Kaël and Zephyr nod without question, fanning out as we go farther into the forest. I catch sight of fresh tracks, a deer, judging by the size and pattern. It’s a good sign. My movements are silent as I follow the trail.
Soon, I spot it. A large buck grazing in the clearing. It’s the perfect catch for the feast. My muscles coil, my claws readying to strike.
“Theron.”
I freeze, lowering my arms. I turn toward the shadows, and there she is, her silver fur glinting in the light filtering through the leaves above.
“Elder Aïna,” I greet her, my tone respectful as I step back from the hunt.
“I didn’t want to wait until you returned,”
My muscles tense instantly, and I move closer to her. “Tell me.”
“Theron, the barrier’s fall is not only a gift. It’s a warning.”
This new world—this life beyond the barrier—is a test for me. Leading the vólkins behind the shield of the barrier was one thing. It was safe. Now with it gone, every decision, every instinct carries the weight of survival. One wrong move and I risk not only my people but Noël too.
A low growl rumbles in my throat. “What did you find?”
“The magic tied to it, it’s dangerous. Old. And it lingers still.”
I narrow my gaze, the tension crawling under my fur.
She exhales, her ears flicking back. “The campfire’s embers seem fresh, but they are not. Those who were there left in a hurry, but not before completing a ritual. The stones they used were arranged in patterns I’ve only seen in the darkest of practices. A summoning, perhaps. Or abinding.”
Fresh but not... That can only mean one thing.
“There’s more,” she says. “The air around the site was heavy with pain. The forest remembers what was done there. And the blood the warriors scented...” She pauses, her pale eyes sharpening. “It was sacrificial.”
A growl rises in my throat. My claws flex, itching for something to strike. “A sacrifice?”
She nods. “The ritual wasn’t a harmless spell, it was fueled by suffering. Death. Whatever they did, it wasn’t ordinary magic.”
I bare my teeth. “The barrier.”
“Perhaps,” she replies. “Or something tied to it. Whatever their intent, they failed. The barrier is gone, but their purpose remains. They’ll come back, Theron.”
A cold rage simmers beneath my fur. The idea of those responsible returning, bringing darkness into Ávera, is enough to make my blood burn. “If they come back,” I say, “we’ll make sure they won’t return.”
“If they come back, they’ll bring with them the same magic that created the barrier. And they’ll be more desperate, more dangerous. We must prepare. For ourselves. For Ávera. And most of all, forher.”
Noël. She’s not just my mate, she’s everything. Our future, our balance. The thought of her in danger twists my anger.
“Nothing will touch her,” I snarl. “Or Ávera. Not while I breathe.”
Aïna’s gaze softens, but her voice remains firm. “Theron, this is a new beginning. Beginnings are fragile. One misstep, and everything we’ve fought to protect will crumble.”
“We’ll be ready,” I say, my voice low and final.
She studies me before nodding. “Then let us see it done.” I dip my chin, and she places a paw on my shoulder. “The goddesses are with you.”
With that, she disappears into the forest, leaving me with my thoughts.
Noël has suffered more than anyone should—losing her mother, facing the cruelty of men who sought to crush her. Yet she stood against it all, unbroken and fierce. But strength shouldn’t come from such pain. It shouldn’t come at the cost of her peace.
And she’s never known true safety. Anyone who dares to harm her, who even dreams of bringing her pain, will answer tome. They will face my claws and my fangs. They will face their end. The same as that weird-looking human male did.
We must find the six, restore the balance, and reshape this land into something worthy of my mate. I will not fail her.
