Chapter 5 THE ASCENDANT AWAKENS

The forest around the cabin was alive with chaos.

Trees groaned as if screaming, branches snapping under some invisible weight. The snow beneath my feet had been churned into a frozen wasteland. And the air... it tasted of blood and ozone, sharp and metallic, with a heat that shouldn't exist in winter.

I was pressed against the wall, trying to make sense of what had just happened. My hands shook. My chest heaved. And Rowan-Rowan was a storm contained in human form, gold eyes blazing, claws torn from the walls like he was a living hurricane.

"Stay behind me," he growled. His voice was low, raw, primal. "Do not move."

I swallowed hard, nodding, even though my legs felt like lead. My entire body screamed at me to run.

But I couldn't-not from him.

A massive black wolf-a creature larger than any wolf I had ever seen-lunged at the cabin. Its eyes burned red, unholy, intelligent. It snarled, teeth like knives, saliva dripping.

I cried out, stumbling backward into Rowan's chest. He caught me with a growl, claws scraping the floor. The smell of him-wolf and heat and something dangerous-hit me in the gut. I couldn't breathe properly, couldn't think.

Rowan's wolf surged inside him. It wasn't a shift anymore-it was an eruption. Every vein, every muscle, every fiber of his body screamed in a language older than any pack hierarchy. He moved so fast, faster than my eyes could follow, meeting the creature halfway. Metal and fire collided with claws and fur in a blur.

The black wolf snarled, jaws snapping. Rowan's gold eyes flared like molten light. A deep howl erupted from him-not human, not fully wolf, but both.

The ground shook.

I couldn't move, couldn't think. Only watch. And fear.

Rowan slammed his weight against the creature, pinning it, claws digging into its thick fur. Sparks flew. It roared.

And then I saw it.

The mark. The ancient, fiery symbol burning on his chest. It pulsed violently, reacting to the presence of the intruder.

I didn't understand what was happening. But Rowan did. His eyes flicked to mine.

"Stay. Back. Evelyn!" His voice was desperate, commanding, terrifying.

I nodded, swallowing my fear.

Then Rowan did something that made my blood run cold.

He bit the black wolf. Not a shallow strike. Deep, precise, as if the creature were a part of him-and it wasn't.

The creature shrieked in pain and rage, but Rowan's claws and teeth tore through it. Sparks, flames, and smoke erupted from the point of contact. The wolf's eyes met mine, burning with intelligence and hatred, as if it knew what Rowan was.

And then it was gone.

Vapor. Smoke. Nothing.

The cabin fell silent except for our ragged breathing.

Rowan stood over me, chest heaving. Gold eyes glowing, chest still pulsing with fire. Wolf and man both trembling, vibrating with some impossible energy.

I reached out slowly. His eyes snapped to me.

"You shouldn't," he warned, low and dangerous.

"I can't-won't leave you," I whispered. "Not now. Not ever."

His jaw flexed. Pain. Rage. Something unnameable.

"You don't understand what this means," he said quietly. His voice cracked. "You're part of it now. That bloodline... it's in your veins. The imprinting isn't just a bond. It's a warning. It's a curse. And you... you carry it too."

I shook my head. "I don't care about the curse. I care about you."

His eyes softened, just for a second, but that second was enough.

And then the cabin shuddered violently.

I fell to the floor, grabbing Rowan's arm. "What-"

A low rumble echoed through the forest. The snow lifted in spiraling columns. Shadows moved between the trees.

Magnus.

Alpha Magnus appeared at the edge of the clearing. But he wasn't alone. Behind him-rows of the pack, silver eyes cold, teeth bared. And then I saw them. The elders. Their faces masks of fear... and anticipation.

"They know," Rowan whispered.

I froze. "Know what?"

"That the Ascendant has awakened."

I didn't understand.

Rowan didn't elaborate. He didn't have to. His chest was still glowing. His wolf's presence radiated power that made the hairs on my arms stand on end.

"They want you dead," I whispered.

"They don't want me dead," Rowan corrected, voice low and sharp. "They want me broken."

I swallowed hard. "And if they succeed?"

His hand wrapped around my waist instinctively. Not a gentle touch-an anchor. "Then... you die with me."

Something cold slashed through me. Not fear. Not terror. But understanding.

The pack moved closer. Magnus stepped forward, eyes sharp, silver blade gleaming under the moonlight.

"Rowan," he said calmly. "You can't control it. That power will destroy everyone around you. Your wolf, your mark-it's dangerous. I warned you. I raised you. And now... you threaten the very future of this pack."

Rowan laughed, a sound that was both broken and terrifying. "You think I care about this pack?"

Magnus's eyes narrowed. "You're a child. You've always been a child. And children don't decide destiny. I do."

Rowan's wolf erupted again inside him. The mark flared bright across his chest, casting golden light onto the snow.

He moved, impossibly fast, placing himself between me and the advancing pack.

"Step closer," he said quietly. "Just one step closer and I swear-"

"Do it," Magnus said, blade raised. "Show me what that cursed bloodline can do."

Rowan's chest heaved. "I warned you."

Then... everything happened at once.

The mark on his chest exploded into flames of golden light. His scream tore through the forest, shaking every branch, every stone.

The snow beneath our feet turned to glass. Shadows bent. Wolves-ours and theirs-howled in terror.

I grabbed Rowan's arm, terrified he would lose himself completely.

And then I felt it-something unnatural. His energy reaching me. Pulling me. Claiming me.

"You shouldn't be here," Rowan said through gritted teeth, shaking violently. "Move... run..."

But I couldn't. My hands gripped him tighter.

"Not without me," I whispered.

The ground cracked beneath our feet.

Trees exploded in sparks and ice. Wolves screamed.

Magnus stumbled. His silver blade fell. The elders turned pale.

Rowan's eyes met mine-gold glowing, wolf and man completely fused. "Evelyn... if you touch me again-"

I didn't need to hear the end of the sentence. I understood.

But before I could react...

A shadow erupted behind him.

Red eyes. Fangs longer than any wolf. Energy darker than the deepest night.

It lunged.

And the last thing I saw before the world tore apart was Rowan turning toward the darkness... and smiling.

A smile that was not human.