Ryker stands at the pool’s edge, his back to us, power radiating from him in almost visible waves. He wears only loose black pants, his upper body bare. His hands rest on an ornate stone bowl positioned at the pool’s rim.
His scent seems stronger today, more distracting. My wolf stirs under skin, demanding I press close to him.
Settle, I admonish.
She bares her teeth but does as directed, though she’s still on edge.
“Alpha,” Lithia announces our presence, though I’m certain Ryker’s aware of exactly when we entered. Through our bond, I feel his focus—sharp, intense, tinged with an emotion I can’t quite name.
“Leave us,” he says without turning.
Lithia bows and withdraws, the sound of her footsteps fading quickly.
I approach slowly, drawn to Ryker yet cautious of disturbing whatever ritual I’ve interrupted. The stone beneath my feet feels charged, humming with an ancient power that makes the fine hairs on my arms stand on end.
“What is this place?” I ask softly.
“The Vision Well,” he answers, finally turning to face me. His mismatched eyes gleam with reflected light from the pool. “It’s where Shadowmist seers have come for generations to seek clarity when ordinary visions have failed.”
I glance at the still water, feeling its pull. “Cheyenne used this?”
“Yes.” A look flickers across his face—old pain, quicklymasked. “It was her sanctuary.” He gestures to the elaborate bowl. “And this was her scrying vessel.”
“She had one in the other room too,” I murmur, remembering the smaller bowl.
Ryker nods. “That one was for regular readings. This…” He glances around the cavern. “This is different. When a seer’s power wasn’t enough, when the visions were too clouded or dangerous, they came here.”
I move closer, examining the bowl. It’s carved from a single piece of black stone, its interior polished to mirror brightness. Symbols similar to those on the floor encircle its rim, though these are inlaid with what looks like gold.
“It’s beautiful,” I murmur.
“It’s dangerous,” he corrects, his hand covering mine as I reach toward it. “The Well amplifies a seer’s gift, but at a cost.”
The warning in his voice is unmistakable. “What cost?”
“Control.” His fingers tighten on mine. “Once you enter a vision here, it doesn’t release you until it’s shown what you need to see—whether you’re ready for it or not.”
I swallow hard, remembering the visions that had nearly broken me in the Silvercrest Pack. “Why show me this now?”
“Because tonight is the full moon. Our first ceremony together.” His expression softens slightly. “And because you’re getting stronger. Your control is improving faster than I expected.”
Pride blooms in my chest at his acknowledgment. Over the past days, I’ve learned to summon visions without pain, to direct my sight toward specific targets, to remain conscious and functional even as the images flow through me.
“Thank you for—” I begin.
“Don’t thank me for what’s rightfully yours,” he interrupts, his thumb brushing my pulse point. “Your gift was always meant to be used this way.”
The familiar anger he feels that surfaces whenever hereferences my treatment in the Silvercrest Pack ripples through our bond. Just as quickly as it arrives, he pushes it away, hiding it from me.
I wish he wouldn’t. I wish he’d let me see everything.
“Tonight,” he continues, “you’ll be formally presented to the pack as my mate.”
My stomach tightens with nervousness. “I’ve never attended a full moon ceremony before. I don’t know the traditions?—”
“You’ll be with me,” he says simply, as if that resolves all concerns. And in a way, it does. “I’ll carry you.”
The image forms in my mind. Ryker in his massive wolf form, me on his back. The Alpha Female who can’t shift, carried by her mate’s strength.
