She was sitting next to Maria, listening absently to her incessant chatter about village life, when her instincts screamed at her to look up. She st

ia asked, narrowing

orced

just..

explain what she felt, even if she wanted to. It wasn't a threat. Not really. It was something else, an i

r. He couldn't explain why. It wasn't his habit to stalk newcomers like a predator stalking its prey. B

lse that caught his attention. An energy he felt emanating from her, soft but powerful. Unique. He squinted, searching through his memories. This ki

wed his movement, each step she took seeming to weigh on him like a wave of stat

ght, he took a deep breath and l

ent his men to look for information on Lyra the moment she had crossed the boundaries of his territory. He did

to himself, staring at the pa

n attacked a few years ago. Many dead. Rumors spoke of a massacre orchestrated by humans. Others whispered that a rival Alpha had something to do with it.

for by coming here. He knew she would lie if asked directly. And then there was that energy, t

y it yet. And

ing her ears. They weren't human screams. They were guttural howls, filled with rage. She knew that soun

said, but her voice

taring at her. Those two ar

d, but her fa

, you know? That's how they're r

uth to respond, bu

out of it. It's

the house, heading toward the source of the noise. The screams had turned into furious g

agers stood there, forming a sort of ring around them. No one intervened. It was almost ri

down, a voice s

g, his gaze fixed on her. She had never seen him before, but she didn't need to ask who he was

, but no words came. Kael looked away from the fight,

selves, he said. If anyone interf

nger rising

of them dies?

her, his eyes shining with an inte

they're risking.

ed her. A brute force, an unwavering certainty. She looked away, staring again at

triumphant but trembling with fatigue. The villagers dispersed slowly, without a word, as if it were all routine. Ly

tching her. Not just the fight. Her. And for some reason she did