The wine glass shattered in Alpha Jarek's hand.
Red wine mixed with blood dripped onto the white marble floor of Kael's office as Jarek stared at the security camera feed. On the screen, Aria was walking across the courtyard, her silver hair catching the sunshine.
"Turn it off," Jarek growled, his voice shaking with rage.
Kael didn't move from behind his desk. "She's my mate, Jarek. She lives here now."
"She's supposed to be dead!" Jarek slammed his bleeding hand on the desk, making everything jump. "I sent her away to die as a rogue. Why did you bring her back?"
"Because the mate bond—"
"There is no mate bond!" Jarek's eyes flashed red. "I made sure of that years ago!"
The room went deadly quiet. Kael's golden eyes narrowed as he studied his visitor. Jarek looked terrible—his hair was messy, his clothes wrinkled, and he smelled like he'd been drinking for days.
"What do you mean, you made sure of that?"
Jarek laughed, but it wasn't a happy sound. "You really don't know, do you? You have no idea what that girl really is."
"She's Aria. Your daughter. My mate."
"She's a curse!" Jarek screamed. "She's the reason my pack fell apart. She's the reason my other daughter is dead. And she's the reason you're going to lose everything you've built here."
Kael stood up slowly, his Alpha power filling the room like a dark cloud. "Explain. Now."
Jarek pulled out a dirty flask and took a long drink. His hands were shaking so badly he could barely hold it.
"Eighteen years ago, I was the strongest Alpha in the northern regions. I had everything—power, respect, a beautiful mate, and two perfect daughters." His voice cracked. "Then Aria turned seven, and the nightmares started."
"What nightmares?"
"Every night, she would scream in her sleep. She'd talk about silver light and dark water and voices calling her name. My mate—their mother—she started having dreams too. Dreams about death and blood and a great darkness coming for our family."
Kael felt something cold settle in his stomach. "Go on."
"We took Aria to the pack doctor, to elders, to anyone who might know what was wrong with her. That's when we learned the truth." Jarek's eyes were wild now, like a trapped animal. "She carries the bloodline of the Shadow Walkers."
"That's impossible. The Shadow Walkers died out centuries ago."
"No, they didn't. They hid. They bred with regular wolves, waiting for the right time to return. And Aria—she's the key they've been waiting for."
Kael's mind was racing. The Shadow Walkers were ancient werewolves who could control dark magic. They'd been hunted to extinction because they were too dangerous to live alongside other packs.
"Even if that's true, it doesn't explain—"
"She killed her own mother!" Jarek shouted. "The night before she turned eight, Aria had the worst nightmare yet. She was screaming so loud the whole pack house shook. When I got to her room, my mate was on the floor, dead. Aria was standing over her with silver light pouring from her eyes."
"You're lying."
"Am I? Then why can't you remember your childhood with her? Why are there gaps in your memory from when you were kids?"
Kael's blood turned to ice. He'd always wondered why he couldn't remember much from before he became Alpha. He'd thought it was normal—childhood memories fade.
"I had your memories altered," Jarek continued. "I paid a witch to make you forget how dangerous Aria really is. But the mate bond—that was supposed to be severed too. The witch promised me it would never trigger."
"Then why did it?"
"Because she's getting stronger. The closer she gets to her nineteenth birthday, the more powerful she becomes. And when she turns nineteen..." Jarek's voice dropped to a whisper. "The Shadow Walkers will return. They'll use her body as a doorway to come back into our world."
Kael felt like the floor was falling out from under him. "That's why you wanted me to kill her."
"It's the only way to stop what's coming. She has to die before her birthday, or we're all lost."
"There has to be another way."
"There isn't!" Jarek grabbed Kael's arm. "I've spent ten years studying this. I've talked to every witch, every elder, every expert I could find. They all say the same thing—she has to die."
"She's innocent. She doesn't even know what she is."
"Innocent?" Jarek laughed coldly. "She killed her mother. She probably killed those children ten years ago too, even if Cassandra took the blame. And now she's here, getting stronger every day, and you're too blind to see it."
"I won't kill her."
"Then you'll watch her destroy everything you love." Jarek headed for the door, then stopped. "Oh, and Kael? That prophecy you're so concerned about? It's not about saving anyone. It's about ending the world."
The door slammed shut, leaving Kael alone with his thoughts.
---
He sank back into his chair, his mind spinning. Could it be true? Was Aria really that dangerous? He thought about the fight he'd watched earlier—the way she'd moved like something inhuman, the silver light that had poured from her eyes.
A soft knock interrupted his thinking.
"Come in."
Aria stepped into the room, and Kael's heart clenched. She looked so young, so fragile. Her silver hair was still damp from the shower, and she was wearing one of his old shirts that was way too big for her.
"Damon said you wanted to see me?"
"I... yes. Sit down."
She settled into the chair across from his desk, her silver eyes full of worry. "Are you okay? You look upset."
"Aria, I need to ask you something, and I need you to be completely honest with me."
"Of course."
"Do you remember your mother?"
Her face went pale. "Why would you ask me that?"
"Just answer the question."
"I... no. I don't remember much from before I went rogue. Why?"
Kael studied her face, looking for any sign that she was lying. But all he saw was confusion and hurt.
"Your father was just here."
"What?" She jumped up from her chair. "He was here? What did he want?"
"He wanted to talk about your birthday."
"My birthday isn't for two months. Why would he—" She stopped, her eyes going wide. "Oh no. He told you, didn't he? About what I am?"
Kael's blood turned to ice. "What are you talking about?"
Aria's hands started shaking. "I was hoping I'd have more time. I was hoping I could figure out how to control it before you found out."
"Control what, Aria?"
She looked up at him, and her eyes were full of tears.
"I'm not just your mate, Kael. I'm your death sentence. And in two months, when I turn nineteen, I'm going to kill everyone you love."