Darkness folds around me like fabric.
Not empty.
Not cold.
Soft.
And for a moment, I don't know where I am.
Floating.
Weightless.
Somewhere between one heartbeat and the next.
A voice echoes faintly.
Not Aiden.
Not a wolf.
Him.
"My daughter… the flame wakes."
Then everything goes silent again.
Aiden's Panic
Aiden catches me the instant my body goes limp.
My head rolls onto his shoulder, eyes closed, breathing shallow.
My glowing golden veins pulse weakly under my skin.
For one terrifying second, Aiden stops breathing.
"Liyana?"
He shakes me gently.
"Liyana—look at me."
I don't respond.
I'm somewhere else—
locked away in a fog of darkness and gold.
Aiden's heart breaks visibly.
He pulls me close, gathering me in his arms like something precious and too fragile.
Wolves around him gasp.
"She's unconscious—!"
"Is she dying?"
"The king touched her—"
"Her veins—look—!"
Aiden's wolf surges.
He snarls so violently that wolves leap backward.
"GET AWAY FROM HER!"
His voice cracks like thunder.
Even the elders flinch.
Kai rushes forward. "Alpha—she needs help—"
"I SAID BACK OFF!"
Kai freezes.
No wolf has ever seen Aiden like this.
Wild.
Uncontrolled.
Desperate.
Ethan steps forward slowly, hands raised.
"Alpha… we need to move her inside. Please."
For a long, tense moment, Aiden doesn't move.
Then—with trembling hands—he stands, picking me up effortlessly.
My hair spills over his arm.
My head lolls against his chest.
My glowing veins flicker softly beneath my skin.
Aiden cradles me as if I'm the last living piece of his soul.
And he runs.
Straight toward the Alpha Wing.
Straight toward his private chamber.
—
Inside Aiden's Room
He kicks the door open and lays me on the bed—his bed—gently, too gently.
He brushes hair from my face, eyes burning with fear.
"Liyana… come back. Please."
He presses his forehead to mine.
His breath shakes uncontrollably.
Aiden Black has always been unbreakable.
Tonight—he's breaking.
The Elders Interfere
The door slams open.
Elder Mira, Elder Rowan, and several ranked wolves push their way in.
"Aiden," Rowan says, voice urgent, "she must be examined. Her magic is unstable—"
Aiden lifts his head slowly.
His eyes are not silver.
They are almost white.
Wolf glowing through human.
"Step closer," he says quietly.
"See what happens."
The elders hesitate.
"She is turning," Rowan insists.
"She is tainted by the Shadow King's touch—"
Aiden's aura explodes outward.
Glass cracks.
Walls vibrate.
The bedposts tremble.
"DON'T YOU CALL HER TAINTED!"
His roar shakes the room.
I don't wake.
I don't move.
My glowing veins pulse again.
Rowan trembles. "Alpha… her body can't process that magic. Not witch magic. Not wolf magic. Not—whatever she is turning into."
Aiden bares his teeth. "Touch her, and you die."
Mira swallows. "Alpha… she needs help. Let us examine her arm. We need to understand the transformation."
Aiden stands in front of the bed like a wall.
"No one touches her."
"She's becoming dangerous, Aiden!"
"She's becoming powerful."
"And uncontrolled!"
"I'LL HELP HER CONTROL IT!"
Rowan slams his cane to the floor.
"Aiden Black!"
His voice booms.
"You cannot protect a witch who cannot protect herself!"
Aiden's voice drops into a terrifying growl.
"She protected all of you."
No one speaks.
He steps closer to Rowan.
"You were terrified while she fought for you."
Silence deepens.
Rowan lowers his voice.
"Her veins… they're changing color, Alpha. That is not normal."
Aiden lifts my hand gently.
My skin glows under his touch.
Golden lines spread like lightning beneath my skin—up my wrist, along my forearm, toward my heart.
Aiden's brows draw together in pain.
He whispers,
"She's burning."
Mira inhales sharply.
"The only beings who manifested gold-vein magic were—"
She stops.
Aiden's eyes narrow.
"Were who?"
Mira trembles.
"The ancient royal line of ShadowWitches."
Aiden freezes.
Kai's jaw drops.
"Uh… like… royalty royalty?"
Ethan's face goes pale.
"Like… his bloodline?"
Mira nods slowly.
"Liyana's veins… confirm what he said tonight."
Aiden's breath stops.
"What?"
"She is his heir," Mira whispers.
Aiden's world shatters.
He feels the floor tilt.
He grips the bedpost to stay upright.
"No…"
His voice cracks.
"No, she can't be—she can't—"
Kai whispers,
"Alpha… she's literally glowing like a sunbeam from hell. That's not normal girl stuff."
Aiden turns toward me again, heart breaking visibly.
His voice is barely a whisper:
"Liyana… what are you?"
Inside the Dream World
I float in darkness.
Alone.
Except—
A soft hum echoes through the void.
Warm.
Golden.
Familiar.
Then—
a figure appears.
Not the Shadow King.
A woman.
Tall.
Radiant.
With long hair like flowing light and eyes that burn gold like mine.
She reaches a hand toward me.
"You are waking, child."
My voice cracks.
"Who are you?"
"Your mother."
My heart stops.
"My… mother? But—"
"We died protecting you."
Her voice trembles with sadness.
"Your father—he wanted to claim you. Raise you as an heir of ruin. But we hid you instead."
"My father is the Shadow King?"
Her face breaks in grief.
"He was once human. Once good. Until the darkness consumed him."
A sharp pang hits my chest.
"You cannot stay hidden any longer," she whispers.
"The bond is awakening your true power."
"Am I going to die?"
"No."
A soft smile.
"You are going to become what you were meant to be."
"And what is that?"
Her eyes blaze.
"The first ShadowWitch who can choose her destiny."
My magic flares.
The darkness cracks.
"Go back," she whispers.
"He is waiting."
My heart stutters.
"Aiden…?"
She nods.
"He is the only one who can anchor you. Don't break the bond. It's the only thing keeping both worlds from claiming you."
The world dissolves.
Back in Aiden's Room
My breath catches.
Eyes flutter open.
Aiden freezes.
"Liyana?"
I inhale sharply—and the gold veins flare brightly.
The elders gasp.
Aiden is at my side instantly, hands cupping my face.
"Look at me," he whispers, voice breaking. "Just look at me."
I blink slowly.
"Aiden…"
He exhales like he's been underwater.
"Goddess—thank you—"
His forehead presses to mine.
My voice is faint.
"She spoke to me."
"Who?"
"My mother."
Aiden stiffens. "Liyana—"
"She said I'm… not dying."
He lets out a shaky breath.
"She said I'm becoming something. Something old. Something powerful."
Aiden cups my hand gently.
"And something dangerous?"
I swallow.
"…Yes."
His eyes soften.
"I don't care."
Mira whispers from behind us, trembling:
"Alpha… be careful."
Aiden rounds on her.
"No."
"You be careful."
He turns back to me, brushing his thumb over my lower lip.
"You are not dangerous to me," he murmurs.
"But to everyone else?" Kai mutters.
Aiden growls at him.
Kai shuts up immediately.
Ethan whispers,
"Alpha… what now?"
Aiden lifts his head slowly.
His aura fills the entire room.
"Now?"
He pulls me gently into his arms.
"Now I protect her from the world she came from—and the world she's becoming."
He leans close to my ear, voice low, fierce.
"You are mine, Liyana. And I am not letting anyone—King or shadow—take you."
My veins glow brighter.
The bond pulses.
And somewhere in the forest, the Shadow King whispers:
"She wakes."
Everything is about to change.