When I opened my eyes, the world felt wrong.
The air was heavy, thick with the scent of smoke and iron. For a moment, I thought I was still trapped in that ritual room, that the creature with the hollow eyes was still whispering my name.
But when I sat up, I realized I was in a different room — a grand chamber draped in dark silk and shadows. Kael's scent lingered everywhere — sharp pine, storm, and something darker I couldn't name.
I was in the Alpha's room.
My body ached, my heartbeat too loud in my ears. Then I saw it — my wrist.
The mark I'd spent years hiding beneath scarves and sleeves was no longer dull and faded. It was alive — pulsing faintly with red light, the same shade as the Blood Moon.
"No," I breathed, clutching it as if I could make it stop. "No, this can't be happening…"
The door creaked open. Kael stepped in, his face drawn, his bare chest marked with faint burns from the ritual.
"You should be resting," he said quietly.
"What happened to me?" I demanded. "What was that thing? Why did it speak to me like it knew me?"
Kael hesitated, then sat on the edge of the bed. "Because it does."
My stomach twisted. "That's not possible."
He looked at my wrist — at the mark still glowing faintly through my skin. "You weren't supposed to see it this soon. The Blood Moon curse binds more than one bloodline. You were born under it, same as me."
I shook my head, backing away. "No, my mother—she wasn't cursed!"
"Your mother made a deal with the moon goddess to protect you," he said softly. "But protection always comes at a cost. The curse passed to you instead."
I stared at him, my chest tight. "You're lying."
Kael's eyes darkened. "If only I were."
He reached for my hand, but when his skin brushed mine, the mark on both our wrists flared — red light flooding the room. My heart stuttered as a rush of memories that weren't mine hit me — fire, screams, my mother's voice shouting run, and Kael's face, younger, covered in blood.
I gasped and yanked my hand back. "What did you do to me?"
"I didn't do this," he said, his voice raw. "The bond is choosing you. Whether you accept it or not."
"I don't want it!"
Kael's jaw clenched. "Neither did I."
For a moment, silence. Only the sound of rain against the window. Then, from somewhere outside, came another howl — sharp, broken, too close.
Kael stiffened. "They're here."
"Who?"
"The rogues," he muttered, grabbing his sword. "But they're not after me this time. They're after you."
My blood ran cold. "What do you mean?"
He looked back at me, eyes fierce. "They think you're the key to ending the curse."
Before I could ask more, glass shattered — and something dark slammed through the window.
Kael lunged forward, pushing me down just as claws sliced through the air where I'd been standing. I caught a glimpse of glowing red eyes, a scarred face, and a snarl that sent a jolt of terror through me.
"Found you, Blood Luna."
The creature lunged again, and Kael's roar shook the room. In one fluid motion, he shifted — his wolf form towering, silver fur glowing under the moonlight.
The two collided in a blur of claws and teeth. I scrambled back, heart racing, until my hand brushed against something warm — the same bowl of silver blood from the ritual, now sitting beside the bed.
The blood shimmered faintly, reacting to my presence. My mark pulsed again, brighter, louder — as if calling to it.
"Aria!" Kael's voice thundered in my head, through the bond. Don't touch it!
But it was too late. My fingers dipped into the silver liquid — and the world exploded.
Light. Fire. Pain.
Voices.
Screams.
And then a whisper that wasn't human:
"The curse has awakened."