Alera's fingers trembled as she dipped them into the crystal-blue stream, trying to calm the fire that simmered beneath her skin. Kael's touch still lingered, his hand brushing her waist earlier, his eyes watching her as if she were the only thing that existed in his world. It terrified her how easily she had started to crave him.
"Running again?" a voice drawled behind her.
Alera turned quickly, heart skipping as Kael stepped through the trees. Dressed in a black tunic with his sleeves rolled up, he looked like a shadow brought to life—dangerous, regal, and utterly magnetic.
"I needed space," she said.
Kael didn't respond at first. He crouched beside the stream, dipping his fingers into the water as well. "Your aura's shifting."
She blinked. "What?"
"Your power. It's awakening. Slowly." He glanced at her. "And unpredictably."
Alera looked down at her reflection in the water. Her golden eyes once soft and uncertain now shimmered with something feral. Something uncontained.
"I feel… strange," she whispered. "Like something's crawling beneath my skin. I can't sleep. I can't breathe sometimes."
Kael nodded. "Your wolf is evolving. The blood inside you is no longer ordinary."
"But I was born a runt," she said, more to herself. "I wasn't meant to be strong."
Kael reached forward and gently turned her face toward him. "You were never a runt. You were suppressed. But that ends now."
His touch was warm soothing and electrifying all at once. Alera hated how much she leaned into it.
"You don't understand," she said. "I was rejected. Twice. I've always been the one people leave behind."
Kael's gaze darkened. "They were fools."
He stood abruptly, holding a hand out to her. "Come. There's something I want to show you."
She hesitated before slipping her hand into his. His grip was steady, anchoring. With Kael leading the way, they moved deeper into the woods, into territory she hadn't explored since arriving at the Lycan stronghold.
After nearly fifteen minutes, they reached a stone clearing hidden behind a waterfall. Moonlight filtered through the trees, casting a glow on the ancient runes etched into the stone floor.
"What is this place?" she asked.
Kael stepped into the center. "A sacred ground. Where the original Lycans once communed with the Moon Goddess."
Her breath caught. "You're serious?"
He nodded. "This is where we come to connect with our primal selves. To listen, not speak. To remember what we are."
Alera walked to the center and knelt, placing her palm against one of the glowing runes. A jolt of energy rushed through her chest, not painful just… awakening.
"I feel it," she whispered. "Like something calling me home."
Kael's voice was soft but laced with pride. "Because it is."
For a moment, they stood in silence, the energy of the place humming around them.
Then he spoke again, lower now. "Do you know why your scent drives me mad?"
Alera turned, heart pounding. "No…"
Kael stepped close so close that her breath hitched. "Because it's laced with power. Divine power. The kind that hasn't been seen in centuries."
Her lips parted, but no sound came out.
"You are not just my mate, Alera. You are a key perhaps the only key to breaking the curse that keeps our kind divided. And they will hunt you for it."
Her throat dried. "Who?"
"The Council. The Rogues. Anyone who fears change. You're not just desired, you're dangerous."
Alera took a step back, but Kael closed the distance.
"I will protect you," he said. "Even if it means burning down every kingdom in my path."
She wanted to deny how those words made her feel. But her wolf howled in agreement. Claimed him.
Still, a part of her resisted. "But what if I lose myself in this? In… you?"
Kael's hand slid to her waist, pulling her gently against him. "Then we'll find you together."
Before she could think, his lips brushed hers not a kiss, but a promise. A vow wrapped in fire and moonlight.
Suddenly, the air shifted. Alera's senses sharpened. Her head whipped around.
"Someone's here," she said.
Kael's eyes narrowed, glowing silver. "Stay behind me."
From the shadows, a figure emerged—cloaked, masked, and armed. More followed.
"Hunters," Kael growled.
Alera's pulse roared in her ears. She stepped forward instinctively, power prickling beneath her skin. Her wolf surged, uncoiling like a serpent.
"No," Kael snapped. "You're not ready."
"I don't care."
She threw her hands forward, and the runes beneath their feet ignited in brilliant white light. The ground trembled. A shockwave burst from her chest, sending the front wave of attackers crashing backward like leaves in a storm.
Kael turned to her, eyes wide.
"What was that?" she breathed, stumbling.
Kael caught her before she fell. "That," he said, voice full of awe, "was only the beginning."
The rest of the hunters fled.
Alera, panting, looked up at him. "I didn't mean to—"
"You protected us," he said. "Don't ever apologize for surviving."
As her vision dimmed and her body gave way to exhaustion, she heard his voice one last time.
"I swear, Alera. I will help you uncover every secret that blood of yours carries. Even if it tears the heavens apart."
And in that sacred place of power, beneath the moon and the roar of the waterfall, a storm was born.