The silence that followed the stranger's declaration was not empty, it was deafening.
"She is mine."
His voice carried like thunder, cutting through the arena, splitting reality in two. For a heartbeat, no one moved. The warriors froze mid-breath. The Elders paled. Kael stood between Aria and the man, muscles tensed, blood still wet on his skin.
Aria's heart pounded so hard she thought it might crack.
The stranger's eyes burned like molten bronze, unwavering as they bore into her. "You belong to me, Aria."
"No," Kael growled, his voice sharp with fury. "She bears my mark. She is bound to me."
But the man simply smiled. "You think that bite makes her yours? The bond chose her before you ever laid eyes on her. You're just a chapter in a story written long before your pack drew its first breath."
Aria stepped forward, ignoring the dozens of eyes tracking her every movement. "Who are you really?" Her voice was steady now, though the fire inside her roared louder with every second.
He tilted his head. "I'm the one who carries your blood. The one whose fire was passed to you."
"My parents are dead," she snapped. "I've known nothing but lies, and I've had enough."
"Then let me tell you the truth," he said. "I am not your father, Aria. But I am your kin. Your mother was one of us Emberborn. Hidden. Protected. Until the council hunted her down for what she carried. For you."
The words hit her like a blow. Her knees almost buckled.
"No..." she whispered. "That's not "
"She died to keep you from them. From me." He took a step forward, and Kael bared his teeth.
"Come any closer and I'll rip you apart."
The stranger ignored him, speaking only to Aria. "But the flame inside you can't be denied forever. You've felt it. The pain. The power. The pull. Why do you think your mark burns when I'm near?"
"Because you're trying to destroy my bond," she said, forcing the trembling out of her voice. "But I won't let you. I don't belong to you. I chose Kael."
The stranger's smile faded for the first time. "That's not how fate works, girl. Blood always calls to blood."
Then, in a swirl of black flame, he vanished again.
Kael grabbed Aria by the arms, searching her face. "Are you hurt?"
She shook her head, tears pricking at the corners of her eyes but she refused to let them fall. Not here. Not in front of the council, the packs, and especially not in front of the one who thought he could claim her like a thing instead of a person.
"I'm fine," she said, her voice flat.
He pulled her to his chest, his heart still racing. "I'll kill him."
"No," she whispered. "You'll win the final trial. That's how we end this."
Later that night, back at Kael's den, the weight of the day pressed down on them like thick smoke. The second trial had ended in Kael's favor, but the real war hadn't even begun.
Aria sat curled on the bed, staring into the flames. Kael knelt beside her, his voice low.
"Why didn't you tell me your mark was hurting again?"
She didn't answer.
"Aria."
"I didn't want to seem weak," she said finally. "Not in front of them. Not in front of you."
Kael sighed. "Wolves don't cry, right?"
Her gaze flicked to him.
He looked down. "That's what my father used to say. That Alphas don't flinch. Don't show pain. Don't feel."
She reached for his hand. "He was wrong. Real strength is knowing when to let someone in."
Kael brought her hand to his lips. "Then let me in. Whatever you're remembering… whatever's waking inside you I can take it. We'll face it together."
Aria nodded, but deep down, a knot twisted in her chest.
Because even though she trusted Kael, even though their bond was real and alive and burning… something inside her was unraveling.
The fire in her veins wasn't just reacting anymore.
It was awakening.
And part of her was terrified she wouldn't be able to stop it.
Before dawn, she crept out of the den without waking Kael.
She didn't know where she was going only that she needed space. To breathe. To think. To feel.
The woods were still, heavy with dew and silence. She walked barefoot, letting the earth cool the heat on her skin.
That was when she heard it.
A soft, broken howl.
Not a challenge. Not a call.
A lament.
She followed it through the trees until she found the source.
Liam.
Kael's younger brother.
He sat on a moss-covered rock, his head in his hands, shoulders shaking. Not from fear or pain.
But grief.
She hesitated. Then stepped closer. "Liam?"
He looked up, startled. Wiped his face. "You weren't supposed to see that."
"It's okay," she said softly, sitting beside him. "Wolves don't cry, remember?"
He gave a hollow laugh. "Yeah, well, I'm not much of a wolf."
"Who did you lose?"
"My mate," he said, barely above a whisper. "Years ago. She died because of a rogue attack the council should have prevented. And now they want to destroy Kael too."
Aria's throat tightened. "I'm so sorry."
"I just… I don't want him to lose you. I can't watch it happen again."
She took his hand, squeezing it gently. "I'm not going anywhere."
But even as she said the words, the fire beneath her skin pulsed again, hotter, more urgent.
And in the wind, she could swear she heard a voice.
"But what if you already be
long to someone else?"
Will Aria's growing power tear her bond with Kael apart or lead her into a destiny she never asked for?