THE POWER INSIDE ME
The creature walked toward Aria slowly.
Like a predator that had finally found its prey.
Each step it took made the ground tremble slightly.
Rowan immediately shifted into his wolf form and stepped in front of her, teeth bared.
A deep growl rumbled from his chest.
“You’re not touching her,” Rowan snarled.
The creature barely glanced at him.
“You’re not the one I came for.”
Aria’s heart pounded.
Around them, the courtyard had gone quiet.
Warriors who had been fighting moments ago now stood frozen, watching the monster approach.
Even the other Alphas looked tense.
The creature’s glowing red eyes never left Aria.
“Interesting…” it murmured.
“So this is the Shadow Bloodline.”
Aria forced herself to stand her ground.
“You keep saying that like you know something.”
The creature smiled.
“Oh, I know many things.”
It tilted its head slightly, studying her.
“You’re weaker than I expected.”
Her wolf growled angrily inside her mind.
Say that again.
Aria clenched her fists.
“Well, you’re uglier than I expected.”
For a moment, Rowan looked like he might laugh.
But the creature only smiled wider.
“Bold.”
Then suddenly—
It moved.
Too fast.
In the blink of an eye, the creature grabbed Rowan’s wolf by the neck and threw him across the courtyard.
Rowan crashed into the ground with a painful growl.
“ROWAN!” Aria shouted.
Before she could run to him, the creature was already standing in front of her.
Towering over her.
Its shadow swallowed her completely.
“Finally,” it whispered.
Aria’s wolf snarled inside her head.
Fight.
The creature reached toward her.
But before it could touch her—
A massive black shape slammed into its side.
The Alpha King.
He hit the creature with enough force to send both of them crashing across the courtyard.
Aria’s breath caught.
The Alpha King’s wolf rose again, fur bristling and eyes blazing with fury.
The creature laughed as it stood.
“You’re persistent.”
The King didn’t answer.
He attacked again immediately.
This time the fight was even more brutal.
Claws tore through stone.
Teeth snapped inches from throats.
The Alpha King moved faster now, striking with deadly precision.
He slammed the creature against the fortress wall, cracking the stone.
But the monster still laughed.
“You still don’t understand, do you?”
It grabbed the King’s leg and threw him aside again.
The Alpha King skidded across the courtyard, leaving deep claw marks in the ground.
Aria felt fear twisting in her chest.
Why wasn’t the creature getting weaker?
Her wolf’s voice was tense.
It’s not healing normally.
The creature turned toward her again.
“Your King can’t protect you forever.”
It began walking toward her again.
Kael suddenly stepped forward.
His wolf burst from his body as he shifted mid-run.
With a furious snarl, Kael lunged at the creature.
His jaws snapped around its arm.
The creature roared in irritation.
“Another one?”
It swung its arm violently, slamming Kael into the ground.
But Kael attacked again.
And again.
Trying to keep the creature away from Aria.
Aria stood frozen, watching the fight.
Her wolf’s voice echoed loudly in her mind.
You’re stronger than this.
“I don’t know how to control it,” Aria whispered.
Then stop trying to control it.
The creature backhanded Kael’s wolf across the courtyard.
He crashed near the broken gate, struggling to stand.
Now the monster was looking at Aria again.
Its smile returned.
“Your turn.”
Aria’s chest burned.
Heat surged through her body.
The same energy she had felt before.
But this time it was stronger.
Much stronger.
Her wolf growled excitedly.
Yes…
The creature raised its clawed hand.
“Let’s see if the legend is real.”
Aria lifted her head slowly.
Her eyes began to glow.
A dark silver light spread through her pupils.
The wind in the courtyard suddenly began to swirl.
Dust lifted from the ground.
The creature paused.
For the first time—
It looked surprised.
Aria’s voice came out deeper.
Stronger.
“You wanted to see my power?”
The air around her began to vibrate.
Even the Alpha King’s wolf stopped moving.
Every eye in the courtyard turned toward her.
The creature slowly smiled again.
“Finally.”
And the moment Aria raised her hand—
The sky above the fortress suddenly cracked with thunder.