The silence of the night was broken only by the owls’ calls and the whisper of the wind. The three Alphas moved soundlessly through the forest, the Moon painting a silver path ahead of them. They felt it—someone was near.

Kael’s eyes glinted, his senses sharp. "Someone’s here," he growled softly.

Aiden raised his hand, signaling for silence. Dorian’s heartbeat quickened—he felt a strange energy, unlike anything before.

Suddenly, movement. A shadow darted between the trees. A young girl, hardly a woman yet, her figure slim but swift. Her eyes flashed golden for a brief moment—the mark of wolf blood.

"Stop!" Aiden’s voice cut through the night, but the girl didn’t obey.

Her heart thundered, her feet barely touched the ground as she ran. She knew exactly who was behind her: the Alphas. And she knew she couldn't let them catch her. Not yet.

Kael went forward, lightning-fast. For an instant, it seemed he would seize the girl—but her instincts surged. She dodged, broke through the undergrowth, and vanished into the dark.

Kael growled, frustrated. "Impossible... A pup shouldn’t be this fast!"

Dorian’s eyes gleamed with unease. "She’s no ordinary pup. Her strength... it’s pure, wild, and not yet awakened."

Aiden stood tall, gaze fixed on the path where she had disappeared. "She's young. Not yet twenty. She cannot stand with us."

Kael’s voice was sharp. "But why did she run? She felt it too. She knew who we were."

For a long moment Aiden said nothing. Finally, his voice was heavy, grave. "She ran because she was afraid. And because she knows that if she stays with us now... she’ll lose her freedom."