Kael stared at the note long after Aria had gone. The blood had dried, but the weight of the message clung to the air like a threat.
"He's watching her and can strike at any time," Kael muttered to himself.
Lina appeared at the doorway, her brow furrowed. "What happened?"
Kael held the paper out to her.
Her eyes widened. "He knows where she is and we have to plan faster,he can attack unexpectedly."
Kael nodded. "Which means we don't have much time.
Aria stood in the middle of the training field, her fists clenched at her sides. The night was thick with silence, only the rhythmic sound of her breathing could be heard.
Her mind replayed every moment of pain every slap, every silence Ronan forced her into, every bruise he left on her soul making her angry and willing than ever to sought for vengeance. Her voice may have been quiet, but her heart thundered like a drum and the memories and scars are still there.
She couldn't rest. Not yet. Not when he was this close. Not when he still believed he owned her thinking she was still the weak girl he knew.
Her wolf itched beneath her skin. It wanted to run. To hunt.
To tear.
She shifted.
Bones cracked, fur blossomed, and a soft glow spread from her eyes as her wolf took over. The white of her fur gleamed under the moonlight, ethereal and radiant. She let herself run fast and fierce through the woods surrounding Kael's camp, her instincts leading her deeper into the night.
A howl echoed in the distance.
Not Kael.
Not their pack.
Her paws stopped.
The scent reached her faint, familiar and Dark. She knew who it belongs to
Ronan.
He was near.
She became defensive. Her wolf bristled with warning. She could almost feel his gaze from somewhere in the darkness. She turned in a slow circle, ears perked, eyes narrowed and sharp looking around.
But he was gone.
A whisper of a presence. A taunt. He wants to scare her to know he is still present
She bolted back toward camp.
Back at camp, Kael was already waiting by the border. As soon as Aria shifted back and threw on the robe Lina had brought, his arms were around her.
"I felt your fear," he murmured.
She shook her head. Not fear. Rage.
Kael's expression hardened. "He's closing in. Which means it's time we move first."
She nodded.
"I want you protected," he added.
Her eyes flared. I don't need protection. I need blood.Revenge
Kael looked at her, then slowly nodded. "Then we'll do it your way."
But we have to be strategic
In his pack, Ronan knelt before a fire in a secluded place, a single strand of white fur in his hand.
His eyes glowed as he whispered her name. "Aria…"
He pressed the fur to his lips. "Do you feel me? I feel you."
His madness was no longer contained. The bond between them, once severed, now frayed , still pulsed faintly in the corners of their souls.
"I'll bring you home," he whispered. "Even if I have to burn the world and kill to do it."
Morning arrived with war on the horizon.
Inside the strategy tent, Kael stood before the gathered leaders of his pack. Maps were unfolded. Red markers signified Ronan's main bases. A single black marker now represented the clearing where Aria had scented him.
"This is our next strike zone," Kael said. "A supply line camp. Small, but important. We cut it, and we weaken him."
Lina chimed in. "It'll also send a message he's not the only one who knows how to play with fear."
Kael looked at Aria.
She nodded once. Her eyes were sharper than blades.
"I want to go," she signed.
Kael hesitated. "You'll be in danger."
I already am.
He sighed. "Fine. But you don't go alone."
Lina grinned. "Guess that means I'm coming too."
That night, the strike team moved like shadows.
Aria led them through the woods, using the map she'd memorized. Every crunch of a twig beneath her boots felt like a countdown.
They reached the camp just before dawn.
Kael gave the signal.
Chaos exploded.
Wolves shifted , tearing into Ronan's guards before they could scream. Fire spread across the tents. Supply crates shattered. Smoke spiraled into the morning sky.
And in the center of it all, Aria fought like vengeance incarnate.
Her wolf was a blur of white and fury, her movements precise. She didn't kill for rage. She killed for justice.
For herself.
For every girl like her.
For every scream never heard.
By the time the sun rose fully, the camp lay in ruin.
Aria stood among the ashes, panting, her eyes wild and alive.
Kael approached, blood staining his armor. He looked at her and smiled not with joy, but with pride.
"You're not a victim anymore," he said.
Aria looked down at her hands.
No, she signed slowly. I'm a weapon.