“So are you going to tell me what happened yesterday?” Caesaria asked when we went for an early morning practice at the archery range.

I shrugged. “Nothing special. Darius helped me begin to learn how to control my powers. But we kept it strictly professional.”

Caesaria snorted. “Yeah, because those glances you shared at breakfast this morning definitely screamed professional.”

“We were not sharing glances! He just…I don’t know. His eyes just pull you in, and I swear he’s doing that to me on purpose.”

“Are you sure there’s not other things you’d rather he be do—ow!!” She rubbed her arm where I whacked her.

“Cae, I’m trying not to think about him, okay? Raydir and I have been really good since getting back from Gwyniar. Ignoring what also happened with Darius when we returned.” I added the last part when she opened her mouth to protest. “Plus, even though we’ve opened our relationship, I still feel guilty when I think about anyone but Raydir.”

“Fair enough. There is something else you should know about Darius. And it’s probably not what you’re gonna wanna hear, but I think you should know. Rosie doesn’t know even though she’s the Den Mother, but—”

“Oh just tell me, Cae!”

Snap.

Caesaria and I froze, sharing worried glances. She put a finger to her lips. There was definitely someone or something lurking in the woods.

The wind stilled, leaving the only sound the beating of our hearts.

Hesitantly, I stepped forward.

Caesaria drew her bow, her eyes locked on the woods. “On my count. Get your bow ready.”

I copied her maneuver and aimed my bow at the woods. Now what?

Snap. A deep growl exploded from the bushes in front of us and my heart sank. The rogue was back, and we were in its way.

Yellow eyes filled with hunger latched onto us. The rogue stalked forward as Caesaria and I stood as still as we possibly could. Maybe it won’t notice us. I took another tentative step forward, a twig snapping under my foot.

The rogue bared its teeth, its head jerking in my direction. I let out a small yelp which wasn’t helped by Caesaria releasing the first arrow. It was meant as a distraction, but it only seemed to anger the rogue as he charged forward.

“Change in plans. Go!” Caesaria yelled.

I shot my own arrow, somersaulting out of the way and twisting my ankle in the process. Pain shot up my leg, and I winced. Limping away, I tried to call upon the water, but we were too far away from the lake. The rogue charged us, and Caesaria tried to slow it down with her arrows while I attempted to make my escape. I pushed through the bushes hoping to keep the rogue at bay, but my instincts were pulling at me to stay with Caesaria. Never leave another behind. That’s what Fletcher had taught me.

The rogue turned to follow me, and Caesaria kept shooting to no avail.

I was its prey, and this was not going to end well for one of us.

Come on, come on, come on! I raised my bow, but didn’t have a clear shot. The rogue kept approaching, and I backed away slowly. Moments of the past two months flashed before my eyes. Raydir’s proposal. Our journey to the valley. The first smile from Darius at our initial meeting. The Alignment. Our first time. Darius’ kiss to shut me up. A flash of green. A flash of blue.

Then the rogue pounced and the world went dark.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Laughter echoed in my mind. I was chasing Arabella through the palace on a rainy afternoon.

“Bella! Where did you go?” I called out.

“Come and find me!” my sister answered back, her giggles fading down the vast halls.

“Bella! Slow down!” I stopped in the empty hallway, my sister nowhere to be found. To my left, the door to one of the rooms sat wide open. Curious, I wandered inside. The room was covered from floor to ceiling with books. “Bella?”

No answer.

I sat down on one of the bean bag chairs and picked up a stray book. This one was about somewhere called the Darqua Valley. As I opened it up to read, something rammed against the window.

I screamed. “Mama! Papa! Bella!” The creature at the window locked its eyes on me. Icy blue. I froze, trying to still my beating heart, hoping it wouldn’t attack.

“Arwyn, what is it?” my mother came running into the room.

“Outside…there—hic—was—hic—something. It scared me.”

My mother tucked me into her arms and stroked my hair. “It’s ok, baby. You’re safe inside. We won’t let anything happen to you, I promise.”

Someone’s hand covered mine, rubbing small circles on it with their thumb. “Arwyn, come back to me.”

Raydir. I smiled.

“How’s she doing?” another asked.

Darius. I was sure of it.

“Stable. Can you do me a favor and grab me some more of that salve over there?”

“Sure thing.” Several objects clattered around before Darius spoke again. “Listen, about everything with the pact…”

“It’s cool, Darius. Your connection with Arwyn…I should’ve been prepared for it to get stronger.”

“You’re letting it get stronger,” Darius retorted.

“You appeal to a side of her she’s never shown to me. And the night of her Fate Ceremony, she recognized you, which was also clear when you got to the valley after I specifically told you I’d take care of the situation.”

“I told you, Raydir, I had to come. The only way for Arwyn to have gone through the Alignment was if I was here.”

Raydir scoffed. “Yeah, because clearly I can’t do enough.”

Darius sighed. “That’s not what I’m saying.”

“You’re in love with her, aren’t you.” It wasn’t a question, but merely a statement.

Come on, Arwyn. Wake up. Let them know you’re still with them.

“I…Arwyn is certainly special. I’ve never met anyone quite like her.”

Smooth.

“So the connection. Can it really be only one that remains?” Raydir asked.

Excuse me?

“Yes. But I think it might be best if I distance myself from her. There’s so much about this she has yet to learn, and I don’t want to take her away from you.”

“She trusts you. Maybe it’s not visible on the outside, but she needs you in her life.” Raydir brushed his fingers over the back of my hand, sending a tingle up my arm. “Ever since you arrived in the valley, something changed in her. Maybe it’s because you were her Chosen. Maybe it’s something else. But I truly believe you and her are meant to be part of something bigger together.”

“Maybe. But—”

“And you saved her life! If anything, she needs you as her guardian more than ever.”

Again with the protecting…Come on, wake up!

“Raydir, I think her finger moved,” Darius said, a surge of excitement and relief evident in his voice.

Just my finger? Great, not what I was going for.

“Yeah, I see it too. Arwyn? Ar, can you hear me? If you can hear me, tap the sheets twice.”

A sigh of relief.

“Arwyn.” A kiss on my cheek. “Please wake up. We need you back here.”

I let out an involuntary groan, and my eyes blinked open. Two grinning faces stared down at me, but I only had eyes for one.

“Ray.” I winced as I tried to sit up. “What happened?”

“Don’t move, you have a few bruised ribs.” He brushed his thumb along my cheek.

“How long have I been out?”

“Two days. Darius got to you just in time. After the rogue attacked, he found you and Caesaria passed out.”

My heart lurched. “Caesaria! Is she ok? Did the rogue attack her too? Oh my gosh, this is all my fault!”

“Arwyn, slow down.” Raydir lightly pressed my shoulders back against the bed. “Easy. We’ve tended to all your scratches and the swelling in your ankle, but your ribs are still bruised. There’s only so much that the salve can do.”

“But Caesaria,” I said. “Is she okay?”

“As I’ve told everyone about a million times over the last two days, I am fine. Just a few minor scratches. I passed out because I spent my energy trying to keep you, Arwyn, alive. Darius, as I keep reminding these two, had nothing to do with it.” Caesaria walked over to my bedside, holding her left shoulder but smiling. “It’s good to see you awake, Ar.”

“Cae, I told you to let us help with your shoulder,” Raydir said.

“And I told you, Raydir, I am fine. For all we know, I sustained this injury while practicing archery.”

“What did Darius do?”

Darius scratched the back of his head. “Our link sort of alerted me that you were injured. So naturally, I went to help and found the two of you like Raydir said. But as Cae said, it really is good to see you awake.”

My cheeks flushed. I wasn’t used to all this attention, and now both Raydir and Darius were looking at me with equally expectant gazes.

“Um, do you think Caesaria and I could have a moment?” I asked.

“Sure thing.” Raydir leaned down to press a kiss to my temple.

I rubbed my fingers over my ribs, wincing at how tender they were to the touch. “How much do you know about the seriousness of my connection with Darius? And how the hell do I break it?”

“Ah, yes. The connection. That’s what I was trying to tell you before the rogue showed up. The connection between you and Darius.”

“Yes, exactly.”

“Is it really so bad? You seem to enjoy arguing with him every time the two of you are together.”

I rolled my eyes. “That’s because he gets on my nerves. I told you before—it’s something about him that draws me in. Kind of the same way a siren lures a sailor to his death.”

“Wow, that’s harsh.”

“It’s reality, Cae. I need to break this connection with Darius. It’s caused too much trouble for me and Raydir at this point. And now that I know Darius is in love with me—”

“Wait, what? When did he tell you that?”

“So technically he didn’t tell me.” I paused to take a breath. I had no idea how much talking could hurt. “I overheard his conversation with Raydir. He tried to circle around the answer, but it was definitely there.”

“Well you know what they say about getting over someone…” she trailed off.

I raised an eyebrow. “Cae, I’m not sleeping with Darius to prove a point. So, how do I get rid of it?”

“One link will go away with a marking. Right now, you have two men vying for your affections. In the end, only one can have you. But…give yourself some time.”

Raydir returned inside the medical cabin, locking his gaze on mine as he approached.

“I will. All of my training will probably have to be on hold while I recover, so that’ll give me some time.”

“Not all of it,” Raydir said. “We’ve talked to Fletcher, and your combat training is paused until I’ve cleared you. However, there is nothing preventing you from working on controlling your powers with Darius.”

My eyes scanned the room. “So you still want me to work with Darius?” After everything? After almost losing me?

He gave me a small smile, reaching out to squeeze my hand. I want you to follow your heart.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Despite being back in my own bed, I couldn’t sleep. I glanced at Raydir’s form next to me and thought about my last conversation with Caesaria after Raydir had left us alone again.

“He wants you to be happy, Arwyn,” she’d said. “But what do you want?”

I thought about the way Raydir looked at me. Things had certainly changed between us. But did that really mean I wanted to leave him? He was my everything…

“I want to consider my options,” I finally settled on saying. “Ray was right. We’re all the other has ever known, so maybe it’s time…maybe it’s time to try something new.”

Raydir shifted in the bed, and I slipped out of his embrace as quietly as I could. On the dresser, I gently laid down the note I had written for him along with the Alexandrite engagement ring. Then I pressed a kiss to his forehead.

“I love you so much, Ray,” I whispered. With that, I made my way out of the cabin with no idea where I was going.

Outside, the early morning air was cool and crisp. Stars still shimmered in the sky, and the silence was only broken by the occasional hoot of an owl. After wandering around on my own, I found myself in front of another cabin and raised my fist to knock.

A few beats later, the door opened. A very confused Darius stood in the doorway, rubbing sleep out of his eyes.

“Arwyn?” he asked. “What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be resting? Does Ray—”

I closed the gap between us, pressing my lips lightly to his. This seemed to wake him up. He wrapped an arm around me, pressing my body ever so carefully to his to avoid my bruised ribs. Kissing him ignited a spark between us, one that had been ready to erupt for days. Together, we stumbled into his cabin, nearly falling over the furniture. I winced at the pressure on my ankle but didn’t care. I let out a small groan, and he carefully hoisted me up to wrap my legs around his waist to prevent any further impact on my injuries. My hands tangled into his hair, and my mouth focused on the way he kissed me back, as if picking up where we left off that day out by the lake.

“Ar, wait.” He broke the kiss, gently setting me down but keeping a hand firmly around my waist. “We should…we should talk about this.”

Slowly, I nodded and he removed his hand so we could sit next to each other on the couch.

“What’s going on, Arwyn?” He reached forward to brush my hair behind my ears.

“I ended my engagement with Raydir,” I said. “He doesn’t…well, I mean he knew it was inevitable because we talked about it in Gwyniar because he found out that I have feelings for you but after we got home last night, I did some thinking and then I couldn’t sleep so I knew it was over and I gave back the ring and wrote him a note but when I left the cabin, I had no idea where to go and that’s how I showed up here.”

“Do you want some tea?”

I blinked. “Did you hear anything I just said?”

Darius smirked. “Yeah, I did. And my question remains: tea?”

“Fine.”

He left the couch and came back a few minutes later with two mugs of tea, handing one to me. Then he handed me a bag of ice which I reluctantly placed on my ankle.

“So…you ended your engagement with Raydir?” he asked.

I nodded, biting my lip. “It’s been imminent since we went back to Gwyniar.”

“So you said. Because you have feelings for me?”

“Wasn’t that evident by the way I kissed you just now?” I lowered my gaze down on the mug.

“Arwyn.” He gently laid a hand on my thigh. “I…we can’t…not tonight, er, this morning. You’re vulnerable right now. And your inner wolf…” He stood up abruptly.

“What?” My heart sank. I had just ended my engagement with my best friend and now Darius was about to reject me.

“Your inner wolf is fighting for attention,” Darius explained. “Drink the tea. It’ll help, I promise.”

“I don’t see what the tea has to do with anything,” I muttered but reluctantly kept sipping at my mug.

“It’s the same ibisco tea that you give Raydir before the Alignment. It’s meant to calm the wolf urges. Although, for the softer wolf, it also works during situations like this.”

“Like what?”

“Breakups. When you’re vulnerable.”

I raised my eyebrows. “So are you saying that…what I just did…that was my wolf wanting attention and not me, Arwyn, trying to show you how I truly feel about you?”

“How do you feel about me?”

My eyes met his. Dammit, did he seriously have to be this attractive?

“I like you,” I said. “A lot.”

How do you feel about me?

Well, you’re in luck because I like you too. A lot.

I pushed him with my arm. “You know you don’t have to mind-link me for everything, Darius. I’m right here.”

He smirked. “You don’t have to either.”

“Touche.”

“So are you ever going to tell me the truth about our mind-link? Maybe this century?”

“Tomorrow, I promise.” He pressed a small kiss to my temple. “My cabin has an extra room, so you can stay as long as you need.”

“Thanks,” I said, involuntarily leaning forward. Our lips met again, hesitant but yearning for more.

“Good night,” he breathed against my mouth. “Wake me if you need anything.”

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

“Keep your focus!” Darius instructed the next morning during our power training session. “Hold it up, just a little longer.”

“I’m trying!” The stream of water wavered, but I kept my arms thrust out in front of me as long as I could.

“Good. Now aim it at me.”

“What?!” I shrieked.

“Arwyn, just do it. Trust me.”

I maneuvered my hands, swirling the water and pushing it toward him. He jumped out of the way so the water vortex landed back into the lake, splashing out toward the two of us.

“Wonderful. Now use the water to trap me.”

“What?”

“Just—”

“Darius, if you say ‘trust me’, I will dunk your head under water.”

Darius smirked, putting his hands up in defense. “Okay, okay. I won’t say it.”

I flicked the water in his direction, making him sputter. “That was fun.”

He wiped water out of his eyes, grinning. “Alright. Now, trap me in the water.”

Sighing, my hands lifted the water into another swirling vortex, making sure it grew tall enough before shifting it toward Darius. The water surrounded him, lifting him up so his feet were dangling just above the surface of the lake. The vortex tightened around him, and I began to panic.

“Darius, I can’t do this!” I cried.

“Just—trust—yourself. Take—a breath—loosen—the grip. You’re doing great.”

Shakily, I retreated one of my hands to disengage the vortex. What I didn’t expect, however, was the vortex to fight back. “Darius! It’s not…what do I do!”

“Take a breath. Trust.” His eyes locked on mine, chest fighting for breath. You can do this. Breathe.

I nodded, closing my eyes and focusing as much as I could on the water.

“Great job.”

Slowly, I opened my eyes to find Darius—unharmed—grinning at me, the water vortex evaporated.

I whacked his chest. “Don’t you dare scare me like that. I thought…I don’t ever want to hurt you.”

Darius ran a hand through his wet hair, making it stick up in all different directions. To my surprise, he pulled me into his embrace, leaning down so our mouths were just inches apart. “You could never hurt me.”

I slumped against him. “So explain something to me. When I was passed out from the rogue attack, you told Raydir that only one link could remain.”

He stiffened. “Correct. You have the link with me because of the pact and the link with Raydir because you chose him over me after the ceremony. Now for the time being, you can link both of us just not at the same time. The only caveat is…”

I crossed my arms over my chest. “The only caveat is what, Darius?”

Darius scratched the back of his head. “You have to make your choice by the third Alignment.”