The creature barreled through the door, all muscle and rage, its fangs gleaming like polished bone in the firelight.
I didn't have time to scream before Lucian launched forward.
One second he was a man, the next a beast.
His transformation wasn't slow or graceful. It was brutal. Bones cracked. Skin split. Darkness spilled around him like smoke and then the alpha stood in his place. Midnight black fur. Eyes glowing frost-blue. Bigger than any wolf had a right to be.
And then Kade was shifting too.
His form was different leaner, faster, marked with emerald streaks that pulsed under his fur like tattoos come alive. Where Lucian was pure domination, Kade was chaos.
Together, they collided with the rogue.
Fangs clashed. Claws tore through flesh. Growls echoed through the old house like thunder.
I pressed myself against the wall, heart trying to escape my chest. My hands were trembling, but my legs my legs wouldn't move.
Then something strange happened.
The rogue broke from the fight.
And turned its glowing red eyes on me.
Our gazes locked.
And for a heartbeat, the world stopped.
I saw no, felt something. A pulse deep in my chest. Like a memory, or a warning, or both.
A sharp heat flared behind my eyes.
My vision flickered.
And then
Flames.
The rogue howled and reeled back, its fur catching fire from a blaze that came from nowhere. From me.
Lucian leapt forward and ended it with a vicious snap of its neck.
The house went dead silent.
Smoke curled in the air.
Ash drifted like snow.
I stared down at my hands.
Still glowing.
Still burning.
"What the hell?" I whispered.
Lucian shifted back slowly, panting. His skin was streaked with blood and soot, but his voice was calm.
"Your bloodline just woke up."
Kade shifted next, more fluid, more human. But his green eyes were wide with something I hadn't seen before fear.
"Raven," he said carefully, "you just summoned hellfire."
I looked at my palms again.
The glow faded. But the scorch marks on the floor were real. The damage… irreversible.
"So I'm a flamethrower now?"
"It's not just fire," Lucian said, stepping closer. "It's your legacy."
"My legacy almost burned down the house!"
Lucian didn't flinch. "Because it's tied to your emotions. Your bloodline Blackthorn was known for elemental magic. Power so strong it had to be sealed."
"Until I turned twenty-one," I whispered.
Kade nodded grimly. "And the seals are breaking fast."
I backed up. "No. No, I can't do this. I didn't ask for this. I just wanted answers not to become some magical death machine!"
"You don't have a choice anymore," Lucian said. "They'll keep coming for you."
"Then maybe I should just leave run!"
"You'd never make it past the ridge."
That stopped me.
"Because of the wards?"
Lucian exchanged another look with Kade. This one even heavier.
"There's more," Lucian said. "The moment your power woke up, a signal went out. Blood recognizes blood."
"You mean…"
"The other packs know you're alive now," Kade said, voice soft. "The claiming trials will start soon."
"Claiming what?"
"You."
My blood turned to ice.
"You're telling me," I said slowly, "that someone's going to come… claim me? Like a prize?"
Lucian didn't blink. "It's more complicated than that."
"Really? Because it sounds exactly like a toxic auction."
Kade blew out a sharp breath. "She's not ready for this."
"She doesn't have a choice," Lucian shot back. "Her bloodline's active. Every unmated alpha from here to the Northern Range felt it. The trials will begin whether she wants them or not."
I stared at both of them, waiting for one to crack a grin and say it was all a sick joke. But no one was laughing.
"What kind of trials are we talking about?"
"Traditional ones," Lucian said. "Combat. Endurance. Dominance. Every suitor will prove their worth."
"By… fighting?" I echoed. "Like, actual fighting?"
Kade's jaw flexed. "Until only one's left standing."
I went cold.
"Oh, hell no. That's barbaric."
"It's law," Lucian said tightly. "Old as the blood we carry."
"I'm not some mating trophy! I don't want any of this!"
"We know," Kade said, stepping closer. "That's why I'll fight for you."
My breath caught.
"What?"
"I'm not letting you end up with someone who sees you as just a power boost. I don't care what blood you carry you're what matters. You always have."
My heart stuttered.
Lucian's voice cut like ice. "You're breaking rank, Kade."
"I never played by your royal rules."
They were circling each other now an invisible line of tension drawn between them.
I stepped in fast. "Hey. No growling contests in my living room."
But it was more than testosterone. There was pain in their gazes. History. Something neither of them wanted to say aloud.
Something I felt in my bones.
"You two knew me before," I said, voice barely a whisper. "Didn't you?"
Kade's gaze dropped. Lucian's went hard.
"No," Lucian lied.
Kade hesitated.
Then softly"Yes."
The silence that followed was deafening.
Lucian glared at him. "Don't."
"She deserves to know."
Lucian turned to me. "You want the truth? Fine. You were born during the Red Eclipse. A night of prophecy. War was already brewing between the packs my father's and Kade's."
"So you two were… what? Romeo and Juliet with fur?"
Kade's mouth twitched. "Not far off."
Lucian continued, ignoring the jab. "The moment you were born, the seers named you the Luna of Fate. The one who would either unite the packs… or destroy them."
"And clearly, things went great," I muttered.
"There was a rebellion," Kade said. "Assassins sent to kill you before the prophecy could unfold. Your mother… she sacrificed herself to seal your power. Sent you away. Hid you in the human world."
"That's why I don't remember."
Lucian nodded. "The seal wiped your early memories. But we… remembered you."
"You were ours," Kade said simply. "Before the world broke."
My knees nearly gave out.
"I " I couldn't find words.
Lucian looked away. "You were gone. We thought you were dead. We hunted for years."
"And now I'm just… back?" I whispered.
Kade reached for my hand. "You never left us. Not really."
And just like that his touch unlocked something.
Not a full memory. But a feeling.
A snow-covered field. A soft laugh. Two boys chasing me under a blood-red sky. One with storm-blue eyes, fierce and protective. The other wild and free, with fire in his smile.
I staggered back. "No. That's not possible."
But it was.
The dreams. The visions. They weren't dreams at all.
Lucian stepped closer. "You remember."
I didn't answer.
Didn't have to.
My silence said everything.
"Your powers are waking up," Lucian said. "And soon, your bond will too."
"My… bond?"
"With your fated mate."
I froze. "And which one of you is it?"
The question fell between us like a live grenade.
Lucian's lips parted.
But Kade beat him to it. "We don't know."
That was worse.
Somehow, so much worse.
"You mean one of you could be my fated mate… but we won't know until what? I start glowing again? Burst into flames?"
Lucian's voice dropped to a murmur. "It's usually triggered by a kiss."
Oh.
Of course it is.
"So you want me to kiss you both and see which one makes me catch fire?"
Neither of them spoke.
Which was answer enough.
"No pressure at all," I muttered.
And then
A howl split the air.
Low.
Close.
And definitely not friendly.
Lucian stiffened. "They're here."
Kade's nostrils flared. "More rogues?"
Lucian moved to the window. "No."
He turned, eyes glowing.
"It's the royal pack."
The moment Lucian said "royal pack," something in the air shifted. Dense. Electric. Like the forest itself held its breath.
I peered through the cracked blinds.
Outside, shadows moved sleek wolves cloaked in obsidian fur, their bodies larger than anything natural. Behind them came figures on foot, dressed in midnight armor with sigils glowing silver under the moonlight.
"Holy sh…"
Lucian pulled me back gently but firmly. "Don't draw attention."
"Pretty sure attention's already drawn, Your Highness," Kade muttered, baring his teeth. "Showing up with a damn parade."
"They sensed the bloodline awakening," Lucian said. "And now they want to see it with their own eyes."
"You mean her," Kade growled. "They want to see Raven."
My stomach twisted. I didn't even know what I was yet, and now I had royal wolves doing a pop-up outside my cabin like it was some twisted fairy tale.
"What do they want?" I asked.
Lucian's eyes met mine. And for the first time since I met him, I saw real hesitation.
"They want to assess you."
I blinked. "Assess me?"
"To determine if you're the true Blackthorn heir… or an imposter."
"You've got to be kidding."
"Worse," Kade cut in, "if they decide you're too dangerous to control "
"They'll kill you," Lucian finished, quietly.
The room spun.
I took two steps back and bumped into the wall.
"So I'm either the 'Luna of Fate' or tomorrow's wolf chow. Great."
Lucian's voice dropped to a whisper only I could hear. "Let me handle this."
"No way," Kade snapped, already moving toward the door. "I don't trust them."
"I am them," Lucian bit out.
"That's the problem."
Before either of them could rip their shirts off and start a dominance battle (again), I grabbed the door handle and yanked it open.
The cold air slapped me awake.
And in the clearing stood the most terrifyingly beautiful woman I'd ever seen.
Tall. Regal. Blonde hair braided like a crown. Cloak billowing behind her like smoke. Her eyes pure silver glinted in the moonlight as she smiled.
But it wasn't friendly.
"You've grown," she said.
I swallowed hard. "I'd say thanks, but I don't know who you are."
The woman tilted her head, and two guards flanked her on either side.
"I am High Lady Seraphine Vale. And you, my dear… are trespassing on royal soil."
Lucian stepped beside me. "She's under my protection."
Her eyes narrowed. "Your claim hasn't been validated."
"I don't need validation to protect what's mine."
Okay pause.
Did he just say what's mine?
Seraphine's smile sharpened. "Still possessive, I see."
Her eyes flicked to Kade, who hadn't moved. "And you. Always lingering in shadows. Still hoping fate favors you?"
Kade said nothing.
But his jaw was locked, and the air around him was humming with heat.
"I came only to see the girl," Seraphine said, brushing past them like she owned the night. "To confirm what I already know."
She stopped in front of me. Stared deep into my eyes.
Then, she reached out.
I flinched.
Lucian growled low in his throat.
But she didn't touch me. Instead, she held her palm up. A soft silver rune shimmered above it.
The air around us tightened, like the moon itself leaned closer.
And then light exploded.
Silver. Red. Gold. A swirl of magic so intense it burned the grass beneath my feet.
Seraphine stepped back, her expression unreadable.
"Well?" Lucian demanded.
"She's awakened," Seraphine said softly.
Kade exhaled.
"But," Seraphine added, "she's unstable."
My pulse jumped.
"What does that mean?" I asked.
"It means," she said, turning toward me with a look of both pity and calculation, "you will need guidance. Training. Control. Without it, your presence is a threat to yourself, and to all of us."
"And let me guess," I said, bitterly, "you just happen to offer private lessons."
Her smile didn't reach her eyes. "The palace has what you need."
"Not interested."
"You will be," she said. "The claiming trials begin in seven nights. And if you're not ready… you won't survive them."
She turned on her heel and walked away like she hadn't just threatened to toss me into a death arena with alpha wolves thirsting for power.
Lucian didn't say anything.
Neither did Kade.
I stood frozen, Seraphine's words sinking in like a slow poison.
Seven nights.
That was all the time I had before this bloodline dragged me into a fight for my future.
For my heart.
And for a throne I never wanted.
But that wasn't even the worst part.
The worst part came when I walked back inside and caught my reflection in the mirror.
My eyes
For just a second glowed silver.