CHAPTER 52: SHE IS

Magnus

I don’t know why, but the word shift seems to awaken something primal in Kaya. Her silver eyes flare with a sudden, fierce light, and a shimmer begins to ripple across her skin—a subtle silver glow pulsing against the darkness that surrounds us.

I’m excited too. Athan prowls restlessly inside me, desperate to break free and stand beside our mate, but I force myself to stay still. This time, I don’t give in. And truthfully? I’m being a little selfish.

I’m not urging her to shift because it might help her escape this trap.

No—I just want to see it.I want to see her.I want to see what her wolf really looks like.

"Shift," I growl, Athan’s predatory instincts still clawing at my restraint. "Whatever it is that keeps your wolf caged—tear it apart. Show me your strength."

Now I’m practically goading her, and the fire flashing in her eyes tells me she doesn’t appreciate it.

"I can’t!" she snaps, her voice sharp and strained like a cornered cat. "You know I can’t!"

"Didn’t I tell you I know who you are?"The words fall from my mouth before I can stop them, and my eyes widen the moment they leave my lips.

Damn it.

Kaya goes still. Her expression mirrors my own shock, her gaze locking with mine for a long, stunned heartbeat—until she turns away, something defeated in the way her shoulders sink.

"I can’t shift," she whispers, her voice so quiet it makes guilt prickle at the back of my neck. I almost regret pushing her this far.

Almost.

"So?" I snap, narrowing my eyes. "Are you just going to give up and lose?"

Kaya still doesn’t look at me, but I can sense a shift brewing inside her. Something subtle—quiet, but undeniable. She doesn’t want to lose. I can feel it in the taut silence between us.So what is she afraid of?

I consider releasing the grip I have on her neck, loosening my hold just enough to let her go—but the moment my guard drops, she seizes the opportunity and shoves me with all her strength. It’s a bold move. But not enough.

Athan chuckles darkly at her cute little attempt to escape, but I choose to give in anyway. I push myself up, just enough to give her space to slip out from beneath me.

"I want to keep going," Kaya says, her voice steady now, confidence threading through every syllable. Her eyes gleam like twin stars in the night. "But not like this. You can’t expect me to be like the others. If you know who I really am... then—"

I don’t let her finish.

I lunge forward again, my fist cutting through the air, whistling dangerously close to her startled face.

Kaya dodges, but just as I expected, the arc of my swing is too wide—forcing her to lean too far. Her balance falters, and she stumbles over her own feet, crashing down once more.

I don’t hesitate. Instinct takes over as my body follows hers to the ground, pinning her beneath me again.

I’m not even sure why this whole thing excites me so much. Maybe it’s her scent—sharpened by adrenaline, rich and wild. The more pressure she’s under, the stronger it gets, wrapping around me like a drug. I’m drowning in it. Drunk on her.

"Hey!" she pants, eyes blazing with fury. "I wasn’t ready!"

"You’re not supposed to be ready," I snap. "That’s the whole point of a surprise attack."

My answer doesn’t make her any happier. On the contrary—she groans under my weight and tries to push me off again, but this time, I don’t budge.

No. I need to see it.I need to see her shift.I need confirmation.

"Do it," I command, my voice low and sharp, my wolf clawing just beneath the surface of my skin. "Or give up."

"Ugh!" Kaya growls louder, straining with everything she has, her muscles trembling with effort as she tries to force me off. But it’s still not enough.A thrill runs through me. I feel cunning. Cruel. I want to push her further, provoke her more.

But then—I realize I don’t have to.

Because the moment her voice falters and her body stills, something changes.

Something otherworldly blankets the air, like an invisible force pressing down on us. I feel it wrap around me—warm, electric, unrelenting.And before I can react, I’m thrown off her. My body sails sideways, crashing into the ground. My legs barely catch my balance as I stumble to my feet, wide-eyed.

She did it, Athan laughs, his glee pulsing through my veins, nearly tangible in its intensity.

Yes. She shifted.And she’s magnificent.

Just as I suspected, her wolf is light silver—soft, sleek fur shimmering beneath the pale moonlight, as if her entire body has been dusted with stardust.

She’s larger than most female wolves, though not quite Athan’s size. Still, the longer I stare, the more obvious it becomes—this form holds power.Enough power to snap a man in half with a single flick of her jaws.

But I don’t get long to admire her.

Because in the next breath, a bittersweet truth hits me square in the chest, heavy and undeniable.

We were right, Athan murmurs in my mind. She is.

Yes, I echo back. She is.

A low, menacing growl rumbles from Kaya’s chest, and—strangely—it fills me with a sense of calm. A twisted sort of comfort.Her body coils, muscles tensing, eyes gleaming with something wild and predatory—then, with a sudden crouch, she lunges at me.

I manage to dodge her, but I won’t lie—she’s faster than I expected.

I don’t shift. I could, but I don’t need to. I can tell I can handle her even in my human form. Still, just watching her wolf move—powerful, instinctive, raw—fills me with an odd mix of pride and fascination.

So we keep going.

It becomes a dance—feral and fluid. A rhythm of muscle and motion, of challenge and restraint.

Kaya is desperate, primal. But her form is still unrefined, her strength untamed. She isn’t a real threat—not yet.Jump after jump, she tries to reach me. Again and again, she fails. Her frustration mounts. Snarling, her wolf bares its teeth, thick strands of saliva dripping onto the cold, blackened earth.

Her silver fur gleams even brighter the more she moves, catching the light like liquid starlight. And still, all I can do is hold myself back, biting down Athan’s restless hunger to claim her.

"Kaya," I breathe, ducking beneath another of her attacks.She’s already exhausted—I can see it in the tremble of her legs, the way her breaths come too fast—but she shows no sign of stopping.

"That’s enough," I say firmly, locking eyes with her. "You’re going to break yourself if you keep going."

But she doesn’t listen.

Of course she doesn’t.

With a feral cry, she launches herself at me again, pouring what’s left of her strength into the attack. I raise my arm to block her—but her powerful jaws clamp down on it, hard.

White-hot pain explodes through me.

Blood gushes down my forearm, the heat of it mingling with the sting so sharp it feels like my skin is catching fire.Athan bares his teeth—not in challenge, but in alarm. In fear.

She can’t control herself, Athan observes grimly. She won’t stop until she collapses from exhaustion. This could get dangerous.

Yeah, I think, my jaw tightening as Kaya’s teeth sink deeper into my arm. I’m sorry, Moonlight.

It brings me no satisfaction—none at all—but I know what I have to do.

With a sharp breath, I lift my free arm high above my head and bring it down hard, striking Kaya across the side of her head.

She crumples instantly, the light in her eyes flickering out as her body goes limp.

Unconscious.

And just like that, the fight ends—but the ache in my chest only deepens.