Kael limped beside her, his movements tight with pain, but he refused to slow down. The cave was far behind them now, its warmth swallowed by the ever-thickening mist curling through the forest. Eira's thoughts were louder than her footsteps. The stranger in the smoke. The mark that burned through her skin. The bond she never asked for but now carried like a weight around her neck.
She glanced at Kael's profile as they crossed into the thick canopy near the edge of Virek territory. His face was unreadable. But tension radiated from his body—every muscle taut, every sense alert.
"You're not telling me everything," she said at last.
Kael didn't look at her. "There's nothing to tell."
"I saw your face when he spoke about the Firstbloods."
His silence was telling.
"They're supposed to be a myth," she pressed. "Born of the original packs. Wolves who drank from the Moon's Well. Immortal."
"They're not immortal," Kael said grimly. "Just ancient enough to make everyone else feel mortal."
"And they want me dead?"
"No," he said. "They want what's inside you."
Her stomach turned. "And what's that?"
Kael stopped, eyes narrowing as he looked ahead. The woods opened into a wide clearing—a training ring for Virek warriors. But today, it was filled with wolves. Not practicing. Waiting.
"They already know you're with me," he said under his breath.
Eira froze. "Kael…"
"If you run, they'll hunt you," he said calmly. "If you stand beside me, they'll hesitate."
"They'll hate me."
"They already do."
He took her hand—not gently, but with purpose—and led her into the clearing. Gasps rippled through the circle of warriors. Kael was bloodied, shirt torn, clearly recovering. And Eira—an outsider, an orphan of the Outlands—walked beside him like she belonged there.
From the crowd stepped a tall woman with iron-gray eyes and braids woven with bone. Alara, Kael's Beta.
"You brought her here?" she asked, incredulous. "After what happened on Blood Moon?"
"She saved my life," Kael said. "Or she cursed it."
Eira opened her mouth to defend herself, but Kael raised his voice.
"She bears the Alpha's Heart."
The crowd hissed. Several wolves drew closer. One growled. Another spat at the ground.
Alara's gaze fixed on the glowing spiral faintly etched on Eira's wrist.
"Do you even know what that means?" she asked Eira coldly.
"I didn't ask for it."
"But it chose you."
Suddenly, a sharp bark rang out from the edge of the ring. An elder stepped forward, cloaked in red—Lucan, the pack seer. His eyes were blind, but his voice was iron.
"She is the Fulcrum," he announced. "The girl of ash and blood. The one who brings the packs to ruin… or rebirth."
The crowd stilled. Kael's grip on her hand tightened.
Eira's voice shook. "What does that mean?"
Lucan turned toward her, eyes white and unseeing.
"It means your heart is no longer just yours. It belongs to something ancient. And dangerous."
Just then, a howl split the sky. A scout barreled into the clearing, blood streaking his fur.
"They're here!" he cried, shifting rapidly into human form. "The mountain's burning. The Flamebound are rising!"
Gasps echoed. Kael's expression darkened.
"The Flamebound were wiped out generations ago."
"No," the scout panted. "They've returned. And they're coming for her."
Everyone turned to Eira. And that's when the mark on her wrist pulsed again—stronger, wilder. Then it burned.
She screamed, dropping to her knees. A vision poured into her mind—fire swallowing mountains, wolves howling in chains, and at the center of it all… herself, eyes burning gold, leading them all.
When it faded, Kael was kneeling in front of her, face stricken.
"What did you see?" he demanded.
But before she could answer, the sky exploded with flame above the forest. And a voice, ancient and terrible, echoed on the wind:
"Return the Heart to the flame, or watch your world turn to ash."
The ground shook beneath their feet as the pack erupted into chaos. Wolves howled, their voices a cacophony of fear and anger.
Eira stumbled to her feet, her mind reeling. What did it all mean? And what was she supposed to do?
Kael's hand closed around hers, his grip firm and reassuring. "We need to get out of here," he said, his voice low and urgent. "The Flamebound are coming, and we don't know what they're capable of."
Eira nodded, her heart racing with fear. She knew that she had to trust Kael, to follow him and do what he said.
As they moved through the crowd, Eira felt a sense of unease. The wolves were looking at her with a mixture of fear and hostility, and she knew that she didn't belong here.
But Kael's grip on her hand was firm, and she knew that he would protect her.
As they reached the edge of the clearing, Eira saw a figure standing in the trees. It was a woman, tall and imposing, with eyes that seemed to burn with an inner fire.
"Kael," Eira whispered, her voice barely audible.
Kael followed her gaze, and his eyes narrowed. "That's Lyra," he said. "She's one of the pack's elders. And she's not happy about you being here."
Lyra's eyes locked onto Eira's, and Eira felt a shiver run down her spine. There was something about Lyra that didn't feel right, something that made Eira's instincts scream warning.
But Kael didn't seem to notice. He just nodded at Lyra, and she nodded back, her expression unreadable.
"We need to go," Kael said, pulling Eira along. "We can't stay here. It's not safe."
Eira nodded, her heart pounding in her chest. She knew that Kael was right, that they had to get out of there before things got any worse.
As they walked, Eira felt a sense of trepidation. She knew that they were walking into danger, that the Flamebound were coming for them.
But she also knew that she couldn't give up. She had to keep fighting, no matter what.
And with Kael by her side, she felt a sense of hope. Maybe, just maybe, they could make it through this alive.
The forest seemed to stretch on forever, the trees looming above them like sentinels. Eira felt a sense of unease, as if they were being watched.
But Kael's grip on her hand was firm, and she knew that he would protect her.
As they walked, the silence between them grew thicker, like a palpable thing. Eira knew that they had to talk, to figure out what was going on and what they were going to do.
But for now, they just walked, their footsteps echoing through the forest.
And Eira knew that she would follow Kael anywhere, no matter what dangers lay ahead.
The trees seemed to close in around them, casting long shadows in the fading light. Eira felt a sense of foreboding, as if they were walking into a trap.
But she didn't hesitate. She knew that she had to trust Kael, to follow him and do what he said.
As they walked, the darkness seemed to grow thicker, like a living thing. Eira felt a sense of unease, as if they were being pulled into the very heart of the forest.
And then, suddenly, they heard a rustling in the underbrush. Kael's head snapped up, his eyes locked onto something in the distance.
"What is it?" Eira whispered, her heart racing with fear.
Kael's grip on her hand tightened. "I don't know," he said. "But I think we're about to find out."