Chapter 5 Fire and Farewell
The plan is simple: get to the garage, take a vehicle, leave a false trail north where everyone expects Kade to run, then disappear into the forest where his allies wait. From there, we run, we hide, and we figure out what I actually am before the pack discovers what I can become.
The execution is anything but simple.
We move through shadows and empty corridors, climbing two flights of stairs. Most of the pack is upstairs, dealing with the aftermath of the fire Kade started. The distraction works in our favor. The guards don’t notice me, the wolfless girl they never see.
We are almost at the garage when we run into Liam.
My brother is in half-shift, body caught between human and wolf. His hands are claws, his eyes burn gold. He spots Kade first and roars, the sound echoing through the corridors. Then he sees me and freezes, confusion and betrayal flashing in his gaze.
"Kaida? What are you doing? What is this?"
I have two seconds to decide: let Liam raise the alarm or lie well enough that he believes me.
"He's leaving," I say steadily. "Our parents made a deal. In exchange for his life, he goes north and never returns. It was kept quiet because Dante feared objections. You know how he gets."
Liam’s wolf relaxes slightly, though his hackles stay raised. "Dad didn’t mention..."
"It was meant to stay secret," I cut in. "They wanted him gone before anyone could protest. We’re escorting him out quietly. You know the protocols."
It’s a shaky lie, but my voice sounds firm. Confident. Like someone used to being obeyed.
Liam looks between us, torn. Wolves hate being out of the loop. It threatens their sense of order.
"Which route?" he asks finally.
"North gate," I answer quickly. "You can head back to patrol. Tell the others we confirmed everything. Tell them the alpha’s orders are being followed."
Liam hesitates, fighting between duty and blood. Finally, he shifts back to human, frustration clear in his eyes. "Alright. But if the alpha finds out I didn’t verify..."
"I’ll take the blame," I promise. "You’re clear."
He nods reluctantly and heads off. For a moment, I think we’ll make it. For a moment, hope feels possible.
Then the alarm sounds.
Bells ring from above, signaling a breach. Someone found the empty cell. The chains. The truth.
"Go," I tell Kade. "Now."
We run, feet pounding on stone. Behind us come voices, howls, orders. The pack is mobilizing.
Kade grabs my hand and I don’t pull away. The connection is electric, pulling us together like gravity.
We burst into the garage as the first wolves appear. Kade shoves me toward my father’s old truck. It’s big, fast, and ready.
"Keys," he demands.
I grab them from the hook, toss them to him, and he catches them effortlessly.
Gunfire erupts. Silver bullets, poisoned rounds, all meant to kill.
Kade starts the engine and I dive into the passenger seat as bullets shatter the back window. The noise is deafening.
"Hold on," Kade growls. He’s still hurt, still exhausted, but fury burns in his eyes. My heart recognizes that power. My hidden wolf stirs.
He floors the accelerator.
We crash through the garage door into the night. The truck groans but holds. Behind us, chaos explodes. The pack howls, the alpha’s command rippling through every bond.
"They’ll follow us," I say, breathless.
"Let them," Kade answers with a feral grin. "They don’t know where my people are. They don’t know how strong we are. And they don’t know what you are yet. Once the bond completes, they can’t touch you. Not without breaking pack law."
The night swallows us. I watch the pack houses fade behind the trees. Ivy. My parents. Liam. My life.
"What about my family?" I ask quietly. "They’ll think I’m dead. They’ll never stop hunting us."
"They made their choice," Kade says softly. "They kept you weak. Now you get to choose strength. Choose yourself."
I watch the last lights of home vanish into darkness. I think about the moment I chose to free him. About the power of that single decision.
"I’m scared," I admit.
"Good," Kade says, squeezing my hand. "It means you understand. But I’ve got you, mate. We’ll figure out your power. We’ll change everything."
The truck races through the forest. Behind us, engines roar. Headlights appear in the distance. The pack’s trucks and ATVs are closing in.
"Kade," I whisper. "They’re coming."
He glances in the mirror, eyes glowing gold. "I need to do something I should’ve done the moment I met you."
He turns to me. "I’m going to mark you. Once you’re marked, they can’t touch you without starting a war."
"But Kade..."
He kisses me.
It’s fierce, desperate, claiming. When he pulls back, I taste blood. My blood. His mark. The bond seals deeper than before, glowing between us.
Light flares around me, golden and wild. My skin shimmers, my arms glowing like fire under glass.
"Kaida," Kade breathes. "What’s happening?"
"I don’t know," I whisper. "I’ve never shifted. I don’t have a wolf."
"Your power is manifesting," he says in awe. "The bond triggered it. You’re not just a hybrid. You’re something rarer. Something out of legend."
The golden light spreads across my skin until I’m glowing.
"What am I?" I whisper.
Before he can answer, the headlights behind us grow brighter. The pack is almost upon us.
Kade jerks the wheel, turning down a dirt road that cuts deeper into the forest.
"There," he says.
Figures emerge ahead. Wolves. At least twenty, blocking the road.
"Who are they?"
"My people," Kade says. "The Northern pack. The allies I promised."
The truck skids to a halt, dust rising around us. Behind us, our pursuers close in.
"We’re surrounded," I say.
"No," Kade replies, smiling that dangerous smile. "We’re exactly where we need to be."
One wolf ahead shifts into a woman, tall and scarred. She walks to my window and looks straight at me.
"So you’re the hybrid," she says. "The girl who’s supposed to change everything."
Before I can answer, more shapes move behind us. Dante emerges, followed by my parents and the pack council.
"Get out of the truck," Dante orders. "Surrender, and we might let the Northerner live."
I look at Kade.
"We run," he says. "We go through them."
"We can’t."
"We can," he insists. "You’re not just a hybrid, Kaida. You’re the prophecy. The one who can unite the packs or burn them all. They know it. That’s why they fear you."
The woman outside leans closer. "Transform, daughter of two worlds. Show them what you are."
"I don’t know how," I whisper.
"Yes, you do," she says gently. "The wolf is waiting. She always has been. Let her out."
I close my eyes.
And I feel it. Deep inside me. Waiting. Watching. Ancient and furious that she’s been caged for years.
I open my eyes.
And my entire world explodes into fire.