The altar was cracked, smoking, dripping with ancient blood that smelled of iron and fire. The runes carved into the stone had not glowed in ten thousand years—but now, under the twin moons, they pulsed with a heartbeat of their own.
Selene stood with her claws dug into the stone floor, her chest heaving. Around her, the world still reeled from the awakening of the gods. She could still hear them—in her bones, in her veins—like drums pounding in her marrow.
Kai was beside her, his jaw clenched, his shirt shredded from the battle with the shadow wraiths. His silver eyes blazed with fury and fear, though he would never admit the second.
"You feel that?" Selene whispered, her voice hoarse.
Kai nodded once. "They're not just awake. They're watching."
Before them, the altar bled light—a liquid gold that poured down the cracks like molten veins, creeping across the floor in burning rivers. And in the center, chained in black fire, writhed something neither wolf nor god. Its scream shook the cavern, breaking stalactites from the ceiling.
The thing in the altar had been imprisoned since the First Howl, since the gods themselves feared it. And now, as its chains loosened, the air filled with whispers. Not words, but promises. Revenge. Power. Freedom.
Selene's hand trembled as she touched her chest, where the scar from the Blood Howl still burned. "This is what they were hiding," she said. "This is what my bloodline was bound to—"
Her words cut off as a voice entered her mind.
Daughter of the Ashen Moon… you are the key… break the chain and I will break your enemies.
Kai grabbed her arm. "Don't listen. It's poison."
But Selene looked into his eyes, torn between dread and hunger. Because deep down, she wanted that power. She wanted to tear apart the packs who had hunted her, to laugh as their bones cracked beneath her claws.
And the altar knew it.
With every beat of her heart, the golden rivers crawled closer to her feet.
Then, laughter echoed from the shadows—familiar, mocking.
Lucian stepped into the light, blood dripping from his mouth, his blade dragging sparks across the stone. His black coat was scorched, but his smirk was untouched. "You two really don't learn, do you?" he drawled. "The gods don't sleep. They wait. And they've waited for me."
Selene's stomach dropped. "Lucian… you—"
"Yes," he cut in, his eyes gleaming with the same gold as the altar. "I fed them what they wanted. My blood, my loyalty, my soul. And now they've given me the one thing you'll never have—control."
As he spoke, the chains binding the creature in the altar snapped one by one. The cavern quaked, dust raining from above. The shadows twisted, wrapping around Lucian like a cloak.
Kai growled, stepping forward, but Lucian raised his hand. The air tightened, crushing Kai's chest. He dropped to his knees, gasping.
"See?" Lucian whispered, kneeling beside him. "Strong wolves bend. Strong gods break. But me? I rise." He shoved Kai down with one hand, like a child pinning an insect.
Selene's vision blurred red. She lunged, claws flashing—but the altar's light surged, blasting her back against the wall.
The chained creature turned its head toward her. Its face was hidden beneath shadow and flame, but its eyes—its eyes were hers.
Her voice caught in her throat. "What… are you?"
The answer came like thunder.
I am what your blood was born to free.