A heavy silence settled over the forest as Leah struggled to steady her breath. The last remnants of the strange energy still crackled beneath her skin, but whatever force had taken hold of her was now dormant.
Kai and Damon flanked her protectively, their eyes scanning the darkness for the source of the chilling voice that had claimed her as theirs.
"They're watching us," Liana muttered, gripping her sword tightly. "But they won't strike yet. That was just a warning."
Kai's jaw clenched. "We need to get Leah back to the estate. Now."
Damon hesitated, his crimson eyes flicking to Leah's pale face. "She's not the same, Kai. You saw what happened back there."
"I'm still me," Leah whispered, though even she wasn't sure if that was true.
Liana knelt in front of her, searching her eyes. "For now. But whatever's inside you… it's waking up."
Leah swallowed hard. The fear that had gripped her moments ago still clung to her, but there was something else—something deeper.
A voice inside her whispered: You were never meant to be just human.
The walk back was tense. The pack warriors, having suffered casualties during the battle, carried the wounded through the dense forest, their expressions grim.
Leah barely noticed the bodies being taken away. She could still feel the Sentinel's axe bearing down on her, the surge of power that had saved her.
She turned to Kai. "Have you ever seen anything like that before?"
Kai shook his head. "No. But if the Old Ones are involved, then we're dealing with something beyond any of our experience."
Damon exhaled sharply. "That thing—the Sentinel—it was afraid of her."
Liana glanced at Leah. "Of course it was. Because it wasn't just Leah standing there. Something ancient was speaking through her."
A shiver ran down Leah's spine. She wasn't just a Crossbreed anymore. She was something else.
But what?
The estate was already on high alert when they arrived. Warriors patrolled the perimeter in double shifts, and the scent of blood and antiseptic filled the halls as the wounded were tended to.
As they stepped inside, two unfamiliar figures were waiting in the foyer.
The first was a tall man with obsidian-black skin and piercing silver eyes. His presence was cold and commanding, exuding an aura of quiet power. He wore a high-collared coat, fastened with silver clasps, and a pair of curved daggers rested at his hips.
Beside him stood a woman wrapped in dark, flowing robes. Her pale skin was almost translucent, and her violet eyes shimmered in the dim light. Strands of silver hair framed her delicate features, but there was nothing soft about her—she carried herself like a queen surveying her kingdom.
Kai stopped short, his golden eyes narrowing. "Who the hell are you?"
The man inclined his head slightly. "I am Soren. This is Elara. We came because we felt the shift." His gaze settled on Leah, unreadable. "Because of her."
Damon tensed. "And why should we trust you?"
Elara smiled, but there was no warmth in it. "Because you don't have a choice."
---
The group gathered in Kai's office, where the two strangers finally revealed why they had come.
Soren leaned against the desk, his silver eyes flickering in the firelight. "We are part of an order that has existed in the shadows for centuries. We watch. We wait. And when the balance is threatened, we act."
Kai crossed his arms. "And what does that have to do with Leah?"
Elara's gaze softened as she looked at Leah. "Because she is the balance. Or rather… what's inside her is."
Leah's stomach twisted. "What do you mean?"
Soren sighed. "You were born as a Crossbreed, but something changed when you were exposed to the Sentinel's power. It didn't just recognize you. It feared you."
Damon scoffed. "We already know that. What we don't know is why."
Elara's violet eyes darkened. "Because Leah isn't just a Crossbreed anymore. She's becoming something… more."
The room fell silent.
Kai finally spoke, his voice low and measured. "What exactly is she becoming?"
Soren hesitated before answering.
"She is becoming a Harbinger."
---
Leah's breath hitched. "A… Harbinger?"
Elara nodded. "A being born once in an age—one who holds the power to either destroy or restore the balance of the supernatural world. The Old Ones have sought to control or eliminate every Harbinger before they could come into their full power."
Leah felt the weight of the words settle on her chest. "And what happens if they succeed?"
Soren's voice was grave. "Then they will reshape this world in their image. A world where humans, wolves, and vampires alike are nothing but dust beneath their feet."
Damon let out a slow breath. "So that's why they want her."
Kai's fists clenched. "Over my dead body."
Elara tilted her head. "That might just be what they intend."
A chill ran through the room.
Leah swallowed hard, the reality of her situation sinking in. She wasn't just caught in the middle of a war. She was the war.
---
Before another word could be spoken, the flames in the fireplace flickered violently, turning an unnatural shade of green. The air grew heavy, and a low, echoing voice filled the room.
"You cannot hide her from us."
The windows rattled. Shadows stretched unnaturally across the walls.
"She belongs to the dark."
Leah gasped as an invisible force wrapped around her throat, lifting her off the ground. Her vision blurred, her limbs trembling.
Kai and Damon lunged toward her, but an unseen barrier slammed them back.
Elara and Soren moved fast—Elara raised a glowing hand, chanting in an ancient tongue, while Soren drew a dagger and sliced his palm, letting dark blood drip onto the floor. The moment the blood touched the wood, the force released Leah, dropping her to the ground with a gasp.
The voice laughed—deep, resonant, inhuman.
"It has already begun."
And then, just as suddenly as it had started, the shadows receded, the fire returned to normal, and the oppressive presence was gone.
Leah lay on the floor, her breath coming in ragged gasps.
Kai knelt beside her, his hands trembling. "Are you okay?"
She looked up at him, eyes wide with terror.
"No," she whispered. "I don't think I am."
Silence fell over the room, heavy with the weight of the revelation.
And in the distance, beyond the estate walls, something ancient stirred.