A Line No One Can Cross
Zyra barely slept that night, Not because she was afraid.
Not because she doubted her choices.
But because Kieran hadn't spoken another word to her.
Even as they returned to camp, even as the others cautiously approached, even as their warriors whispered about what had happened—he had said nothing.
He had simply walked away.
And that silence?
It was worse than anger.
She sat outside her tent, staring into the dying embers of the campfire. Every flickering glow reminded her of the power lurking beneath her skin, waiting, watching, begging to be unleashed.
Was that what they all saw when they looked at her now?
Not a warrior.
Not a leader.
Not Kieran's mate.
Just a ticking bomb, ready to explode.
She clenched her fists.
She didn't have time for this. They were in the middle of a war. Vael was still out there, and whatever he wanted from her, he wasn't finished yet.
Her chest tightened.
"Did you consider it?"
Kieran's words replayed in her head over and over again. He hadn't asked if she had accepted the offer.
He had asked if she had considered it.
Because a part of him already knew the answer.
And that… terrified her.
A shadow moved beside her.
She didn't flinch—she knew who it was before she even looked up.
"You should be resting," Kieran said, his voice unreadable.
Zyra let out a slow breath. "So should you."
A beat of silence.
Then—he sat down beside her.
Close, but not touching.
It shouldn't have hurt.
But it did.
She turned her gaze toward him, taking in the way his jaw was clenched, the way his golden eyes flickered with something unspoken.
It wasn't just anger.
It was fear.
Not of her.
Of losing her.
"You think I'm changing," she said quietly.
Kieran's fingers twitched. "You are."
The honesty of it cut deeper than she wanted to admit.
Zyra inhaled slowly. "And if I do?"
Kieran finally turned to look at her. "Then I need to know if you'll still be you."
A lump formed in her throat. "I don't know," she admitted.
His jaw tensed.
That wasn't the answer he had wanted.
And yet—it was the truth.
Because she didn't know.
Every time she used her power, it felt like a part of her was being rewritten.
Something old was waking up inside her. Something that didn't just want control—it wanted everything.
And worst of all?
It felt natural.
Kieran exhaled sharply. "Then I'll ask you this."
His gaze burned into hers, searching, waiting.
"When the time comes—will you let me pull you back?"
Her breath hitched.
Because that was the real question.
Not if she would change.
But if she would still want to stay by his side when she did.
Her lips parted, words forming—
And then the ground trembled.
---
The Last Warning
Shouts erupted across the camp.
Zyra and Kieran were on their feet instantly, blades drawn.
Then she felt it.
Not an attack.
Not a natural tremor.
A presence.
Dark and cold, slithering through the air like a whisper of a nightmare.
She knew who it was before she even turned.
Vael.
He stood at the edge of the firelight, not a single weapon drawn, his silver eyes gleaming with something triumphant.
He had come alone.
But that didn't make him any less dangerous.
Kieran's body tensed beside her, his hand tightening around his blade.
"You're either arrogant or foolish to walk into my camp unarmed," he growled.
Vael smirked. "And yet, here I stand."
His gaze flickered to Zyra. "I told you to think on my offer."
The air shifted.
Zyra stepped forward before Kieran could react, her voice steady. "And my answer remains the same."
Vael's smile widened.
"I wasn't talking about my offer to you," he said softly.
Zyra's heart stopped.
Something was wrong.
The moment stretched—and then she felt it.
A presence inside her mind, twisting, shifting—
A voice not hers.
Whispering.
Calling.
Urging.
Kieran saw the change immediately.
"Zyra?"
She couldn't answer.
Because she was somewhere else.
Her vision blurred, the world spinning—
And suddenly, she was standing on a battlefield.
But it wasn't theirs.
It was another time, another place.
And in the middle of it—
She saw herself.
Or at least… a version of herself.
Not Zyra. Not Kieran's mate.
But something older, darker, more powerful.
A goddess.
Clad in blackened fire, her eyes endless voids, power seeping from every breath—
And beside her?
Vael.
Not an enemy.
An ally.
The vision shattered.
Zyra staggered back, gasping, her mind reeling.
Her hands were shaking.
Because for the first time—she wasn't sure if it was just a vision.
Or a memory.
Vael's voice echoed in the night.
"The choice is coming, little warrior."
"And when it does—will you still be Kieran's mate?"
The world tilted.
And deep inside her, the answer she feared most whispered back.
"I don't know."
---