Aurelia's POV
The wards failed at sunset.
Not completely—but enough that everyone felt it.
The air along the perimeter of the clearing rippled like heat over stone, and a low hum spread through the pack, raising hackles and sharpening fear. Wolves shifted uneasily, eyes flicking toward the tree line where Nightfall territory loomed unseen but very real.
Elder Bram slammed his staff into the ground. "Enough. This ends now."
Silence snapped into place.
"You have brought danger to our borders," he said, his gaze locked on me. "Whether intentionally or not, your presence has become a liability."
The word cut deeper than the insults ever had.
"A liability?" I echoed.
"Yes," another elder said coldly. "Nightfall has never tested us like this. Not until you."
Murmurs of agreement spread.
Raffyn bristled. "That's convenient. Blame the shield instead of the blade."
Elder Bram's eyes hardened. "You overstep, Alpha."
"I protect," Raffyn shot back. "Something you're failing at."
Talon raised a hand—not to silence Raffyn, but to slow the moment before it exploded. "We need clarity, not scapegoats."
"You'll get it," Bram said. "Now."
He turned back to me.
"Aurelia Vale, the council has reached a decision."
My chest tightened painfully.
"You will accept a binding arrangement," Bram continued. "Immediately."
Gasps rippled through the clearing.
Lucien's wings flared violently. "No."
The elder ignored him. "To stabilize the pack and deter further provocation, you will be formally placed under Alpha protection."
Raffyn laughed harshly. "Which Alpha?"
Bram's gaze slid to the twins.
"The Draven brothers," he said. "Together, if necessary."
The words struck like a blow.
My instincts screamed.
"I won't," I said.
Bram's voice sharpened. "This is not a request."
Silvara's presence prickled at the edge of my awareness, tense but silent.
"And if I refuse?" I asked.
Bram didn't hesitate. "Then you will be confined to the inner wards until this threat passes."
Caged.
The magic inside me recoiled violently.
Lucien stepped fully in front of me now, wings blazing with light. "You will not imprison her."
Raffyn's fire surged. "Try it."
Talon's voice was colder than either of them. "If you force this, you fracture the pack permanently."
Bram looked between them—and then back at me.
"You've already fractured it," he said. "Now you will choose how badly."
The clearing held its breath.
I felt every eye on me. Wolves I'd known my entire life. Wolves who feared Nightfall more than they trusted me. Wolves who would sacrifice one for the illusion of safety.
Something settled inside my chest.
Not rage.
Resolve.
"I will not be bound by fear," I said clearly. "Not mine. Not yours."
Bram's staff trembled. "Then you leave us no choice."
Before he could speak again, the ground beneath the clearing split open with a thunderous crack.
Silver light tore upward like lightning frozen in place.
The pack screamed.
I dropped to my knees—not in pain, but shock—as the magic surged outward, not wild this time, but deliberate. The fracture ran straight toward the damaged ward, sealing it in a blaze of silver sigils that flared, locked, and vanished.
The hum stopped.
Silence fell.
I stared at my hands, glowing faintly.
"I didn't—" I began.
Silvara stepped forward at last. "Yes," she said quietly. "You did."
Bram staggered back, eyes wide. "What are you?"
I stood slowly, legs shaking but unbroken. "I am not your liability."
Lucien moved to my side, wings folding protectively.
Raffyn grinned despite himself. "Told you."
Talon exhaled slowly. "That was not wolf magic."
"No," Silvara agreed. "That was authority."
The elders whispered among themselves, fear replacing certainty.
Bram swallowed. "Then you are too dangerous to remain uncontained."
Silvara's voice cut through the panic. "And too valuable to cage."
She met Bram's gaze squarely. "You face war whether you like it or not. With her—or without her."
The implication was clear.
Use the shield.
Or break against the blade alone.
The horn sounded again—urgent, sharp.
A scout burst into the clearing, breathless. "Nightfall forces at the outer ridge!"
Panic surged.
Bram closed his eyes briefly, then opened them with resignation etched deep into his features.
"Aurelia Vale," he said heavily. "You will remain under escort. Not confinement. And the council will… reconsider."
It wasn't trust.
But it was a retreat.
I nodded once. "That's enough."
As the pack scrambled into motion, Silvara leaned close to me, her voice barely audible.
"They've seen it now," she said. "There's no ringing this bell."
I looked out at the chaos—at wolves preparing for war, at fear and hope tangled together.
And somewhere beyond the trees,
I felt it.
Jarek.
Watching.
Smiling.
Because he finally knew what the pack was beginning to understand.
I wasn't running anymore.
I was standing my ground.