---
The Red Moon still lingered in the sky, faint and swollen, its glow less crimson now but no less oppressive. Even as dawn painted the horizon, its presence bled into every breath, every heartbeat, pulling at wolves and bond alike.
For Aria, it meant fire in her veins that wouldn’t fade.
She stood in the training yard, sweat slicking her skin, breath ragged as she swung the silver-edged blade Kael had placed in her hands. Her movements were clumsy at first, too human, but the bond whispered where to step, when to turn her wrist, how to strike. It wasn’t knowledge she owned—it was borrowed, poured into her through the tether between them.
And Kael was there, always watching.
He stood at the edge of the yard, arms folded, his silver eyes tracking every motion. He hadn’t corrected her
