The scent of her was still in the clearing—sweet, wild, threaded with the whisper of something old. Something forbidden.
Kade clenched his fists as he stood at the edge of the forest, the night wind stirring his dark hair. He could still feel the heat of Lyra's skin against his palm, still hear the way her voice trembled when she said his name.
He should never have come to her.
He told himself it was curiosity. That the Moon Goddess had a cruel sense of humor, and seeing his rejected mate alive and defiant stirred something primal in him. But deep down, Kade knew the truth.
He was unraveling.
When he'd rejected Lyra that night a year ago, it had been for her own good. Her presence had triggered something deep within him—something he'd buried for years under iron discipline and fire-forged control. The same thing that made his wolf restless now.
A low growl rumbled in his chest, the beast pacing behind his eyes, more awake than it had been in months.
You touched her.
"Shut up," Kade muttered aloud. "It was a mistake."
But the wolf wasn't listening. It hadn't been since he'd laid eyes on her again.
He turned from the forest and started toward the manor, boots crunching the gravel path beneath him. The estate loomed ahead like a shadow carved from stone, its gothic spires reaching for the moonlit sky. Inside, the Council awaited his report.
And they would smell her on him.
He paused at the iron gate, inhaling deeply to calm his racing thoughts. He had to bury it—the heat that still lingered in his blood, the confusion, the maddening urge to go back to her.
To claim her.
No. That door had been closed. Locked. Sealed.
He passed through the gate and into the manor, walking with the cold precision of a man who ruled by fear and earned his title in blood. Servants dipped their heads as he passed. No one dared meet his eyes.
He liked it that way.
But as he entered the grand hall, a figure stepped into his path. Ronan, his Beta.
"You're late," Ronan said, arms crossed, his gold-flecked eyes sharp. "The Council's been waiting."
Kade said nothing. He didn't need to. Ronan could sense the shift in him.
"You went to her." It wasn't a question.
Kade's jaw tightened. "I wanted to see if the rumors were true."
"And?"
"She's alive. Stronger than expected."
Ronan frowned. "You rejected her, Kade. Whatever this is—it's dangerous."
"I know what I'm doing," Kade said coolly, brushing past him.
But he didn't.
Inside the council chamber, the air was thick with incense and unease. Elders cloaked in midnight blue robes sat in high-backed chairs, eyes gleaming like obsidian as he entered. At the center stood Elder Calis, his silver hair a stark contrast to the darkness surrounding him.
"Kade Thorne," Calis said, voice echoing like a chime through the stone hall. "We expected you earlier."
"I was confirming a lead," Kade replied.
Calis tilted his head. "Concerning the girl?"
"Lyra Blackthorn is alive. She survived the purge. She's... changed."
A murmur rippled through the Council.
"Did you engage her?" Calis asked.
Kade hesitated. "Briefly."
"You rejected the bond," another elder said sharply. "And yet you went to her. Touched her."
Kade's voice turned cold. "She's a threat. It's my job to assess threats."
"You're lying to yourself," Calis said gently. "And to us."
Kade didn't respond. He felt the eyes of the Council on him, prying deeper, digging into the cracks in his armor.
"She shouldn't be alive," Calis continued. "If her powers are awakening, it may already be too late."
"They're not," Kade said firmly. "I can handle it."
There was a pause. Then Calis stepped forward.
"Then prove it."
Kade's gaze narrowed. "What do you mean?"
"We've received intelligence," Calis said. "She's been approached by Maela."
Kade's blood turned to ice. "That's impossible. Maela is dead."
Calis smiled, a predator's smile. "You of all people should know death is not always permanent. She was seen crossing the southern ridge two nights ago. If she reaches Lyra before we do... everything we've built will fall."
Kade clenched his jaw.
"If Maela is alive, I'll find her."
"No," Calis said. "You will watch her. You will return to the girl. Earn her trust. Find out what she knows, what she's becoming. And when the time comes…"
Calis let the silence linger, heavy with implication.
Kade turned on his heel and left the chamber.
The forest was darker that night, the moon shrouded behind thick clouds. Kade rode hard, his horse kicking up dirt as they thundered down the forgotten trail leading to the edge of the Hollow Wood.
He found himself near the creek again—where he'd last seen her.
Where her scent still lingered, fresh and intoxicating.
He dismounted slowly, boots sinking into mossy earth. The night pulsed with power, thick with the presence of something other. He could feel her magic here, like a soft hum against his skin.
And something else.
A whisper.
He turned, senses sharp, hand on the hilt of the blade strapped across his back.
Then—
"Looking for someone?"
A voice like velvet and smoke drifted from the trees.
He spun, eyes narrowing.
A woman emerged from the shadows—tall, cloaked in red, with hair the color of dried blood and eyes that shimmered like mercury.
Maela.
"I was hoping we'd meet again, Kade," she purred.
His wolf lunged forward, snarling.
"You're supposed to be dead."
"I get that a lot." She stepped closer. "But we both know death is just a door."
He didn't move.
"What do you want?"
Maela tilted her head. "What do I always want? Power. Freedom. And right now... her."
Kade's pulse spiked. "Stay away from Lyra."
Maela smiled, cruel and knowing. "Oh, Kade. You poor, conflicted thing. You think you can protect her? You think rejecting her bond severed the threads of fate?"
Kade drew his blade, the silver edge glowing faintly in the dark.
"Come any closer and I'll—"
She vanished. One moment she was there, the next she was gone. The wind howled, and a voice echoed through the trees like laughter.
"You're already too late."
Kade raced back to the village.
By the time he reached the cottage, it was burning.
Flames licked at the roof, smoke curling into the sky. Villagers screamed and scattered. Wolves howled in the distance.
And in the middle of it all, standing barefoot in the ashes, her eyes glowing like molten gold—was Lyra.
She turned to him slowly, hair wild, dress torn, arms outstretched as raw magic surged from her skin in crackling waves.
"Kade," she whispered, voice thick with grief and power.
Behind her, a body lay motionless in the dirt.
Kade's heart stopped.
It was Ronan.