The fracture in the stone floor didn't spread further.
It stopped exactly where Aria stood.
That alone silenced the elders.
Aria stared down at the crack, breath shallow, heart pounding. She hadn't screamed. She hadn't lashed out. The power had surged—and then listened.
She lifted her gaze slowly.
Every elder was watching her now with something closer to fear than suspicion.
"I didn't mean to do that," she said.
"That's the problem," Elder Mara replied tightly. "You didn't have to."
Kael was still holding her arms. She hadn't noticed when his grip had shifted from restraint to something else—steady, grounding, protective. His thumbs pressed lightly against her skin, anchoring her without force.
The bond hummed, low and warm.
"Enough," Kael said. His voice carried absolute authority. "This session is over."
Mara's eyes flashed. "You don't get to dismiss us."
"I do," he said. "As Alpha."
Thorne studied Aria intently. "If she stays," he said slowly, "the pack will feel it. Others may sense it too."
Kael's jaw tightened. "You're suggesting outside interference."
"I'm warning you of it."
Silence fell.
Aria felt it then—something distant, faint, like a thread being tugged far beyond the pack lands. Her chest warmed instinctively, her wolf lifting its head inside her.
She frowned. "Someone else knows."
Kael's gaze snapped to her. "What?"
"I don't know who," she said honestly. "But it feels like… being noticed."
That was all it took.
Mara straightened. "Then the risk has already begun."
Kael released Aria slowly, though the bond resisted the distance. "I'll handle it."
"You already are," Mara said sharply. "And that's exactly why this can't continue."
She turned to Aria. "You will leave Nightfang territory."
The words hit hard.
"No," Kael said at the same time Aria whispered, "I won't."
Mara's gaze flicked between them. "This isn't about punishment. It's about survival."
Aria felt the weight of the room press down on her. For once, the power didn't surge. It waited.
"What if I choose to go?" Aria asked quietly.
Kael turned to her sharply. "You don't have to—"
"I know," she said. "But listen."
She faced the elders. "You're afraid because you don't understand me. Neither do I. But keeping me here, locked between stone and secrets, won't change that."
Thorne's expression softened slightly. "You would leave… willingly?"
"Yes," she said. "On my terms."
Kael's chest tightened painfully. The bond flared, sharp and unhappy.
"No," he said again, more quietly this time.
Aria met his gaze. "You can't protect me from everything."
His voice dropped. "I can try."
The honesty of it made her chest ache.
Mara folded her arms. "If she leaves, she will be watched."
Aria nodded. "I expect nothing less."
Kael turned away, pacing once before stopping in front of her. His eyes searched her face, as if memorizing it.
"This isn't bravery," he said. "It's reckless."
"Maybe," she replied. "But it's mine."
The bond pulsed—stronger, steadier—as if approving the choice.
Kael exhaled slowly. "Then you won't go alone."
Mara stiffened. "You can't mean—"
"I do," Kael said. "I'll escort her to the border. Personally."
Thorne's brows rose. "That would be… seen."
"Good," Kael replied. "Let them see."
The elders exchanged uneasy glances.
Finally, Mara nodded once. "At dawn."
The council dispersed soon after, their whispers echoing down the corridor.
When they were alone again, the silence felt heavier.
"You didn't have to do that," Aria said softly.
Kael turned to her. "Yes. I did."
The bond surged, heat rushing between them unchecked.
He stepped closer.
Too close.
Her breath caught as his presence filled her senses—pine, smoke, something darker beneath. The pull was stronger now, intimate, demanding.
"You're making a mistake," he said quietly.
"So are you," she replied.
Their gazes locked.
For a heartbeat, neither moved.
Kael lifted his hand, stopping just short of touching her cheek. The restraint in that alone made her chest tighten.
"If I cross that line," he said, voice rough, "there's no going back."
Aria swallowed. "Then don't."
His hand dropped.
The bond protested violently.
Kael turned away abruptly. "Rest. We leave at first light."
He reached the door, then paused.
"This power," he said without turning. "It isn't random. It answers you because it recognizes you."
She frowned. "As what?"
Kael looked back at her then, expression unreadable.
"As someone who was never meant to be small."
The door closed behind him.
Aria sat down slowly, heart racing.
Beyond the pack lands, something ancient stirred.
And somewhere far away, another Alpha lifted his head to the sky—
And smiled.