Chapter Eleven

Aedan

My steps were swift and steady as I cut through the path leading to Rowan’s lands. The air was thick, the birds had fallen silent. Even the forest seemed to know that no peace would walk here today. Cassian followed at my back, and behind him came chosen warriors—silent, disciplined.

Rowan’s territory was remote, wild ground. The canopy above grew so dense it allowed barely any light through. Here he had built his little kingdom—a pack bound together by fear. And now that his hold on power was threatened, I knew he would do anything to keep it.

When we reached the clearing, I slowed. He stood there, arms crossed, ringed by his followers. Their growls, their postures, made it clear: they had not come to talk. This soil thirsted for blood.

I paused a moment, letting my presence fill the space. My golden gaze swept over them. I did not seek to radiate terror, but order. Law.

Cassian leaned closer. “They’re not here to negotiate, Majesty. They’re ready to fight.”

I nodded. My heart was calm. I had not come to kill—but if preserving order demanded it, I would not hold back.

Rowan stepped forward, his eyes burning dark, his voice sharp as a broken blade.

“King… You humiliated me before my own pack. Did you think I would forget?”

I took one step, the ground trembling beneath me. Not anger drove me, but power that required no shout.

“You humiliated yourself,” I answered quietly. “When you turned the weak into prey.”

“She’s a nobody!” he spat. “A broken omega! That’s why I refused her when I learned the bond tied her to me!”

The gold in my eyes flared.

“She is my mate now,” I said. “The Moon’s gift. And you profaned that sanctity when you had her tortured.”

My words struck like lightning. Some of his men already faltered; in their blood they knew they could not stand against me and win.

I leaned forward, my voice like ice.

“You still have a choice, Rowan. Fall to your knees… or you will not see the dawn.”

For one suspended moment, silence gripped the clearing. Then with a snarl he drew his claws and lunged.

I did not retreat. I drew no weapon. My wolf burst forth in a growl, and my body shifted. Black fur blazed beneath golden eyes, my power filling the clearing.

Rowan faltered, but struck. His claws raked my side—hot blood spilled. The pain did not slow me; it sharpened me. I wheeled, threw him down. My claws flashed at his throat.

He panted beneath me, fury and fear warring in his eyes. I growled low into his ear.

“This world shows no mercy to cowards. Neither do I.”

But I did not kill him. I stepped back, leaving him to writhe in his own shame. His followers lowered their heads. Cassian said nothing—he didn’t need to. They all knew I had won.

I rose, shook my fur, and turned back down the path. My side burned, but only one thought lived in my chest: I had to return. To her. To Nyra.

⸻

Nyra

The silence of the chamber pressed on me. The guards stood by the door, barely moving. I sat by the window, knees drawn to my chest, heart beating fast while unease rooted itself deeper inside me.

Then a sudden ache pierced my chest. Not sharp, but deep, throbbing. My hand flew to my heart. My eyes widened. I knew. Aedan was hurt.

The bond pulsed inside me. No image, no voice—just feeling. His pain echoed in my body too. And beneath it, his will: to live. To protect. To return.

I clutched the blanket, trembling. I wanted to leap to my feet, to run to him, but my legs would not obey. Fear and longing warred inside me.

The guards stayed silent. They knew—this was my battle.

The pain slowly eased, but in its place lingered something else: worry. Fierce, raw, as though it came from my own heart. I knew he lived. I knew he was already on his way back.

The bond quivered inside me like a veil stirred by wind. I ached to see him. To touch him. To know he was truly here.

From the garden, footsteps approached. My heart thundered. My gaze fixed on the door. The handle pressed down, the heavy wood swung open.

I surged to my feet, shaking but resolute. Because I knew who it was.

He had come. Aedan. For me.