Chapter 6 · The Map Burns In

"Luna."

Cain's on his knees in front of me. Chest torn open, blood soaking through his shirt, but the black veins crawling up his neck are gone. The bond hums under my ribs—warm, alive, terrifying.

"Don't call me that," I say, but Rex is already moving.

"We need to go." He grabs my arm, yanks me back. "Those flares weren't just for the hunters in this district. Every pack within fifty miles saw them."

I look up. The sky's still dotted with white light, drifting down like falling stars. Beautiful. Deadly.

"She's not going anywhere with you." Cain stands, legs shaking but his voice steady. The bond flares hot in my chest. He feels it too. "She marked me. That makes her mine to protect."

"Yours?" Rex laughs, sharp. "You think a bond makes her yours? She saved your ass because you were dying. Don't get it twisted."

Aiden's leaning against the wall, one hand pressed to his side where blood's still seeping through his fingers. His face is white, but his eyes are locked on me. "They're both wrong. Ivy doesn't belong to anyone. But if we don't move right now, she's gonna belong to the hunters.