POV: Kade
The moon barely shone on the Shadow Pack's land, but it didn't help at all, Kade was alone, looking out from his room, hands on the wooden frame, searching the trees as if Rae might appear, Every small breeze and branch breaking gave his wolf false hope, but nothing happened, Only the growing quiet between them stayed,
He couldn't feel her anymore,
The link between them, once strong and clear, had disappeared, like a heartbeat quieted by ice, His wolf made a soft sound, walking back and forth, worried, It was more than just sadness, it was like she was gone, It was emptiness, like the bond had been broken,
Kade tightened his jaw, No, Rae was still alive, He would know if she wasn't, But something had changed, something bigger than choice or betrayal,
She had chosen Nyra,
He rubbed his hand over his face, feeling guilty and angry, Rae had embarrassed him in front of everyone, refused his mark, and taken his sister in one painful moment, But still, he couldn't hate her, He still missed the future they would never have, And Nyra, the quiet shadow he once protected, how had she become the woman who took everything?
He turned away from the window, pacing, His people talked quietly about fighting back and things falling apart, His uncle Rovan was gaining supporters like a vulture, The council still wanted Rae and Nyra punished, and Kade was stuck, pulled in different directions, overwhelmed by the weight of family history, rules, and a broken heart,
Just then, something loud happened near the courtyard, Kade stopped moving, his senses on high alert,
The guards yelled something, words mixed with fear, and Kade's heart beat fast,
He walked out onto the balcony, looking at the edge of the grounds where the trees began, lit by torches,
Two figures appeared, covered in dirt and blood, but clearly recognizable,
Rae and Nyra,
They had come back,
Kade couldn't breathe,
Warriors rushed to stop them, telling them to stop, But Rae stood firm, her jaw tight and her muscles tense, Nyra, however, moved calmly, her red eyes glowing slightly in the moonlight,
Kade frowned, Red?
Then the warriors charged, trying to grab them,
Kade leaned forward, shocked,
Nyra didn't even react, Her eyes glowed brighter, shining a red light on her face, and then the air around her seemed to pulse, like silent thunder,
The guards stumbled back, holding their chests, groaning in pain, One fell to his knee, another wandered into the grass, confused,
Kade's wolf howled inside him,
That wasn't magic, That was power, pure and old, And it wasn't borrowed,
Nyra looked around the courtyard like fire spreading quickly through dry wood, She took Rae's hand and stepped forward,
Kade did not wait at all, He left the deck quickly and hurried down the stairs, feeling each step was very hard, When he arrived in the lower area, all the head people were there, their coats moving in the wind, and their voices already sounded worried,
Nyra and Rae were in the center of the action, lit up by the moving light from torches and circled by fighters who were shocked, Kade moved through the crowd and looked across the open space at Nyra,
She didn't step away, Rae didn't either,
The head people insisted that they be held back, asked questions, and punished for breaking important rules once more,
But Nyra raised her head up,
"I won't be forced to be quiet," she stated, her voice echoing like metal hitting metal,
Leader Thorne frowned, "How dare you return after going against us? After joining with a fighter who refused her chosen Alpha?"
Nyra's mouth twisted, "You tried to give me to a weak Alpha for your own gain, You gave me drugs, You tried to make me wed someone I didn't want, Is that an important rule now?"
People in the crowd gasped, Kade's heart jumped fast, He didn't know they gave her drugs, He quickly looked at Jake, but his dad's face stayed the same, showing no feelings,
"You can't show proof," one of the leaders answered back,
"I don't need proof," Nyra said, "I have what's true, And strength,"
As if to make her words real, her eyes shone again, bright red, casting shadows on the shocked faces of the leaders, A big quietness came next, filled with not believing and growing worry,
Kade moved a step forward, talking quietly, "Nyra, how did you do that?"
She turned all the way to face him now, her eyes steady,
"I didn't use any magic, Kade," she stated, "I'm not a witch,"
"Then what are you?"
She slowly took a breath in,
"I'm what you've always been scared of, What Mother hid, What the leaders covered up,"
She looked at the leaders, making her voice louder,
"I'm the Night Whisper,"
The wind stopped blowing,
Time stopped moving,
Even Rae seemed surprised by what she said, but she didn't let go of Nyra's hand,
Leader Thorne stepped back a bit, "That family line was supposed to be gone,"
"You were wrong," Nyra stated, stopping him, "And I'm done hiding,"
Kade could not find the words to speak, The information hit him hard, like a lightning strike from out of nowhere, destroying all that he thought he knew about the girl he used to call his little sister, His heart felt constricted as Nyra's red-glowing eyes locked onto him, steady and strong, At that moment, she looked nothing like the calm, shy person he had known when growing up,
Everything he believed was true, his position, his authority, even what he knew about his family history, had been deeply questioned,
The low sounds from the crowd grew into hurried, hushed tones, The older leaders shifted uncomfortably, and the fighters stiffened as if they felt things were about to change, Somewhere behind those in the front, Rae gasped quietly, but she stood taller, staring at Nyra as if making a silent vow,
Nyra moved ahead through the shocked group, each step planned, her shoulders set with a new sense of power, The light in her eyes shined more intensely, not just because of the glow, but as a sign of something more profound, something from long ago, wild, and timeless,
"I dare Kade," she stated, her voice sharp like a knife cutting through the thick silence, "to fight me for the Alpha position,"
People gasped loudly from all around, Someone let a staff fall to the ground, Others glanced at Kade, waiting for him to quickly refuse, but he stayed still,
Rae did not even blink, She just breathed out and raised her head,
Kade, unable to move, could only keep staring,
The girl he used to protect,
Was now the woman who might take over as leader.