The forest is too silent.
After the rogues vanish into ash, after the Shadow King's voice dies out, after the trees stop shaking—
a deeper silence settles over everything.
Aiden stands in front of me, chest heaving, blood streaked across his arms.
His wolf eyes flicker—silver burning into grey, then silver again.
He's struggling to shift back fully.
Struggling to stay in control.
Because of me.
Because of what he saw.
Because the bond is no longer pretending to be weak.
Kai breaks the silence first, wiping his daggers.
"Well. That was dramatic. And horrifying. Mostly horrifying."
Aiden doesn't laugh.
He doesn't even look at Kai.
He's staring at my hand.
At the faint glow still fading from my palm.
"Liyana," he says quietly, "you told me you were hiding your magic."
"Yes," I answer.
"You didn't tell me it was this strong."
I swallow. "I didn't know it would react like this."
Kai whistles. "React? She evaporated a rogue in one hit! Aiden, your wife is a walking nuclear bomb."
Aiden growls softly, making Kai lift both hands in surrender.
Ethan arrives next, slightly pale.
"Alpha… Council's calling. They want to know the source of the magic spike."
Of course they do.
Trouble always travels fast in wolf packs.
Aiden steps closer to me, voice dropping.
"Do not say anything about the Shadow King. Or your power. Or your bloodline."
"I wasn't planning to," I say.
He closes the distance, grabbing my face gently but urgently.
"You listen to me carefully," he murmurs.
"That magic you used—it wasn't small. The entire pack felt it. The Elders felt it. They're scared."
"I know," I whisper.
"You don't."
His thumb brushes my cheek.
"You have no idea how wolves react when they're scared."
My heart thumps. "Aiden, let me help—"
"No."
His voice sharpens.
"You will do nothing. You will say nothing. You will stay behind me."
Kai mutters, "Translation: the mighty Alpha is panicking."
Aiden shoots him a look that could kill a titan.
Kai shrugs.
"Just saying."
Aiden ignores him and pulls me by the wrist.
"Come. We're going back."
His hand is hot around mine—too hot.
Like the bond is bleeding heat through his skin.
I don't resist.
Not yet.
Back to the Packhouse
The hall is chaos.
Wolves shouting.
Elders demanding answers.
Serene standing with tears in her eyes—too conveniently placed.
When we enter, the noise cuts instantly.
Every eye turns to me.
To the witch who burned a rogue.
To the girl they weren't supposed to fear.
Elder Mira steps forward.
Her face is grave.
Her eyes sharp.
"Alpha," she says, "we felt magic. Strong magic. And then rogues died unnaturally."
Aiden doesn't hesitate.
"My magic. Not hers."
The hall gasps.
Even I blink.
Serene whispers, "You… you're lying."
Aiden ignores her.
He squeezes my wrist tighter.
Elder Mira narrows her gaze. "Alpha, wolves do not wield witch fire."
Aiden's jaw clenches. "I do now."
"Impossible—"
"Do you want proof?" he snaps, eyes flashing.
The hall goes silent.
Serene steps closer, voice trembling.
"Aiden, please… don't protect her. She's hiding something. You're risking the entire pack for—"
Aiden turns to her slowly.
His voice is quiet.
Too quiet.
"Serene… stay out of this."
She freezes, hurt slicing through her features.
"Aiden… you never speak to me like that."
He doesn't answer.
Because right now his entire aura is wrapped around protecting me.
Even he can't hide it anymore.
Elder Mira's eyes drift between us.
"You're… connected," she whispers, horrified.
"The bond is real."
A wave of shock floods the room.
"Bond?"
"Alpha bonded to a human?"
"No—impossible!"
"She's hiding something!"
The whispers stab the air.
Levi, one of the younger warriors, steps forward.
"She's dangerous, Alpha! I saw her eyes—she glowed! She—"
Before he finishes, Aiden's wolf surges.
He grabs Levi by the collar, slamming him into the wall.
"She saved my life," Aiden growls.
"She saved your pack."
"She saved all of you!"
Levi trembles. "B–But her magic—"
Aiden roars, "Touch her again and I will kill you myself."
The hall falls into terrified silence.
No one speaks.
No one even breathes too loudly.
Aiden steps back, releasing the warrior, then turns to Elder Mira.
"Meeting over," he says.
"You can't—" the Elder begins.
"I can," Aiden snaps.
"And I have. Liyana leaves with me now."
He pulls me out of the hall, his hold firm, possessive, burning through my skin.
He doesn't look back.
Not once.
The Heated Quiet
He drags me down the corridor until we reach an empty training room.
Then he stops.
Lets go of my wrist.
But only because he wants to grab my face instead.
He presses me gently against the wall, eyes stormy and blazing with something fierce.
"Aiden—"
"Don't," he growls softly.
His breath is hot on my lips.
His forehead touches mine.
His hands cage my waist.
He's shaking.
Shaking.
"Aiden… what's wrong?"
"Everything," he whispers.
"You. The rogues. The Shadow King. The bond—dammit, Liyana, this bond—"
He breaks off, running a hand through his hair.
"I can't think straight when you're in danger."
My breath stutters.
He steps closer again.
Too close.
"Your magic…"
he whispers, eyes roaming my face,
"…it's beautiful. It terrifies me. And it pulls me in."
My chest tightens.
The bond pulses warm between us, humming like a trapped heartbeat.
"Aiden…" I whisper.
His hands slide down my arms, fingers brushing my wrist—
Right over the glowing Moonfire mark.
We both inhale at the same time.
The bond goes electric.
Golden light sparks under our skin.
Aiden's eyes widen.
He leans in—
Then stops.
Pain flashes across his face.
The bond is too strong.
Too new.
Too dangerous.
"Liyana," he breathes,
"If I touch you again tonight…
I won't be able to stop."
My heart jumps.
He steps back abruptly, breathing hard.
"Go to your room," he whispers.
"Before I do something we both can't undo."
"Aiden, I—"
"Please."
The single word breaks me.
He rarely says please.
His wolf growls behind his voice, struggling to break free.
He turns away, fists clenched.
"Go," he says again.
I leave slowly, pulse racing, magic trembling under my skin.
When I reach the hallway, the shadows shift.
A cold voice whispers from the dark:
"Moonfire Witch…
Your Alpha cannot protect you.
The Shadow King is coming."
I freeze.
The air turns icy.
And the voice fades into nothing.
The war has begun.