The visions always start the same way. A pressure builds behind my eyes, like storm clouds gathering before lightning strikes. Then the world shifts sideways, reality bleeding into something older, deeper, more terrible.

This time, I’m standing in the sacred grove where female Alphas once conducted their ceremonies. But the ancient oaks are burning, silver flames consuming their branches while dark shapes move through the smoke. Three crowns hover in the air, made of moonlight and bone, casting long shadows that writhe like living things.

And in the center of it all stands my sister, but she’s changed. Silver power flows around her like a living cloak, her eyes blazing with an inner light that’s both beautiful and terrifying. The marks on her shoulders—where the Alpha Kings claimed her—pulse with a rhythm that matches the burning trees.

“The price must be paid,” voices whisper through the flames. “Blood calls to blood. Power calls to power. The silver line rises...”

“Chloe?”

I blink, reality snapping back into focus. Lara kneels before me, her face tight with concern. We’re in the back room of my herb shop, surrounded by the familiar scents of dried plants and healing medicines. My heart pounds erratically in my chest, each beat sending waves of dull pain through my body.

“Another vision?” She presses a cool cloth to my forehead. “You’re burning up.”

I try to speak, but my throat closes around the words. The prophecy claws at my mind, demanding to be heard. “They’re coming,” I manage. “All of them. The Kings, Jackson, the rival packs... they’re all coming for you.”

“Let them come.” Her voice holds that edge of steel that makes her such a formidable Alpha. “I won’t let them hurt you or the pack.”

“You don’t understand.” I grab her wrist, needing her to feel the urgency of my warning. “The ritual Jackson’s planning... it’s not just about power. It’s about breaking something. Something old. Something that should stay buried.”

A spasm of pain shoots through my chest. My weak heart struggles against the strain of containing these visions, each beat more labored than the last. Black spots dance at the edges of my vision.

Lara swears violently. It was bound to happen, I realize. My poor heart has struggled for years, no matter how many tonics or treatments I tried. And I should feel calm. At peace. This was always inevitable.

“Your heart.” Lara’s voice seems to come from far away. “We need help. Now.”

“No,” I try to protest. “Too dangerous. The Kings...”

But she’s already moving, gathering supplies into a bag with swift efficiency. “Sarah’s still in the city. She’ll know what to do.”

“The Kings’ healer?” Fear cuts through the pain. “Lara, no. If she tells them where we are...”

“Then I’ll deal with it.” Her eyes flash with silver fire. “I’m not losing you too.”

The world spins as she helps me stand. Another vision crashes through my defenses—blood on stone altars, ancient words twisting reality itself, a silver wolf howling in triumph or agony...

“The darkness comes for you,” I whisper as she guides me through the shop’s back door. “It wants what’s inside you. The power in our bloodline...”

“Save your strength.” Her arm around my waist is the only thing keeping me upright. “We can talk about prophecies after we get your heart stabilized.”

But the visions won’t wait. They pour through me like a flood, each one more urgent than the last. I see Jackson standing before an obsidian altar, Alice’s blood staining his hands as he chants in the old tongue. I see rival Alphas gathering under a moonless sky, their combined power focused on a single purpose. And I see Lara, my fierce, protective sister, standing at a crossroads where every path leads to destruction.

“You have to listen,” I gasp as we make our way through shadowed alleys. “The silver power... it’s changing you. Making you something else. Something...”

“Dangerous?” Her smile is grim. “Good. I need to be dangerous right now.”

“No, you need to be careful.” Another wave of pain steals my breath. “The prophecy spoke of balance. Of anchors to keep the power from consuming everything. The Kings...”

“Are not the answer.” Her voice hardens. “They’re just another kind of cage.”

I want to argue, but words become impossible. Even focusing on moving one foot in front of the other takes all my strength. Lara seems to sense this and keeps me steady as we hurry through deserted streets.

Through blurred vision, I catch a glimpse of a golden cloak—one of Jackson's patrols. But Lara notices too. She steps around a corner, her silver power surging as she pulls us both into a small side street.

We reach a small cabin on the outskirts of the city. Sarah must have sensed our approach because she opens the door before Lara can knock. The healer takes one look at my face and moves aside.

“Bring her in,” she commands. “Quickly.”

The cabin’s interior is warm and dim, filled with the scents of healing herbs and old magic. Sarah helps Lara lay me on a narrow bed, her experienced hands already moving to check my pulse.

“Her heart’s racing,” Sarah murmurs. “How long has she been having visions?”

“How did you...?” Lara starts, but Sarah cuts her off with a look.

“I’ve treated prophets before. The strain their gift puts on their bodies is distinctive.” She begins mixing herbs with practiced efficiency. “But I’ve never seen it manifest this strongly in one so young.”

Another vision slams into me with the force of a physical blow. I arch off the bed, my voice speaking words that aren’t mine: “The silver line must not break. Three kings, three anchors, three bonds to hold back the flood. Without balance, the power will consume everything...”

“Chloe!” Lara’s hand finds mine, grounding me momentarily in reality. “Stay with me.”

Sarah’s sharp intake of breath makes us both look up. The healer stares at me with wide eyes, her hands frozen in the act of grinding herbs.

“It can’t be,” she whispers. “The silver prophecy... it’s actually happening.”

Lara’s posture shifts instantly to defensive. “What do you know about it?”

“Enough to understand why your sister’s gift is killing her.” Sarah resumes her work with increased urgency. “The prophecies are trying to force their way through her. All of them, all at once. Her heart can’t take the strain.”

As if to prove her point, pain lances through my chest. My vision whites out as my heart stutters, struggling to maintain its rhythm.

“Help her,” Lara begs, all pretense of strength falling away. “Please.”

Sarah lifts my head, pressing something vile-tasting to my lips. “Drink. It will help slow the visions.”

I manage a few sips before another prophecy takes hold. But this one is different—clearer, more immediate. I see a warrior approaching through the trees, his massive frame moving with deadly grace. Sapphire eyes burn with protective fury as he tracks our scent.

“He’s coming,” I gasp. “The warrior king. He followed our trail...”

Lara tenses, silver power gathering around her like storm clouds. But Sarah places a restraining hand on her arm.

“If you fight him now, your sister will die,” the healer says bluntly. “Her heart needs time to stabilize. Time we won’t have if you start a battle with an Alpha King.”

“I won’t let them take her.”

“No one’s taking anyone.” Sarah’s voice holds centuries of authority. “But you need to trust me. Both of you.”

The door bursts open before Lara can respond. Kian fills the entrance, power rolling off him in waves that make the cabin’s walls creak. His eyes lock onto Lara first—predator recognizing prey—before shifting to where I lie gasping on the bed.

For a moment, no one moves. Then Sarah steps forward, placing herself between us and the Alpha King.

“Your mate’s sister needs help,” she says calmly. “Are you going to let your need for dominance interfere with that?”

Something complicated passes across Kian’s face. Through my prophetic sight, I see possibility branches splitting and reforming—choices that could lead to bloodshed or salvation.

“Please,” I whisper, fighting through the pain. “The prophecy... she needs you. All of you. The power is too much for her to contain alone...”

The world goes dark around the edges. The last thing I see is Kian’s face shifting from fury to concern as I slip into unconsciousness. The last thing I feel is Lara’s hand in mine, anchoring me to reality as the visions drag me under.

And the last thing I hear is the prophecy’s final warning, echoing through my mind like a death knell:

Choose wisely, sister. The fate of more than just our pack hangs in the balance. The silver wolf rises, but whether she brings salvation or destruction depends on the choices she makes now...

And the bonds she chooses to accept or break.