I stood at the cliff’s edge, my heart racing, every nerve frayed. The wind howled through the trees, carrying the scent of rain, of earth, of something ancient. But none of it mattered. I had a choice to make. Kael’s words echoed in my mind, heavy with the weight of destiny.
“Choose wisely, Nina. The rebellion will come for you. They’ll use you, and if you let them, they’ll destroy everything you’ve ever known.”
The words wrapped around my mind like chains. Ryker, my fated mate, my enemy, stood only a few feet away, his presence a grounding force. And yet, there was something inside me, a fierce hunger, urging me to step away from him, to discover the truth about my bloodline, to embrace the wolf inside me I had long denied.
I turned my head slightly, catching Ryker’s gaze. His eyes wer
