I woke to the sound of a heartbeat that wasn't mine.
Strong. Steady. Powerful.
For a brief, disorienting moment, I thought I was still dreaming—caught somewhere between wolf and woman, between memory and instinct. Warmth surrounded me, solid and unyielding, and the faint scent of pine, smoke, and something wild filled my lungs.
Ronan.
The realization snapped me fully awake.
I stiffened instantly, my body protesting with a dull ache that radiated through my limbs. I was lying on a wide bed draped in dark linens, stone walls rising around me. The room was dim, lit only by moonlight filtering through tall windows. And beside me—too close—was Ronan.
Sitting, not lying. Awake.
Golden eyes glowed softly in the dark as he watched me, his posture relaxed but alert, like a predator who never truly slept.
"You're awake," he said quietly.
I pushed myself upright, clutching the blanket to my chest. "Why am I here?"
"You collapsed," he replied. "Your body shut down."
"I didn't ask you to carry me."
"No," he said evenly. "But you needed it."
Anger flared, quick and instinctive. "You always decide what I need."
"And you always underestimate what's happening to you," he countered.
I opened my mouth to argue, but the memory of the pain during training slammed back into me—sharp, sudden, terrifying. My hand drifted unconsciously to my abdomen. The ache was still there, faint but persistent, like an echo.
Ronan noticed.
His gaze followed the movement, his expression sharpening. "Does it still hurt?"
I hesitated, then nodded reluctantly. "A little."
Silence stretched between us, heavy and charged. He stood, moving toward the window, arms crossed as he stared out at the moonlit grounds below.
"That wasn't exhaustion," he said finally. "Or injury."
I frowned. "Then what was it?"
"A reaction," he replied. "To the bond. To your blood."
My chest tightened. "You said training would help me control it."
"It will," he said. "But control comes after awakening. And you're not fully awake yet."
The words sent a chill through me. "Awake to what?"
He turned to face me, moonlight outlining his sharp features. "To what you are becoming."
I scoffed weakly. "I'm not becoming anything. I just want to survive."
Ronan's gaze softened—not much, but enough to unsettle me. "Survival isn't the end of your path, Aria. It's the beginning."
I swung my legs over the side of the bed, ignoring the faint dizziness. "I don't believe in paths or prophecies. I believe in choices."
"And yet," he said quietly, "you're still here."
I had no answer for that.
Before I could gather my thoughts, a deep, resonant horn echoed through the fortress—low, urgent, unmistakable. My wolf surged forward instantly, senses sharpening, heart racing.
Ronan moved in a blur, already heading for the door. "Stay here."
"No," I said, standing despite the protest in my body. "You said I need to survive. I won't hide."
He studied me for a split second, then nodded. "Then stay close."
We moved through the corridors quickly, the air buzzing with tension. Guards rushed past us, weapons drawn, eyes sharp with alarm. Outside, the night felt different—thicker, charged, as if the moon itself was holding its breath.
"What's happening?" I asked.
"Scouts," Ronan replied. "From the eastern border."
We reached the outer wall just as a group of Lycans dragged a bloodied figure forward. The man collapsed at Ronan's feet, gasping, his scent thick with fear and iron.
"They're moving," the scout wheezed. "Rogues… and hunters. They know something."
Ronan's jaw tightened. "Know what?"
The scout's eyes flicked briefly to me before returning to Ronan. "They're searching for a woman. Silver wolf. Carries a rare bloodline."
My heart slammed violently against my ribs.
Ronan's gaze snapped to me, sharp and probing. The bond flared, hot and insistent, as if reacting to the threat. My wolf snarled, hackles rising.
"Who sent them?" Ronan demanded.
The scout shook his head weakly. "Didn't hear names. Only whispers. Prophecy. Heirs."
The word struck like a blow.
Ronan dismissed the scout with a sharp command, turning to his guards. "Double the perimeter. No one enters or leaves without my order."
As they scattered, he turned back to me, his expression dark, stormy. "This is no coincidence."
I swallowed hard. "They're hunting me."
"Yes," he said. "And they won't stop."
Fear coiled tightly in my chest, cold and suffocating. "Because of the prophecy."
"And because of what you carry," he added.
I stiffened. "What do you mean?"
He stepped closer, lowering his voice. "Your blood reacted to the runes. Your body reacted to the bond. And now enemies are moving because of whispers they shouldn't even know."
My stomach churned. "You think I'm some kind of weapon."
"No," he said firmly. "I think you're a catalyst."
The ground seemed to tilt beneath my feet. "I don't want this."
"I know," he said softly. "But wanting doesn't change the truth."
I hugged my arms around myself, fighting the tremor running through me. Memories of running alone through forests, of hiding and starving, of betrayal and loss surged back violently.
"I can't do this again," I whispered. "I can't run forever."
Ronan's hand came to rest lightly on my shoulder—warm, steady, grounding. "You won't," he said. "Not alone."
I looked up at him, meeting his gaze. For the first time, I didn't see just a king or a threat.
I saw a protector.
And that terrified me more than anything else.
Because somewhere deep inside, my wolf leaned into his touch, whispering a truth I wasn't ready to accept:
This is where we are safest.
The moon hung high above us, watching silently.
And I had the unsettling feeling it was no longer just observing—
It was waiting.