The clearing erupted in chaos.

Torches swung. Wolves lunged. Men shouted orders over the roar of shifting bodies. The ground shook beneath the clash of claws and steel.

Rhea stood frozen, her breath shallow, her heart hammering. The hunter’s words still echoed in her head. The Luna. She’s with him.

They knew. They had seen her.

Her knees threatened to give. If she collapsed now, she would never rise again.

“Stay behind me,” Jace growled, his voice rough, half-shifted. His body stretched taller, broader, his shoulders bulging with muscle. Silver eyes burned in the dark. His claws glinted as he bared his teeth.

He looked like death given flesh.

Rhea pressed back against the tree, shaking, her hands clutching her cloak. She wanted to vanish, to sink into the bark and never be seen again. But the bond pulsed hot through her chest, tethering her to Jace, forcing her to feel his fire.

The first wolf charged.

Jace moved before she could blink. He met the beast head-on, his claws slashing, his snarl tearing through the night. Blood sprayed, hot and sharp, the smell hitting Rhea’s senses hard.

She gasped, her stomach twisting, but her eyes refused to look away.

Two more came, one with torchlight on his fur, the other snapping teeth. Jace fought with brutal precision, each strike fierce, every move raw power. The ground became a blur of snarls, claws, and firelight.

Rhea’s nails dug into the bark. Her breath came ragged. She should run. She should scream. She should do anything but stand frozen. Yet her feet refused to move.

Then one of the hunters broke from the pack. He saw her, torchlight catching her face. His lips curled into a cruel grin.

“There she is,” he barked. “The Luna.”

Her blood turned cold.

He charged, blade high.

“Jace,” she cried, but the rogue was locked in combat, tearing through two wolves at once.

The hunter closed the gap. His boots pounded the ground. His blade gleamed.

Rhea’s body moved before her mind did. She stumbled sideways, barely missing the swing of steel. The torch’s heat kissed her face as the blade struck the tree instead, sparks flying.

The man cursed, wrenching the weapon free. His eyes gleamed with bloodlust. He came again.

Her legs buckled. Her chest squeezed. She had no claws, no strength, no training. Nothing but fear.

And then the bond surged.

A hot rush poured through her chest, spreading to her arms, her fingertips. The night seemed sharper, brighter, alive. She felt the hunter’s intent before his blade swung. She felt the hunger in his chest, the violence in his eyes.

For a breath, she knew him.

Her hand lifted, shaking but firm.

The air shifted.

A pale glow burst from her skin, silver light wrapping her palm. It struck the hunter like a wave, slamming him backward into the dirt. His blade flew from his grip.

He hit the ground hard, torch tumbling from his hand. His scream split the night.

Rhea gasped, staring at her own hand. Faint silver sparks danced across her fingers. Her chest heaved. Her body trembled.

“What...” she whispered, voice broken. “What did I just do?”

The bond thrummed louder, heat pounding through her veins. Jace felt it too. His head snapped toward her, silver eyes blazing, his chest heaving. He looked at her as if she had grown wings.

“Rhea,” he breathed, half snarl, half awe.

Another wolf lunged at him, snapping the moment away.

Rhea clutched her cloak, her whole body shaking. She had no time to think, no time to fear. More hunters poured into the clearing, their eyes fixed on her now.

“Don’t let her escape,” one shouted. “She’s the key.”

Her stomach dropped. The key. What did that mean?

Before she could move, two wolves broke from the fight, circling her. Their growls rumbled deep, their eyes locked on her throat.

Her breath hitched. Her feet stumbled back until she slammed into the tree again. Nowhere to run. No strength to fight. Only that strange, burning glow she didn’t understand.

The wolves crouched, ready to spring.

Her hands lifted, though they shook. “Please...” she whispered, her voice shaking.

The glow flickered again, faint light spreading between her fingers. The wolves hesitated, growls faltering.

But the power didn’t hold. It dimmed as quickly as it came, leaving her empty.

Her chest dropped. Terror rushed back in.

The wolves sprang.

Jace roared.

He slammed into one mid-air, his claws ripping through fur and flesh. The second beast lunged at Rhea, teeth wide, eyes wild.

She screamed, stumbling aside, but not fast enough. The wolf’s teeth grazed her arm, tearing fabric, slicing skin. Pain seared through her.

Blood slicked her sleeve. She staggered, her head spinning.

Jace tore the wolf from her, snapping its neck in one brutal strike. The body hit the ground with a sick thud.

He spun, catching her arm. His eyes widened at the blood. His chest heaved, fury rolling off him in waves.

“They touched you,” he snarled, voice shaking with rage.

Her knees buckled. He caught her before she fell, holding her tight against his chest. The bond burned hot where their skin met, flooding her veins with his fire, his fury, his strength.

The world blurred around her. Voices shouted, claws clashed, blood filled the air. She clung to him, too weak to stand, too lost to fight.

Her head dropped against his chest. Her eyes stung. Her lips trembled.

“They know about me,” she whispered, her voice barely there.

“I won’t let them take you,” Jace growled.

But the hunters weren’t done. More shadows poured into the clearing, their torches forming a circle, closing them in.

Rhea’s pulse stuttered. Her eyes widened. They were surrounded.

Jace lowered her gently, setting her against the tree. His body crouched in front of hers, broad and unyielding. His claws dripped red, his eyes glowed silver, his chest heaved with fury.

He was one man against many. One wolf against a pack of killers.

And Rhea... Rhea was bleeding, weak, helpless.

The circle tightened.

A tall hunter stepped forward, his torch high, his blade dripping. His grin was cruel, his voice low and sharp.

“Alpha Creed will pay well for this,” he said. His eyes flicked between Jace and Rhea. “The rogue... and the Luna.”

Jace snarled, the sound rattling through the clearing.

But Rhea’s chest dropped. Her stomach twisted. Dorian. He had known. He had sent them.

The truth hit her like ice.

Her mate bond wasn’t her only trap.

Her own Alpha wanted her gone.