The pack house buzzed with tension as healers rushed to treat Ronan. His wounds were deep—claw marks that wouldn't stop bleeding despite their best efforts.
"Will he be okay?" Elara asked Luna Evelyn, who emerged from Ronan's room with bloodstained hands.
"The wounds resist healing," she admitted, her face drawn with worry. "Whatever attacked him wasn't natural."
Kael paced the hallway, his jaw tight. "We need to find the real Darian."
"If he's still alive," Alpha Marcus growled, appearing at the end of the hall. His eyes narrowed when he saw Elara. "You. What have you done?"
"She saved herself," Kael said, stepping between them. "The creature pretending to be Darian would have killed her."
Alpha Marcus's face darkened. "And now my son is missing, another is dying, and she's suddenly glowing with silver power. Convenient, isn't it?"
"I didn't ask for any of this," Elara shot back, her new confidence surprising even herself.
"Father," Kael warned, "this isn't helping."
