Chapter 7 Blood Under the Moon
1366 Words
The western tower smelled like death.
Cold wind howled through the castle corridors as Alpha Kael Draven stormed through Shadow Fang Castle with lethal silence surrounding him.
Beside him, Lyra Nightbane struggled to keep up.
The further they walked, the colder the air became.
Something felt wrong.
just dangerous.
Ancient.
Like the castle itself was holding its breath.
Behind them, Damon and several armed warriors followed cautiously through the dim hallway.
Nobody spoke.
Because everyone could feel it.
The tension.
The fear.
The growing power radiating from Lyra’s crescent moon mark.
It pulsed softly beneath her collarbone with every step.
Alive.
Watching.
Lyra wrapped Kael’s coat tighter around herself.
“Who died?” she whispered quietly.
Damon glanced toward Kael before answering.
“One of the castle servants.”
Fear twisted inside her chest.
“Why would someone carve the Moonborn symbol into his body?”
No one answered immediately.
Lightning flashed through the narrow windows.
Then Kael finally spoke.
“Because someone wants us afraid.”
His silver eyes darkened.
“Or someone is sending a warning.”
The hallway ended at a massive iron door guarded by two Shadow Fang warriors.
Both looked pale.
Nervous.
The moment Kael approached, they immediately lowered their heads.
“Alpha.”
Kael’s expression remained cold.
“Open it.”
The giant doors creaked slowly open.
And the smell hit instantly.
Blood.
Lyra nearly gagged.
The chamber beyond was drenched in darkness except for several flickering candles placed around the room.
At the center—
A body hung chained against the wall.
Blood covered the stone floor beneath him.
Deep claw marks tore across his chest.
And carved directly into his skin…
Was the crescent moon symbol.
Lyra froze completely.
Her stomach twisted violently.
“Oh my God…”
The servant’s eyes remained open in terror.
Like he died screaming.
Damon stepped beside the body carefully.
“No signs of forced entry.”
Kael scanned the room sharply.
“No witnesses?”
“None.”
Lightning flashed again.
And for one brief second—
Lyra thought she saw movement behind the far corner of the room.
A shadow.
Watching.
She inhaled sharply.
Kael noticed instantly.
“What?”
Lyra stared toward the darkness.
“There was someone there.”
Every warrior immediately turned toward the corner.
But nothing remained.
Only shadows.
Kael stepped protectively in front of her automatically.
Mine.
The possessive instinct hit him harder every hour now.
His wolf had become dangerously attached to her.
Especially after sensing her fear.
Lyra looked down at the dead servant again.
Then suddenly—
Pain exploded through her chest.
She gasped sharply.
The crescent mark burned violently beneath her skin.
Silver light burst across her collarbone.
Kael grabbed her instantly.
“Lyra.”
Her vision blurred.
The room spun violently.
And suddenly—
She wasn’t inside the western tower anymore.
She stood beneath a blood-red moon.
Fire burned across the sky.
Screams echoed everywhere.
Wolves fought in massive fields drenched in blood.
Bodies covered the ground.
And standing at the center of the battlefield—
Was a woman.
Tall.
Powerful.
Silver eyes glowing like moonlight.
Long black hair whipped violently in the wind while silver energy crackled around her hands.
The same crescent moon mark glowed on her chest.
Lyra’s breath caught.
The woman turned slowly toward her.
And smiled sadly.
“My daughter.”
Lyra froze.
“M-Mother?”
The woman stepped closer.
But before Lyra could reach her—
A massive roar shook the battlefield.
Everything shattered instantly.
Lyra screamed as the vision disappeared.
She collapsed against Kael’s chest breathing hard.
The room returned around her slowly.
Damon stared at her in shock.
“What happened?”
Lyra’s voice trembled.
“I saw her.”
Kael’s body stiffened slightly.
“Who?”
“My mother.”
Silence swallowed the room.
Even the warriors looked disturbed now.
Kael tightened his grip on her carefully.
“What did she say?”
Lyra looked terrified.
“She called me her daughter.”
The room became deathly quiet.
Then suddenly—
A warrior near the doorway shouted.
“Movement outside!”
Everyone turned instantly.
A black arrow flew through the broken window at impossible speed.
Straight toward Lyra.
Kael reacted instantly.
He pulled her down while the arrow slammed into the wall behind them.
BOOM.
The entire chamber exploded.
Stone shattered.
Flames erupted violently through the room.
Warriors screamed.
The blast threw Lyra across the floor.
Pain shot through her body as smoke filled the air.
“Lyra!”
Kael’s roar shook the tower.
Chaos exploded instantly.
Another arrow flew through the window.
Then another.
Rogues.
Kael shifted partially as claws burst from his hands.
“Protect her!”
The Shadow Fang warriors rushed forward immediately.
Through the smoke, dark figures climbed through the shattered windows snarling viciously.
Rogue wolves.
At least fifteen.
Lyra’s heart pounded violently.
The rogues looked different from normal wolves.
More savage.
Eyes glowing unnaturally red.
One rogue spotted her instantly.
“There she is!”
Another snarled excitedly.
“The heir!”
Fear slammed into Lyra’s chest.
Heir?
The rogues rushed toward her.
Kael tore through the first attacker violently, slamming him into the stone wall hard enough to crack it.
Blood splattered everywhere.
But more rogues poured into the room.
Too many.
Damon shifted fully beside the doorway, massive claws ripping through another rogue’s throat.
The western tower became a battlefield instantly.
Screams.
Blood.
Growls.
Death.
Lyra stumbled backward desperately while flames spread across the room.
A rogue lunged toward her suddenly.
Massive claws aimed directly for her throat.
Lyra froze.
Too slow.
Too terrified.
Then suddenly—
Everything inside her snapped.
Silver light exploded from her body.
The rogue screamed.
His body froze midair before violently twisting backward.
CRACK.
Every bone inside him shattered instantly.
The entire room stopped.
Lyra stared in horror.
The rogue collapsed lifelessly at her feet.
She hadn’t touched him.
Another rogue charged toward her.
The silver energy struck again automatically.
This time stronger.
The rogue’s chest exploded inward violently.
Blood sprayed across the walls.
Silence consumed the battlefield.
Even the rogues looked terrified now.
Lyra stared down at her glowing hands trembling violently.
“No…”
The silver light spread further across her skin.
Alive.
Powerful.
Beautiful.
Dangerous.
Kael watched her carefully while blood dripped from his claws.
His wolf wasn’t afraid.
Not even slightly.
Pride surged through him instead.
Mine.
One surviving rogue slowly stepped backward.
Fear flooded his face.
“It’s true…”
His voice shook.
“The Moonborn bloodline lives.”
Then his expression twisted into terror.
“She’s becoming the Hybrid Queen.”
Before anyone could stop him—
The rogue pulled a dagger across his own throat.
Blood sprayed across the floor.
Dead silence followed.
Smoke drifted through the ruined tower while flames crackled around them.
And at the center of it all stood Lyra.
Glowing silver beneath the blood moon visible outside the shattered windows.
Terrified of herself.
Kael slowly walked toward her.
The surviving warriors immediately moved aside.
Nobody wanted to stand near her now.
Not after what they saw.
Lyra looked at Kael desperately.
“I didn’t mean to—”
“You defended yourself.”
“I killed them.”
Kael stopped directly in front of her.
“Yes.”
His honesty hurt.
Tears filled her eyes instantly.
“There’s something wrong with me.”
Kael stared at her glowing hands.
Then gently wrapped his fingers around them anyway.
The silver energy immediately calmed beneath his touch.
The mate bond pulsed violently.
And for the first time since the attack began…
Lyra’s fear eased slightly.
Kael lifted her chin carefully.
“There is nothing weak about you.”
Lightning flashed behind him.
His silver eyes burned intensely now.
“But there is something very dangerous.”
Suddenly—
The castle alarms began ringing.
Loud.
Violent.
Urgent.
Damon looked toward the windows sharply.
Then his face paled.
“Alpha…”
Kael’s expression hardened.
“What now?”
Damon swallowed once.
“The northern gates just opened.”
Fear spread instantly through the room.
Because nobody had touched the gates.
And slowly…
Very slowly…
A terrifying female laugh echoed through the castle walls.
- Writer
