Arielle pressed herself against the thick trunk of a tree, her breath coming in sharp, uneven bursts. Every step she had taken deeper into the forest since Kael's warning had been cautious, careful—but she could feel it. The pull. The bond. And now… something else.
Her wolf stirred beneath her skin, restless and insistent, whispering in instincts she didn't fully understand.
You're not alone. You're not human. You're hers… no, mine. No, hers.
Her hands shook as she brushed a damp strand of hair from her face. She had to focus. Kael's pack wasn't far. They would know she was here, and whatever she was becoming could either save her—or kill her.
Then a rustle from the underbrush made her freeze.
"You shouldn't be here," a voice said, low, dangerous, and instantly familiar.
Arielle's heart stuttered. Her pulse surged. She knew that voice anywhere. Silver eyes emerged from the shadows—Kael Blackthorn.
Why does he keep finding me?
"I—" she began, but her voice caught. The bond thrummed beneath her skin, pulling her toward him. It's not just him… it's the bond.
"You feel it," Kael said, stepping closer, every movement controlled yet impossibly magnetic. "Everywhere. Can't you feel it too?"
Arielle's knees nearly buckled. "I… I do," she whispered, and even saying it made heat curl through her body.
Kael's gaze dropped to her lips for a fraction of a second. Stop thinking about that, she told herself, but the tension between them was almost unbearable.
"Good," he said, voice low and almost pained. "Because it's not going away. Not for either of us."
Arielle's breath hitched. Her wolf growled softly, sensing his, the thread between them pulling taut. She could almost see it—an invisible cord, silver under the moonlight, anchoring her to him.
"I don't want to be pulled in," she said, though her voice betrayed her. "I… I don't even know what's happening to me."
Kael's jaw tightened. "You're awakening. Your blood… it's not entirely human. That's why the bond burned so quickly. That's why it hurt so much when I rejected it."
Arielle blinked. "Not human?"
He nodded. "You have power. Hidden, dangerous power. And if you're not careful, it could kill you… or worse, make you prey."
Great. She had just survived rejection from the hottest, scariest Alpha alive, and now she was some kind of monster too.
Before she could respond, the forest suddenly erupted with movement. Wolves—pack hunters—emerged from the shadows. Their eyes glimmered gold in the moonlight. Some snarled, others growled, and one let out a challenge that made Arielle's blood run cold.
Kael moved instantly, stepping in front of her, body tense, wolf growling beneath his skin.
"Stay behind me," he commanded, and though she wanted to argue, she obeyed.
The pack circled. Eyes fixed. Teeth bared.
And then something inside Arielle snapped. Her blood burned. Her body tingled. Power she didn't understand surged through her—raw, wild, uncontrollable. She felt it in her hands, her chest, her throat.
The air shimmered slightly, like heat rising off asphalt. The pack paused, confused. Kael's eyes widened.
"You—what are you doing?" he demanded.
Arielle didn't answer. She raised her hands instinctively, and the wolves faltered, stumbling back as if invisible force pressed against them. Her wolf roared inside her. She had control, or maybe power. She didn't know yet—but she would learn.
Kael's silver gaze locked on her, sharp and intense. His chest rose and fell rapidly, and for the first time, Arielle realized: He wasn't just protective. He was drawn to her. Obsessed with her.
"You're… incredible," he said quietly, almost to himself. Then his voice hardened: "But you're still mine. Understand that."
Her pulse quickened. Mine? Even after he rejected me?
"Yes," she whispered, voice trembling. "I… I feel it too."
The pack hesitated, unsure. And in that moment, Arielle realized something terrifying and exhilarating: Kael had underestimated her. The Moon had chosen, the bond had formed, and nothing—not rejection, not fear, not even him—would stop it.
The first spark had ignited.