Karl's POV.

Moonlight filtered through the trees. The light scattered silver across the cracked tiles. My thoughts circled Mira. I perceived her scent, I saw her eyes with my inner eyes, I remembered the way she’d looked at me tonight, it haunted me.

A soft rustle made me turn. “You feel the unrest,” a calm voice said. I froze. Not many dared enter my private garden uninvited. My hand went to the hilt at my side. Something about this presence wasn’t threatening. It was deliberate.

“Who’s there?” I asked, voice low. A figure emerged from between the hedges. Her hair shimmered under the moon. And silver strands framing her face. Her eyes glinted like molten glass. “I am Elandra,” she said. “Seer of fates, watcher of paths. I have come for you, Alpha Kael.”

I narrowed my eyes. “A seer? You belong to the night, not a vision. Why are you here?”

She stepped closer, moving with unnerving grace. “The threads of your future are tangled. Your choices now will unravel more than your heart. I’ve watched you wrestle with her… Mira.”

“You watch me?” I asked. “I don’t need a watcher, I need answers.”

“Answers can break more than they heal,” she said, eyes on the moonlit fountain. She stared strongly and asked. “Do you know what awaits you if you pursue her again?”

I shook my head slightly. “I don’t care, Mira…” I muttered. Elandra tilted her head. “And yet, you hesitate. The bond you thought lost still pulses through your veins. Every moment she’s near, every glance… your wolf remembers.”

I couldn’t deny it. My wolf screamed each time I thought of her. “And what? You came to tell me I can’t have her?”

“No,” she said softly. “The path you choose will demand more than courage. You must look beyond pride, fear… anger. Mira is not a puzzle. She is fire. She will either burn you or light the way.”

“Fire. And what if I’m already scorched?”

“Then choose warmth or ashes.”

“You speak in riddles. I need concrete words.”

“You’re not ready. Mira’s heart is guarded. Seraphina moves in shadows. Every misstep ripples into battles you cannot foresee. But the truth… she has never stopped feeling for you. Her wolf, her heart, are tethered to yours.”

The words hit me. “She wants me?”

“I’m saying she needs you,” Elandra corrected. “The challenge is the walls you both built. She fears your judgment. You fear losing control. One wrong step pushes her away.”

“Walls. Control. Fear. Why can’t it be simple?”

“Because love that matters is never simple.” I looked at the fountain, water lustrous like silver. Mira’s expression tonight, the tremble in her jaw, her eyes lingering, burned in my memory. Every instinct screamed we belonged together. Yet Seraphine’s whispers lingered like poison. “What happens if I fail? If I misstep? If I let her slip?”

“The threads fray. You lose her, not forever, but maybe long enough for Seraphina to twist her heart, make her doubt, make you doubt.”

“Then I won’t fail. I can’t.”

“You have courage, Alpha. You have fire. But courage alone is not enough. You must remember the bond. Your wolf, her wolf, your hearts… they guide. Humans falter. Will you trust what you cannot see?”

“I trust her,” I said. “I trust what we had. What we could have.”

“Then you are ready. Paths are never linear. Love will not hand itself freely. Mira will test you. Seraphina will test you. And you will be tested by yourself.”

“I don’t care. I’ll face everything. Mira is worth every battle, every danger, every doubt.”

“Good, remember, Alpha. The future is not set. The wolf guides, the heart follows, your choices carve the path.” I sucked hot air and breathed audibly.

“Elandra,” I said, stepping closer, voice quieter. “Why me?”

“Someone must remind you what’s at stake before it’s too late. Someone must wake the Alpha before the world slips through his fingers. And if I fail?” I asked concernedly. “You won’t.” She turned, melting into the shadows. “Love will not wait.” I was alone. The garden felt smaller, heavier. Elandra’s words echoed, stirring clarity, resolve… desire. I had to find Mira. Confront Seraphina. Reclaim the fire before it is extinguished.

Her gaze lingered in my mind, not like a seer, not a stranger, but someone who had seen everything, even pieces I’d hidden from myself.

“No more hesitation,” I whispered. “No more waiting. She’s mine. I’ll fight for her any time, against anyone who thinks they can take her.” Moonlight spilled over the garden; I caught my reflection in the water. My wolf growled beneath my skin, echoing my promise to Mira.

The path wouldn’t be easy. The fire wouldn’t be gentle. But it was ours. And I would not let it die. I turned toward the estate, every step firm with purpose. Mira was waiting.

As I stepped past the archway into the main hall, a gust of wind tore through the corridor. It was laced with something ancient. The torches flared, shadows twisting like spirits unbound. Then came the scent. The scent was not from Mira, and it was not familiar. Certainly not from Seraphina, and it reeked of blood.

Her cloak dragged like a stitched shadow. Seraphina's eyes caught the light, cold, sharp. “You chose too quickly, Kael,” she said. “Now, I’ve made mine.”

The walls trembled. Distant howls tore through the silence. Then a scream, inhuman, raw. From the east wing. Where Mira was. I ran. Fury surged. Fear pounded. The fight had begun. I might already be too late.