Chapter 52: She Is
Magnus
I don’t know why, but the word shift seems to awaken something primal in Kaya. Her silver eyes flare with a sudden, fierce light, and a shimmer begins to ripple across her skin—a subtle silver glow pulsing against the darkness that surrounds us.
I’m excited too. Athan prowls restlessly inside me, desperate to break free and stand beside our mate, but I force myself to stay still. This time, I don’t give in. And truthfully? I’m being a little selfish.
I’m not urging her to shift because it might help her escape this trap.
No—I just want to see it.I want to see her.I want to see what her wolf really looks like.
"Shift," I growl, Athan’s predatory instincts still clawing at my restraint. "Whatever it is that keeps your wolf caged—tear it apart. Show me your strength."
Now I’m practically goading her, and the fire flashing in her eyes tells me she doesn’t appreciate it.
"I can’t!" she snaps, her voice sharp and strained like a cornered cat. "You know I can’t!"
"Didn’t I tell you I know who you are?"The words fall from my mouth before I can stop them, and my eyes widen the moment they leave my lips.
Damn it.
Kaya goes still. Her expression mirrors my own shock, her gaze locking with mine for a long, stunned heartbeat—until she turns away, something defeated in the way her shoulders sink.
"I can’t shift," she whispers, her voice so quiet it makes guilt prickle at the back of my neck. I almost regret pushing her this far.