The growl rippled through the trees, low and guttural, rattling through Mia's bones.
Her breath caught. The shadows thickened at the forest's edge, then moved—eyes glowing amber, teeth glinting. Three more rogues padded out, their bodies lean and scarred, their snarls promising nothing but death.
Mia's pulse roared in her ears. Her mind blank.
Leon lay slumped in the dirt behind her, his chest heaving, his golden eyes flickering weakly. He was barely holding onto consciousness. The Prince, not just any prince but the Lycan Prince—was down.
Rachel's nails dug into Mia's arm, sharp enough to break skin. Her voice was a venomous hiss. "Do you see now? This is what you've brought! Leon is down because of you! You don't belong here—you're his weakness!"
Mia's throat tightened. "Let me go," she whispered.
Rachel's was caught off guard but then broke into laughter. The laughter was sharp and hysterical. "So you can run? It's not like you can even run away. You'll stay and watch what happens when you get in my way."
The rogues prowled closer, their growls vibrating the ground. One sniffed the air, its lips curling back in hunger.
Mia's stomach twisted. She had seen how Leon fought them, seen how brutal and fast they were. As a powerful wolf, he barely survived two. Now three more! With Leon down!
She surely will not survive this.
Unless—
Her eyes darted to Leon. His claws twitched weakly against the dirt, his lips moving soundlessly. His wolf wanted to rise, but the bond had drained him, tearing at him from the inside.
Mia's heart clenched. He had thrown himself in front of her again and again. And now he was broken because of her.
No.
The thought surged through her with terrifying clarity. She couldn't—wouldn't—let him die here.
Mia twisted sharply, ripping her arm free from Rachel's grip. Rachel shrieked in fury, but Mia didn't stop. She stumbled forward, planting herself between Leon's fallen body and the advancing rogues.
Her knees trembled, her hands shaking, but she raised her chin anyway.
The first rogue snarled, its teeth flashing.
Rachel's voice cracked from behind her. "Mia! What are you trying to do? Are you trying to run?"
Maybe. Probably. But she couldn't move away. Not when Leon was behind her.
The rogues circled, their eyes fixed on her. One lunged suddenly, snapping its jaws inches from her face before retreating again, testing her.
Mia's entire body screamed with terror. She had no claws, no fangs, no wolf. She was nothing but flesh and fear.
But suddenly, something inside her stirred. An unfamiliar heat, low and strange, curled beneath her skin.
The crescent mark that wasn't there before on her collarbone burned faintly, like a coal sparking to life.
Mia gasped, clutching at it instinctively. Her vision blurred for an instant—not from fear, but from something else. A flicker of light danced at the edges of her sight, faint as moonlight.
The rogues froze, their growls faltering. They sniffed the air, confused and uneasy.
Rachel's eyes widened. "What… what is that?"
Mia didn't know. But the heat in her chest spread, threading through her veins like liquid fire. Her fear didn't vanish, but it changed—sharpened into something steadier.
One of the rogues roared and charged.
Mia raised her hands without thinking. A blinding silver flash erupted from her palm, striking the rogue mid-air.
The creature howled, its body flung backward into a tree with a sickening crack.
The place went Silent.
Everyone stared.
Mia blinked at her trembling hands, the glow already fading. Her chest rose and fell rapidly, her mind spinning. What had she just done?
The two remaining rogues snarled, enraged now, their hunger sharpening into bloodlust.
Mia staggered back, her legs weak. The fire inside her flickered again. It was uncertain, as though it had drained everything just to unleash that one burst. She didn't know if she could do it again. Ahe didn't even know what it was.
But it didn't matter. They were already charging at her.
One rogue leapt—only to be slammed aside mid-air by a blur of gold and muscle.
Leon.
He had risen, barely steady, but his wolf was awake now. His claws ripped into the rogue, tearing his flesh, his roar shaking the trees. Blood splattered across his chest, but his eyes burned brighter than ever.
The last rogue lunged from the side. Leon turned too slowly—until Mia screamed his name.
"LEON!"
The sound hit him like a spark. His body twisted at the last second, claws flashing. He caught the rogue by the throat and drove it into the dirt, snapping bone with brutal efficiency.
And then there was silence again.
The rogues lay broken around them, the air was thick with blood and smoke.
Leon stood panting, swaying on his feet. His claws dripped red, his golden eyes wild. Xavier was still clawing at the surface, hungry and furious.
But when he turned to Mia, everything softened.
She stood frozen, her hands still faintly glowing, her eyes wide with shock.
Their gazes locked.
The bond pulsed, stronger than ever, wrapping around them like chains. Leon's chest heaved, torn between rage and something far deeper.
Rachel was shaken to the core. Her voice cut through the night, shrill and trembling. "This… this isn't possible. She's human!"
Leon growled low, his head snapping toward Rachel. She staggered back, she was obviously scared, true fear on her face for the first time.
Mia's voice was barely a whisper. "Mom… what's happening to me?"
Leon staggered toward her, blood dripping from his wounds. His hand lifted shakily, almost reaching for her cheek—then stopped, claw trembling inches from her skin.
"You're not just human," he rasped. "You never were."
Her lips parted, but before she could speak, his body gave out.
Leon collapsed at her feet, unconscious, blood pooling beneath him.
Mia dropped to her knees, panic flooding her. "Leon! No, stay with me!"
Rachel stood frozen, torn between rage and horror, her eyes darting between Mia's glowing hands and Leon's fallen body.
The trees whispered with the wind, carrying the scent of blood farther than Mia realized. Somewhere deeper in the woods, more growls answered the call.
Mia cradles Leon's head in her lap as his life hangs by a thread, the crescent mark on her collarbone glowing brighter than ever. Just then, more rogues begin to close in on the clearing.
Rachel was confused. These were not the rogues she was working with. These were huge and their number was outrageous which made her froze. Before she could register anything, she was flung away by a strike from one of them.