POV Kiara
Without saying anything, Aleron bites into his own wrist. Blood wells up from the bite marks, dark red against his pale skin. He holds his arm out to me.
"This will stabilize you," he says quietly. His voice carries both gentleness and command. "Your vampire side needs sustenance to fully integrate with your werewolf side."
I stare at his bleeding wrist. Every instinct I've been taught as a werewolf tells me this is wrong.
We don't drink blood. We don't feed from vampires. We kill vampires.
But something deeper than instinct is driving me now. Something that's been sleeping inside me my whole life and just woke up hungry.
My fangs extend fully. I can feel them pushing down from my gums, sharp and ready. I've never had fangs before. Werewolves have regular canine teeth that get slightly longer when we shift.
These are different. These are vampire fangs.
I lean forward and sink my teeth into Aleron's wrist.
The taste of his blood explodes across my tongue. It's nothing like the metallic taste of regular blood from hunting or injuries. This tastes like power and something I can't name but desperately need.
I drink greedily, unable to stop myself. Each swallow sends waves of relief through my body. The chaotic energy that's been tearing me apart finally settles. My vampire nature stops fighting my werewolf side and finds balance instead.
"That’s enough, love," Aleron says firmly, pulling his wrist away from my mouth.
I make a small sound of protest without meaning to.
I want more. I need more.
But Aleron's thumb comes up to wipe blood from the corners of my mouth. His touch lingers on my lips longer than necessary. His eyes hold mine with an intensity that makes my stomach flutter.
"Too much too quickly will overwhelm your system," he explains. His voice sounds rougher than before. "I'll help you learn to control these new abilities. But right now you need rest to let the changes settle."
I nod, not trusting myself to speak. The taste of his blood still coats my mouth. I can feel it working through my system, changing things, strengthening things.
That's when my enhanced hearing picks up sounds I recognize. Heavy footsteps crashing through the forest, breaking branches, getting closer fast. The distinctive way Thomen runs when he's worried.
When my eyes go wide with panic, Aleron's expression shifts to something that might be amusement mixed with resignation.
He hears the approaching footsteps too.
"Your puppy has come for you," he says with dark humor. "Remember what I've told you, Kiara. Fight against your nature and it will destroy you. Accept it, and you'll become something magnificent."
He starts fading back into the shadows between the broken trees. Vampires can do that somehow, blend with darkness until they're almost invisible.
"Wait," I say, but he's already gone.
Thomen bursts into the clearing seconds later. His eyes are wild with worry and confusion. He takes in the destroyed trees, the split rocks, the evidence of supernatural power unleashed.
Then he sees me collapsed on the forest floor, exhausted and drained.
"Kiara!" He rushes to my side without hesitation.
Instead of asking what happened or demanding explanations, he simply scoops me into his arms.
The familiar warmth and safety of his embrace hits me like coming home. His chest is solid against my cheek. His heartbeat is steady and strong.
This is my anchor. My safe place.
All the adrenaline finally drains out of me. The exhaustion I've been fighting takes over completely. I close my eyes and let unconsciousness claim me as Thomen carries me home through the dark woods.
I woke up in our bed hours later. Sunlight streams through the windows, which means I slept through the rest of the night. Thomen sits in a chair beside the bed, watching me with worried eyes.
He looks like he hasn't slept at all. His hair is messy and his clothes are wrinkled. There are dark circles under his eyes.
"How are you feeling?" he asks, reaching for a water glass on the nightstand.
I sit up slowly, testing my body for pain or weakness. But I feel better than I have in weeks. Stronger. More balanced. The vampire blood did exactly what Aleron said it would.
"Better," I answered honestly, accepting the water.
Thomen's hands shake slightly as he gives me the glass. That's when I realize how scared he really is.
"What is going on, Kiara?" His voice is strained but still full of love. "No more evasions. No more asking for time. I need you to be completely honest with me."
I take a long drink of water, buying myself a few more seconds. But there's no point in delaying this conversation. He deserves the truth.
"My mother wasn't a werewolf," I began. "She was a vampire."
Thomen's face goes very still. "What?"
"Her real name was Jacqueline Moreau. She came here during peace treaty negotiations with my father. They fell in love and got married. She got pregnant with me."
I watch his expression change as I continue talking. Confusion first, then dawning understanding.
"When the treaty failed and the war started again, she had to choose between her vampire clan and us. She chose her people. My father told everyone she died in battle to protect me."
"No." He shot to his feet, pacing away from me like I'd slapped him. "No, that's impossible. You're a werewolf. You're my true mate. You're—"
"I'm a lie," I said, my voice cracking. "Everything about me is built on lies."
He spun around, his brown eyes wild with something between rage and terror. "How long have you known?"
"A few days. Since Aleron—"
"Don't." The word came out like a snarl. "Don't you dare say his name to me right now."
"He told me the truth about what I am."
"And you believed him?" Thomen's voice pitched higher, desperate. "You believed the monster who murdered your father?"
"Because Marcus confirmed it!" I screamed back. "Because every enhanced sense I've ever had, every unusual strength, every time I felt different—it was never werewolf at all. It was vampire blood in my veins."
The silence that followed was deafening. Thomen stared at me like I was a stranger wearing his lover's face.
"That's why you've been changing," he said finally, his voice hollow.
"The vampire blood was always inside me. It just needed something to wake it up."
"What woke it up?"
I hesitate for just a moment. My throat closed. This was the part that would destroy us completely.
"Aleron. When he made me drink his blood after the warehouse fight. It somehow activated my vampire side."
Something terrifying flickered across Thomen's features. "You drank his blood."
It wasn't a question. It was an accusation.
"I was dying!" I shot back, tears streaming down my face. "The changes were tearing me apart from the inside. I was in agony for days!"
"So you went to him." His voice was quiet now, which was somehow worse than the shouting. "When you were in pain, when you needed help, you went to the enemy instead of me."
"Because you couldn't help me with this."
"We'll never know, will we?" The betrayal in his voice cut deeper than any physical wound. "Because you never gave me the chance."
"Thomen, please—"
"What does this mean?" he interrupted, his hands shaking as he ran them through his hair. "What does this mean for us? For everything we've built?"
"I'm still me," I whispered desperately. "I'm still your mate. I'm still the woman who loves you, who would die for you. Who would choose you over everything else in this world."
He nods, but I can see the uncertainty in his eyes, before he said what breaks my heart more than anything else that's happened.
"But you didn't choose me," he said quietly. "When it mattered most, you chose him."