Marked by My Enemy Alpha

Chapter 12 — The Blood Bond

Sleep didn’t come that night.

Every time I closed my eyes, I saw him — silver eyes glowing through darkness, his voice whispering my name like a spell.

Kael had posted guards outside my door, but I could still feel Rylan’s presence pressing against my mind, testing the boundaries of whatever strange link had formed during the eclipse.

You can’t save him without losing yourself.

The words he’d left carved in blood haunted me.

I sat up, clutching the blanket tighter. The mark over my heart pulsed faintly, as if it recognized his energy — as if it wanted to answer.

“Aria?”

Kael’s deep voice came from the doorway. He stepped in, his shirt unbuttoned, bandages peeking beneath the fabric. Despite the exhaustion in his eyes, he still carried that same quiet strength — the kind that made me want to lean into him even when I knew I shouldn’t.

“You should be resting,” I said softly.

He shrugged. “I could say the same.”

He crossed the room and sat on the edge of the bed. The moonlight filtering through the curtains cast his face in pale silver. His expression was unreadable.

“Rylan’s energy is still near,” he said finally. “He’s bound to the curse, same as us. I should’ve sensed him sooner.”

I hesitated. “He said the Blood Luna marked both of you.”

Kael’s jaw clenched. “Our father performed the ritual to bind the Alpha line. It was meant to strengthen the pack. But Rylan… he couldn’t control the power. He killed half our warriors before vanishing into the woods.”

I swallowed hard. “And now he’s back because of me.”

Kael’s eyes met mine — golden and fierce. “No. You didn’t call him. The Blood Luna did.”

He leaned closer, his voice dropping lower. “And that’s what scares me.”

My heart skipped. “Why?”

“Because if Rylan shares the same mark, he might be able to reach you… through me.”

Before I could speak, a sudden chill swept through the room. The candles flickered, and a low hum filled the air.

Kael stood instantly, his hand going to his chest. “He’s here.”

I gasped as the mirror on the wall rippled like water. Shadows spilled out, coiling into the shape of a man.

Rylan stepped through, his silver eyes glowing brighter than before.

“Did you really think you could hide her from me, brother?” he said softly.

Kael growled, his wolf half rising beneath his skin. “Get out of my territory.”

Rylan’s smile widened. “Your territory? You forget, Kael — we share the same blood. This forest answers to both of us.”

He turned his gaze on me. “And you, my sweet Blood Luna… I can feel your heartbeat in my veins.”

“Stop it!” I shouted. “Get out of my head!”

He tilted his head, amused. “I’m not in your head. You’re in mine.”

The mark on my chest burned suddenly, so hot I cried out. Kael lunged forward, grabbing me before I fell.

Rylan’s voice echoed inside my skull. You can’t fight it forever. The bond between us is written in blood.

Kael roared, his power surging as he shifted partially, claws bursting through his hands. He slashed the air — and Rylan’s image flickered before shattering into smoke.

The mirror cracked, splintering from corner to corner.

Silence.

I could still feel Rylan, faint but lingering — a cold shadow coiled around my heart.

Kael lifted my face in his hands, his voice raw. “Did he touch you?”

“No,” I whispered, trembling. “But he’s inside my mark. I can feel him watching.”

Kael’s expression hardened. “Then we’ll burn the curse out of you if we have to.”

I shook my head quickly. “No. If we destroy it, we destroy the bond — and that could kill both of us.”

He froze. “Both?”

“The Blood Luna connects us all. Me… you… and him. If one of us dies, the others—”

“—feel it,” he finished grimly.

I nodded. “That’s why he didn’t kill you. He can’t.”

Kael’s voice dropped low. “Then we find another way to end this. Together.”

But deep inside, I knew this was more than a curse.

Something older than blood had awakened between the three of us — something that wanted balance, and would tear us apart to get it.

As Kael pulled me into his arms, the mark flared again. And this time, I heard Rylan’s whisper like a promise in the dark:

“The Blood Luna always takes what it’s owed.”