Page 1 of When Two Worlds Collide (Fated Mates, Stubborn Hearts #1)

EMBER

T he urgent message from the northern settlements arrives as dawn breaks over Haven’s Heart. I’m training in the combat yard, my claws extended, fire rippling through my fur as I leap between practice dummies. Kade’s voice cuts through my concentration.

“Ember! Command center, now.”

I shift back to human form in one fluid motion, feeling my skin tingle as fire and claws retract into flesh. Snatching my clothes from the bench, I dress quickly. My brother wouldn’t interrupt training without a good reason.

The command center buzzes with tense energy when I arrive.

Maps spread across the central table show our northern territories, and several council members huddle around my brother.

Kade stands rigid with tension, his panther nature evident as he points to various locations with sharp, controlled movements.

“What’s happening?” I ask, sliding between two elders to reach his side.

Kade looks up, his gold-flecked green eyes—so similar to my own—narrowed with concern. “The barrier’s failing. Northern sector. We’ve got reports of wild shifters emerging and claiming territory.”

“Which clan?” I reach for the report in his hand.

“Shadow Wolves.” Kade passes me the parchment. “They’ve already marked boundaries that include three of our established settlements.”

I scan the report quickly. The Shadow Wolf Clan is one of the oldest and most powerful wild shifter packs, isolated behind the magical barriers for centuries.

According to our scouts, they’ve claimed nearly a hundred square miles of forest, including Pine Ridge, River’s Edge, and North Haven settlements.

Almost three thousand civilian shifters.

“The barriers shouldn’t be failing,” I mutter, studying the map. “The protection spells have held for six hundred years.”

Elder Miria, our head archivist, clears her throat. “We believe it’s connected to the recent integration events. The magical resonances from vampire-dragon unification, especially from Aria’s child... the barriers were designed to separate magical signatures, not accommodate merged ones.”

I nod, understanding the implication. The pure, integrated magic of a hybrid child is incompatible with the separation-based ward system. A logical consequence with such terrible timing.

“Do we know anything about their alpha?” I ask.

Kade’s expression darkens. “Zane Blackthorn. Reports say he’s massive, even for a Shadow Wolf. Utterly ruthless. They’re primitive, Ember—wild shifters who’ve never integrated with modern society.”

“Then why am I here?” I already suspect the answer, but I need to hear him say it.

Kade meets my gaze steadily. “The Council wants you to negotiate with them. ”

“Me?” I can’t keep the surprise from my voice. “I’ve only been Territorial Ambassador for three months. Send Tarek or Liana—they have decades of diplomatic experience.”

“The Shadow Wolves won’t respect age without strength,” says Elder Miria. “They’ll only negotiate with someone who can match their alpha’s power.”

“And you think that’s me?” I ask, feeling heat flare beneath my skin in response to the challenge.

Kade rests a hand on my shoulder. “You’re the strongest fire panther shifter we have. You understand diplomacy, but you’re not...” He hesitates.

“Tame?” I supply a sharp edge to my voice.

“I was going to say ‘overly civilized,’” he counters with a hint of a smile.

I turn back to the map, studying the marked territory. The settlements are positioned along the forest’s edge, with the Shadow Wolves claiming everything north into the deep woods. “I’ll need supplies. A diplomatic escort. Documentation of our settlement claims.”

“Already arranged,” Kade says. “You leave in an hour.”

“So soon?”

“We’ve already lost a day to verification. These wolf shifters are establishing dominance with every passing hour.”

I nod briskly, my mind already cataloging what I’ll need. “I’ll handle it.”

“Ember.” Kade’s voice stops me as I turn to leave. “Be careful. These aren’t like the shifters you’ve dealt with before. They’ve lived for centuries by their own laws, their own code. To them, we’re the aberration—shifters who’ve forgotten what it means to be wild.”

“I haven’t forgotten anything, brother.”

My diplomatic team quickly establishes a perimeter camp as I survey what lies ahead.

The forest looms before us, ancient and vast. What was once our uncontested northern border now bears deep claw marks—territorial boundaries etched by creatures who make no distinction between their animal and human natures.

“Ambassador Steelclaw?”

I turn to find Julian, one of the Pine Ridge settlement representatives, approaching with obvious trepidation. He’s fox-shifter thin, with nervous eyes that dart constantly toward the forest.

“The marks go for miles,” he says, gesturing along the tree line. “They appeared three days ago. We sent scouts, but they came back terrified. Said they saw wolves bigger than bears moving through the trees.”

I nod, keeping my expression neutral. “Have they approached the settlements directly?”

“No, but they’ve been hunting in our territories. Taking down deer that our people rely on. It serves as intimidation.”

“Or hunger,” I suggest, though I suspect he’s right. “How many Shadow Wolves have been spotted?”

“At least thirty, maybe more. We’re not sure.”

I study the marked trees again. The claw gouges are deep, deliberate—not casual boundary markers but statements of possession, of dominance. The message is clear: This land belongs to us now.

“I need to see exactly how far their territory extends,” I decide. “Julian, tell my escort I’m going to scout the perimeter.”

His eyes widen. “Alone? But Ambassador?— ”

“I’m not here to hide behind guards,” I cut him off. “I’m here to negotiate with an alpha predator. I can’t do that if he thinks I’m afraid to face him.”

Before Julian can protest further, I strip off my formal diplomat’s jacket and boots, keeping only my simple dark pants and sleeveless top. Better for shifting quickly if needed. I slip into the forest, moving with deliberate confidence, following the line of marked trees.

The musk of wolf territory intensifies as I travel deeper into the woods.

It’s not just territorial marking—the entire forest feels different, primal energy pulsing through it as though the wild shifters have awakened something long dormant.

I find more claw marks, these higher up the trees, requiring a wolf of impossible size to leave them.

After an hour, I reach the first settlement outpost—a small lumber camp that processes wood for the main settlements. It stands abandoned, tools left mid-task. The workers must have fled when the Shadow Wolves appeared.

Beyond the camp, the forest darkens, pine boughs filtering the midday sun into dappled shadow. I pause, my ears catching a faint sound—the snap of a twig, deliberately broken. I’m being watched.

I straighten, projecting calm authority. “I am Ember Steelclaw, Territorial Ambassador from Haven’s Heart. I request an audience with Alpha Zane Blackthorn of the Shadow Wolf Clan.”

Silence answers me, but I feel eyes tracking my movements.

I continue forward, following the scent markers.

Two miles later, I reach River’s Edge settlement—a cluster of cabins near a swift-moving stream.

Unlike the lumber camp, this place is still occupied.

Shifters peer anxiously from windows as I approach.

An older woman hurries from the main building to meet me, her posture tense but determined. “Ambassador,” she greets me with clear relief. “I’m Elder Tessa. Thank the stars you’ve come.”

“What’s your situation here?” I ask quietly.

“Precarious,” she admits. “They’ve marked everything north of the river as theirs, including our hunting grounds. We’ve spotted them watching the settlement at night. They haven’t attacked, but...”

“But they’re making sure you know they could,” I finish for her.

She nods. “We’ve been preparing to evacuate, but many families have lived here for generations. They don’t want to abandon their homes.”

“I understand.” I study the tree line beyond the settlement. “I need to see their main camp.”

Elder Tessa blanches. “That would be suicide. The Shadow Wolves don’t negotiate—they take.”

“Every predator has something they value,” I counter. “I need to discover what that is.”

I leave her with reassurances I’m not entirely sure I can keep. As the afternoon wanes toward dusk, I push deeper into claimed territory, following fresher scent markers. Wolf markings become more frequent and aggressive.

I stop in a small clearing, knowing I’ve been surrounded. The subtle shifting of shadows between trees and the nearly silent pad of paws on the forest floor all indicate the pack is moving into position.

I stand my ground, chin lifted. “I know you’re there,” I call out. “I’ve come to speak with Alpha Blackthorn about the settlements your clan has claimed.”

A synchronized warning growl ripples through the forest—not one wolf but many. I hold my position, though every instinct urges me to shift and meet threat with threat .

“My name is Ember Steelclaw,” I announce formally. “I represent Haven’s Heart and the northern settlements. Your clan has claimed territory that belongs to established shifter communities. I’m here to negotiate fair boundaries.”

The growls intensify, closer now. Among them, I hear huffing sounds—wolf laughter, mocking my overture.

I feel heat rising under my skin, my panther responding to the challenge. “I will speak with your alpha,” I insist, my voice hardening. “Or I will consider your clan unwilling to resolve this matter peacefully.”

The forest falls suddenly, ominously silent. Then I hear it—heavier footfalls, deliberately placed by something massive moving through the trees behind me.

I turn slowly, maintaining my composure as a shadow detaches itself from the deepening twilight. The wolf that emerges makes me catch my breath despite my determination to show no fear.