Night fell again, heavy and tense. I stood at the cliff edge with Lucien, watching the valley below. Shadows moved—packs approaching, rogues coordinating, all drawn by the mark on my neck, by the energy I emitted.
"You feel it?" I asked.
Lucien's jaw tightened. "Every Alpha in range will sense it soon. You've become a signal. A force. Dangerous, unpredictable, and… tempting."
The words chilled me, but my mark pulsed with warmth. Power was growing inside me—control forming from chaos, strength from fear.
"Kaiden's watching," I murmured.
"Yes," Lucien said. "Always. But now… he's calculating. Testing. Learning your limits."
I clenched my fists. "Then let him. I'm ready."
Suddenly, a shadow moved in the valley below. Wolves—organized, fast, deliberate. Lucien moved instinctively to my side. "They're coming. All of them."
I took a deep breath, letting the mark flare, energy surging outward like a heartbeat echoing through the valley. The wolves hesitated, yelps of fear breaking the silence.
Kaiden's voice cut across the distance, calm yet dangerous. "Interesting. The Omega I rejected… she commands attention, even among others."
My chest tightened. "I am not yours," I shouted, letting the light flare brighter, echoing my defiance.
Lucien smiled faintly. "Good. Power isn't just strength. It's declaration. Let them know you exist—and survive."
The first wave lunged. My mark flared white-hot, a shockwave ripping through the valley, scattering attackers. Energy pulsed, winds whipping, leaves torn from trees.
I felt it—the pull of power, the responsibility, the fear. This was more than survival. This was rising. Becoming what I was meant to be.
Kaiden watched silently, wolf stirring beneath his skin. Possession. Curiosity. Respect.
I realized then: I wasn't just surviving. I was becoming unstoppable.
And the storm had only just begun.