Aria
The morning light seeped through the cracks in the packhouse walls, painting the room in pale gold. I blinked against it, my head throbbing from the previous night's events. My fingers itched as I traced the glowing mark on my collarbone.
It pulsed still, faint but insistent. My wolf stirred in response, coiling inside me like a caged fire, desperate to leap out.
I had survived the bond's first violent surge. Barely. But the pain lingered in my muscles, in my mind, in my soul. I had no idea what I was becoming—or who I was meant to be.
Kael sat across from me, calm, composed, and utterly infuriating. His silver eyes scanned me, unblinking, as if he were reading my very thoughts.
"You're awake," he said simply, voice low, smooth, almost dangerous.
"I… am," I murmured, though my voice shook. "Kael… I don't understand any of this. The mark… the bond… my wolf… everything is so… so wrong."
He leaned forward, elbows on his knees, expression unreadable. "It's not wrong. It's nature. The bond is ancient. It doesn't care what you think, what you want, or what the pack thinks. It only cares that you survive and fulfill what you were chosen for."
I swallowed hard, my throat dry. "Chosen… by who? The Goddess? Why me? I'm not strong… I'm not special… I'm just… me."
His gaze softened—just slightly—and for the first time, I caught a flicker of something behind those silver eyes. Something human. Vulnerable.
"You're stronger than you realize," Kael said quietly. "Your wolf… she's awake. And she's listening. The bond knows this. You cannot fight it, Aria. You can only learn to live with it."
A shiver ran down my spine. My wolf growled softly in response. I hadn't even moved, yet I could feel her prowling inside me, hungry and impatient.
"I… don't know how," I admitted, voice trembling. "I've never… done anything like this."
Kael stood suddenly, moving to the small training area in the corner. "Then we start now. If your wolf awakens fully, you'll be useless to yourself… and to the pack. We can't afford that."
I hesitated. "Training? Now? I… I can't even stand properly."
"You'll learn," he said, tone firm, uncompromising. "Either you control the wolf… or it controls you."
The words hit me like ice. Control. My wolf… I didn't even know she existed until yesterday. Yet here I was, expected to command her.
I clenched my fists. The mark burned faintly. My wolf howled.
I didn't want to. I was terrified.
But I couldn't stop the pull.
Kael
Watching her struggle, I felt a mix of frustration and… something else. I hated the bond. Hated that it tied me to a girl I hadn't chosen. Hated the way my body reacted to her nearness. Hated the pull of the wolf that mirrored my own beast inside.
And yet… I couldn't leave her. Not when the bond was this strong. Not when the Goddess had chosen her.
"Stand in the center," I commanded, pointing to the circle marked on the floor. "Your wolf will respond to your will. If she senses fear… she'll tear you apart."
Her eyes widened. "Tear me apart?"
I ignored her tone, unwilling to soften my command. "Yes. Wolves are not gentle creatures. They are survival incarnate. You either learn to bend her to your will… or she will devour you from within."
Her lips trembled, and I knew she wanted to cry. She was alone, terrified, and yet still defiant. I almost admired that. Almost.
"Focus," I said, taking a step back. My silver eyes locked on hers, channeling authority. "Listen to her. Feel her. She's part of you. Do not fear her. Do not hate her. Command her. Only then will you survive."
Her wolf whimpered softly, responding to the subtle shifts in the bond. I could feel it — a trembling pulse, a heartbeat racing against mine.
She swallowed hard, took a shaky breath, and closed her eyes.
I waited.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then a low growl emerged from inside her, vibrating through the room. Her pulse matched the rhythm of the mark on her collarbone. The glow intensified slightly, faintly illuminating the dark corners.
Good.
She was awakening.
But awakening was dangerous. The bond flared, seeking connection, seeking dominance. And I had to be careful. One wrong move, one hesitation, and the wolf could overwhelm her… or me.
Aria
I focused, just as he commanded, though my thoughts were chaotic. My wolf clawed at the walls of my mind, impatient, restless, wild. Fear made me shaky, but beneath it… something surged. Strength. Anger. A pulse of raw energy.
I opened my eyes and whispered, almost to myself, "Listen to me. I… I am in control."
The wolf growled, low and rumbling. I flinched as the sensation rolled through me, like fire crawling along my spine. My limbs trembled, my ears rang, my teeth clenched.
But slowly, impossibly, the chaos inside me steadied. A thread of connection formed between me and the wolf, binding us together in silent agreement. I was no longer terrified. Not completely.
The bond pulsed again, stronger this time, and I felt Kael's presence through it. Not just his body, but his emotions — anger, frustration, something softer hidden beneath. He was part of this now too.
I wasn't sure if I wanted that.
But I could feel it. And my wolf accepted it.
Kael
Her focus surprised me. I expected panic, screaming, resistance. Instead, she formed a connection with her wolf in minutes — minutes that should have taken weeks.
The bond flared between us, thrumming like an electric wire. My wolf howled in response. I had to restrain her, to keep my instincts in check. If she surged fully, I couldn't guarantee she wouldn't overwhelm Aria.
"Good," I said finally, tone clipped but approving. "You're learning faster than I expected. But don't let it fool you — the bond grows stronger every day. If you can't control it… it will control you."
Her eyes met mine, defiant. "I will control it."
I felt a shiver run down my spine. Not from fear — but from awe.
Damn it.
Aria
We trained for hours. Or maybe minutes — I lost track of time. The sun shifted, casting long shadows through the room, but I didn't notice. I only noticed the constant pull of Kael's presence, the bond vibrating between us, the wolf inside me responding, testing boundaries.
By the end, my limbs were shaking, my muscles screaming, my wolf panting. And yet… I felt alive. Strong. Terrified, yes. But alive.
Kael watched silently, arms crossed, eyes unreadable. And when I looked at him, I thought I saw… something. Respect? Approval? Or maybe something darker, more complicated.
The bond pulsed against my chest, stronger than ever. I didn't understand it yet, but I could feel it: it wanted us both to survive, but at a cost I didn't know.
I shivered.
I didn't know if I wanted to survive like this.
Kael
By the time she collapsed onto the floor, exhausted but triumphant, I knew one thing: this girl would change everything. The pack. The bond. Me.
And I hated it.
I hated the way my chest tightened when she panted, exhausted and vulnerable. I hated the way her wolf looked to me for guidance, for control, for safety. I hated that the Goddess had forced this bond on me.
But I couldn't hate it enough to let her die.
Not when the bond was alive. Not when it had chosen her — and me.
I knelt beside her, gripping her wrist to check her pulse. Steady. Strong. Alive.
Good.
But the howl from last night lingered in my mind. The darkness outside the packhouse… wasn't done. Not by a long shot.
And I knew, without looking, that the bond would demand more than training. More than survival.
It would demand… everything.
Cliffhanger
As Aria drifted into a restless sleep, her wolf coiling inside her like a storm, the air outside the packhouse shifted.
A shadow moved among the trees, silent, purposeful, and deadly.
Kael's eyes narrowed. His wolf stirred, teeth bared.
The bond flared violently.It was no longer warning.It was demanding war.
And the first battle for Aria's life… was about to begin.