing, su

scap

tru

ever cam

ooked between

," they

is final

lization forme

lanned," I

. the chase..

ger nodde

es

ice turne

do you

r's eyes lo

hey said

ower buried inside t

eath

er.

exploded through my veins-s

kin like silver fire awak

ollapsing t

for me, panic breakin

only watche

they wh

ike we

light surge

ong

iv

t terrifyi

ruth was far wor

er power was w

l reason I had

y, the enemy declares that once it fully awakens... she wil

destroys the entir