Ava felt it before anyone said a word.
Something had changed.
Again.
But this time—it wasn’t coming from her.
The air itself felt wrong.
Too still.
Too quiet.
Even the wolves seemed on edge, their movements sharper, their voices lower, like instinct was warning them of something just beyond reach.
Ava stepped out onto the main path, her gaze scanning the tree line. “Okay… I’m starting to hate that feeling.”
“You should.”
Kael’s voice came from behind her, calm—but edged.
Ava turned. “Let me guess. Not just me this time?”
“No.”
That was all he said.
But it was enough.
Ava’s chest tightened slightly. “Rogues?”
“Not just rogues.”
That was worse.
Before she could ask more, a sharp howl cut through the air.
Not distant.
Not faint.
Close.
Too close.
Ava’s body reacted instantly, that now-familiar heat sparking beneath her skin as her senses sharpened.
Kael was already moving.
“Stay inside,” he ordered.
Ava didn’t move.
“Not happening.”
His gaze snapped to hers. “Ava—”
“I’m not hiding while something’s out there targeting your pack,” she cut in. “Or me.”
A brief pause.
Tension.
Then—
A sharp exhale.
“Stay close to me,” he said.
Ava nodded once. “That I can do.”
The forest was alive with movement.
Wolves shifted between trees, fast and silent, forming a loose perimeter as they tracked the source of the disturbance.
Ava kept pace beside Kael, her senses stretching outward again—stronger now, clearer than before.
And then—
She felt it.
A presence.
Not like the others.
Not like the rogues from before.
This was heavier.
Darker.
Intentional.
“They’re not just wandering,” Ava said quietly. “They’re looking for something.”
Kael’s jaw tightened. “I know.”
A branch snapped ahead.
Then—
Figures emerged.
Three this time.
Larger.
Stronger.
Their eyes locked immediately onto Ava.
Not Kael.
Not the others.
Her.
A chill slid down her spine.
“Found her,” one of them said, his voice low, almost amused.
Ava’s stomach dropped.
Kael stepped forward instantly, placing himself between them.
“You don’t get to walk in here and make demands,” he said coldly.
The lead rogue smirked slightly. “We’re not here to demand.”
His gaze flicked past Kael—back to Ava.
“We’re here to collect.”
That word hit differently.
Ava felt it.
The intent behind it.
Possession.
Not interest.
Not curiosity.
Something worse.
The mark on her wrist burned.
Hard.
“Yeah,” Ava muttered under her breath, “definitely not happening.”
The rogue tilted his head slightly, studying her. “You don’t even know what you are, do you?”
Ava lifted her chin. “No. But I know I’m not going anywhere with you.”
A flicker of something crossed his expression.
Approval?
Amusement?
“Good,” he said. “That makes this more interesting.”
Kael didn’t wait.
He moved.
Fast.
The forest exploded into motion.
Wolves lunged.
Rogues shifted.
The clash was immediate, brutal, chaotic.
Ava stepped back instinctively—but not far.
Not far enough to disconnect.
Because she could feel it again—
That pull.
That energy building.
Stronger than ever before.
Kael fought like something unleashed.
Precise. Controlled. Lethal.
But the rogues—
They weren’t weak.
They held their ground.
And one of them—
Slipped past.
Straight toward her.
Ava’s breath caught.
The world slowed.
Her instincts screamed—
Move.
Fight.
Do something.
The rogue lunged—
And something inside her snapped.
Not out of control.
Not wild.
Focused.
Ava didn’t step back.
She stepped forward.
Her hand lifted instinctively—
And the energy surged.
Not outward.
Not explosive.
Directed.
It hit the rogue mid-stride.
Invisible—but powerful.
He stopped.
Like he’d run into something solid.
His body jerked—
Then slammed backward into the ground, hard enough to crack the earth beneath him.
Silence followed.
Sharp.
Shocked.
Ava stood frozen, her breath uneven, her heart racing.
“I… did that,” she whispered.
Kael was at her side instantly.
His hand closed around her arm, steadying.
“You did.”
The other rogues hesitated.
Just for a second.
But it was enough.
The balance shifted.
“Fall back!” one of them snapped.
They moved fast—
Retreating into the trees before the pack could fully close in.
Gone.
Just like that.
But this time—
It didn’t feel like a victory.
Ava’s chest rose and fell unevenly as the adrenaline slowly faded.
“That felt different,” she said quietly.
Kael didn’t let go of her.
“No,” he agreed. “That was control.”
Ava glanced at him. “So… progress again?”
“Yes.”
A pause.
Then—
“They came for you.”
The words settled heavily between them.
Ava swallowed.
“I figured that part out.”
Kael’s grip tightened slightly.
“They knew what you are.”
Ava frowned. “Except I don’t.”
“You will.”
That didn’t help.
Not really.
Back at the pack house, the tension didn’t ease.
If anything, it grew sharper.
“They’re not acting like normal rogues.”
Lila’s voice cut through the room as the leaders gathered.
Ava stood off to the side, arms crossed, trying to ignore the way the mark still pulsed faintly.
“They’re organized,” Lila continued. “Focused.”
“They knew exactly who to target,” another wolf added.
Ava sighed softly. “Okay, I’m right here, you know.”
Lila’s gaze flicked to her. “Which is exactly the problem.”
Ava raised a brow. “Glad we’re on the same page.”
Kael stepped forward slightly. “Enough.”
The room quieted instantly.
“They’re not just after territory,” he said. “They’re after her.”
No one argued.
Because after what they’d just seen—
There was no denying it.
Ava exhaled slowly. “So what now? I just… stay locked up while everyone else deals with this?”
“No,” Kael said.
Her gaze snapped to his.
“You train,” he continued. “You learn to control this.”
“And if I don’t?”
His gaze didn’t waver.
“You will.”
That certainty again.
Unshakable.
Ava let out a breath, shaking her head slightly. “You really don’t leave room for failure, do you?”
“No.”
A pause.
Then—
“You don’t have that option.”
That hit harder than anything else.
Because deep down—
Ava knew he was right.
Later that night, the pack had quieted again.
But Ava couldn’t sleep.
Not after everything.
She stepped outside, the cool air brushing against her skin as she exhaled slowly.
“You’re thinking too much.”
She didn’t turn.
“Is that your expert diagnosis?”
Kael stepped beside her.
Close.
Always close.
“This is bigger than I thought,” Ava said quietly. “They weren’t just testing. They knew exactly what they wanted.”
“Yes.”
“And you still don’t know why.”
“No.”
Ava let out a breath. “That’s not reassuring.”
Silence stretched between them.
Then—
Kael’s hand found hers.
Not forceful.
Not claiming.
Just there.
Steady.
“You won’t face it alone,” he said.
Ava glanced at him.
“And if this gets worse?”
“It will.”
She huffed softly. “You’re terrible at comforting people.”
“I don’t lie.”
Ava studied him for a moment.
Then—
She stepped closer.
Closing the space herself.
“Good,” she said quietly. “Because I don’t want you to.”
Kael’s gaze darkened slightly.
The air shifted.
That familiar tension returning—
Stronger now.
Sharper.
His hand tightened around hers, pulling her just slightly closer.
Close enough to feel his warmth.
Close enough to feel the bond—
Clear.
Undeniable.
“You’re not afraid,” he said.
Ava met his gaze.
“I am,” she admitted. “I’m just not running.”
Something in his expression shifted.
Approval.
Respect.
And something deeper.
His free hand lifted, brushing lightly against her jaw, tilting her face up.
“You’re stronger than they expected,” he said.
Ava’s breath caught slightly.
“And stronger than you think.”
Her pulse quickened.
“That’s starting to sound like a pattern.”
Kael leaned closer—
Slow.
Deliberate.
The space between them disappeared again.
And this time—
Ava didn’t hesitate.
Didn’t question.
Didn’t pull back.
Because whatever this was—
It wasn’t just happening to her anymore.
She was stepping into it.
Fully.
And there was no turning back.
