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"She fought like a born wolf."

"They say she carries the dormant genes."

"The prophecy..."

Maya pressed her palm against Kieran's burning forehead. She closed her eyes, trying to channel the healing energy she'd somehow conjured the previous night. Their mate bond thrummed between them, but the silver poisoning seemed to resist her efforts.

"Damn it," she muttered, frustration mounting. "It's not working like before."

Kieran captured her wrist, his grip surprisingly strong. "You've already done more than anyone could expect." His eyesburned with intensity despite his fever. "You fought for my people. Led them. Protected them."

A young female shifter approached hesitantly, offering a bowl of water and clean cloths. "Is it true?" she asked Maya. "Are you really half-human, half-shifter?"

Maya dipped a cloth in the cool water and pressed it to Kieran's forehead before answering. "Apparently my great-great-grandmother had quite the secret."

"And you saved those pups back there," another voice added with reverence. "Even traditionalists are talking about it."

As Maya tended to Kieran, she became increasingly aware of the growing crowd gathering around them. Young wolf shifters with traditional upbringings mingled with hardcore rebels, their previous divisions seemingly forgotten as they exchanged stories of the battle.

Something stirred inside her—a sense of rightness that transcended her scientific skepticism. Her entire life, she'd felt drawn to wolves, studying them and understanding them. Now she realized why.

"The Lunar prophecy," someone whispered. "Humans and shifters united once more."

Kieran's feverish eyes met hers. "They need this," he murmured for her ears alone. "Hope."

Maya's heart swelled with unexpected emotion. In just a week, she'd gone from studying wolves to becoming part of them—to potentially being the bridge between two worlds.

"Lena better get here soon," she said, fighting back tears as she stroked Kieran's damp hair back from his forehead. "I'm not losing you when I've just found you."

His lips quirked into that arrogant half-smile that managed to infuriate and captivate her simultaneously. "Don't worry, sweetheart. It takes more than a little silver to keep me down."

Thirty minutes later, Maya's fingers interlaced with Kieran's as his body burned with silver fever on the small cot. She dabbed his forehead with a cold cloth, her heart clenching each time he winced or shuddered. His powerful frame looked vulnerable now, silver-threaded veins creeping outward from his wound like a toxic spiderweb.

"Stay with me, stubborn wolf," she whispered, brushing his sweat-dampened hair from his forehead. Even incapacitated, his masculine beauty stole her breath—the strong cut of his jaw and the sensual curve of his lips.

The cabin door burst open with a gust of pine-scented air. Lena rushed in, her petite frame somehow commanding the space as she carried a worn leather satchel. Her violet eyes locked onto Maya's.

"Thank god you're finally here," Maya said, relief flooding through her.

Lena knelt beside the cot, pulling out small clay jars and bundles of dried herbs. "The silver's spread further than I expected." Her fingers moved with practiced precision. "We need to work quickly."

"What do you need me to do?" Maya asked.

Lena's knowing gaze swept between them. "You're his fated mate. Your connection will amplify the healing." She handed Maya a small ceramic bowl filled with a paste that smelled of earth and smoke. "Apply this to his wound while I prepare the rest."

The young shifters gathered in a circle around them, their faces reflecting equal parts curiosity and reverence. Maya felt their eyes on her as she gently applied the pungent mixture to Kieran's side. His skin burned beneath her fingertips.

"You're enjoying playing doctor a little too much," Kieran mumbled, his eyes flickering open for a moment, his silver-blue irises bright with fever.

Maya tried not to chuckle. "Of course you'd make jokes while dying."

"I'm not dying. Just resting." His voice was weak, but his smirk remained intact.

Lena placed candles at four points around the cot, lighting each with a whispered word. "Maya, place your hands over his heart. Channel your energy into him—your bond will guide the rest."

Maya hesitated. "I'm still new at this whole supernatural thing."

"Trust your instincts," Lena said softly. "They haven't failed you yet."