The room was quiet, almost painfully so. Kael sat beside Nyra, his hand resting on hers, steadying her, keeping the panic from spilling over.
But inside, Nyra's blood roared.
The visions returned — this time sharper, more insistent. Flashes of her mother, her father, ancient ceremonies, and silver moonlight pierced her mind. And then… something new.
A presence.
Not human. Not wolf. Something older. Older than the Blood Moon itself.
"Nyra…" it whispered, soft but insistent. "Do not fear yourself. Fear nothing."
Her skin prickled, silver light shimmering faintly beneath her veins. She felt a heat in her chest, spreading outward, building, growing… and it frightened her.
"I don't understand," she whispered. "What… what am I supposed to do?"
Kael's golden eyes met hers. "Feel it. Don't fight it. Let it flow."
She closed her eyes, taking a shaky breath. The visions coalesced around her, surrounding her like a storm of silver fire. And then it happened.
A pulse of energy surged from her chest — not wild, not chaotic, but precise, controlled, like a heartbeat she could ride instead of drown in.
Her hands rose instinctively. Silver light poured from her fingertips, weaving through the air. Shapes formed in the glow: ghostly images of wolves, of hunters, of her parents standing tall, ancient, and powerful.
Nyra gasped. Her power was no longer just inside her. It was reaching outward, connecting her to… everything she had seen. The past. The present. The potential future.
Kael's breath caught. "Nyra… that's…"
"I can… I can see them… guide them… maybe protect them," she whispered, awe and fear mingling. "I'm… controlling it."
The silver light pulsed faster, responding to her heartbeat. The visions bent to her will — not fully, not perfectly, but enough. She could feel her mother's strength, her father's courage, and even the instinct of wolves from centuries ago, all flowing through her like a living river of power.
Kael's hand tightened over hers. "You're channeling your bloodline. You're… directing ancestral energy. That's incredibly dangerous."
"I know!" she said, voice trembling. "It feels… amazing… and terrifying. I don't want to hurt anyone!"
"You won't," he said firmly. "I'll help you anchor it."
Nyra focused. Slowly, the light receded slightly, condensing into a soft glow around her hands. The visions shifted again, showing a hunter about to strike one of her pack. Her pulse quickened. Without thinking, she thrust her hands outward.
A wave of silver energy shot forward. It struck the hunter, not harming him fatally, but forcing him to stumble back, dazed and disoriented.
Kael's eyes widened. "Nyra…"
"I didn't hurt him!" she breathed, heart pounding. "I just… stopped him."
"Yes," Kael said softly, awe and pride mixing in his voice. "You can protect without killing. You've unlocked something rare… something your bloodline has hidden for centuries."
Nyra sank to her knees, trembling. The room hummed with residual energy. She pressed her forehead against Kael's chest.
"This… this power," she whispered. "It's too much. How do I control it fully?"
Kael cupped her face gently, his thumb brushing along her cheek. "One step at a time. You've just taken the first step. The rest… we'll discover together."
Her silver light faded slowly, leaving her breathless but exhilarated. Somewhere deep inside, the ancient whispers of her bloodline lingered, alive, waiting, and no longer afraid.
Kael leaned closer, his forehead resting against hers. "You're incredible, Nyra."
Her voice trembled, soft and unsteady. "I'm scared."
"And that's why I'll always be here," he murmured. "To guide you… to anchor you… to fight by your side."
She closed her eyes, letting herself rest against him, for the first time feeling the full weight of her power — and the comforting knowledge that she was not alone.
Deep in the shadows outside the window, a faint pair of grey eyes watched. Lucien. He had sensed the awakening.
And the smile curling his lips promised: he would not wait long before testing it.