Irina’s POV
The glow of the forest dimmed slightly as we walked closer to the cabin where Aiden and Derek waited. Kratos walked beside me, silent but watchful, his tall frame cutting through the faint mist curling between the roots.
Don’t ask me how I knew we had to come here, I just did.
The more we approached them, the more anxious I felt. I could feel Aiden through the bond. How much he had waited for me, and how dumbfounded he was.
“You’re nervous,” Kratos murmured, not looking at me.
I exhaled slowly. “Maybe a little.”
“You shouldn’t be. You carry the forest’s mark now. No Alpha, no council, no power on this earth can command you.”
I gave a faint, humorless laugh. “You don’t know Aiden.”
“I second that!” Rylan chirped from my other side. “Met the dude once and I already hat
