The clearing was a battleground of shadows now, twilight draping the trees in hues of purple and gray. Layla stood between Kael and Julian, her breath steady despite the ache in her muscles from hours of training. The encounter with Lucien had lit a fire under them all—Kael’s fists were still bruised from pinning the vampire, and Julian’s usual smirk had hardened into something colder. They’d pushed her harder today, testing her limits, and she’d risen to every challenge, fueled by a mix of fear and determination.

  “Let’s try it again,” Kael said, his voice rough but encouraging. He stood a few paces away, arms crossed, gray eyes tracking her every move. “Blend your senses—wolf strength, vampire precision.”

  Layla nodded, closing her eyes as she’d done a dozen times already. The hum in her head responded, a familiar thread weaving through her senses. She called on the wolf first—this time, it came easily, a rush of raw power surging through her limbs, grounding her to the earth. Then she layered on the vampire’s focus, sharpening her awareness until she could hear Kael’s heartbeat, steady and strong, and Julian’s quiet breath, cool and measured.

  She opened her eyes, exhaling sharply. “It’s working. I can feel you both—everything.”

  Julian stepped closer, his pale gaze appraising. “Good. Now push it outward. Sense the forest. Find its secrets.”

  Layla hesitated, then let the hum expand. It rippled beyond the clearing—through the trees, brushing against small animals scurrying in the underbrush, a deer’s faint pulse a quarter-mile away. But then it snagged on something else, something heavier, older. A presence lingered at the edge of her perception, not Kael or Julian, but familiar in a way that made her skin prickle.

  Her pendant flared, a sudden heat against her chest, and the hum sharpened into a voice—not a whisper this time, but a clear, resonant call: “Layla.” She gasped, stumbling back, the connection breaking.

  Kael caught her arm, steadying her. “What happened?”

  “Did you hear it?” she asked, breathless, her hand clutching the pendant.

  “Hear what?” Julian frowned, scanning the trees. “You sensed something.”

  “It called my name.” Layla’s voice trembled with awe. “It wasn’t like before—this wasn’t a vision. It was… alive.”

  Kael’s grip tightened, his eyes narrowing. “Your grandmother’s mark is on this place. Could it be her?”

  “No,” Layla said, shaking her head. “It didn’t feel like her. It was stronger, deeper. Like it’s part of me.”

  Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  Julian’s expression darkened, a rare unease flickering across his features. “Your bloodline’s stirring something. If it’s not Rowan, it could be older—something tied to your hybrid nature.”

  Before they could speculate further, a low growl rumbled from the forest’s edge—not Kael’s, but wilder, angrier. Three wolves emerged, their fur bristling, eyes glinting yellow in the dim light. The largest, a massive gray beast, bared its teeth, its gaze fixed on Layla.

  Kael stepped forward, his posture shifting to something primal. “Stand down,” he snarled, his voice carrying an alpha’s weight.

  The gray wolf didn’t flinch. “She’s an outsider, Kael. A hybrid. The pack senses her—her power reeks of both worlds.”

  Layla’s stomach dropped. “They’re your pack?”

  “Some of them,” Kael muttered, his tone grim. “Not all agree with me protecting you.”

  Julian slid closer to Layla, his voice low. “This could get ugly. Stay sharp.”

  The gray wolf advanced, its packmates fanning out. “You’ve brought a threat into our territory. The elders won’t stand for it.”

  “She’s not a threat,” Kael snapped, his hands curling into fists. “She’s under my protection.”

  “And mine,” Julian added, his tone sharp as a blade. “Unless you’d like to test me too.”

  The wolves hesitated, clearly unnerved by Julian’s presence. The gray one growled again, but its eyes darted between them, weighing its odds. “This isn’t over, Kael. The pack will decide her fate—not you.”

  With a final snarl, it turned and vanished into the trees, the others following. Silence settled, heavy and tense.

  Layla released a shaky breath. “They hate me.”

  “They don’t know you,” Kael said, turning to her, his expression softening. “They’re scared—your power’s new, unpredictable. I’ll handle them.”

  “They’re not wrong to fear her,” Julian said, his voice cool but not unkind. “She’s a wildcard, even to us.”

  Kael glared at him. “She’s not a danger.”

  “Not yet,” Julian countered. “But that voice she heard—if it’s tied to her blood, it could draw more than wolves.”

  Layla’s chest tightened, the pendant’s heat lingering like a warning. “What if it’s something I can’t control? Something bad?”

  Kael’s hand found hers, firm and warm. “Then we face it together. You’re not alone in this.”

  Julian watched them, his gaze unreadable. “He’s right about that much. But you need to be ready—both of you—for what’s coming.”

  Layla nodded, drawing strength from Kael’s touch, though Julian’s words gnawed at her. “I want to try again. Whatever called me—I need to know what it is.”

  Kael frowned. “Layla, you’re exhausted—”

  “I’m fine,” she cut in, pulling her hand free. “If my blood’s waking something up, I can’t hide from it.”

  Julian smirked faintly. “That’s the spirit. Let’s see what it wants.”

  Kael sighed but didn’t argue. “Stay close. If it goes sideways, we pull you out.”

  Layla closed her eyes again, reaching for the hum. It came faster this time, eager, guiding her back to that heavy presence. She pushed deeper, the pendant glowing brighter, and the voice returned—stronger, clearer: “You are the bridge. Come to me.”

  Her vision blurred, and she saw it—not a person, but a place. A cavern beneath the earth, its walls pulsing with crimson veins, a stone altar at its heart. Something waited there, ancient and alive, its power resonating with hers.

  She snapped back to the clearing, staggering. Kael and Julian caught her, one on each side.

  “What did you see?” Julian asked, his voice urgent.

  “A cave,” Layla panted. “Under the forest. It’s calling me—something down there knows what I am.”

  Kael’s face hardened. “I’ve heard of it—old pack legends. A place of power, sealed long ago.”

  “Dangerous power,” Julian added, his tone grim. “If it’s tied to her bloodline, it’s no coincidence Lucien showed up.”

  Layla straightened, determination overriding her fatigue. “Then we find it. Whatever’s down there, it’s part of me—I need to know why.”

  Kael exchanged a look with Julian, a rare moment of agreement passing between them. “Tomorrow,” Kael said. “We go at dusk. Together.”

  Julian nodded. “And we’d better be prepared. That cave won’t welcome us lightly.”

  Layla clutched the pendant, its glow fading but its pull unmistakable. The wolves’ hostility, the voice in her blood, the looming threat of the coven—all of it converged on this moment. She was stepping into the unknown, but for the first time, she felt ready—or at least willing—to face it.

  As the trio dispersed into the twilight, the forest seemed to hold its breath, waiting for what came next.