The alarms didn't stop screaming.
They echoed through the compound, sharp and relentless, slicing through the night like a warning meant for more than just us. Lights flared to life across the grounds as guards poured from every direction, weapons drawn, eyes wide with confusion and fear.
Riven was already moving, positioning himself in front of me without thinking. Kael followed instinctively, standing close enough that I could feel his steadying presence through the bond. Solen's gaze swept the perimeter, calculating angles, escape routes, probabilities.
The bond stayed calm.
That terrified me more than the alarms.
"What triggered the wards?" Riven demanded as the head guard approached, breathless.
The man swallowed. "Nothing crossed them, Alpha heir. That's the problem."
Solen stiffened. "They reacted from the inside."
The implication hit hard.
Before anyone could respond, a ripple of pressure rolled through the air—heavy, ancient, unmistakable. Every wolf on the grounds froze, heads snapping upward as the sky itself seemed to darken.
Astraea stirred sharply. The Council felt it.
My stomach dropped.
Above us, the moon flared brighter than I'd ever seen it, light spilling unnaturally across the compound. The air thickened, buzzing with power that didn't belong to any single pack.
Then the ground shook.
Not violently—but deliberately.
A column of silver light slammed down into the central courtyard, forcing everyone back. Guards stumbled. Wolves snarled. The bond tightened—not in fear, but readiness.
From the light stepped three figures cloaked in pale gray, their presence suffocating. The Moon Council.
The tallest among them lifted her hood, revealing eyes like molten silver. "By decree of the Moon Goddess," she intoned, voice carrying effortlessly, "the bonded convergence has been acknowledged."
A collective gasp rippled through the compound.
Kael went rigid. "Acknowledged?"
Riven's jaw clenched. "That's not possible. Bonds like this are—"
"Rare," the Councilor cut in. "Not impossible."
Her gaze locked onto me.
"And you," she continued, "are the anchor."
Every instinct in me screamed to step back.
I didn't.
"What do you want?" I asked, forcing my voice steady.
The second Councilor stepped forward, expression cold. "Verification."
Solen frowned. "You already felt it."
"Yes," the first replied. "But feeling is not confirmation."
The bond stirred, irritated.
Astraea's voice was sharp. Be careful. They fear what they cannot control.
The third Councilor finally spoke, tone softer but no less dangerous. "You awakened something the world is not prepared for. A unified bond among multiple Alpha heirs destabilizes the balance of power."
Riven snarled. "That sounds like a political problem. Not ours."
The Councilor's eyes flashed. "Everything is political."
The bond flared—controlled, deliberate.
The light around us shifted, reacting.
Kael sucked in a breath. "They can't break it."
"No," I said quietly. "But they can try to separate us."
Silence fell.
The first Councilor's lips curved slightly. "You understand quickly."
"I had to," I replied. "People keep trying to decide my fate for me."
Her gaze sharpened. "Then hear this clearly. The Council will observe. Closely."
Solen crossed his arms. "And if we refuse?"
The moonlight dimmed, pressure increasing until even seasoned guards struggled to breathe.
"Then," the Councilor said calmly, "we will intervene."
Riven's power surged dangerously. "Touch her and—"
I reached out, gripping his arm. "No."
The bond steadied him instantly.
I stepped forward, heart pounding but resolve unshaken. "You want proof? You already have it. The bond isn't tearing us apart. It's stabilizing us."
The Councilors exchanged glances.
Astraea whispered, Show them restraint. It will unsettle them more than force.
The silver light began to retract slowly.
"We will allow this convergence to continue," the first Councilor said. "For now."
Relief rippled through the compound—but it didn't reach my chest.
"Understand this," she added, eyes burning into mine. "If this bond threatens the order of the packs… we will end it."
The light vanished.
The night rushed back in, heavy and electric.
For several heartbeats, no one spoke.
Kael finally exhaled. "They're scared."
"Yes," Solen agreed. "Which means others will be too."
Riven looked at me, expression unreadable. "You just became a liability."
I met his gaze steadily. "Or a turning point."
The bond pulsed—strong, unified.
Astraea's voice was calm but grave. From this moment on, secrecy is no longer an option.
I looked out at the compound—at the guards whispering, the wolves watching, the power humming in the air.
The world had noticed us.
And it wouldn't look away again.