The forest tightens around them.
Not physically—
But mentally.
Aria doesn’t move.
Neither do the wolves surrounding her.
It’s as if the entire world has been paused… waiting for a single command.
The man watches her with quiet amusement, hands loosely at his sides, posture relaxed—too relaxed for someone standing before the Moon Queen and her warriors.
“You feel it, don’t you?” he says softly.
Aria’s jaw tightens.
She does.
It’s not like Malrik’s power—loud, crushing, overwhelming.
This is different.
Subtle.
Creeping.
Like something slipping into her thoughts… testing the edges of her control.
Her wolf snarls violently, pushing back.
Mine. My mind. My will.
The pressure eases—for a second.
But the warning is clear.
Kael steps closer to her, his voice low and tense. “Aria
