Chapter 8
812 Words
The answering roar shook the mountain.
Not loud.
Deep.
Ancient.
The ground beneath Midnight’s feet trembled hard enough to crack stone across the courtyard.
Every wolf froze instantly.
Kael moved without hesitation.
One arm wrapped around Midnight’s waist, dragging her against his chest while his silver eyes scanned the estate sharply.
“Inside,” he ordered.
No one argued.
That terrified Midnight more than the roar itself.
The older wolf stepped backward slowly, face drained of color.
“It can’t be awake,” he muttered.
Kael’s expression darkened. “Explain.”
The older wolf’s gaze snapped toward Midnight again.
Specifically—
her chest.
Like he could see something buried beneath her skin.
“The seal,” he whispered. “If she’s here… then the seal is weakening.”
Midnight’s pulse quickened instantly.
“What seal?”
No one answered her.
Kael’s jaw tightened hard.
“Inside. Now.”
He practically dragged her through the massive front doors before anyone else could react.
The moment Midnight crossed the threshold—
every candle inside the estate extinguished simultaneously.
Darkness swallowed the entrance hall.
A collective growl ripped through the wolves around them.
Midnight jerked backward instinctively.
“I didn’t do that!”
But the shadows beneath the ceiling moved.
Not naturally.
Like they were reaching toward her.
Kael saw it too.
His arm tightened around her waist instantly.
“Enough.”
The alpha command in his voice thundered through the room.
The shadows recoiled.
Midnight stared.
“You can control them?”
“No,” Kael said grimly.
“They’re reacting to me,” she realized.
The older wolf looked horrified.
“They recognize her.”
That word again.
Recognize.
Like the darkness itself knew what she was.
Or who she belonged to.
A slow clap echoed through the dark hallway above.
Everyone went still.
Kael’s entire body tensed against hers.
A man emerged from the shadows on the second-floor landing.
Tall.
Beautiful in a cruel way.
Dark hair. Golden eyes. Expensive black clothes.
But his scent—
wrong.
Not wolf.
Not human.
Something in between.
His gaze landed on Midnight and pure fascination crossed his face.
“Well,” he murmured softly. “That explains the earthquakes.”
Kael’s growl shook the room.
“Lucien.”
Ah.
Not a friend.
The male—Lucien Vale—smiled lazily while descending the staircase.
Every wolf watched him carefully.
Warily.
Midnight instantly understood why.
Lucien moved like danger disguised as charm.
His golden eyes remained fixed on her the entire time.
“That,” he said slowly, “is definitely demon blood.”
Midnight stiffened.
Kael stepped slightly in front of her.
Protective.
Possessive.
Lucien noticed immediately.
His smile widened.
“Oh this is bad,” he said, sounding entertained. “You bonded to it.”
“It has a name,” Kael said coldly.
Lucien finally looked at him.
“And she has wings.”
Silence.
Midnight’s stomach dropped.
“You saw that?”
“Hard to miss shadow wings exploding out of a hybrid in the middle of town.”
Lucien stopped a few feet away.
Still staring at her.
Not fearfully.
Curiously.
Like she was a weapon he wanted to dissect.
Midnight hated it instantly.
The demon inside her did not.
Interesting.
Lucien tilted his head slightly.
“She smells stronger already.”
Kael’s voice dropped lower.
“Careful.”
Lucien laughed softly.
“Oh, relax. If I wanted to hurt her, you’d already be bleeding.”
Every wolf in the room tensed.
Kael looked one second away from violence.
Midnight touched his arm before thinking.
Instant mistake.
The mate bond surged violently.
Kael’s eyes flashed silver.
His hand locked around hers immediately.
Lucien went silent.
Then slowly—
“Wow.”
Midnight blinked. “What?”
Lucien looked genuinely shocked now.
“That bond is… aggressive.”
Kael looked murderous.
“Leave.”
Lucien ignored him completely.
His attention stayed on Midnight.
“Do you feel that?” he asked softly.
Midnight swallowed hard.
Unfortunately yes.
The second she touched Kael—
warmth exploded through her chest
her wolf calmed
the demon quieted
It felt dangerous.
Addictive.
Safe.
Which was insane because Kael Draven should never feel safe.
Lucien’s expression sharpened.
“That’s not normal.”
Kael went still.
The room shifted instantly.
Midnight noticed.
“So what does that mean?”
No one answered quickly enough.
Which was the answer.
Lucien’s amusement vanished completely.
“Oh,” he said quietly.
“That’s very bad.”
Kael stepped fully in front of her now.
“What do you know?”
Lucien’s golden eyes flicked between them carefully.
Then finally—
“She’s not stabilizing through the mate bond.”
Midnight’s chest tightened.
“What does that mean?”
Lucien looked directly at her.
“It means the bond isn’t calming the demon.”
His expression darkened.
“It’s feeding it.”
- Writer
