Sera's POV
A massive silver wolf crashed into Marcus from the side, sending him flying.
I blinked in shock. One second we were surrounded by Shadow Wolves, the next a blur of silver fur was tearing through them like they were made of paper.
"Run!" Lennox grabbed my arm, trying to pull me away.
But I couldn't move. I was frozen, watching the silver wolf fight. He was huge—bigger than any wolf I'd ever seen—and he moved like liquid lightning. His fur gleamed like moonlight, and when he growled, the sound shook the ground.
Three Shadow Wolves lunged at him at once. He spun, catching one in his jaws and throwing it into the other two. They scattered like smoke, reforming a few feet away.
"Who is that?" Elena whispered beside me.
Before anyone could answer, the silver wolf shifted mid-leap. One moment wolf, the next a tall man with silver-streaked black hair and eyes that glowed gold in the darkness. He landed in a crouch, completely unbothered by being naked after shifting.
"Shadow Wolves," he said casually, like he was commenting on the weather. "How annoying."
Then he raised one hand, and silver light exploded from his palm. The Shadow Wolves shrieked—an awful sound that made my ears ring—and vanished completely. Even Marcus's red-glowing form flickered and disappeared.
The stranger turned to face us, and my breath caught.
He was beautiful. Not in the same way Lennox was handsome. This man looked dangerous and wild, like a storm given human form. Scars covered his chest and arms, telling stories of countless battles. His gold eyes swept over our group and stopped on me.
He smiled. "Hello, little Truthseeker."
"How do you know what I am?" I demanded, finding my voice.
"Because I've been looking for you." He walked closer, and Lennox immediately stepped between us, growling.
"Stay back," Lennox warned. "Who are you? What do you want with my mate?"
The stranger's smile widened. "Your mate? How interesting. She doesn't seem very attached to you."
"That's none of your business," Lennox snapped.
"Actually, it is my business. I'm Kael Ashwood. Sera's cousin."
The world tilted sideways.
"What?" I pushed past Lennox. "That's impossible. My mother said she had no living family."
"Your mother lied to protect you." Kael's expression softened. "The Ashwood line has many enemies. She thought hiding you would keep you safe. Clearly, that didn't work out."
My mind raced. A cousin? I had a cousin? And he just happened to show up right when Shadow Wolves attacked?
My Truthseeker power hummed but didn't buzz. He was telling the truth.
"Prove it," I said.
Kael held out his hand, palm up. Silver light swirled across his skin, forming the same rune patterns that appeared on my wolf form. "We share the ancient bloodline. Truthseekers and Shadow Hunters—two sides of the same coin. Your mother was a Truthseeker. My father was a Shadow Hunter. Together, we're meant to fight the darkness."
"This is insane," Lennox muttered.
"This is reality," Kael corrected. "And your mate is in serious danger. Those Shadow Wolves aren't just random attackers. They're servants of the Shadow King, and he wants Sera specifically."
"Why?" Elena asked.
Kael's eyes darkened. "Because a fully awakened Truthseeker can expose his lies, break his hold over his servants, and destroy his power. She's the only thing that can stop him. So he wants her dead... or turned into one of his puppets."
Ice flooded my veins. "Marcus. He's already one of them, isn't he?"
"Not entirely. The Shadow King is possessing him, using him as a vessel. But if we don't stop it soon, Marcus will be lost completely. His soul will be consumed."
Despite everything Marcus had done, the thought of his soul being destroyed made me sick.
"How do we stop it?" I asked.
"That's complicated. First, you need to master your Truthseeker abilities. You're barely scratching the surface of what you can do." Kael looked at Lennox. "And you need to accept that your Beta has been compromised. He's feeding information to the Shadow King about your pack's defenses."
Lennox's face went pale. "How long?"
"At least six months. Maybe longer."
"Six months," Lennox repeated, looking shattered. "He's been betraying us for six months."
I wanted to comfort him, but I held back. This was the man who'd sentenced me to death in another timeline. I couldn't let sympathy make me weak.
Kael noticed my hesitation. His gold eyes studied me with interest. "You're holding back. Why?"
"That's personal."
"Fair enough." He smiled again, and something about it made my heart skip. "How about we discuss this somewhere safer? Those Shadow Wolves will be back, and next time they'll bring reinforcements."
"Come to the packhouse," Lennox said stiffly. "We can talk there."
"Actually," Kael said, his eyes never leaving mine, "I'd prefer to speak with Sera alone first. Family matters."
"Absolutely not," Lennox growled. "I'm not letting my mate go anywhere alone with a stranger."
"I'm not a stranger. I'm her cousin. And she's old enough to make her own choices." Kael looked at me. "What do you say, Sera? Will you take a walk with me?"
Every logical part of my brain screamed no. But my instincts—my new, stronger instincts—said I could trust him. That I needed to trust him.
"Fine," I said. "One walk. Then we all talk together."
Lennox looked like I'd stabbed him. "Sera—"
"I can take care of myself, Lennox."
I walked past him without looking back, following Kael into the forest. Behind us, I heard Lennox growl in frustration.
"He's in love with you," Kael observed once we were out of earshot.
"The mate bond makes people think they're in love."
"No, it's more than that. I can see it in how he looks at you. How he positions himself to protect you. That's not just bond instinct. That's real."
I didn't want to talk about Lennox. "Tell me about my mother. The real story."
Kael was quiet for a moment as we walked deeper into the trees. "Your mother was the most powerful Truthseeker in three generations. She could do things others only dreamed of—see the future, read minds, even heal with her light. The Shadow King wanted her desperately."
"What happened?"
"She fell in love with your father, a normal wolf with no special powers. The Ashwood elders disapproved. They said she was diluting the bloodline. But your mother didn't care. She ran away with him, had you, and hid from everyone who might hurt her family."
"Then where is she now?"
Kael stopped walking. We'd reached a small clearing with a stream running through it. Moonlight sparkled on the water.
"That's what I'm trying to find out," he said softly. "She disappeared twenty years ago. Some think the Shadow King finally caught her. Others believe she's in hiding. But I think..." He turned to face me. "I think she's trapped somewhere between life and death, waiting for someone strong enough to save her."
My chest tightened. My mother could still be alive?
"You said you've been looking for me," I said. "Why now? Why not before?"
"Because before, you hadn't awakened. You were just a normal wolf with dormant powers. But then you died and came back, and your power exploded like a beacon. Every supernatural creature within a thousand miles felt it."
He knew about my death too? How?
"I'm a Shadow Hunter," Kael explained, reading my confusion. "I can sense death magic. When you were resurrected, the death magic mixed with your Truthseeker light created something unique. Something powerful. Something the Shadow King both fears and desires."
"Great. So I'm a walking target."
"Yes. But you're also the best weapon we have." Kael moved closer, and I noticed how he moved—graceful and controlled, like every step was calculated. "You move like a warrior," he said suddenly. "Like someone who's fought before. Died before. Most wolves your age stumble around like puppies. But you..." His gold eyes gleamed. "You move like you've survived a war."
My heart raced. He saw too much. Understood too much.
"I had good training," I lied weakly.
Buzz. My own lie detector called me out.
Kael laughed. "You can't lie to me, cousin. I'm immune to Truthseeker powers. Family trait."
Well, that was inconvenient.
"Fine. I've been through some things. Can we move on?"
"Of course. But Sera?" He touched my shoulder gently. "Whatever you've survived, whatever made you this strong and this scared—you don't have to face it alone anymore. I'm here now. I'll protect you."
The sincerity in his voice made my eyes sting with tears. When was the last time someone offered to protect me without wanting something in return?
"Why?" I whispered. "You don't even know me."
"You're family. That's enough."
A roar shattered the peaceful moment. Lennox burst through the trees, his eyes wild and his wolf barely contained beneath his skin.
"Get away from my mate!" he snarled at Kael.
Kael didn't move, didn't even look threatened. "We're just talking."
"You're touching her!"
"I'm comforting her. There's a difference."
Lennox shifted partially—his wolf's claws extending, his fangs dropping. "I said get away!"
"Lennox, stop!" I stepped between them. "He's my cousin. He's helping me."
"I don't trust him."
"You don't have to trust him. But I do."
Pain flashed across Lennox's face. "You trust a stranger you just met over your own mate?"
The truth was yes. Because Kael hadn't betrayed me yet. Hadn't sentenced me to death. Hadn't chosen to believe lies over me.
But I couldn't say that without explaining everything again.
"I trust my instincts," I said instead.
"Your instincts are wrong," Lennox growled. Then he looked at Kael. "Leave. Now. You're not welcome in my territory."
Kael's expression hardened. "I'm not going anywhere. Sera needs training, and I'm the only one who can teach her."
"She doesn't need you."
"Yes, she does. Those Shadow Wolves will be back with the Shadow King himself. When that happens, your mate bond won't save her. Your Alpha strength won't save her. Only her awakened powers will. And I can unlock them."
A howl echoed in the distance. Then another. And another.
They were coming back.
But this time, the howls sounded different. Deeper. Older. More powerful.
Kael's face went grim. "He's here. The Shadow King. He came personally."
Red mist rolled through the forest like a living thing, swallowing trees and rocks as it moved toward us. And in the center of that mist, a massive figure began to form—ten feet tall with horns like a demon and eyes that burned like hellfire.
A voice boomed through the clearing, shaking the earth itself:
"Hello, daughter. Did you miss me?"
I stopped breathing.
That voice. I knew that voice.
It was my father.