Night fell faster than expected.
The valley was eerily quiet.
Lucien and I stood at the fortress gate, watching distant shadows move along the cliffs.
"They're here," he murmured.
"Who?" I asked.
"Darius," Lucien said. His voice was calm, but tense. "He's testing the perimeter before the real attack."
My mark tingled. Bright. Alert.
"Can I—" I started.
"No," Lucien cut me off. "Not yet. Wait for my signal."
The first wave came silently. Rogues, mercenaries, nothing recognizable. But I felt it immediately—the intent to kill, not capture.
Lucien moved first, striking with precision. I watched, my heart pounding.
And then I felt it.
Kaiden.
A shadow appeared near the cliff edge. Watching. Calculating.
"You?" I whispered.
He only nodded. Then stepped back into the darkness, leaving me unsettled.
Lucien glanced at me. "Eyes on me. Focus."
But my attention kept drifting.
Kaiden. My mark. That bond.
The attackers closed in.
I could no longer resist.
Energy surged, stronger than before. Brighter.
I didn't fully control it. But I didn't panic.
Power flared from my mark, hitting the attackers with force.
Rocks lifted. Wind howled. Shadows scattered.
Lucien blocked the remaining attackers, eyes wide.
"You—did that?"
I nodded, trembling. "I think… I just… reacted."
Kaiden's eyes found mine again. That same intensity.
"Interesting," he murmured.
I realized something terrifying.
This wasn't just Darius anymore.
Every Alpha in the region would want me.
Every Alpha in the region would fear me.
And I had only begun to understand what that truly meant.