Mag-log inJohanis' POVIt happened fast.Too fast for words.One moment, the clearing was nothing but tension—thick, suffocating, ready to snap.The next—It did.“Stand down,” one of the Bloodbury authorities warned, power already rising under his skin.And then—Alaric moved.No warning.No signal.Just pure instinct.His hand shot out, grabbing my arm with bruising force as his eyes flashed—wild, sharp, certain.“Run.”That was all he said.And then—He shifted.Bones cracked and his power suddenly surged. Fur tore through skin in a violent, seamless transformation as his wolf burst forward—massive, dark, and terrifying in its presence.I didn’t hesitate.Couldn’t. Not even for a second.Because the moment he moved—They did too.“Stop them!”Pheromones ignited behind us.I felt it before I saw it—sharp, burning arcs of power slicing through the air, aimed to immobilize, to trap, to contain.Not kill.Not yet.But close enough.“Shit—”I shifted mid-step. Bones rearranging, senses exploding
Aya's POV The moment the love of my life stepped out—I felt it.Not saw.Not heard.Felt..The bond stretched—tight, thin, aching in a way that made something inside my chest twist painfully. Like a thread pulled too far, threatening to snap but refusing to break.My breath caught. “…Joha.”The name barely left my lips, dissolving into the quiet the second it did.Because he was gone.Again.The forest didn’t react the way it had when he entered. It didn’t lash out. Didn’t surge or shift or test.It simply… settled.Like it had allowed something it wasn’t supposed to—and was now correcting itself.The light dimmed slightly around me. The faint glow beneath my skin flickered once before stabilizing again. The roots at my feet tightened—not painfully, not restraining—but firmer. Anchoring.Reminding.‘You are still here.:I exhaled slowly, forcing my breathing to even out.“I know,” I murmured.Silence answered me.But it didn’t last.It never did.A low hum began to build beneath the
Johanis' POVThe forest didn’t let me walk out.It pushed me.Not violently like it had done to Alaric—but firmly. Unyielding. Like a hand pressed flat against my chest, guiding me backward step by step until the air changed, until the weight eased, until the line between her world and mine snapped back into place.And just like that—She was gone again.The bond stretched.Thin.Achingly present.. But suddenly.. it was not quiet anymore.A low, familiar rumble brushed against the back of my mind. Not sound. Not exactly. More like instinct given voice.“You could've just whisk her away..”I went still.Then huffed under my breath, something bitter and relieved twisting together in my chest.“You finally come out now?” I muttered internally. “After being silent for days?”A pause. Then—“Well, I figured you want to have some real alone time with her after being separated for years. Who would've thought this would happen..”I scoffed quietly, jaw tightening. “Damn right.”After that sm
Johanis' POVI didn’t let go.I couldn’t even dare to think so.Not when she was finally in my arms again—real, solid, warm in a way that no memory could ever replicate. My fingers tightened slightly against her back, pressing her closer like I could anchor her here if I just held on long enough.Like I could stop this from becoming another goodbye..Her breath was soft against my neck.Steady.Alive.I closed my eyes, letting it sink in. Every second. Every heartbeat. Every small shift of her body against mine. Every single damn moment..Because I knew—This wouldn’t last.“…Joha.”Her voice was quiet.Gentle.A warning.I exhaled slowly, my grip tightening for just a second before I forced myself to loosen it. Just enough to pull back.Just enough to see her.My hands slid up—one settling at her waist, the other rising to her face, cupping her cheek like I needed to remind myself she was still here.Her eyes met mine.Goddess..That broke me more than anything.Because they were sti
Johanis’ POV Her father let out a harsh breath.Then—Without another word—He turned.And ran.Straight for the forest.“Alaric—wait—!” Mother shouted from behind us, but it was useless.He didn’t slow.Didn’t even hesitate.Didn’t stop.He crossed the boundary—And the forest—Rejected him.Violently.The moment he stepped in, something unseen slammed into him, throwing him back like he’d hit a solid wall. He hit the ground hard, breath knocked out of him.But he didn’t stay down.Didn’t even pause as he got up and ran again.Same result.. but harder this time, more brutal.The forest wasn’t just blocking him. It was warning him.I stepped forward instinctively—And that was when I saw it.At the edge.Left behind.A suitcase.Old.Worn.Familiar.My breath caught.Aya’s..She probably dropped it when she was abducted from the beginning before I saw her again..From when everything started.I crouched slightly, brushing my fingers over it. And the moment I did—The bond pulsed.Str
Johanis' POVThe first thing I saw when I woke up—Was her.Not Aya.But Lily.Close enough that for a split second, my brain tried to lie to me. Tried to fill in the wrong face, the wrong presence, the wrong warmth.But it didn’t last.Because the bond—Still stretched. Still thin. Still there.And it didn’t lead to her.It led somewhere far away.Lily gave me a small, sad smile. “Hey.”My throat felt dry. Raw. “How long?”“Three days.”Three.Days.My chest tightened immediately. My body reacted before logic could catch up—I pushed myself up, muscles screaming in protest, ribs protesting every movement.“Johanis—”“I have to go.”The words came out automatic. Instinct. Not thought. Lily’s hand shot out, pressing firmly against my chest before I could swing my legs off the bed. Not hard.But enough.“Sit down.”“No.”“Sit. Down.”Her voice cracked. That was what made me stop. Not the force. Not the command.The fear.I looked at her properly then. Her eyes were red. Not fresh. Not fr
Aya's POV My feather didn’t move either.At first.I followed the instructions, tried to empty my mind, tried to think of conversion. Pheromones to magic. Instinct to intent. But the more I thought about it, the more my thoughts tangled. And yes, I still have pheromones even if I don't have a wolf
Aya's POV The world narrowed to heat and sound and the way Johanis’s grip tightened around my wrist just before he let go.I barely had time to register the shift—the split second where his gaze swept the chaos, counting bodies, exits, witnesses—before the air broke when he was sure there was none
Aya’s POV“I cannot stand this. Is Ayreil blackmailing you or something?”The words cut sharper than I expected. They weren’t even loud. Just… careless. Tossed into the air like gossip always is—casual, cruel, and confident that it wouldn’t reach the wrong ears.Mine.The girl who said it—third row
Aya’s POVI know we’ve had this conversation before.Or versions of it. Half-spoken warnings. Looks that lingered too long. Silences that were louder than shouting. I know I should wait. I know I should trust him—trust that whatever he’s trying to do, whatever he’s hiding, it’s meant to protect me.







