POV: Aria
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Pain didn’t come in the way I expected.
There were no screams. No sharp stabs. Just heat. Heavy and relentless. A pressure behind my ribs, like something too large trying to force its way through a body far too small to hold it.
I wasn’t alone in myself anymore.
I felt Kael—his power a steady thrum, his blood marking me still fresh on my skin—and I felt the bond crackling between us.
But there was someone else. Watching. Pressing.
And smiling.
“Don’t be afraid, little wolf.”
The voice wasn’t mine. Wasn’t my wolf’s. It was silk and shadow, coaxing rather than commanding.
“We’re so much stronger together.”
I tried to scream, but my voice only echoed inward.
Inside, I saw her.
Not fully formed, not a reflection. A presence with curling strands of pale silver hair and
