The arena was still.The weight of expectation settled like fog over the stone ring, thick with tension and anticipation. From the surrounding terraces, the Hollow watched in silence. Elders, warriors, civilians—all drawn to witness what had already become legend.At the sharp blast of the horn, the challenge began.Helena didn’t hesitate. She threw off her ceremonial cloak and lunged.Her fists were like iron. The first blow landed squarely in Ilia’s ribs, knocking the air out of her lungs. The second, a sharp elbow to the side of her face, sent her staggering backward.Ilia tried to reset her stance. She remembered what Derrin taught her—breathe, protect your center, stay light on your feet. But Helena gave her no room to think.Another strike. A boot to her thigh. A cruel backhand that split Ilia’s lip.The crowd roared in approval. Blood hit the dirt.From the stands, Caelan leaned over the barrier, his chest heaving.“Ilia!”Derrin stood beside him, knuckles white around the rail
The Hollow stirred like a waking beast.Word spread fast. By dawn, the challenge had consumed every corner of the territory. From the warriors lining the training fields to the children eavesdropping behind doors, the entire Hollow buzzed with disbelief. A duel had been issued—but not just any duel.Ilia versus Helena.A bonded female with ancient siren power against the Alpha's former contender. And it wasn't just a challenge for status. It was for Caelan. For the Luna title. For everything.It was unprecedented.The council moved swiftly, their urgency edged with fear. A meeting was called before the sun fully crested the treetops. Their conclusion was unanimous: to preserve the sanctity of werewolf law, Ilia would not be permitted to use her siren magic in the fight. Only her wolf. No enchantments. No elemental surges. No spectral light.Only teeth. And strength. And blood.The fighting arena sat at the base of a hill surrounded by ancient stones and sacred trees. It had seen battl
The silence stretched long after Ilia’s final words, but it wasn’t the silence of confusion—it was the silence of submission. The glowing tendrils of her magic had begun to recede, but the weight of her power pressed down like the aftermath of a lightning strike. It wasn’t fading; it was settling, embedding itself into the marrow of every person present. No one dared speak. No one dared move. They felt it—the shift, the reckoning. Not a request. Not a plea. A command. An unspoken truth: they didn’t have a choice anymore. She had become undeniable."Stand," she said simply.Chairs creaked. Breathing resumed. The council rose slowly, eyes cast downward, like men waking from a vision they did not understand.The Head Elder cleared his throat, trying to reclaim some authority. "Ilia, your power is... overwhelming. Dangerous, even."Ilia turned her head slowly, eyes gleaming like the edge of a blade. "My power is necessary. It's what this Hollow has ignored, feared, and suppressed for too
The Hollow's great hall had never been so full, nor so quiet. The council chamber was packed with elders, advisors, warriors, and spectators alike. Whispers flickered like sparks in dry grass, fed by rumors and dread, until the twin stone doors thundered open.Ilia entered like judgment given flesh.Her magic shimmered in the air around her, not unseen, not subtle—it glowed, visibly, like mist set aflame, silver and moonlit and alive. The pressure of her presence was immediate. It pressed down on the room like a coming storm. The flames in the sconces dimmed, not from wind, but reverence.She wore no crown, no furs, no Hollow colors. Her gown clung to her frame in a shade of storm-touched midnight, her hair loose and wild, her eyes reflecting light that didn’t belong to the room. She was not regal. She was elemental.Derrin was already there. So was Caelan. Both had been summoned, and both had come without knowing who had called for them.Now they knew.Derrin stood the moment she ent
The door shut behind them.Ilia didn't turn. She stood by the window, fingers digging into the windowsill, breath shallow and fast. She had spoken her truth. She had faced them. But the fury simmering in her chest refused to cool.She was done proving herself.How many times had she bent to fit into their expectations? How many times had she been asked to be quieter, smaller, more obedient—just to earn a place at the table? She had clawed her way from servitude, bled for acceptance, fought to be seen, and still, they questioned her worth.The shame should never have been hers to carry.She spun away from the window and stalked across the room, her footsteps echoing sharp against the stone floor. Magic coiled beneath her skin, humming with fury and power. Her siren blood pulsed. Her wolf wanted to bare its teeth. Her very soul trembled with rejection—not from them, but from herself, for letting it go on this long.She would not be paraded. She would not be owned. She would never again
Ilia sat in silence, her fingers gently tracing the rim of a porcelain teacup she hadn't touched. The room was too quiet. Not peaceful—hollow. The curtains were drawn open, sunlight pouring in, but it didn’t reach her. Not really. It had been days since she agreed to return to the royal court with Ryvan. Days since Caelan had stood by while Helena marked him with her lips. Days since her heart had splintered in silence while the man who claimed her said nothing.Her heartbeat hadn't returned to normal since.A knock came at the door. She didn’t move.Another knock.Then the door creaked open.Derrin entered first, his presence warm and cautious. “Ilia?”She looked up, her expression unreadable—not distant, not wounded, but sharp. Expecting. Braced. Her stare didn’t waver.Caelan followed behind him, the space tightening with his arrival. His presence shifted the air, heavy and taut, like the aftermath of a storm still humming with static. Ilia’s eyes flicked over him and then delibera