Isabella’s POV

The SUV skids, tires screaming on Denver’s icy roads, Mira’s gold eyes burning through the shattered windshield.

Her power crackles, a storm of energy pinning us in place, the air thick with menace. Ethan’s arm is around me, his heat searing my skin, his scent wild, musky making my core clench despite the danger.

My fangs ache, my blood humming with a hunger I can’t control, craving his touch, his taste. The hybrids are closing in, their claws glinting under streetlights, and my heart’s a jackhammer, fear and desire tangling like lovers.

“Floor it, Sofia!” Ethan roars, his voice rough, vibrating through me. His hand grips my thigh, possessive, sending heat pooling low. God, I want him, even now, with death breathing down our necks.

“I’m trying!” Sofia snaps, her hands glowing white, psychic energy flaring as she fights Mira’s hold. The SUV lurches, but Mira’s power is stronger, slowing us to a crawl.

“Fuck this,” Lucas growls from the back, his claws out, ready to leap. Elena, beside him, is tense, her eyes flicking to me, wary but protective. I’m the problem, the spark, and they all know it.

Mira steps closer, her cloak billowing in the wind. “Isabella Vega, come willingly, or they all die.” Her voice is cold, ancient, and my blood sings, recognizing her power. I’m not just a vampire, I'm something more, and it terrifies me.

“No way in hell,” I spit, my fangs flashing. Ethan’s grip tightens, his breath hot on my neck, and I’m dizzy, imagining his lips there, claiming me. My body’s betraying me, aching for him in the worst moment.

“Isabella, don’t,” Ethan warns, his eyes blazing green, pupils blown with hunger. He’s fighting his wolf, I can tell, the same way I’m fighting my newfound instincts. I want to climb him, to sink my fangs into his skin, to taste his blood while he fucks me senseless.

Mira laughs, sharp and cruel. “You can’t fight fate, girl. The prophecy demands your blood.”

“Prophecy my ass,” I snarl, lunging forward, my speed unnatural. I slam into Mira, my nails digging into her arm, but her power surges, throwing me back. I hit the SUV’s hood, pain exploding, but Ethan’s there, catching me, his body hard against mine.

“You okay?” he asks, voice low, urgent. His hands roam my sides, checking for wounds, and I arch into him, craving more. His touch is fire, and I’m burning, my thighs pressing together as desire overwhelms me.

“Barely,” I pant, my lips inches from his. I want to kiss him, to lose myself in him, but hybrids swarm, their claws slashing. Ethan shifts, his wolf bursting free, tearing into one with a roar. Blood sprays, and I’m on my feet, fighting beside him, my fangs sinking into a hybrid’s throat. The taste bitter, wrong makes me gag, but my strength surges, vampiric and unstoppable.

“Nice bite,” Ethan growls, human again, blood streaking his chest. His grin is feral, and fuck, I want him, my body screaming to pin him down and ride him until we’re both spent.

“Focus, Wolfe,” I snap, but my voice is husky, my eyes on his lips. He smirks, knowing exactly what I’m thinking.

Sofia shouts, “I can’t hold her much longer!” Her psychic glow flickers, sweat beading on her brow. Lucas and Elena are fighting back-to-back, claws and teeth against hybrids, but we’re losing ground.

Mira advances, her power a crushing weight. “You’re mine, Isabella. The Order will have you.”

“Over my dead body,” Ethan snarls, pulling me close. His hand slides to my ass, possessive, and I moan, unable to stop myself. His eyes darken, and for a second, it’s just us, the world fading as I imagine him inside me, claiming me.

A new howl splits the night Marcus, that bastard, with more rogues. He’s grinning, blood on his muzzle. “Time’s up, Wolfe. Victor’s waiting.”

“Victor’s here?” I blurt, my heart lurching. Ethan’s face hardens, and I know we’re fucked.

“Stay back,” Elena snaps, her claws glinting as she faces Marcus. “You’re a traitor, Marcus. You’ll pay for this.”

“Pay?” Marcus laughs, circling her. “I’m taking what’s mine. Ethan’s weak, and she’s a liability.” His eyes lock on me, and my blood chills, but Ethan’s growl grounds me, his body a shield.

“We need to move,” I whisper, my hand on Ethan’s arm, feeling his muscles tense. I want to drag him into the SUV and fuck him until we forget this fight, but there’s no time.

Sofia’s voice is strained. “I’m losing it! Get in!” She slams the gas, and the SUV lurches, breaking Mira’s hold for a moment. We pile in, Ethan pulling me onto his lap, his hardness pressing against me. I bite my lip, stifling a moan, my body aching for him even as hybrids chase us.

“Drive faster!” Lucas shouts, blood dripping from a gash on his face. Elena’s beside him, her eyes on me, softer now, like she’s starting to trust me.

Mira’s voice echoes, chilling. “You can’t escape the prophecy, Isabella. Your blood will unite or destroy us all.”

“What does that mean?” I demand, turning to Ethan. His jaw clenches, his hand sliding up my thigh, sending shivers through me. I want him to keep going, to touch me where I need it most, but the hybrids are gaining, claws scraping the SUV.

“Later,” he mutters, his lips brushing my ear, and I’m done, my body trembling with need. “Just stay alive.”

The SUV swerves, Sofia dodging a hybrid on the road. We’re heading for the university, the campus lights a blur in the night. My blood’s singing, fangs aching, and I know I’m changing, becoming something I don’t understand. Ethan’s hand tightens, grounding me, and I want to kiss him, to lose myself in him.

“We’re almost there,” Sofia says, her voice shaking. “The library there’s a safe room.”

“Safe room?” I ask, my eyes on Ethan. His chest is heaving, blood and sweat mixing, and I want to lick it off, to taste him. God, what’s happening to me?

“Old vampire hideout,” Elena says, her voice tight. “It’s our best shot.”

Marcus’s howl is closer, and the SUV shakes as a hybrid slams into the side. Sofia screams, swerving, and Ethan pulls me tighter, his lips grazing my neck. “I’ve got you,” he whispers, and I’m melting, my body screaming for him.

The library looms, its stone walls stark under moonlight. We crash through a gate, Sofia slamming the brakes. We tumble out, running for the entrance, hybrids and rogues on our heels. Ethan’s hand is in mine, his touch electric, and I want to stop, to pin him against the wall and fuck him until we’re both lost.

“Inside!” Lucas shouts, kicking the door open. We dive in, the library’s dark stacks swallowing us. Sofia leads, her psychic glow guiding us to a hidden door behind a bookshelf.

“Get in!” she yells, shoving it open. We pile into a stone chamber, the door slamming shut as claws scrape outside. It’s small, damp, the air heavy with dust and secrets.

Ethan pulls me close, his body hard against mine, his breath ragged. “You okay?” he asks, his hand cupping my face. I nod, my lips brushing his, and I’m done, kissing him hard, my fangs grazing his lip. He groans, his hands gripping my ass, pulling me against his hardness.

“Guys, not now!” Lucas snaps, but his voice is distant, the world fading as Ethan’s tongue claims mine. I’m burning, my body aching for him, my blood screaming to bond.

Elena clears her throat. “We’re not safe yet.”

I pull back, panting, Ethan’s eyes dark with desire. “Right,” I mutter, my thighs trembling. The chamber’s walls pulse, like they’re alive, and my blood responds, humming with power.

Sofia’s eyes widened, glowing white. “Isabella, your blood it’s activating something.”

“What?” I ask, but the walls shake, runes glowing red, and a voice not human, not vampire, not wolf echoes from the dark.

“You’ve come, child of prophecy. Now face your truth.”

The floor drops, and we’re falling, Ethan’s arms around me, as the chamber collapses into darkness.