RONAN'S POV Something's not right about that Moon Guard woman.I can't stop thinking about the way she looked at Elara. Not like she wanted to help. Like she wanted to own her.Kael trusts too easily. He always has. It's going to get us all killed one day.That's why I'm sneaking through the forest at two in the morning. That's why I'm following Lyandra's scent trail away from our cabin.I find her by the old stone circle. She's not alone. There are three other people with her. All wearing those white robes. All giving off that creepy ancient vibe.I hide behind a tree and listen."The mother grows stronger," one of them says. A woman with short black hair. "The marks are spreading.""Good," Lyandra replies. "It means the child is almost ready.""And the fathers?""The Alpha is devoted but foolish. He will do whatever it takes to protect her. The other one..." She pauses. "He's more suspicious. We'll need to handle him carefully."They're talking about me. About Kael."What if they r
ELARA'S POV Something's wrong with my skin.I notice it first thing in the morning. New marks on my arms. They look like the symbols we saw burned into the trees. Dark lines that twist and spiral up from my wrists to my elbows.They don't hurt. That's the weird part. They should hurt, right? But they just feel warm. Like someone drew them on with heated ink."Kael," I whisper. He's still sleeping next to me. His arm is wrapped around my very pregnant belly."Mmm?" He opens one eye. Then both eyes when he sees my face. "What's wrong?"I show him my arms.He sits up so fast he nearly falls out of bed. "Holy shit. When did this happen?""I don't know. They weren't there last night."He takes my arm gently. Traces the marks with his finger. His touch makes them glow a little brighter."Do they hurt?""No. They feel... warm. Almost nice."His jaw tightens. "This isn't normal, Elara.""Yeah, I figured that out."But even as I say it, I hear them. The voices. Clearer than they've ever been.
KAEL'S POV I knew this was coming. The moment Lyandra looked at me with those cold eyes, I knew she would test me."You claim to guard the child," she says. Her voice cuts through the morning air like a blade. "But claims mean nothing without proof."Elara stands behind me. She holds our baby close to her chest. I can smell her fear. It makes my wolf angry."What do you want?" I ask.Lyandra smiles. It's not a nice smile. "The Trial of Blood. Prove your right to guard what is sacred."My pack brothers step back. Even they know what this means. The Trial of Blood is old. Older than any of us. It tests more than strength. It tests your soul."Kael, no." Elara's voice is soft but scared. "You don't have to do this."I turn to her. My mate. My everything. "Yes, I do."Because I do. This woman with the silver hair and ancient power, she won't stop until I prove myself. And if I don't, she'll take Elara and the baby away from me.I won't let that happen."Fine," I tell Lyandra. "Let's do t
RONAN'S POV The figure's back.Been watching it for three nights now from the bedroom window. Same black cloak. Same way of moving like it's floating instead of walking. Always appears right after midnight near the river that marks our territory's eastern border.Tonight I'm ready for it.Slipped out while Kael and Elara were arguing about evacuation routes. Left my rifle behind but got my fighting knife and enough anger to kill whatever's been stalking us. Time to get some answers about what happened to the Riverside pack.The figure's exactly where I expected. Standing by the old oak that got struck by lightning last summer. Perfectly still like a statue someone left by the water.I circle wide. Use the terrain to stay hidden while getting close enough to cut off escape routes. These things are fast but everything's got limits. Everything bleeds if you hit it right.Get within fifty yards before it turns toward me. Still can't see a face under that hood but I feel eyes watching. Ev
ELARA'S POV Something's breaking.Can feel it in the bond that connects me to Kael and Ronan. Used to be like warm golden thread tying us together. Sharing thoughts and feelings and strength when we needed it most. Now it feels jagged. Sharp. Like trying to hold onto broken glass.They're fighting again. Started the second we got back from the Riverside massacre. Kael wants to pack up and run. Get as far from here as possible before whatever killed those wolves comes for us. Ronan wants to stay and fight. Make our stand on familiar ground."Running ain't gonna solve nothing," Ronan says for the tenth time in an hour. "These things can track us anywhere.""Staying here just makes us easier targets." Kael's pacing again. Always paces when he's stressed. Wearing tracks in the cabin floor. "At least if we move we got options.""What options? Hide in the woods like animals? Live in caves eating rabbits?""Better than staying here waiting to die.""I ain't waiting to die. I'm preparing to
KAEL'S POVThe smoke's been rising for three hours.Black column twisting up into the gray sky like a finger pointing at nothing. Coming from the northern hills where the Riverside pack makes their home. Or used to make their home."That ain't a campfire," Ronan says. We're standing on the ridge looking down at what's left of their territory. "That's everything burning.""Could be an accident.""Could be. But when's the last time you seen an accident that burns that hot?"He's right. The smoke's too thick. Too dark. Smells wrong even from five miles away. Like burning meat mixed with something chemical.The distress howl came two hours ago. Long mournful sound that made every wolf in our territory stop what they were doing and listen. Signal that means one thing. Help us or we all die."We going down there or not?" Ronan asks."Yeah. But we go careful. Could be a trap.""Everything's a trap lately."We shift and run. Four legs move faster than two when you need to cover ground quick.