Ronan stood by the window, arms crossed, eyes distant. The fading light cut across his face like shadows of a war he hadn't left behind. He wasn't just watching the sunset—he was waiting for something. Or someone.
He'd heard the whispers too, growing more fervent with each passing day. The doubts. The fears. The unspoken tension curling through the pack like a storm cloud ready to break.
But what stung more than their words was her reaction. The way she looked at him... like he was a stranger. No—worse. Like he was something she'd been warned about.
Left alone in his study, he sighed, taking a seat on the high-backed chair with a heaviness that made him seem older than he was. He folded his arms once more.
I care about her, he thought, jaw tightening. I always have. He liked her stubbornness, that spark in her voice when she challenged him. But he'd always been cold—bred to be, molded under the weight of legacy and duty.
I have to protect her. She's becoming too unpredictable, too powerful… Even now, he could sense it. Her aura pulsed with wild energy—raw, unstable. Dangerous. The kind of power that could either save or destroy.
He picked up the book again. But his eyes skimmed past the words, unfocused.
He pictured her in the hallway earlier, eyes flickering with a thousand unasked questions.
She wanted to speak… but something held her back.
He closed the book with a soft thud.
If I don't act soon, I might lose her.
Not to someone else. But to herself.
— ✦ — ✦ — ✦ —
Walking the halls now felt like a weighted task. Aria's footsteps echoed, lonely and unsure. Her mind was fogged with everything—Ronan's cold words, the unsettling way the mansion seemed to breathe on its own. The candle she moved past flickered unnaturally, casting shapes along the walls that didn't quite match the angles.
She paused.
Did that shadow just move?
A figure in white and black approached. A servant. At least, that's what she told herself. But the woman flinched when their eyes met, recoiling as if slapped by some unseen force. Aria's eyes narrowed. What was that?
Sliding her hand into her pocket, she pulled out her phone. The screen was blank—no signal.
How strange...
There were no televisions or CCTVs in sight, only paintings lining the walls of every hallway. A modern place, yet devoid of the technology she'd expect. Maybe they have their reasons, she thought, brushing it off for now.
"Theo," she whispered. Just saying his name brought a wave of longing. Where were you when everything fell apart? I wish you were here... Her fingers brushed against the woven bracelet he'd made her, now a silent anchor in a sea of chaos.
"Lady Aria?"
The unfamiliar voice pulled her back. She turned sharply.
"Lady Aria," the man repeated, approaching. "The Alpha asked me to show you to your room."
The word "Alpha" hit her like a slap. Her thoughts spiraled back to their last conversation. His words had cut deeper than any blade.
"Feelings don't matter."
She shook her head to clear it, swallowing bitterly.
"This way," the man said, turning down the corridor. Her feet resisted, but she followed. They passed grand chandeliers and polished walnut floors that gleamed beneath their steps.
He stopped beside a large oak door.
"This is your chamber," he said, bowing slightly. "If you need anything, there's a phone on the bedside table."
She barely nodded.
Bowing, he took his leave.
Her hand trembled slightly as she turned the knob.
The room swallowed her in grandeur. This wasn't a bedroom—it was a sanctuary. Or a cage.
The bed could easily fit five of her, the duvet stitched with gold thread. The floor-to-ceiling windows opened to the dark forest beyond. And yet… something felt off.
— ✦ — ✦ — ✦ —
She couldn't quite place it, but there was something eerie about it.
Nothing to do with its grandeur, but the tension that came with it—a constant gnawing, as if she was being monitored.
"I feel exposed," she said, walking deeper into the room.
Then she saw it.
A writing on the window.
Was it upside down? she thought, blinking to focus.
Wait—no, it wasn't. Just scrawled on from the outside.
Fear etched itself across her features as she slowly approached to get a closer view.
Reaching the window, it read:
"The forest sees you."
Then it vanished in a puff of smoke.
Almost immediately, a shadow moved.
Too large for a bird. Too quick for a human. Gone before she could focus.
But perfectly timed—as if waiting for her to read the message.
Who else knew I was coming to this chamber?
Was that a threat... or a sign?
Whatever it was, she knew now—there was more to her than met the eye.
Or maybe I'm hallucinating, she half-wondered, dropping down to the bed, her mind reaching it before her body in a desperate attempt to escape the exhaustion.
— ✦ — ✦ — ✦ —
Smoke curled in a forest thick with fog. Trees groaned, whispering in a language only they could understand. Above, the moon bled red.
Aria wandered, barefoot, weak. Every step felt like walking through water. Her breath came in gasps. Powerless. Lost.
Then she saw it.
A white wolf stood beneath the blood moon, its eyes burning like fire. It didn't growl. It didn't blink.
"What took you so long?" it asked, its voice a blend of many. Ancient. Feminine. Familiar. Then, it lunged.
She screamed.
Aria shot up in bed, chest heaving. Her sheets were damp with sweat. The room was dark, but her skin prickled with unseen eyes watching.
"So much for a little sleep," she muttered, rubbing her face.
Then she felt it... saw it.
Claw marks blazed across her arm—glowing faintly before vanishing. Panic seized her lungs.
She stumbled toward the mirror—just in time to see her eyes glow silver, just for a second. Then normal. Like nothing happened.
A whisper floated to her ear, breathless and distant.
"The white flame awakens."
She stood frozen.
Then came the silence—louder than a scream.
Fear curled around her like a noose as one sentence escaped her lips:
"What if the monster I fear... is me?"
— ✦ — ✦ — ✦ —
Far away, in a chamber lined with glass, a cloaked woman bolted upright in bed.
"Ithas begun," she said, eyes wide—not with wonder, but with dread.