us. Insane. And yet... The things she had felt-the unnatural awareness, the sudden energy thrumming beneath her skin, the way her senses had sharpened in the past weeks-none of it coul

the truth-when you woke up in the forest tonight, did it feel wrong? Or did it feel... natural?" Lyra opened her mouth to argue-of course, it had felt wrong, she had woken up alone in the middle of the woods-but then she hesitated. Because for a fleeting moment, before the fear had fully set in... The moon had seemed brighter. The air had tasted different. And her body had felt- "No." She shook her head, stepping back. "No, I'm not-this isn't real." Kaidën sighed. "Denial won't change what's happening." Something inside her snapped. "You don't get to tell me what's happening to me!" she shouted, her voice shaking. "You show up out of nowhere, drag me into the woods, and start throwing riddles at me like I'm supposed to just accept all this! I don't even know who you are!" Silence hung between them. Then, finally, Kaidën spoke. "My name is Kaidën Darkhaven. I was born into the Bloodmoon Pack, and for the past three years, I've been searching for you." Lyra's pulse stuttered. "Me?" Kaidën nodded. "You." She let out a weak, breathless laugh. "That makes no sense." "You're not just any shifter, Lyra," he continued. "You're tied to something ancient. Something dangerous." She stared at him, her skin prickling. "How do you know that?" Kaidën hesitated. Then, finally- "Because I saw you in a vision." A shiver ran down her spine. "You expect me to believe that?" "You don't have to," Kaidën said. "But it doesn't change the truth." Lyra was still struggling to process when a deep, inhuman growl rumbled outside the cabin. Her breath caught. That wasn't a normal