The cabin trembled with the sound of distant howls—layered, echoing, growing closer. Amina stood beside Kade, her heart pounding in sync with the pulsing bond between them.
Kade didn't release her hand.
He couldn't.
The bond was too tight now, too charged under the full moon. Electricity surged between their palms, hot and insistent.
Amina swallowed. "How many wolves are out there?"
"At least eight," Kade said, voice low and controlled. "Maybe more."
She felt the shift in him—his muscles tightening, his wolf rising just beneath his skin, hungry for battle. His eyes glowed a molten gold that reflected the moonlight pouring through the cracked cabin window.
Amina stepped closer without meaning to. "Can we fight them?"
He turned to her, gaze intense and unblinking. "I can. You're recovering. That blast you released back there took too much out of you."
"But I'm not useless—"
He cut her off gently, but firmly. "You're powerful, Amina. I felt it. The rogues felt it. But tonight's moon will pull at your magic. I don't know if it will help you… or burn you from the inside."
A shiver ran down her spine. Not fear—something deeper.
"Then what do we do?"
Kade's jaw clenched. His gaze flicked to the door, then back to her.
"I need you close. No matter what."
"I'm not going anywhere."
He breathed out slowly—relief flickering across his face like he hadn't expected her to say that.
Another howl sliced through the trees. Much closer now.
They didn't have long.
Kade pulled her into the center of the cabin, placing her hand against his chest. His heartbeat was wild. Hot. Unsteady.
"Amina," he said, "listen to me. The bond between us—it strengthens when we're touching."
Her breath caught. "Strengthens how?"
"My instincts. My healing. My speed. Everything."
"And me?"
His fingers slid up her arm, slow and deliberate. "You'll feel what I feel. And that might unlock more of your power."
The air around them thickened.
Dense.
Electric.
Amina's skin tingled beneath his touch, her magic responding to him like metal to a magnet.
Outside, branches snapped violently.
The rogues were right at the tree line.
Kade leaned his forehead against hers, eyes half-lidded. "Stay with me."
She whispered back, "I'm here."
Then the first wolf hit the door.
Hard.
The cabin shook.
Kade growled—deep, primal, vibrating through the floor.
Another slam.
The wood buckled.
Amina felt his pulse through the bond—sharp, blazing with Alpha fury. Her own heartbeat synced to it, heat rushing through her bloodstream.
"Kade," she breathed, "they're coming through."
"I know." His eyes glowed fully gold now. "Get behind me."
She didn't move.
"Kade—"
He growled her name, the sound rough and desperate. "Amina. Behind me."
She obeyed, stepping back—but the bond tightened instantly, pulling her forward like an invisible rope.
The door cracked.
Splintered.
Exploded.
A massive black rogue wolf burst into the cabin, saliva dripping from its fangs, eyes wild and red-rimmed.
Kade didn't hesitate.
He shifted halfway—bones cracking, claws ripping through his fingertips, canines lengthening. His voice deepened to something inhuman.
"Stay back!"
The rogue lunged—
Kade met it in mid-air, slamming it to the floor with a thunderous impact.
Two more wolves crashed through the broken doorway, snarling.
Amina's chest tightened. Heat flared in her palms again—bright, white-hot—but unstable. Flickering.
"Kade—there are too many!"
He tore into the first wolf, sending it flying into the wall. Blood splattered across the floor. The wolf whimpered, then went still.
He spun, blocking the next attack, but three more rogues pushed in from behind, cornering him.
Amina's magic surged again—this time sharper, brighter.
She lifted her hands—
But the bond snapped tight like lightning, and Kade screamed as if the power were ripping through him too.
"Amina—stop!" he gasped, shuddering. "Not like that—you'll overload—"
She clenched her teeth. "Then tell me what to do!"
Another rogue lunged behind him.
"Amina—MOVE!"
She ducked, and the wolf barreled past her, crashing into a wooden beam. The entire cabin shook.
Amina stumbled forward—and collided with Kade's back.
The moment her hands touched him, the world changed.
The bond roared to life—fiery, electric, overwhelming.
Kade inhaled sharply, his claws digging into the wood beneath him.
Amina's magic poured into him like molten silver, merging with his own power. She felt his strength. His fury. His desire to protect her. It flooded her senses.
And Kade felt her magic—wild, ancient, limitless.
He growled, low and guttural. "Amina… don't let go."
"I'm not."
Together, they pushed outward through the bond—
And the power erupted.
A shockwave blasted through the cabin, throwing every rogue wolf against the walls. Wood cracked. Glass shattered. The wolves yelped, stunned and disoriented.
Kade staggered but stayed upright, panting, the glow fading from his eyes.
Amina swayed behind him.
He caught her again—arms around her waist, pulling her against him.
"You're incredible," he whispered, breath hot against her ear. "Dangerous. And incredible."
Her knees nearly buckled. "This bond… it's too much."
His grip tightened. "It's not too much. It's us."
But the danger wasn't gone.
Because outside, in the forest, dozens of new howls rose at once.
The rogues were calling reinforcements.
And every single one of them was coming for the Alpha—
and the girl who was not human.