The locker room reeks of iron and lavender—someone’s been bleeding and tried to cover it with coven perfume. My skin crawls the second I step inside. Then I see it: a sigil carved into the mirror, glowing faintly. My initials, slashed through with a witch’s curse mark. Footsteps echo behind me. I turn just as Selene steps out of the shadows, her silver hair coiled like a serpent, smile sharp enough to draw blood.\n\n"You don’t belong here, mongrel," she whispers, pressing a palm to the glass. Frost spreads across its surface. "Kael will never remember you. And even if he did… do you really think a half-breed could stand beside an Alpha?"\n\nMy pulse hammers. The air thickens. My nails darken, lengthen—fur bristles beneath my skin. I’m losing control. If I shift now, it’s over. But if I walk away, she wins.\n\nThen Kael’s voice cuts through the hall: "Lyra?"\n\nHe stands in the doorway, golden-eyed, uncertain. He doesn’t remember our vow. Doesn’t know I saved his life when we were kids. All he sees is me, trembling, and Selene, playing the victim.\n\nThe moment stretches. One word could change everything.