ealed to her, and every glance at Mateo was a painful reminder of the bond that tied them together. It wasn't that she hated him far from it. But t

ads. The air was crisp, and the ground beneath her feet was damp with the remnants of a recent rainst

ering. Her father, the Alpha, had spent his life trying to protect his pack from the dangers that the vampires posed. Now, everything she had been taught seemed like a li

nd. "You are the future of both rac

was a part of her that longed to live a simple life, one that didn't involve blood feuds and destinies dictated by ancient laws. But deep down, Lia knew there was no going back. The prophecy

didn't need to turn around to know who it was. Mateo had been following her for days, always keeping a respectful distance, always watching

ame from behind he

gaze fixed on the moon. She could feel his presence now, right behind her, and yet there wa

ugh he were fighting against the silence that had settled between them. "I don't unde

sharper than she intended. "I'm just tr

ould let him in. His presence behind her was a constant reminder that they were bound by something neither of them had asked for. She wanted to scream at him, at her fathe

er this time. "I don't know how to do th

I. But I do know this: we can't do it alone. We have to trust each other, L

t seen before. For the first time, she realized that maybe just maybe he wasn't the enemy. They were both caught

quiet but firm. "I'm not asking for anything. I just... I

something we don't have a lot of. The prophecy is already

, of course. The more she resisted, the more she fought against the truth of her situation, the closer th

most as though he had read her mind. "Wh

r everything that had happened between their races. It wasn't that she understood everything yet. But in that moment, she k

r," she

r between them, a fragil

s expected of Lia. The elders of the werewolf clan had gathered in secret, discussing what the prophecy meant for the future of their people. Lia had

es. But they were keeping secrets from each other secrets that neither side was willing to share. The more she learned about the prophecy, the more it be

ce. Sometimes they would run through the woods, their feet moving in synchrony, a strange harmony between them as if they were alre

a union that neither of them had asked for. She could see it in his eyes the way he wrestled with the idea of working alongside someone like he

elt a shift in the air. The winds had changed, and there was an eerie stillness that filled the forest. It was a f

he asked, her voice b

ned the trees, his vampire sense

r ears, followed by the unmistakable sound of footsteps. She didn

journey. The prophecy, the growing tensions between the vampires and werewolves