The night carried the scent of blood.
From the balcony of her chamber, Aria could see the fires burning at the western border where the rogues had struck. Shouts and growls echoed through the forest, a violent chorus that turned her stomach. She pressed her hands against the railing, torn between fear and a strange, unbearable pull that urged her to run into the fray.
Her bond with Damian throbbed like a heartbeat outside her own. Every slash of his claws, every strike of his fangs—she felt it like sparks racing under her skin. The connection was unbearable, intoxicating, and terrifying.
"Aria."
The voice snapped her out of the haze. Ethan stood at the doorway, his face pale, his shirt torn and stained with dirt. His chest rose and fell in ragged breaths, but his eyes—those steady, familiar eyes—were fixed on her.
"You shouldn't be out here," he said. "The rogues are swarming. If they break through—"
"They're here for me, aren't they?" Aria whispered.
Ethan hesitated. And in that hesitation, she knew.
Her heart pounded. "Why? I'm nothing. I don't even belong here."
"You're not nothing," Ethan said fiercely, stepping closer. His hands gripped her shoulders, grounding her. "Whatever this bond is, whatever fate decided—you're more than the pack realizes. More than even you realize."
His words unsettled her. She wanted to believe him, but all she felt was the crushing weight of being the outsider, the reason the pack whispered in fear, the cause of Damian's torment.
Before she could answer, a howl split the night—long, mournful, and agonizing. Her knees buckled as pain seared through her chest, not hers but his. Damian's pain.
"Damian," she gasped.
Ethan cursed under his breath. "Stay here, Aria. I'll get you to safety—"
"No!" She pulled away from him, her voice trembling but unyielding. "He's hurt. I can feel it. I can't just stay here while he—"
"You'll be killed if you go out there." Ethan's eyes darkened with something raw, something that almost broke her. "Don't you see? He's the Alpha. He'll fight until his last breath. But you—you still have a choice. Don't throw your life away for someone who doesn't even want you by his side."
The truth in his words cut deep. Damian had rejected her again and again, pushing her from him as though she were poison. And yet, the bond would not let her abandon him. Her heart screamed his name, even as reason begged her to stay.
"I'm sorry, Ethan," she whispered. "But I have to."
Before he could stop her, she ran.
The forest was chaos—wolves clashing in a blur of fur and fangs, the air thick with the metallic tang of blood. Aria stumbled through the battlefield, dodging warriors and rogues alike, her heart pounding in rhythm with the pull that guided her. She didn't know how she avoided the snapping jaws or the claws that raked too close—only that something inside her was leading her forward, pushing her through the madness.
And then she saw him.
Damian stood at the heart of the carnage, his wolf form magnificent even drenched in blood. He fought like a storm, every movement brutal and precise, but he was outnumbered. Wounds crisscrossed his flanks, crimson soaking into his black fur.
Her breath caught as one of the rogues—a monstrous brute larger than the rest—lunged at his unguarded side. Without thinking, Aria screamed.
"Stop!"
The world seemed to shudder. The rogue froze mid-leap, its body convulsing as though held by invisible chains. Every wolf on the field, friend and foe alike, turned their heads toward her. Aria's heart raced, her chest heaving, but she couldn't look away. The rogue whimpered, its body collapsing lifelessly to the ground.
Silence swept the battlefield. Even Damian stilled, his golden eyes locked on her with shock and something else—recognition.
The rogues broke first. As if some unseen command had shattered their will, they scattered, retreating into the trees. The pack warriors gave chase, but Damian remained where he was, shifting back into human form, his chest rising and falling with ragged breaths.
Aria's knees gave way. She would have fallen if not for Damian's arms catching her, pulling her against his bloodied chest. His touch burned like fire, his voice rough as he whispered her name.
"Aria… what did you do?"
She shook her head, trembling. "I don't know. I just—"
His grip tightened, his face inches from hers, his expression unreadable. "You stopped them. With a word. No human can do that."
Her heart raced. "Then maybe I'm not just human."
The air between them crackled, heavy with truth and denial, fear and longing. His thumb brushed her cheek, almost unconsciously, and she leaned into his touch before she could stop herself.
For one unbearable moment, she thought he might kiss her. His breath warmed her lips, his eyes softened, and the bond roared like wildfire in her veins.
But then his hand fell away. His expression hardened, the Alpha's mask sliding back into place.
"This changes everything," he said. His voice was low, dangerous. "The council will demand answers. They'll see you not as a mate, but as a weapon. And if they think you're a threat…"
He didn't finish. He didn't need to.
Aria swallowed hard. The pack already hated her. Now they had reason to fear her too.
"I didn't mean to," she whispered. "I was just trying to save you."
For the first time, Damian's eyes softened—not with anger or denial, but something almost tender. He cupped her face again, but this time his voice broke.
"And that's what terrifies me, Aria. Because if I can't protect you from them, I'll lose you long before fate does."
Her throat tightened, tears burning her eyes. She wanted to believe him, wanted to trust that he would choose her. But the war was only beginning, and love was never enough in a world ruled by blood and oaths.
The sound of approaching footsteps broke the fragile moment. Ethan appeared, sword in hand, his face pale as he took in the scene—the fallen rogue, the retreating warriors, Damian's hands on Aria's face.
His jaw clenched. "What happened?"
Damian dropped his hands, his expression shuttered once more. "Aria happened."
The words struck her like a blow. She couldn't tell if it was condemnation or awe.
Ethan's gaze flicked between them, pain flashing in his eyes, before settling on her with fierce protectiveness. "Then the council doesn't need to know."
But Damian shook his head, his face grim. "They'll know. They always do."
Aria's stomach dropped. The firelight flickered over Damian's blood-streaked skin, casting shadows that made him look less like a man and more like the monster the world demanded him to be.
And for the first time, she wondered if their greatest battle would not be against rogues or rival packs, but against the very bond that tied them together.
---