The arrow whizzed past Kael's ear, missing him by inches.
"Alpha, get down!" Damon shouted, tackling Kael behind a fallen log as more arrows flew through the air.
Kael's golden eyes blazed with anger. "How many?" he growled, his voice so low it made the ground shake.
"At least fifteen rogues," Damon answered, peeking over the log. "They've got us surrounded."
This was supposed to be a simple check. Kael had brought twenty of his best warriors to check the borders of Shadow River Pack land. Rogues had been stealing food and goods for weeks, and he was tired of it. But this wasn't just theft. This was war.
"They're organized," Kael muttered, watching the rogues move through the bushes like they had military training. "Someone's leading them."
Another arrow slammed into the log right above his head. Kael's wolf, Titan, was moving angrily in his mind.
*Let me out,* Titan growled. *Let me tear them apart.*
"Not yet," Kael whispered back. He needed to think, not just fight.
The rogues were good, but they'd made one mistake. They were trying to push Kael's pack toward the deeper forest. That meant something important was back there. Something they were protecting.
"Marcus, take half the warriors and circle around from the east," Kael ordered through the mind-link that connected all pack members. "Drive them toward the river."
"Yes, Alpha."
Kael waited until his troops were in position, then stood up. "I know you can hear me!" he shouted to the rogues. "Come out and face me like real wolves!"
Silence.
Then, from somewhere in the woods, a woman's voice called back: "We don't want to fight you, Alpha Thorn. Just leave us alone."
The voice was familiar. Kael frowned, trying to place it.
"I'll leave you alone when you stop stealing from my pack," he responded. "Come out now, and maybe I won't kill all of you."
A bitter laugh echoed through the trees. "Kill us? We've been dying slowly for years. At least this way, we choose how."
That's when the smell hit him. It was like nothing Kael had ever experienced. Sweet like honey, wild like the forest after rain, and strong like lightning in a storm. The scent went straight to his brain and made Titan go totally crazy.
*MATE!* Titan howled. *She's here! Our mate is here!*
Kael stumbled, gripping his chest. The mate bond was like a physical force, pulling him toward the smell. His heart was pounding so hard he thought it might burst.
"Damon," he gasped. "Do you smell that?"
Damon looked confused. "Smell what, Alpha?"
Of course. Only Kael could smell his mate. That's how it worked. But where was she? The smell was coming from the direction of the rogues, which meant...
"No," Kael whispered. "She can't be with them."
He stood up, ignoring the risk of more arrows, and started walking toward the trees. He had to find her. Nothing else mattered.
"Alpha, what are you doing?" Damon hissed. "Get back down!"
But Kael couldn't stop. The mate bond was like a rope around his soul, pulling him forward. He pushed through the bushes, following the incredible smell.
That's when he saw her.
She was crouched behind a tree about fifty feet away, holding a bow with shaking hands. Her long auburn hair was twisted with leaves and dirt. Her clothes were old and torn. But her eyes...
Her eyes were the most beautiful thing Kael had ever seen. They were silver, like moonlight on water, and they were looking right at him with a mixture of fear and defiance.
Time stopped. The world went quiet. And then Titan roared so loudly in Kael's mind that he almost fell over.
*MATE! MATE! MATE!*
The girl's eyes went wide. She dropped her bow and stumbled backward.
"No," she whispered. "This can't be happening."
But Kael could see the recognition in her face. She felt it too. The bond. The pull. The absolute certainty that they belonged together.
"You," he said, his voice rough with emotion. "You're..."
"I'm nobody," she said quickly, backing away further. "Just leave me alone."
"I can't." Kael took a step toward her. "You're my mate."
The girl—his mate—shook her head desperately. "I don't want a mate. Especially not you."
Her words hit him like a slap. No one had ever denied Kael before. He was the strongest Alpha in the northern regions. Wolves dreamed of being chosen by him. But this girl looked at him like he was her worst nightmare.
"What's your name?" he asked, trying to keep his voice gentle.
She paused, then lifted her chin with stubborn pride. "Aria."
Aria. Even her name was perfect.
"Aria," he repeated, and saw her shiver when he said it. "You don't have to be afraid of me."
"I'm not afraid," she lied. "I just don't want anything to do with you or your pack."
That's when Kael noticed something strange. The ground around Aria's feet was covered with silver flowers that seemed to glow in the dim forest light. They definitely hadn't been there a moment ago.
"What are you?" he whispered.
Aria looked down at the flowers and gasped. "I don't know what you're talking about."
But more flowers were growing around her with each passing second. And the trees seemed to be leaning toward her, like they were drawn to her presence.
Kael had heard stories about old magic, but he'd never believed them. Until now.
"You have forest magic," he said in wonder.
"That's impossible." But even as Aria spoke, a vine curled around her wrist like a gentle bracelet.
Suddenly, everything made sense. The coordinated rogue attack. The way they'd tried to lead him away from this part of the forest. They weren't just protecting stolen goods. They were protecting her.
"How long have you been with the rogues?" Kael asked.
"Ten years."
"Since you were eight?" His heart clenched. What kind of life had his mate been living?
Before Aria could answer, Damon's voice burst in Kael's mind through the pack link: *Alpha! We've got a problem. There are more rogues coming from the south. At least thirty of them. And Alpha... some of them aren't rogues.*
Kael's blood went cold. "What do you mean?"
*They're wearing pack colors. Dark blue and silver. It's the Moonstone Pack.*
The Moonstone Pack was Shadow River's biggest enemy. If they were working with the rogues...
Kael looked at Aria, who was watching him with growing alarm.
"We have to go," he said urgently. "Right now."
"I'm not going anywhere with you."
"Aria, listen to me." Kael stepped closer, and she didn't back away this time. "My pack is about to be attacked. If you stay here, you'll be caught in the middle of a war."
"Maybe that's what I want."
Her words broke his heart. What had happened to make his mate so eager to destroy herself?
"Please," he said, and the word came out like a prayer. "Just trust me."
For a moment, Aria looked like she might say yes. Her silver eyes softened, and Kael felt hope bloom in his chest.
Then the howling started.
It came from all directions at once—dozens of wolves announcing their arrival. The sound was so loud and terrifying that birds exploded from the trees in panic.
Aria went white as snow. "They found us."
"Who found us?" Kael demanded.
But Aria was already running, crashing through the trees like her life depended on it. And as Kael chased after his mate, one terrible thought repeated in his mind:
What if the war wasn't about territory at all? What if it was about her?