Kael had worked her to the bone for hours, pushing her past every limit she thought she had. It was nearing nightfall when he finally relented and let her rest.

  “Tonight is a Blue Moon,” Kael said as he stretched. “We should make sure we’re somewhere less exposed.”

  Nova tilted her head, intrigued. “What’s a Blue Moon?”

  Kael smirked. “It’s when everything looks blue, obviously.”

  She gave him a flat look. “Yeah, that sounds fake.”

  He chuckled, ruffling her hair. “It’s the second full moon in a month. It doesn’t happen very often, and the Moonborne tend to get a little carried away. Strange things are known to happen on nights like tonight.”

  Nova frowned but shrugged it off, helping Kael pack up their things.

  The sun dipped low on the horizon, bathing the forest in a deep amber glow as Kael led Nova toward a hidden cave, half-concealed by the roots of an ancient, gnarled tree.

  “This should do,” he murmured, guiding her inside.

  She was stronger than before, adapting faster than he expected, but something weighed on her tonight. He could see it in the set of her shoulders, the way exhaustion clung to her. Without a word, he pulled her into his arms, settling against the cool stone wall. She didn’t resist. The moment he began rubbing his hand along her back, the tension in her body eased, and exhaustion finally took her under.

  A voice called to her in the dark.

  "Nova."

  She wasn’t sure if she was awake or dreaming, but the sound wrapped around her, soft and insistent, pulling her forward.

  She chased it, feet barely touching the ground as she moved. The forest rose around her, trees stretching impossibly tall, their twisting branches reaching down like skeletal fingers. Shadows curled at the edges of her vision, shifting, watching.

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  "Nova."

  The voice wasn’t distant. It was everywhere, woven into the wind, threaded through the earth beneath her. It wasn’t a stranger’s voice. It was familiar in a way that made her chest ache, like she had always known it was there, waiting for her to hear it.

  "I’m here!" she called, breathless.

  A flicker of warmth bloomed inside her, a pull so deep it felt like a missing piece of her soul was calling her home. She pushed forward, the trees clawing at her arms, at her legs, trying to slow her down. She had to reach it.

  Then, the forest broke apart.

  Nova stumbled into a clearing bathed in silvery light, the moon casting an ethereal glow over everything.

  And at the center of it stood her.

  A massive black wolf, eyes burning like molten fire, its fur shimmering and smoldering like embers beneath the surface.

  The wolf lifted its head, locking its gaze with hers. The sheer presence of it stole the breath from her lungs. A low, resonant howl rose from its throat.

  The sound echoed inside Nova, pulling at something buried deep within her. It wasn’t just noise—it was a feeling, raw and untamed. Joy. Worry. Relief. Love. It surged into her, wrapping around her like an embrace, filling every empty space inside her. It was overwhelming and yet… it felt like coming home.

  She took a shaky step forward, her heart hammering in her chest, reaching out—

  And then the world collapsed.

  A blinding flash of light swallowed everything, and Nova gasped as she jolted upright, the cave walls rushing back into focus. Her chest heaved, her skin slick with sweat. The heat from the dream still lingered, coiling inside her like a flame that had just been lit.

  Kael was already awake beside her, his sharp gaze locked onto her.

  “What just happened?” he asked, his voice wary.

  Nova swallowed hard. Her whole body buzzed like she had been struck by lightning.

  “I think…” she whispered, “I just met my wolf.