Kairo stared at her like he was trying to see through her skin.
She flinched under his gaze.
He hadn't touched her, hadn't even raised his voice—but the silence between them had weight.
Who was she?
Why did his wolf stir the moment she looked at him?
He didn't like this feeling. Confusion was weakness. Attachment was worse.
But still… he couldn't walk away.
---
"What's your name?" he asked.
His voice was low, restrained.
She hesitated.
Not because she didn't know—but because she barely believed it mattered anymore.
"Lyra."
The word left her lips like an apology.
He said nothing.
Just watched.
---
"Is that all you're going to say?" she asked, trying to sound brave. "Just… stare at me like I broke into your kingdom?"
He didn't answer. Not with words.
But the shift in the air around them was answer enough.
His golden eyes narrowed.
"You smell… wrong."
Her breath caught. "Excuse me?"
He stepped forward. Slowly. Carefully.
"You're not human."
She backed away. "I—I am."
"No," he growled. "You're not. Not completely."
---
Something about his words made her skin crawl.
Because deep down… she knew he was right.
---
There had always been something.
The way she could hear whispers in the wind when no one else could.
The way her skin prickled when she stood too close to fire.
The way her dreams were filled with voices ones she never remembered when she woke up.
She thought it was trauma. A side effect of grief.
But now?
Now, under Kairo's stare, with the moonlight burning silver across her skin…
She could feel something awakening.
Something ancient.
Something not entirely hers.
---
"I don't know what I am," she whispered.
And for the first time, Kairo didn't look angry.
He looked... intrigued.
Almost afraid.
---
"You need to come with me," he said.
Her eyes widened. "Why?"
"Because I don't know what you are," he said darkly, "but if you're here… then the world is about to shift."
---
And in the trees behind them, something howled that did not sound like a wolf.