The sun had barely risen when Kaidan’s mood shifted. The easy calm of training vanished, replaced by sharp vigilance. Nova sensed it immediately—the air around him thickened, his body going still like a predator sensing danger.

“What is it?” she asked, scanning the forest.

Kaidan’s eyes flickered silver. “We’re not alone.”

Before Nova could react, the wind shifted—and with it came a scent that made her blood run cold. Smoke. Iron. Wolves.

A figure stepped from the shadows—a woman draped in black, her eyes gleaming amber like molten gold. Her presence was regal and commanding, every movement calculated. Around her, several wolves emerged, their pelts bearing the mark of the Council of Alphas.

“Kaidan Duskbane,” the woman said, her voice smooth as silk and twice as dangerous. “And the lost heir of the Raine bloodline. How poetic.”

Nova’s pulse quickened. “Who are you?”

The woman smiled faintly. “Selene. Alpha of the Silvermark Pack. And your mother’s closest ally… once.”

Nova froze. “My mother?”

Selene tilted her head. “You really don’t know, do you? She wasn’t just another runaway. She was the Council’s executioner—the one who silenced those who defied the bloodline.”

Kaidan stepped in front of Nova, voice sharp. “Enough.”

But Selene’s eyes shifted to him, gleaming with cruel amusement. “You of all people should understand, Kaidan. You were her weapon once too.”

Nova’s gaze snapped to him. “What is she talking about?”

Kaidan’s jaw clenched. The storm that had haunted his eyes since the night they met began to rise again. “It’s not what you think.”

“Tell her,” Selene urged softly, circling them. “Tell her how you were bound by her father’s command—to protect her only until she awakened. Then to deliver her… to him.”

Nova’s breath caught. “Kaidan?”

He didn’t answer.

Selene smiled. “There it is. The truth. You were never supposed to fall for her. You were supposed to bring her home.”

A low growl escaped Kaidan’s chest, but Nova had already stepped back. The world tilted—the forest spinning around her as pieces of truth fell into place. His distance. His restraint. His secrets.

“Is it true?” she whispered.

“Nova—” Kaidan reached for her, but she pulled away, eyes blazing gold.

Before he could speak again, a deafening crack split the air. A flare of red light burst from the trees, followed by a figure stepping out of the smoke—massive, white-furred, eyes burning like fire.

Her father.

“Enough games,” he thundered. “The girl comes with me.”

Kaidan moved instantly, shifting in a blur of motion, fangs bared. “You’ll have to go through me first.”

The forest erupted in chaos. Wolves lunged from the shadows. Lightning split the sky. Nova’s power surged like wildfire, bursting through her skin as golden light burned around her.

Her father’s voice echoed through her mind, ancient and commanding. “You cannot fight blood, Nova. You are mine.”

She screamed, energy exploding outward in a shockwave that threw every wolf to the ground—including Kaidan. The earth cracked beneath her, and her vision dimmed to darkness.

The last thing she saw before everything faded was Kaidan—kneeling, blood streaking his face, whispering her name.

And above him, her father smiled.

“Finally,” he said softly, lifting Nova’s unconscious form into his arms. “The heir returns home.”