CHAPTER FOUR
1078 Words
The moment the ritual ended, I collapsed into Lucien’s arms.
Not from weakness—but from the weight of the power now tethered to me. It pulsed under my skin like wildfire, igniting every nerve, every buried instinct. I wasn’t just me anymore. I could feel him—not just beside me, but inside me—his presence brushing against my thoughts like a whisper in the dark.
Lucien’s arms held me gently. I expected coldness, dominance, maybe even pride. But what I felt was… care.
His voice was low. “It’s done.”
I opened my mouth, but my throat was dry, and my body trembled.
He scooped me up without a word and carried me through a door I hadn’t noticed before. The hallway beyond was darker, older. The walls were thick stone, and the air smelled of herbs and steel. It felt ancient… hidden.
“This place…” I murmured.
“It’s the old wing. Not many know about it. I wanted you to rest somewhere safe.”
I hesitated. “You mean away from your pack?”
Lucien’s jaw tensed. “There are those who won’t be happy about the bond.”
“Because I’m not a full-blooded wolf?”
“No. Because you’re something they can’t control.” He opened a heavy wooden door and stepped into a quiet room. It was warm, simple, lit by soft candlelight. A wide bed sat beneath the window. No cameras. No guards. Just silence.
He placed me gently on the bed. I sank into it with a quiet breath.
Lucien turned to leave.
“Wait,” I whispered.
He paused in the doorway.
My voice trembled. “What happens now?”
He looked at me, his golden eyes unreadable. “Now… the city will know you're mine. The other Alphas will feel it. The Crimson Vires won’t be able to touch you without starting a war.”
“And Kai?”
“I keep my word, Aria.” He hesitated, then added, “Tomorrow, I’ll take you to someone who may know where he was last seen.”
I nodded. “Thank you.”
Lucien didn’t smile, but something in his expression softened. Then he disappeared into the shadows, closing the door behind him.
I dreamt of wolves.
Not just any wolves—white-eyed creatures running through burning forests. I was one of them. My fur was black as midnight, my paws soaked in blood. Lucien ran beside me, his wolf massive, his eyes burning like coals.
A name echoed through the trees.
Selene.
I didn’t know if it was mine… or someone else’s.
I woke just before dawn, drenched in sweat, the bond between Lucien and me pulsing faintly in the back of my mind like a second heartbeat.
By midmorning, Luma returned with clothes—leather pants, a fitted gray sweater, and boots. “He’s waiting for you,” she said softly.
I dressed quickly, tying my hair into a quick braid.
Lucien was downstairs in the war room—an enormous chamber filled with maps, weapons, and holographic city scans. He stood beside a tall, scarred man with a mechanical eye. The man turned when I entered, and his stare made my skin crawl.
“Alpha, is this her?” the man asked.
Lucien nodded. “Aria, meet Viktor. He used to work for the Blood Wolves. He owes me a favor.”
Viktor gave me a crooked grin. “I’ve seen your brother.”
My breath hitched. “Where?”
“East dockyard. About two months back. He was working as a messenger—looked nervous, always glancing over his shoulder.”
“What happened to him?”
Viktor scratched his chin. “Rumor is, he got grabbed. But not by us. Not by any pack or mafia. By something else.”
“Something else?”
Lucien’s voice hardened. “Say it.”
“The Frostborne,” Viktor said. “A rogue coven. Witch-kin. They traffic magical bloodlines.”
My stomach twisted. “They took him?”
“We don’t know for sure,” Viktor replied. “But their mark showed up at the site. They’re known for targeting wolves with rare blood—ones they can break… and sell.”
My knees almost buckled. Lucien reached for me, steadying me.
“Where are they?”
“They move often. Last I heard, they were seen near Black Hollow.”
“That’s six hours from here,” Lucien muttered. “Rogue territory.”
“I’ll go,” I said. “Tonight.”
Lucien’s eyes glinted. “You’re not going alone.”
“I don’t need protection—”
He growled. Low, quiet—but enough to shut me up.
“You are mine now,” he said. “That means you don’t walk into death without me. If you go, I go.”
I wanted to argue. But truthfully—I didn’t want to go without him either.
By nightfall, we were on the road.
Lucien drove a matte-black SUV through the winding forest roads. His jaw was tight, one hand on the wheel, the other resting on the hilt of a blade. I sat beside him, the bond between us flickering like a low flame.
The silence between us stretched.
“You don’t talk much,” I said finally.
He glanced at me. “Neither do you.”
I smirked. “Touché.”
A pause.
Then he asked, “You ever shifted?”
“No,” I admitted. “Never fully.”
“You will. Soon.”
I looked at him. “What if I don’t want to?”
He didn’t answer right away. Then he said, “You’re already changing, Aria. You just don’t feel it yet. But when the time comes… your wolf will rise.”
“And if it doesn’t?”
He looked at me again. “It will.”
The certainty in his voice made my heart skip.
We reached the outskirts of Black Hollow past midnight.
The land was cold and silent. Fog coiled across the ground like a warning. Lucien parked and stepped out first, sniffing the air. I followed, nerves buzzing.
“Stay close,” he said, his eyes glowing faintly.
We moved through the forest—silent shadows.
Then—voices. Chanting.
Magic.
Lucien yanked me behind a crumbling stone wall. In the clearing below, witches stood in a circle. And in the center—bloodied, shackled, and weak—
Was Kai.
Alive.
- Writer
