Chapter 6: Blood on the Ridge
537 Words
The alarm bells had not stopped ringing.
Ember stood at the edge of the southern wall, her breath catching as she stared into the trees. Crimson Hollow was waking up—wolves pouring out of buildings, warriors sprinting into formation, the scent of fear and fury sharp in the morning air. The triplets flanked her, each one in battle form. Asher was already halfway shifted, his eyes glowing gold. Aiden was directing guards with calm precision. Axel stood at her side, a wall of strength and silence.
“They’re testing our defenses,” Axel muttered, his gaze fixed on the treeline. “This isn’t a full assault.”
“They’re watching us,” Aiden added. “Measuring what she can do.”
“They’ll find out soon enough,” Ember said, her voice harder than she expected.
Within the hour, the first rogue scouts broke from the forest—lean, fast, twisted by dark magic. Ember stood her ground. Asher led the charge, a blur of teeth and claws. Aiden called out formations, drawing energy into a protective dome around the inner circle. Axel stayed with Ember, keeping her focused.
“You don’t fight unless you have to,” he said. “But if they reach the inner ring, you unleash everything.”
Ember’s heart pounded. Her wolf was pacing. Her bloodline—the Hawthorne bloodline—was no longer dormant. She could feel the magic building, hot and coiled beneath her skin. When the first rogue crossed into the ward line, something inside her snapped.
With a shout, Ember raised her hands. The moonstone pendant around her neck flashed, and a surge of power erupted from her palms, forming a barrier of white-blue flame that burned across the field. The rogue screamed, crumbling to ash before it could breach the courtyard.
Silence fell.
Even the triplets paused.
“Damn,” Asher breathed. “She’s... something else.”
From the trees, more rogues surged forward—but this time, the pack was ready. Warriors met them at the ward line, steel and claw clashing with feral shrieks. Ember held the flame wall steady, sweat dripping from her brow as Aiden channeled energy into her from behind.
“Breathe through it,” he said. “Don’t let it burn you from the inside.”
It felt like fire and ice tearing through her veins, but Ember focused. She locked eyes with the rogues beyond, and she didn’t flinch. She was done hiding.
She was the Luna now—and the bloodline would not fall.
Not today.
Not ever.
As the sun began to rise behind them, Ember collapsed to her knees, the magic draining from her limbs. Axel caught her before she hit the ground, lifting her into his arms.
“She held it longer than any of us could,” Aiden said, breathless.
Asher knelt beside her, brushing damp hair from her face. “You scared the hell out of me.”
Ember managed a weak smile. “You should see the other guy.”
They carried her inside as the remaining rogues scattered. But this was no victory. It was a warning shot.
Ronan was coming.
And now he knew exactly who stood in his way.
- Writer
