ARIA'S POV
The Wolf King's golden eyes pinned me in place like a butterfly on a board.
He was massive—easily six-foot-five, with muscles that looked carved from stone. His black hair was wild, his face hard. Everything about him screamed danger.
"You," he said, voice rumbling like thunder. "What are you?"
My mouth went dry. "I'm... Aria?"
"That's not what I asked." He took a step closer. The three patrol wolves immediately dropped to their bellies, whimpering. Even the air felt heavier with him near. "That mark on your palm. Show me."
I instinctively curled my hand into a fist.
Kael—the silver-eyed man who'd called me Lifebringer—stepped in front of me despite barely being able to stand. His legs shook but he didn't move.
"She's under my protection, Ryder," Kael said.
The Wolf King's laugh was sharp and cold. "Your protection? You're exiled, Snowpaw. Cursed. You have no authority here."
"The curse is gone." Kael's voice was steady. "She healed me."
Silence fell like a hammer.
Ryder's golden eyes widened. "Impossible. The Fading can't be healed. We've tried everything—"
"Look at me." Kael pulled aside the torn fabric barely covering his chest. His skin was clear. No black veins. No rot. Just scars and smooth, pale skin. "She cured it with a touch."
Every wolf in the clearing, including Ryder, stared at me.
The weight of their attention made my skin crawl. I was still trying to process the fact that I'd apparently died, woken up in a magic forest, and now had glowing hands that could shoot laser beams or whatever that was.
"Show me the mark," Ryder repeated. This time it was clearly an order. "Now."
My hand trembled as I opened my palm. The golden symbol blazed bright in the darkness—intricate lines that formed shapes I didn't understand.
Ryder went completely still. "By the Old Gods. It's real."
"What's real?" I demanded. My voice came out shakier than I wanted. "What is this thing? Why is it on my hand? And why does everyone keep trying to either kill me or worship me?"
"Because you're a Lifebringer," Ryder said. His voice had changed—softer, almost reverent. "The first one in three hundred years."
"I don't know what that means!"
"It means," Kael said quietly behind me, "that you can save us. All of us."
My legs suddenly felt weak. The adrenaline from the fight was crashing. My whole body ached. The glowing mark pulsed once, twice, then dimmed.
"I can't save anyone," I whispered. "I'm just a nurse. I couldn't even save myself."
The clearing tilted sideways.
Strong arms caught me before I hit the ground. Kael. He was still weak but he held me up anyway.
"She's exhausted," he told Ryder. "The healing drained her. She needs rest."
"She needs to be brought to Silverwood," Ryder countered. "Immediately. If word spreads that a Lifebringer has appeared—"
"Then every male in the territory will hunt her," Kael finished. "She's not ready for that."
"She doesn't have a choice." Ryder's eyes were hard again. "The Fading is killing our females. My pack is dying. If she can cure it, she belongs to all of us, not just you."
"She belongs to herself," Kael growled.
The two men stared at each other. The air crackled with tension.
I wanted to scream. Or cry. Or both.
Instead, I pulled away from Kael and stood on my own shaking legs. "Stop talking about me like I'm not here."
Both men looked at me in surprise.
"I don't belong to anyone," I said firmly. "I don't care if you're a king or if you think I'm your mate or whatever. I'm a person. And I'm scared and confused and I just want to understand what's happening."
Ryder's expression softened slightly. "You're in the Beastworld. A realm where shifters live in tribes and packs. Females are rare here—only one for every hundred males. And they're dying from a curse called the Fading." He gestured to the unconscious hunters. "That's what the black veins are. It rots females from the inside until they die. Usually before they reach adulthood."
My heart clenched. "Children are dying?"
"Yes." Pain flashed across Ryder's face. "My daughter died three years ago. She was six."
Oh God. Suddenly his earlier anger made sense. He wasn't trying to control me. He was desperate.
"I'm sorry," I said softly.
He looked away. "Your sorrow won't bring her back. But your power might save others."
The mark on my palm tingled. I stared at it, really seeing it for the first time. This thing had healed Kael's curse. Had thrown attackers across the clearing. Had connected me to this world in ways I didn't understand.
"I don't know how to control it," I admitted. "When those men attacked, it just... happened. I could have hurt you all."
"But you didn't." Kael's hand touched my shoulder gently. "You protected us instead. That's who you are."
His silver eyes were so sincere. So full of trust I hadn't earned.
"How do you know?" I asked. "You don't even know me."
"I know enough." His thumb traced a small circle on my shoulder. The touch sent warmth through my whole body—strange, but not unpleasant. "You healed me when you could have run. You stayed when hunters came. You're brave."
"I'm terrified," I corrected.
"Bravery isn't the absence of fear. It's acting despite it." He smiled slightly. "My mother used to say that."
The past tense hurt to hear.
Ryder cleared his throat. "This is all very touching, but we need to move. Those hunters won't stay unconscious forever. And when they wake, they'll report to the other packs. By sunrise, every shifter in the territory will know about you."
"Is that bad?" I asked.
"Depends." Ryder's golden eyes were serious. "Some will want to protect you. Others will want to claim you. And some..." He paused. "Some will want you dead."
"Why would they want me dead?"
"Because change is terrifying. And you, little Lifebringer, are the biggest change this world has seen in centuries."
A chill ran down my spine.
Kael's hand tightened on my shoulder. "I won't let anyone hurt you."
"Neither will I," Ryder said. Then he added, "But you're coming to Silverwood. Under my protection. It's the safest place for you."
"And if I refuse?"
"Then you'll be hunted by every rogue male looking to claim a rare female for himself. Or killed by those who fear your power." His voice was blunt. "You have no survival skills here. No understanding of our world. You'll be dead within a day."
I hated that he was right.
"Fine," I said. "But I want answers. Real answers about this mark, about Lifebringers, about everything."
"Done." Ryder turned to his patrol wolves. "Two of you scout ahead. Make sure the path is clear. The rest of you carry the wounded."
The wolves shifted—suddenly becoming men. Naked men.
I yelped and covered my eyes.
Kael made a sound that might have been a laugh. "You'll need to get used to that. Clothes don't shift with us."
"Nobody warned me this world had a nudity problem," I muttered.
This time Ryder definitely smiled. "Welcome to the Beastworld, Aria."
We started walking. Kael stayed close to my side, still weak but refusing to leave me. Ryder led the way, his presence commanding even the trees to part.
I was halfway through this nightmare forest when I felt it.
A pulling sensation. Like something was tugging on my chest from the inside.
"Kael?" I whispered. "Do you feel that?"
His silver eyes met mine. "The mate bond. You feel it too."
"What—"
A howl cut through the night. Then another. And another.
Dozens of howls, coming from every direction.
Ryder spun around, his face going pale. "No. It's too soon. They shouldn't know yet—"
"Know what?" I demanded.
The howls grew louder. Closer.
Kael pushed me behind him. "They're coming for her."
"How many?" Ryder asked.
Kael's face was grim. "All of them."