AYLA'S POV
The moment Kael's fire-tipped claw cut through the final chain, my world split in two.
Pain lanced through me so sharp it felt as if the very marrow of my bones turned to glass. The Binder screamed inside my head, a thousand jagged voices clawing at my sanity. But beneath that, stronger, steadier, was Kael—his fire, his bond, his love.
The chain snapped.
Light surged through me, blinding and merciless. Silver and gold, braided together, seared through every vein. The Binder thrashed, shrieking, its form tearing apart like paper in a storm. Yet it clung to me, its whispers curling in the cracks of my mind:
"You are mine, little wolf. No fire can change that. Even if he frees you, you are marked."
I stumbled forward, trying to scream, but no sound left my throat. My chest burned. My heart skipped, faltered—then stopped.
For an endless instant, there was nothing. No breath. No beat.
Only silence.
And then—A hand. Warm, blazing. Pulling me back.
Kael.
