The cloaked figure's presence was a blade in the mist, cutting through the ravine's eerie quiet. Lena's breath caught, her fingers digging into Kael's arm as they crouched behind the boulder, Blackwood Forest's dawn shadows twisting around them. The howls, distant but closing, faded under the weight of that gaze, unseen but piercing, like the pendant's hum or the voice that had whispered her name. Her mark burned under her hoodie, pulsing with her racing heart, and Kael's heat beside her, pine, leather, wild—was the only thing keeping her from bolting. His gold-flecked eyes narrowed on the figure across the ravine, his claws flexing, a low growl rumbling deep in his chest.
"Lena, stay down," he whispered, his voice rough, protective, his hand covering hers,
warm and steady.
The mate bond flared, a lifeline of love amid the suspense coiling tighter, and she nodded, her hazel eyes locked on the figure, fear mingling with a strange pull, like it knew her. Her blood's ozone scent lingered in her memory, her stamina's surge, the knife in Vren's side-none of it human, all of it screaming she was more, just as Kael believed.
The figure moved, a slow step forward, its cloak blending with the trees' shadows, hood hiding its face. No scent reached Kael, no wolf, no human, just a void that made his wolf snarl, hackles rising. Lena's grip tightened, her pulse hammering through their bond, and he squeezed her hand, his thumb brushing her knuckles—a soft spark of reassurance, his love a silent vow: I'm here. Her lips parted, wanting to whisper his name, but the figure's movement stole her voice, its stillness more threatening than any lunge.
"Who are you?" Lena called, her voice sharp despite the tremor, defiance cutting through her confusion. She stood, ignoring Kael's low growl to stay put, her chestnut hair catching the dawn's gray light. The bond tugged, urging her to lean into him, but she faced the figure, needing answers-about her blood, the pendant, the voice that wasn't hers. Kael rose beside her, his body angled to shield her, claws ready, his love a fire in his eyes, fierce and unyielding.
The figure halted, its head tilting, as if weighing her. The air thickened, heavy with unseen power, and Lena's mark flared hotter, a stab of heat that made her wince. Kael's hand slid to her waist, steadying her, his touch sparking warmth through her fear, and she leaned into him, just enough to feel his heartbeat, their connection a shield against the unknown.
"You're the key," the figure said, its voice low, female, resonant, slicing through the mist like a blade. It was the same voice, Lena, from the pendant, ancient and sorrowful, now laced with urgency. "The blood in you, the power—it unlocks what was sealed. They hunt you for it, child, and they will not stop."
Lena froze, confusion crashing over her.
"Key?" she echoed, voice cracking, her hand flying to her neck, the mark burning like it agreed. "What are you talking about? I'm not... I'm just me!" Her blood, her stamina, the pendant's hum-they swirled in her mind, pieces of a puzzle she didn't want. She turned to Kael, her hazel eyes wide, pleading. "What does that mean?"
Kael's jaw clenched, his wolf clawing at the figure's words, dread pooling in his gut. The prophecy, Gavric's muttered warnings of a power to reshape wolves-flashed, but it was her fear, her need, that hit him hardest. He pulled her closer, his arm wrapping around her, his lips brushing her temple, soft but fierce. "I don't know," he murmured, voice raw, his love pouring through their bond. "But you're not facing it alone." His touch grounded her, his fingers tracing her spine, sparking heat that chased the chill of suspense.
The figure stepped closer, boots silent on frost, the cloak's edge catching a glint of light
—silver, like the pendant's runes. "You're not just anything," it said, voice softer now, almost tender. "Your blood sings of what came before, neither wolf nor human, but both, and more.
They'll tear the world apart to claim it, Lena Harper. Run, but know you cannot hide."
Lena's stomach twisted, the words echoing Kael's, you're more-but heavier, darker. Her knees shook, but Kael's arm tightened, his body a wall between her and the figure, his growl vibrating through her. "Enough," he snapped, his voice deadly, claws glinting.
"You're scaring her. Show your face or back off." His love was a fire, protective, consuming, and Lena clung to it, her hand sliding to his chest, feeling his heart race, their bond a pulse of courage.
The figure paused, its hood shifting, as if considering. Lena's mark burned hotter, her blood tingling, like it answered the voice, and she gasped, clutching Kael's jacket. His hand covered hers, warm, possessive, his lips grazing her ear. "I've got you, love," he whispered, the word love—a balm, making her heart ache with need, with trust. She wanted to kiss him, to lose herself in him, but the figure's presence was a noose, tightening with every second.
"I mean no harm," the figure said, raising a hand, gloved, no claws. "But harm comes, Lena. The wolves draw near, not just Zane's, but others, older, hungrier. Your blood calls them, as it called me." The voice wavered, a crack of emotion-grief, maybe and Lena's confusion deepened, her mind flashing to b mother's stories, vague hints of "family quirks."
"Who are you?" Lena demanded again, stepping forward, Kael's arm still around her, his touch her anchor. Her voice was stronger now, fueled by his love, their bond a fire against the suspense. "Why do you know me?"
The figure didn't answer, but its head turned, hood shifting to face Kael. "You protect her, Alpha," it said, voice dropping, familiar in a way that made his wolf freeze. "But you cannot shield her from what she is." The words struck like a blade, and Kael's growl sharpened, his body tensing, claws breaking skin.
"I know you," he snarled, his voice raw, recognition flashing in his gold eyes, dark with memory. The figure's voice-ancient, female— dug up echoes of his past, a name he couldn't place but felt in his bones. His grip on Lena tightened, possessive, protective, as he stepped toward the figure, rage and dread warring with his love for her. "Show yourself.
Now."
Lena's heart pounded, his snarl shaking her, but his touch—warm, fierce, kept her steady, their bond humming with shared fear and trust.
She looked between Kael and the figure, confusion swirling, the warning, you're the key a weight she couldn't carry. Before the figure could respond, a howl erupted, closer than before, answered by others, a chorus of hunger that made the mist tremble. The figure stiffened, cloak billowing, and vanished into the trees, silent as a ghost, leaving only its words and Kael's snarl in the air.