Chapter 3: The Awakening
The forest stretched endlessly before Aria, its towering trees casting long shadows in the pale moonlight. She had lived as a rogue for nearly a year now—surviving, fighting, and hiding from packs that would kill or reject her on sight. The scared little girl who once wept for her family was gone. In her place was someone hardened by loss, sharpened by solitude.
But something was changing.
For weeks, an unfamiliar warmth had simmered beneath her skin, an energy coiling deep inside her. It wasn't normal. Rogues weren't supposed to have strength like this. And yet, every time she felt threatened, something inside her stirred, as if waiting to be unleashed.
She had no pack, no mentor, no one to explain what was happening to her.
But she had instincts.
And her instincts told her she wasn't ordinary.
A Dangerous Encounter
Aria crouched low behind the thick underbrush, her sharp eyes locked on the deer grazing a few feet away. Hunting had become second nature to her—she no longer hesitated, no longer felt guilt when she took a life to survive.
She tensed, preparing to lunge—
A sudden shift in the wind sent a warning through her senses.
She wasn't alone.
The scent hit her a second later. Wolves. But not rogues—these had the distinct, sharp scent of a pack.
Aria's body went rigid.
If they found her, she was dead.
Slowly, she eased back into the shadows, moving silently. Her heartbeat pounded in her ears as she pressed herself against a tree, listening.
"Her scent is close," a deep voice said. "She shouldn't be far."
"She can't have gone far," another growled. "Alpha Kieran wants her found."
Aria's breath caught.
Kieran.
The name sent a jolt of something sharp through her chest. The last time she had seen him was the night her world had shattered. He had saved her. And now he was hunting her?
Her grip tightened on the tree bark. I won't be captured. I won't be weak.
She turned to run—
A twig snapped beneath her foot.
Damn it.
"Over here!"
Three wolves burst through the trees, shifting as they lunged toward her.
Aria moved on instinct. She ducked beneath the first wolf's claws, rolling to the side just in time to avoid the second's snapping jaws. The third came at her fast, but she twisted, driving her elbow into his ribs before darting away.
They were faster than her.
Stronger.
And yet, something inside her refused to submit.
One of the wolves shifted back into his human form—a tall warrior with golden eyes. "Give up," he ordered, stepping closer. "You're outnumbered."
Aria bared her teeth. "Come and get me."
A low growl rumbled in his throat, but before he could attack, something strange happened.
The warmth inside her surged, stronger than ever before. It wasn't just heat—it was power. It roared through her veins like a wildfire, a force she had never felt before.
The ground trembled.
The wolves hesitated, their eyes flicking to the earth beneath them.
What is this? Aria barely had time to think before the power exploded outward.
A shockwave blasted from her body, sending the warriors flying backward. Trees groaned, the wind howled, and for a single moment, the entire forest seemed to bow to her.
Then, silence.
The wolves lay motionless, groaning as they tried to recover.
Aria stood frozen, her breath unsteady.
What had she just done?
The Truth in the Shadows
She didn't stay to find out.
Her feet moved before her mind could catch up, carrying her deeper into the woods. She ran until her lungs burned, until the only sound was the rapid thumping of her heart.
Then she collapsed near a river, staring at her shaking hands.
That power… it hadn't been normal. No rogue should have been able to do that.
She needed answers.
Aria clenched her fists, determination hardening her gaze. If she wanted to survive—if she wanted revenge—she had to understand what was happening to her.
She had to uncover the truth of who she really was.
And she had a feeling that Kieran held the answers.
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End of Chapter 3