They ran until dawn stained the sky a pale silver.
Kael did not slow until the forest thinned and the land sloped downward into a narrow valley cut through stone. The air here felt different—heavy, humming faintly, as if the earth itself were listening.
Aria felt it immediately.
"This place," she said breathlessly. "It's… old."
Kael nodded. "A convergence line. Power bends here."
"Convenient," she muttered.
Or dangerous.
They had barely reached the valley floor when the bond tugged sharply—warning, not pain.
Kael stopped. "We're not alone."
Figures emerged from the ridge above them.
Four.
Two shifted halfway, eyes glowing, claws extended. One wore the markings of a minor eastern pack. The fourth stood calmly at the center, posture relaxed, confidence dangerous.
"Alpha Kael," the man called. "You're far from Nightfang territory."
Kael's voice was cold. "Step aside."
The man smiled thinly. "We sensed the disturbance. We came to confirm."
His gaze slid to Aria.
She felt the familiar invasive pull, her power reacting instinctively.
"An unclaimed omega," the man continued. "Carrying awakening blood."
Kael moved slightly in front of her.
"That's far enough," Kael said.
The man tilted his head. "You rejected her. That makes her… unguarded."
The word landed like a weapon.
Aria's hands clenched.
Kael's jaw tightened. "Leave."
The man sighed. "I was hoping you'd be reasonable."
The two half-shifted wolves advanced.
Kael's power surged outward, Alpha dominance crashing into them hard enough to stagger one back. But the others held their ground, reinforced by sigils glowing faintly at their throats.
"Binding marks," Aria whispered. "They're resisting you."
Kael cursed under his breath.
The bond pulsed.
Do something, it urged.
Fear curled in Aria's stomach—but beneath it, something steadier emerged.
Choice.
She stepped forward.
"Aria, no," Kael snapped.
She ignored him.
Her heart pounded as she faced the men above them. "You came because you sensed me," she said. "Not him."
The leader raised a brow. "Yes."
"Then look at me," she said. "And listen."
The bond surged—not wild this time, but focused.
Aria closed her eyes and reached inward, past fear, past confusion, to the strange warmth that had always been there, waiting.
She chose direction.
The ground responded.
Energy spread from her feet, rippling outward through the valley floor, ancient and resonant. The air vibrated, humming like a struck chord.
The men stiffened.
"What is this?" one hissed.
Aria opened her eyes.
Power burned calmly now, not consuming her—but answering.
"You want to claim me," she said evenly. "Or control me. Or erase me."
Her voice carried farther than it should have.
"I choose otherwise."
The valley walls flared with faint, glowing markings—old runes etched into stone long before packs ruled the land. They ignited one by one, responding to her presence.
Kael stared in shock.
Aria lifted her hand—and the ground rose.
Not violently.
Purposefully.
Stone surged upward between them and the men, forming a curved barrier etched with light.
The half-shifted wolves slammed into it, snarling, claws scraping uselessly.
The leader staggered back, eyes wide. "You're binding the land."
Aria's breath shook—but she held the power steady.
"This place doesn't answer to packs," she said. "It answers to blood."
The man's expression hardened. "You don't know what you're doing."
"I know exactly what I'm doing," she replied. "I'm choosing."
With a final surge, she pushed outward—not an attack, but a command.
The runes flared brightly.
The men were thrown back, expelled from the valley with force sharp enough to send them skidding across the earth, tumbling down the ridge and out of sight.
Silence fell.
The runes dimmed.
The barrier sank back into the ground as if it had never existed.
Aria swayed.
Kael caught her instantly, pulling her against him as her knees buckled.
"You did that," he said, awe and fear tangled in his voice.
Her pulse thundered. "I didn't lose control."
"No," he agreed. "You claimed it."
The bond shifted.
Not snapping.
Not sealing.
Aligning.
Aria felt it—different now. Responsive. Waiting for her, not demanding.
She looked up at Kael. "This is what I am."
"Yes," he said quietly. "And now they'll know it too."
Her chest tightened. "What does that mean?"
Kael's gaze darkened. "It means the council will stop debating."
"And you?" she asked softly. "What does it mean for you?"
He hesitated—then answered honestly.
"It means rejecting you is no longer a solution," he said. "And claiming you may no longer be enough."
The bond pulsed between them, warm and dangerous.
Aria exhaled slowly.
"Then we'd better decide carefully," she said. "Before someone else decides for us."
Kael nodded once.
And far away, forces that ruled by fear felt the shift—and realized the balance had begun to change.