Celeste’s POV

*****

The first thing I noticed when my eyes opened again was cold.

Not a cold that required me to search for a hoodie and grab a mug of hot cocoa. But a deep, bone-chilling cold that made me wrap my arms around myself.

I blinked frantically, taking in the scenery around me. It wasn’t my room. It wasn’t the beach. Heck, it wasn’t even Bloodoak Academy.

Instead, it was a vast black expanse, stretching farther than my eyes could see. The solid ground was black. Above me was pitch black.

Yet I could see my arms—wait.

My arms!

Panicking, I scrutinized them, letting out a relieved breath. There were no more dark sigils or numbing ache.

Still... I knew they’d been real. I was in my room staring at them when I—

"You’re unconscious right now." A soft feminine voice rang behind me, sending chills down my spine.

I spun around, eyes immediately landing on something that made my jaw drop.

Standing a few meters ahead of me was a majestic beast.

A wolf.

Lush silver fur streaked with black. Feet to shoulder height that was double the size of an average adult man. A long tail that flicked gracefully behind it.

And then... Its eyes.

Violet. Glowing. Sharp.

But most importantly they were pointed at me.

I was mesmerised, a resonance I couldn’t explain pulsing between the wolf and me.

Not just any wolf too.

This—

"I’m your wolf," it spoke without its mouth opening, those violet slits squinting. "And I think I’d prefer being called ’she’ than it. Won’t you like that?"

My heart plopped into my stomach.

Can it read my mind?

"Yes, she can." The beast’s front paw rose, landing forward slowly. Then it brought another forward. And another, until she was moving elegantly toward me. "I’m your wolf after all. The inner manifestation of your werewolf bloodline. Your connection to the goddess."

Things started getting a little clearer. "So... if you’re my wolf. And I’m currently unconscious." I paused, pointing a finger at her. "Does this mean this is a dream? Or—"

"It’s your mental space," she corrected. "You can find me here whenever you need guidance or simply someone to talk to. You don’t necessarily need to be unconscious—but it does let you see me."

This was freaking nuts.

My wolf just awakened on a literal random Tuesday after the best sex of my life and now I was casually chatting with her like we’re childhood besties?

"You underestimate the bond between a wolf and a werewolf, Celeste." She chuckled, circling me now. "I might not have awakened all these years but I’ve been here. Quiet. Watching. Sometimes my presence flows through your most primal instincts..."

Her voice stalled for a breath. "... Like rage. Or jealousy."

I rubbed the bridge of my nose, trying not to utter something sarcastic. "This is all groundbreaking and whatever but how do I wake up? Also, do you have any idea what happened to me while I was awake?"

"What do you mean?"

"The fucking sigils that were on my arms." My voice rose but I didn’t care. "It felt like magic... yet it also didn’t. Whatever it was, it was wrong. Chaotic. Consuming."

Fuck my life.

Why do I need to keep going through shit like this? Right when it seemed like life was going smoothly too.

My wolf’s snout moved in what appeared to be a wry smile. "I told you during the Hybrid trial—you and I are still learning. I’m not even certain how I awakened exactly but I know it has something to do with the bonds. Last night—"

"Gods, please just stop." My cheeks burned. "Right now I just need to go back. This place feels... lonely."

My wolf’s violet gaze softened, but she didn’t move away.

"It won’t always feel lonely," she murmured, her voice echoing inside my skull rather than through the air. "This is the core of you. Power is born in solitude."

I huffed. "Yeah? Well, I’m not in the mood to be powerful. I’m in the mood to not be cursed."

Her tail flicked once. Amusement.

"You are not cursed, Celeste. But you are marked."

The word made my stomach drop. "Marked by who?"

She didn’t answer immediately. Instead, she stepped closer until her massive form towered over me. Despite her size, I felt no fear. Only... connection. Like staring into a mirror that reflected something wilder.

"Whatever those sigils were," she said slowly, "they aren’t good news. And I don’t think you should keep them away from our mates."

My chest tightened.

"I wasn’t planning to," I muttered defensively.

"Good." Her glowing eyes dimmed slightly. "Because whatever is coming, you will not survive it alone."

A sharp ringing pierced the darkness.

The ground beneath my feet cracked like glass.

Cold rushed in harder than before, clawing at my skin, dragging me backwards. My wolf’s form began to blur, dissolving into silver mist.

"Wait—" I reached for her. "What’s coming?"

But the void shattered completely.

.

.

I sucked in a violent breath.

Air. Real air. Not that empty, hollow nothingness.

My body felt heavy, like I’d been dragged through miles of mud. Warmth pressed against both sides of me, solid and grounding.

"Celeste."

Atlas.

His voice was low, tight—controlled in that way that meant he was barely holding it together.

I forced my eyes open.

Dim light filtered through my bedroom curtains. I was in my bed.

Atlas hovered over me on my left, his golden eyes blazing with relief. One of his hands gripped mine so tightly our fingers were white.

On my right, Luther stood rigid, jaw clenched. His palm rested against my shoulder like he needed to make sure I was actually there.

"You passed out," Luther said, voice strained. "They said one second you were standing. Then the next—"

"You stopped breathing," Atlas finished, his thumb brushing over my knuckles.

My heart stuttered.

Stopped breathing?

I swallowed, my throat dry. "How long?"

"Too long," Atlas growled.

I shifted slightly—and that’s when I felt it.

A faint heat under my skin.

Slowly, carefully, I lifted my arm.

The sigils were gone.

But beneath the surface of my skin, like shadows waiting for permission, something pulsed.

Watching.