The earth hadn't stopped shaking since the scroll had burned to ash.
The vibrations pulsed through the stone walls of the estate, unsettling the wards Lira had rebuilt, and stirring an unease that clawed through the hearts of every pack member. Adriana stood at the balcony overlooking the valley, her arms crossed tightly over her chest as the wind tangled her curls. She could feel something, something old and foul, bubbling beneath the surface of the land.
Adrian joined her in silence, his shirt still stained with blood from the fight. His jaw was clenched, knuckles white as he gripped the railing.
They're stirring, he said after a moment. I can feel them waking.
The hounds? Adriana asked, her voice low.
He nodded. The Hounds of Nocturne were born from ancient magic, corrupted souls bound in beast form, created to hunt and destroy hybrids. They were sealed away centuries ago, until now.
And the Order plans to use them to wipe out anyone like me, Adriana murmured, her voice barely a whisper.
Not just you, Adrian said. Anyone who dares to stand in their way. Anyone who chooses love over bloodlines.
Adriana turned to him, her eyes searching his face. Is that what you chose?
Adrian met her gaze, something soft and raw flickering in his eyes. I've made mistakes, Adriana. But loving you wasn't one of them.
Her heart fluttered at his words, but the warmth was quickly swallowed by the weight of what was to come. There was no time for softness. Not now.
They moved inside where Lira waited, standing before a massive map laid out across the table in the war chamber. Pins and markings had been added in red ink, locations where the earth had trembled, where sightings of shadows and corrupted beasts had been reported.
The hounds are still underground, but they're close to breaking free, Lira said. We have two, maybe three nights before the first breach.
How do we stop them? Adriana asked.
Lira hesitated, her expression troubled. We don't. Not completely. We contain them. Bind them back into slumber. But we need the Mark of Ascendancy to do it.
Adrian stiffened. That mark was lost when the scroll was destroyed.
No, Lira said. Not lost. Transferred.
Her eyes turned to Adriana.
You were near when the scroll burned. You absorbed some of its magic.
Adriana felt a chill race down her spine. That's not possible.
Lira stepped forward, lifting Adriana's hand. The skin glowed faintly with silver and gold threads, like veins of light pulsing under the surface.
It's already begun, Lira said. You're changing. The scroll didn't just awaken the hounds, it awakened something inside you too.
Adriana pulled her hand back. What does that mean?
It means, Lira said gently, that you are no longer just a hybrid. You're becoming the Ascendant.
Adrian froze. That's a myth.
It was, Lira agreed. Until now.
Adriana's mind reeled. The Ascendant was a whispered legend, someone who could balance the powers of wolf and magic, someone who could lead both species into peace… or war.
She stepped back. I didn't ask for this.
None of us asked for what's coming, Lira said softly. But fate has chosen you. And it won't wait for you to be ready.
The door burst open as another warrior stumbled in, breathless and pale.
We have a breach, he gasped. Near the river's edge. Something's clawing its way out.
Adrian's eyes met Adriana's.
Let's go.
They moved as one, leaping into the night.
The forest was chaos by the time they arrived. Trees splintered. The earth buckled around a jagged hole, and from it poured a black mist so thick it swallowed light. The ground trembled, and then the beast emerged.
It was massive, easily the size of a bear, but hunched and sinewy, its skin stretched tight over a skeletal frame. Its eyes glowed with hollow green fire, and its mouth was filled with rows of twisted teeth.
The hound.
It opened its jaws and howled.
The sound was not just noise, it was pain, fury, and ancient hunger rolled into one terrible shriek that rattled Adriana's bones.
Hold the perimeter! Adrian barked to the warriors. Do not engage alone!
Adriana stepped forward, her heart pounding.
She raised her hands, power thrumming beneath her skin. Light sparked from her fingertips, growing brighter, hotter.
The hound turned its eyes toward her. It recognized her.
It charged.
Adriana didn't move.
Instead, she waited.
Closer.
Closer.
Now.
She thrust both hands forward, releasing a surge of raw hybrid energy. The blast struck the beast square in the chest, sending it skidding across the forest floor. Trees snapped. Dirt exploded. But the hound wasn't dead.
It rose again, snarling.
Adrian shifted beside her, his wolf bursting through in a flash of dark fur and golden eyes. He lunged, clashing with the hound midair, claws raking across black flesh.
The fight was brutal. Adrian moved like a shadow, fast and merciless, but the hound was relentless, its strength unnatural.
Adriana joined the fray, wielding both blade and magic. Together, they forced the beast back, until Adriana saw the moment. The weak spot.
She called out. Adrian! The neck!
He understood instantly.
She launched a blast of magic to blind the beast while Adrian leapt and tore through its throat with a savage bite. The hound collapsed, twitching, before disintegrating into ash.
It was over.
For now.
Breathing heavily, Adriana knelt beside the ashes. The wind carried the last of it away.
Adrian shifted back, blood dripping down his shoulder.
You okay? he asked.
She nodded, though her hands still trembled.
That was just one, she said.
There will be more.
Adrian looked at her, and something in his eyes softened.
But we'll face them together. You and me.
Adriana met his gaze, feeling the bond between them thrum like a heartbeat.
Together.
They didn't notice the figure watching them from the shadows... hooded, eyes glowing violet.
The Obsidian Order had seen the fight.
And now they knew.
The Ascendant had risen.
War was no longer coming.
It had arrived.