Ariana's breath hitched, the scent of iron thick in the air. The world around her felt like it was tilting, the once-familiar scent of Darius now tainted, wrong. Her pulse hammered against her ribs, a warning that something had shifted, something she hadn't seen coming.
The weight of betrayal settled like a stone in her chest. Weeks of hunting rogue wolves together, of moving in perfect sync, of trusting him without question—all of it felt like a lie unraveling at her feet. The moon cast an eerie glow over the forest, highlighting the tension in Darius's frame, and the way his stance had subtly changed. It was no longer the posture of an Alpha ready for battle. It was the stance of someone preparing for a different kind of fight.
A cold whisper of realization crawled up her spine. This wasn't a battle. This was an execution.
A howl rang out, closer now. They were not alone.
Darius exhaled sharply as if steadying himself. "Stay behind me," he ordered, but the words were laced with something Ariana couldn't ignore.
Regret.
The weight in his voice, the hesitation—she'd heard it before. But not like this. Not with so much finality.
Ariana's fingers clenched into fists. The earth beneath her feet felt unsteady like it knew the truth before she did. Shadows shifted beyond the trees, moving in silent formation. The rogues weren't just enemies to be eliminated. They were waiting for something. No—waiting for her.
Darius wasn't here to protect her.
He was leading them.
Ariana's breath came faster now, shallow and uneven. Her heartbeat pounded against her skull as her mind raced to fit the pieces together. Every hesitation, every moment he'd avoided looking her in the eye, every question he hadn't fully answered—it all made sense now.
This wasn't a hunt. It was a trap.
Darius had brought her to die.
A sharp pain stabbed at her, but it wasn't fear. It was the kind of pain that came from knowing you had placed your trust in the wrong hands. That you had fought beside someone, bled beside them, only to realize they were sharpening the knife meant for your back.
The forest pulsed with the sound of approaching footsteps, careful, measured. The rogues weren't charging in blindly. They were waiting for Darius's signal.
But he hadn't given it yet.
Ariana tensed. Every part of her wanted to run, but she stayed put. Not until she knew why.
She swallowed hard, her voice cold and sharp. "How long?"
Darius's jaw tightened. He didn't need to ask what she meant. He knew.
"Since the beginning," he admitted, voice barely above a whisper. "Before I even found you."
Those words were a hammer to her ribs. Her fingers twitched at her sides, aching to shift, to fight. But another part of her, the part still raw from years of loss, only wanted to understand.
"Why?"
Darius took a breath. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you."
The rustling around them got louder. Time was running out.
Ariana forced herself to meet his gaze, searching for even a sliver of truth. "Try me."
His eyes darkened, pain flickering in them. "Because you're not supposed to exist."
Those words took her breath away. Every muscle in her body went rigid, her mind struggling to make sense of them.
Not supposed to exist?
She heard a crack as a rogue stepped on a branch. They were getting closer.
Darius took a step toward her, but she was already moving. Her body reacted before her mind had caught up, spinning away from his grasp, from the betrayal, from everything she thought she knew.
Suddenly, a snarl cut through the night. It wasn't from the rogues.
It was from Darius.
Before she could process it, the rogues charged, but the first one never reached her.
Darius moved like lightning, his body slamming into the attacker with bone-crushing force. The rogue hit the ground hard, yelping in shock.
Ariana froze. What?
Darius stood in front of her, breathing heavily, ready to fight.
Panic filled her. Everything inside her screamed for answers. If he had betrayed her, why was he fighting for her now? If he wanted her dead, why wasn't he finishing what he started?
Another rogue attacked. Darius met him mid-jump, his claws sinking in deep. A sickening crack followed, and the rogue crumpled to the ground, motionless.
Ariana was confused. Nothing made sense. Her instincts were in a tug of war.
"Run," Darius growled, voice hoarse. "Now."
But she couldn't.
For the first time, she saw it.
The betrayal wasn't just black and white. It was complicated. And it wasn't over.
Something bigger was at play, something far worse than rogue wolves and broken trust. And whatever it was, Darius had just shattered whatever plan had been set in motion.
That meant they were both in danger.
Another snarl cut through the night. This one wasn't from a rogue. It was deeper, colder. A sound that didn't belong to any ordinary wolf.
Ariana turned slowly, her stomach twisting into knots.
The trees shook. The air buzzed.
And then she saw him.
Thorne.
Tall, impossibly still, his presence alone sent an unnatural chill through the air. His eyes glowed like dying embers, flickering with something more than just hunger.
Darius tensed beside her.
Ariana understood fear. She had faced death before. But this—this was something different.
Thorne smiled slowly. "You weren't supposed to figure it out so soon."
Darius's entire body coiled, every muscle tense, ready to fight, but Ariana never noticed.
Because in Thorne's eyes, she saw something that sent ice through her veins.
Recognition.
Not just as an enemy or prey.
As something more.
Ariana finally understood the truth.
She wasn't just being hunted.
She was being claimed.