1
EMBER
The urgent message from the northern settlements arrives as dawn breaks over Haven’s Heart. I’m training in the combat yard, my claws extended, fire rippling through my fur as I leap between practice dummies. Kade’s voice cuts through my concentration.
“Ember! Command center, now.”
I shift back to human form in one fluid motion, feeling my skin tingle as fire and claws retract into flesh. Snatching my clothes from the bench, I dress quickly. My brother wouldn’t interrupt training without a good reason.
The command center buzzes with tense energy when I arrive. Maps spread across the central table show our northern territories, and several council members huddle around my brother. Kade stands rigid with tension, his panther nature evident as he points to various locations with sharp, controlled movements.
“What’s happening?” I ask, sliding between two elders to reach his side.
Kade looks up, his gold-flecked green eyes—so similar to my own—narrowed with concern. “The barrier’s failing.Northern sector. We’ve got reports of wild shifters emerging and claiming territory.”
“Which clan?” I reach for the report in his hand.
“Shadow Wolves.” Kade passes me the parchment. “They’ve already marked boundaries that include three of our established settlements.”
I scan the report quickly. The Shadow Wolf Clan is one of the oldest and most powerful wild shifter packs, isolated behind the magical barriers for centuries. According to our scouts, they’ve claimed nearly a hundred square miles of forest, including Pine Ridge, River’s Edge, and North Haven settlements. Almost three thousand civilian shifters.
“The barriers shouldn’t be failing,” I mutter, studying the map. “The protection spells have held for six hundred years.”
Elder Miria, our head archivist, clears her throat. “We believe it’s connected to the recent integration events. The magical resonances from vampire-dragon unification, especially from Aria’s child... the barriers were designed to separate magical signatures, not accommodate merged ones.”
I nod, understanding the implication. The pure, integrated magic of a hybrid child is incompatible with the separation-based ward system. A logical consequence with such terrible timing.
“Do we know anything about their alpha?” I ask.
Kade’s expression darkens. “Zane Blackthorn. Reports say he’s massive, even for a Shadow Wolf. Utterly ruthless. They’re primitive, Ember—wild shifters who’ve never integrated with modern society.”
“Then why am I here?” I already suspect the answer, but I need to hear him say it.
Kade meets my gaze steadily. “The Council wants you to negotiate with them.”
“Me?” I can’t keep the surprise from my voice. “I’ve only been Territorial Ambassador for three months. Send Tarek or Liana—they have decades of diplomatic experience.”
“The Shadow Wolves won’t respect age without strength,” says Elder Miria. “They’ll only negotiate with someone who can match their alpha’s power.”
“And you think that’s me?” I ask, feeling heat flare beneath my skin in response to the challenge.
Kade rests a hand on my shoulder. “You’re the strongest fire panther shifter we have. You understand diplomacy, but you’re not...” He hesitates.
“Tame?” I supply a sharp edge to my voice.
“I was going to say ‘overly civilized,’” he counters with a hint of a smile.
I turn back to the map, studying the marked territory. The settlements are positioned along the forest’s edge, with the Shadow Wolves claiming everything north into the deep woods. “I’ll need supplies. A diplomatic escort. Documentation of our settlement claims.”
“Already arranged,” Kade says. “You leave in an hour.”
“So soon?”
“We’ve already lost a day to verification. These wolf shifters are establishing dominance with every passing hour.”
I nod briskly, my mind already cataloging what I’ll need. “I’ll handle it.”
“Ember.” Kade’s voice stops me as I turn to leave. “Be careful. These aren’t like the shifters you’ve dealt with before. They’ve lived for centuries by their own laws, their own code. To them, we’re the aberration—shifters who’ve forgotten what it means to be wild.”
