BOUND BY LOVE AND BETRAYAL

CHAPTER 5 THE HIDDEN POWERS

As Kieran ripped through the remaining Silverfangs, his wolf let out a growl. The air smelled like ash and blood, and the snow was coated with blood. As Elara watched him battle, his movements deadly and flowing, her heart pounded in her chest. Even though he was an unstoppable force of nature, she couldn't get rid of the uneasy feeling she had.

She turned to see Ari and Lyra hunched behind a large tree, staring at Kieran with wide eyes. With panic in his eyes and shallow breathing, Ari's little hand gripped his sister's. Elara's heart tightened with desperation.

"Kieran!" Elara called, but her voice could hardly be heard over the battle's commotion. Still reeling from Rylan's warning, she sought Ari.

Caleb was still trying to maintain his position as he repelled one of the Silverfangs. Another assailant struck at him, and he let out a pained grunt. Elara's heart began to race, but then something—something odd—took place.

Ari, who was still crushed against Lyra, let out a start. His little body glowed with a faint, unsettling light, and Elara turned just in time. Like a hurricane of energy, it began in his chest and spread outward. For a moment, his eyes glowed in the same eerie color.

"Look, Elara!" With difficulty in his voice, Caleb yelled. He looked up as the force around Ari grew stronger, pressing against the atmosphere and knocking the closest Silverfangs back.

Ari muttered, "I... don't want to hurt anyone, Mama," in a tremulous voice. All I want is for them to stop.

Just as he finished speaking, a tremendous surge of force shot out of him, scattering the silverfangs that remained over the clearing. His strength seemed to make the earth itself quiver. The groans of the attackers reverberated through the trees as they lay strewn around.

Elara's breath stuck in her throat as she stood motionless. What on earth just took place?

"Ari!" she exclaimed as she hurried to seize him. His body was emitting heat, and she could feel it. "What did you do?"

Ari's little face went white with astonishment as he mumbled, "I... I didn't mean to."

Lyra flinched, having been watching with wide-eyed awe. Her own eyes started to light up, first dimly, then more brightly, until they too blazed with an odd intensity. She was encircled by a shimmering aura. Lyra's tiny hand extended, and Elara's eyes grew wide.

"Lyra, no!" It was already too late when Elara yelled.

As Lyra's power surged, the ground shook beneath them. From her palm came a surge of energy that blazed like lightning across the trees. The Silverfangs that had just recovered from Ari's onslaught and had been on the ground were flung backward into the trees.

After killing the last of his opponents, Kieran turned abruptly and glanced at the twins. His transformation was instantaneous. As he ran at them, his body tight, his eyes narrowed in caution, his wolf instincts erupted.

"Avoid them!" With a tense, urgent voice, Kieran barked.

Elara tried to protect her twins with her body as she groped for them. "What are you doing? How in the world is this possible?

Lyra, still glowing eerily, drew back a little as Ari shuddered as his strength wavered. It seemed as though nature itself was reacting to the energy that whirled from their small bodies because the earth around them broke and the trees shook.

“Make it stop,” Kieran muttered as he strode in their direction. His eyes sparkled with his wolf, but he held his control tightly. "You must stop them, Elara. I've never felt anything like their power before. Magic alone isn't enough. It's primordial. Risky.

Elara was at a loss for what to do. Her children were scared and bewildered, and suddenly their abilities, which shouldn't have been in a human child, threatened to destroy everything. Indeed, they posed a threat, but so did everything else in their environment.

Elara trembled as she muttered, "Calm down, baby," to Ari. Her heart in her throat, she turned to face Lyra. "You must stop, Lyra, my love. It's all right. I'm present.

However, it appeared that her comments had no impact. With the power steadily growing, Lyra's eyes shone brighter. Concentration had made her small frame rigid, and Elara could feel the air becoming more oppressive and heavy. This wasn't right, and it was screaming from every inch of her. Both of them were too young for this. Too naive.

Elara inhaled deeply and whispered, "Ari, Lyra." Her hands trembling, she reached for them as she knelt down to their level. "You must stop. Now. Please.

Ari's face contorted in dread and bewilderment as he glanced up at her. "Madam, I have no idea how." His little voice was so sensitive that he whimpered.

With terror tinged in his eyes, Kieran grabbed Elara by the shoulders and dragged her away from the twins. "You must immediately stop them. They are becoming less in control.

"Avoid them? How am I meant to prevent them? Desperation building in her chest, Elara snapped. "Kieran, they have no idea what they're doing!"

However, as she was speaking, she became aware of another thing—a darker hue in the atmosphere. It wasn't just Kieran who was attracting attention with the power of Ari and Lyra. An unexpected insight made Elara's heart lurch. There was more to the Silverfangs.

They were getting together once more. More of them. Not just the fighters, but also their commanders.

Before she could even react, a deep, familiar voice came from the tree shadows.

"Elara, you can't stop this. Nobody can.

Elara had never seen anything as dangerous as the glare in Rylan's eyes as he stepped forward. More Silverfangs appeared behind him, their faces etched with deadly resolve.

"Elara, I told you. I own them. They are ours.

With his teeth bared, Kieran stepped in front of Elara and growled, "Not while I breathe." However, Elara was oblivious to his power boost. Something else, something chilly, touched her.

Once more, Lyra unleashed a powerful burst of energy, but this time it wasn't directed at the Silverfangs.

Kieran was the target.

Elara felt her blood run cold as she saw Kieran lose his equilibrium due to Lyra's overwhelming might. His face showed the astonishment, but he recovered swiftly. His eyes widened in shock as he turned to face Elara.

"This—what is it?"

Now that the energy was flowing from her, Lyra's hands were shaking and her eyes were wild. Elara couldn't even begin to comprehend the force that enveloped Ari's glowing hands.

Then it dawned on her.

Their power wasn't the only thing that made them dangerous. Because *they didn't know what they were doing*, they were hazardous.

"Enough!" As Lyra's energy surged again, sending Kieran reeling backward, Elara yelled and threw herself in front of him. "You're hurting him; stop it!"

However, the words were spoken too late.

They both gave forth a burst of raw, pure energy, and for a split second, everything turned black.

And for the final time, Elara heard Rylan's icy voice in the shadows.

"Elara, it's too late. We now have the twins.

Then everything collapsed around her.