"Three."
As Titus's countdown ended, Mia stepped forward, blue light pulsing beneath her skin. "Let him go," she demanded, voice steadier than she felt. "Now."
"Only if you agree to my terms," Titus replied, fingers tightening around Logan's throat.
Logan's eyes locked with hers, a silent message passing between them despite their incomplete bond. *Don't do it. Don't sacrifice yourself for me.*
Something stirred within Mia—an instinct older than reason, a knowledge that wasn't hers yet somehow was. The First Healer's wisdom, awakening when needed most.
"You're making a mistake, Titus," she said, letting the blue energy flow more freely around her hands. "Do you know why the First Healer and First Alpha were meant to be together?"
Titus tilted his head, curiosity momentarily overridin
