The whisper of wind through the academy's ancient stone halls did little to calm the chaos in Lyra's mind.
She couldn't sleep.
Not after nearly being murdered by someone inside Kael's stronghold. Not after the way he held her afterward — like he didn't know whether to guard her or destroy her.
Something's wrong.
Something deeper than the mark. Deeper than the heat curling under her skin whenever he was near.
That night, guided by a pull she couldn't explain, Lyra slipped from her quarters. The corridors were quiet, the shadows thick with silence. No guards. No curious students.
Only moonlight and instinct.
She didn't know where she was going—only that her feet carried her toward the lower levels of the academy. Past the training pits. Down a winding stair that hadn't been used in years.
There, she found her.
An old woman, cloaked in midnight blue, seated beside a flickering fire. Her skin was brown and creased like bark, and her eyes... glowed faintly. Not gold like Kael's. Not red like the traitor.
But pale silver. Like mist made solid.
"You came," the seer said, without looking up. "The bond is waking you faster than expected."
Lyra froze. "You know about it?"
"I know everything they don't want you to know." The woman finally raised her gaze. "Sit."
She did, unsure why she obeyed—but too tired to fight.
The woman's voice dropped low, threading between smoke and silence. "You are not broken, girl. You were never broken."
"Then why hasn't my wolf awakened?"
"Because your wolf isn't what they expect." She reached into her cloak and pulled something from the folds — a pendant. Cracked. Old. Familiar.
Lyra's heart stuttered.
"That's my mother's."
"Yes. The last gift she left behind before she and your father were killed." The woman placed it in Lyra's palm. "Do you know why they died?"
"They were attacked by rogues."
"No." The seer's voice turned sharp. "They were silenced. Because of what they discovered."
Lyra's blood turned to ice. "What are you talking about?"
The woman leaned closer. "There is an ancient bloodline that walks between moonlight and shadow. Forgotten. Suppressed. Hidden even from itself. Your family carried that legacy. But the others—especially the ones in Kael's court—they feared what your parents uncovered."
Lyra's heart pounded. "What legacy?"
"You are not just wolf, child. You are something older."
Before she could ask more, the pendant in her hand pulsed — once. Then again. A rhythm. A memory.
Suddenly—flash.
A vision.
Her parents. Standing at the edge of a cliff. The moon full behind them. Her mother weeping as her father whispered, "If anything happens to us, protect her. She's the key."
Then the image shattered.
Lyra gasped, hand trembling, pendant burning hot against her skin.
"You saw it," the seer murmured.
"I don't understand... What am I the key to?"
"You'll learn. Soon. But not everyone will be pleased when you do."
A harsh voice cut through the smoke.
"Step away from her."
Kael.
He stood at the edge of the room, face like stone, eyes glowing like winter fire. He strode forward, placing himself between Lyra and the seer.
"You have no right to speak to her," he growled.
The woman's lips curled into a smile. "Then perhaps you should tell her what you know, Alpha."
Kael's jaw clenched.
Lyra stood slowly. "You knew something?"
He didn't answer.
The silence said enough.
"You've been keeping things from me."
"Things that would get you killed," he said flatly. "You're already a target. That woman is dangerous."
"So are you," Lyra whispered.
Their eyes locked.
Neither moved.
The fire flickered between them like a challenge.
Then Kael turned sharply. "You're done here."
But Lyra didn't follow.
She looked once more at the seer — who gave a faint nod, like they both understood something was changing. Something big. Something buried in blood and shadow.
Then she turned and walked after Kael, her heart thundering.
Not from fear.
But from the feeling that everything she thought she knew about herself — about her parents, about this bond — was a lie.
And the truth was waiting in the dark.
They walked in silence.
Kael's steps were rigid, controlled—but Lyra could feel the rage simmering beneath his surface. Not the wild fury of a feral beast, but the cold, dangerous kind that struck with precision.
She clutched the pendant tightly in her fist, its heat lingering like a brand.
They turned a corner and passed into one of the upper corridors. It was empty, save for the buzz of energy between them.
Lyra was the first to speak. "Why didn't you tell me?"
Kael didn't slow. "Because you weren't ready."
"I decide that," she snapped, grabbing his arm and forcing him to stop.
He turned on her so fast she nearly stumbled back.
"You think this is a game?" he snarled. "You think I enjoyed watching you flounder in the dark? Every secret I kept was a shield."
Her chin lifted, heart pounding. "No. It was a leash."
His nostrils flared.
"Your parents were murdered for what they knew," he growled. "If the wrong wolves hear even a hint of what runs through your blood, they will burn this entire realm to ash just to erase you. Do you understand that?"
Something inside her twisted — fear, yes, but also defiance.
"I'm not asking for your protection," she said. "I'm asking for the truth."
Kael stepped forward. Too close. The heat of his body pressed against hers, making her breath catch.
"Truth is dangerous," he said, voice low. "And you… You already draw danger like blood in water."
His hand lifted, cupping her jaw before he could stop himself.
Lyra's breath hitched.
"Do you even know what you're doing to me?" he murmured. "Every day you look at me with those storm-lit eyes, and I forget who the enemy is."
"Maybe it's you," she whispered.
Something flickered across his face—pain, maybe. Or fury. Or both.
He leaned in, lips brushing her ear. "You don't want me as your enemy, little wolf."
"Too late," she said softly, but the ache in her chest betrayed her voice.
He released her like she burned him and stepped back, cold slamming between them again.
"Stay away from the seer," he said.
"I won't," she answered.
Kael's jaw tightened, but he didn't argue. Instead, he turned and vanished down the hall, cape snapping behind him like a shadow cut loose.
Lyra stood there alone, heart galloping.
Her fingers opened slowly.
The pendant lay in her palm—its center now glowing faintly with silver fire.
She stared at it.
Then at the dark corridor Kael disappeared down.
He's hiding something.
They all are.
And she would find out what. Even if it killed her.