The Chosen One •

33

🐺 Kun 🐺

The sunrise painted the horizon in hues of gold and pink as I sat with Isabel on the porch of the pack house. The crisp morning air carried the faint scent of dew, but it did little to clear my head. My mind was still racing from everything that had happened the night before. Watching Isabel shift for the first time—and into a Lycan no less—was something I'd never forget.

I turned to look at her. She was wearing one of my shirts, her face calm yet thoughtful as she stared out at the horizon. The glow of her wolf lingered faintly, a reminder of the immense power she held within.

"Isa," I began, my voice low, "we need to keep this between us for now."

Her gaze snapped to mine, a flicker of resistance in her eyes. "Kun, we don't have the time to hide me anymore."

I frowned, the weight of her words settling heavily in my chest. "What do you mean by that?"

She hesitated, her jaw tightening. I knew that look—she was holding something back. "Isabel," I pressed, "what is it?"

She exhaled deeply, brushing her hair behind her ear before meeting my gaze. "Last night... I wasn't just glowing for no reason. I met Luna, Solis, and Nera."

Her words hit me like a freight train. My wolf stirred uneasily, Gray growling low in my mind. "You met them?"

She nodded, her expression serious. "They told me why I'm the way I am. Why I've always felt... different. They said I was chosen by them—blessed, actually."

I ran a hand down my face, trying to process this. "Chosen? For what?"

"To stop something they can't interfere with directly," she said softly. "There's an evil coming, Kun. Something that's been looming for decades. They saw it before I was even born and decided to bless me with all three gifts—wolf, witch, and Lycan. My parents' bloodlines, their royal heritage, were the perfect vessels for it."

I stared at her, struggling to piece it all together. "And Solis... he's been training Raya?"

"Yes," she said with a faint smile, though it didn't reach her eyes. "Without me even knowing. He's been preparing her for this moment."

A heavy silence fell between us. I wanted to argue, to push back against the weight of what she was saying, but I couldn't. She was right. There was no time to hide her anymore.

I stood abruptly, holding out a hand to her. "Then let's start now. Get dressed. We're heading to the training grounds."

She nodded, a determination I admired settling on her face.

The pack was gathered at the training grounds, the morning sun casting long shadows across the field. I stood in front of them, Isabel by my side, as I prepared to address the group.

"This is our last training before the holiday weekend," I began, my voice carrying over the crowd. "But more importantly, it's the last training before we move on our mission to defeat the rogues."

The crowd murmured, their unease palpable. I raised a hand to silence them. "We believe these rogues are not natural. They are being created using vampire blood and witch magic."

Gasps rippled through the crowd, but I pressed on. "There's more. We also believe they're hunting something—or rather, someone. A hybrid. They think a hybrid's power will amplify what they're creating: rogues strong enough to wipe out all wolves."

Isabel stepped forward before I could continue. Her voice was calm but firm as she addressed the crowd. "The hybrid they're hunting is me."

The pack's reaction was immediate—shock, disbelief, and a rising wave of confusion. Ming stepped forward, her expression skeptical. "She's lying," she said, her tone sharp.