Sienna's heartbeat pounded in her ears as Kael's words settled over her like an inescapable weight.
"Now, you stay with me."
The air in the room felt too thick, suffocating her under the gravity of the moment.
She gripped the edge of the blanket tighter, her nails digging into the fabric. "And if I refuse?"
Kael tilted his head slightly, his golden eyes locked onto hers, unreadable yet impossibly intense. "You won't."
His confidence grated on her nerves. "You don't control me."
"I don't have to." His voice was calm, almost casual, but there was an underlying challenge in his words. "Step outside that door, and you won't last till sunrise. They'll be waiting."
Her stomach twisted. "Who?"
Kael's jaw tightened. "The ones who tried to kill you."
The memory of the rogues in the woods flashed in her mind. The way they had spoken about her, like she was nothing more than a sacrifice waiting to be made.
Sienna's breath hitched. "They were after me because of the prophecy, weren't they?"
The older man, the one who had spoken of the Moonbound Curse stepped forward. His expression was grim, his voice steady. "Yes."
She shook her head, trying to make sense of it all. "But why? What does it even mean?"
Kael exhaled sharply and turned away, as if trying to rein in his frustration. The older man, however, remained calm.
"There was a prophecy written long before your birth," he explained. "A wolf born under the blood moon, destined to either save our kind or doom us all."
Sienna felt the floor shift beneath her feet.
"But I've done nothing," she whispered. "I've never hurt anyone."
"It's not about what you've done," Kael said, his voice lower now, measured. "It's about what you will do."
Her stomach clenched. "That's ridiculous."
The older man sighed. "Prophecies aren't always clear. Some believe you are meant to bring balance. Others… fear the destruction you may bring. And those who fear you most? They won't wait to find out which side you fall on."
A cold shiver ran through her.
"They want me dead." It wasn't a question.
The scarred man by the door finally spoke again, his voice edged with impatience. "They don't just want you dead. They believe you should have died the night you first shifted."
Sienna inhaled sharply.
Her first shift had nearly killed her. It had been brutal. More painful than any other wolf she had ever known. She had thought it was just her body being weak. But now… now it meant something more.
Her father had never explained why she had been different. Never comforted her when the elders whispered behind her back.
Had he known?
A lump formed in her throat.
She had spent her whole life feeling like she didn't quite belong. Now she understood why.
Her hands curled into fists. "So what now?" she asked, forcing strength into her voice. "I hide forever?"
Kael's gaze flickered with something unreadable. "No," he said. "You train."
Sienna blinked. "What?"
The older man nodded. "If you're going to survive, you need to know what you're up against. Strength alone won't save you."
Her pulse raced. "I never asked for this," she muttered.
Kael stepped closer, his voice quieter now, but no less firm. "Neither did I."
Sienna swallowed hard.
She wanted to argue. To tell them all that they were wrong, that this was some kind of mistake. But deep down, she knew better.
The way the rogues had looked at her.
The way Kael had looked at her.
There was something inside her that she didn't understand. Something that others had feared long before she had even known it existed.
And now she had a choice.
Run and die.
Or stay and fight.
Her throat tightened. "Fine," she said at last. "Then tell me everything."
Kael studied her for a moment, then nodded. "Get some rest," he said, turning toward the door. "We start at dawn."
Sienna watched him go, her stomach still knotted with uncertainty.
Something told her this was only the beginning.