SOLD TO THE RUTHLESS ALPHA

They came for her

SHE HAS AWAKENED.

The words were still glowing on the wooden door.

Silver.

Cold.

Alive.

I stared at them, unable to breathe.

No one moved.

No one spoke.

Even the air inside the archive seemed to have stopped.

Then the horn sounded again.

Once.

Twice.

Three times.

The northern border.

Something was happening.

Something big.

Rowan was the first to move.

"We need to go."

Kael didn't answer.

His eyes remained fixed on the words carved into the door.

"Kael."

Nothing.

"Kael!"

He finally looked at Rowan.

"How long?"

"Ten minutes, maybe less."

"How many?"

"At least fifty wolves that we can see."

Kael's jaw tightened.

"And the rest?"

"We don't know."

I stood slowly.

My legs were shaking.

"They came for me."

Everyone looked at me.

I swallowed.

"Didn't they?"

Rowan's expression softened.

"Aria—"

"They called my name."

My voice broke.

"They weren't asking for the Mooncrest heir."

I looked at Lucien.

"They were asking for me."

Lucien's face was unreadable.

Kael walked toward me.

"You're staying here."

I stared at him.

"What?"

"You're staying in this room."

"No."

"Aria."

"You don't get to lock me away again."

"I'm not asking."

His voice was firm.

The Alpha in him had returned.

The one who expected obedience.

The one who could make an entire room fall silent with a single look.

But I wasn't the frightened girl who had entered Blackwood territory days ago.

Not anymore.

"No."

Kael's eyes narrowed.

"Excuse me?"

"I said no."

Rowan slowly looked away.

I could practically hear him thinking that he wanted no part in this argument.

Kael stepped closer.

"You have no idea what's outside those walls."

"And you do?"

"Yes."

"Then tell me."

Silence.

"Exactly."

I stepped closer too.

"You keep saying you're protecting me, but every time something happens, you hide the truth."

His expression hardened.

"Because knowing everything won't protect you."

"Maybe not."

I looked him directly in the eyes.

"But being completely ignorant won't either."

Something flickered across his face.

I saw it.

He knew I was right.

He hated that I was right.

"You are staying here."

"No."

"Aria."

"No."

He lowered his voice.

"Don't make me force you."

My heart skipped.

Not from fear.

Something else.

Something I didn't want to name.

I stepped even closer.

"Would you?"

Kael went completely still.

Our faces were inches apart.

His eyes dropped briefly to my lips.

Then back to my eyes.

Neither of us moved.

My heartbeat became painfully loud.

For one dangerous second, I forgot there were enemies outside.

Forgot Lucien was watching.

Forgot the entire world seemed to be falling apart.

There was only Kael.

And the way he was looking at me.

His hand lifted slowly.

His fingers brushed against my cheek.

"Don't make me choose between protecting you and respecting what you want."

His voice was barely a whisper.

I swallowed.

"And what if I don't want you to choose?"

His eyes darkened.

Before either of us could say anything else—

A loud explosion shook the building.

I jumped.

Kael immediately stepped in front of me.

The archive walls trembled.

Dust fell from the ceiling.

Rowan drew his sword.

"They've breached the outer wall."

Kael's entire expression changed.

The softness disappeared.

The Alpha returned.

"Get the warriors to the northern gate."

Rowan nodded.

"What about Aria?"

Kael looked at me.

"She comes with me."

I blinked.

"But you just—"

"Plans change."

He grabbed my hand.

His fingers wrapped tightly around mine.

"Stay beside me."

We ran.

The corridors were chaos.

Wolves rushed past us.

Some carried weapons.

Others carried injured warriors.

The sound of fighting echoed through the pack house.

Growls.

Screams.

Metal striking metal.

I had never heard anything like it.

Kael never released my hand.

Not once.

We reached the main hall.

A warrior stumbled through the doors.

Blood covered his face.

"Alpha!"

Kael caught him before he fell.

"What happened?"

"The northern gate..."

The warrior coughed.

"They're inside."

Kael's eyes turned black.

"How many?"

"Too many."

He collapsed.

Kael gently lowered him to the ground.

Then he looked at Rowan.

"Get everyone to the underground tunnels."

Rowan nodded.

"What about you?"

"I'm stopping them."

Rowan looked at me.

"And her?"

Kael didn't answer.

I did.

"I'm staying."

Rowan sighed.

"Of course you are."

Kael looked at me.

"You don't have to prove anything."

"I'm not."

I looked toward the doors.

"I'm tired of running."

His eyes softened.

Then a terrifying roar shook the building.

The windows rattled.

Every wolf in the hall froze.

I felt something inside me respond.

A pulse.

Deep inside my chest.

Silver light flickered beneath my skin.

I gasped.

Kael noticed immediately.

"What is it?"

"I don't know."

The roar came again.

Closer.

My body reacted before my mind did.

I turned toward the northern entrance.

"It's there."

Kael frowned.

"What?"

I didn't know how to explain it.

"I can feel them."

"How?"

"I don't know."

I closed my eyes.

The sounds around me faded.

The warriors.

The fighting.

The shouting.

Everything disappeared.

Except one heartbeat.

Far away.

Heavy.

Slow.

Powerful.

My eyes opened.

"They're coming this way."

Kael's expression changed.

"Who?"

I whispered,

"The one leading them."

Lucien appeared behind us.

His face had gone pale.

"No."

I looked at him.

"You know him."

It wasn't a question.

Lucien stared toward the doors.

"Everyone knows him."

Kael's voice became dangerously quiet.

"Name."

Lucien didn't answer.

Kael grabbed his collar.

"Name!"

Lucien finally looked at him.

"Varek."

The name seemed to change the air around us.

Rowan's face went white.

"Varek is dead."

Lucien shook his head.

"So was I."

Kael released him.

I looked between them.

"Who is Varek?"

Neither answered.

"Who is he?"

Kael looked at me.

"Someone who should never have found you."

A scream came from outside.

Then another.

The doors shook.

Something hit them from the other side.

Once.

Twice.

The third strike cracked the wood.

Kael pulled me behind him.

"Stay back."

The doors exploded inward.

Wolves poured into the hall.

Dozens.

Their eyes were glowing red.

They attacked immediately.

Kael shifted.

The transformation was almost too fast to follow.

One second he was standing beside me.

The next—

A massive black wolf stood where he had been.

He launched himself into the first attacker.

The wolf went flying.

Chaos erupted.

I stumbled backward.

Lucien grabbed my arm.

"Stay close."

I pulled away.

"I can protect myself."

"You don't know how."

"Neither do you."

His eyes narrowed.

Before he could respond, a warrior lunged at us.

Lucien shifted.

His wolf was silver.

Beautiful.

Terrifying.

He tore into the attacking wolf and sent him crashing into the wall.

I froze.

For the first time, I saw what my father could do.

He wasn't just powerful.

He was terrifying.

A wolf rushed toward me.

I backed away.

There was nowhere to go.

The wolf snarled.

I raised my hands.

"Stay away."

It lunged.

I screamed.

Silver light exploded from my body.

The wolf was thrown backward.

It hit the wall so hard that the stone cracked.

Everyone stopped.

Even Kael.

I stared at my hands.

They were glowing.

Not faintly.

Brightly.

Silver light covered my arms.

The attacking wolves began to back away.

One whispered,

"The heir."

Another shook his head.

"No."

His eyes widened.

"Not the heir."

I heard him.

My blood went cold.

"What did he mean?"

No one answered.

Then a slow clap echoed through the hall.

Everyone turned.

A man stood in the doorway.

Tall.

Broad shoulders.

Dark hair.

His eyes were almost completely black.

There was a long scar running from his left eyebrow down to his cheek.

He smiled.

Not warmly.

Hungrily.

"Beautiful."

Kael stepped in front of me.

The stranger's eyes moved to him.

"Kael."

Kael growled.

"Varek."

My stomach dropped.

This was him.

The man everyone believed was dead.

Varek smiled.

"I see you've been taking good care of her."

Kael's voice was deadly.

"You won't touch her."

Varek laughed.

"You still don't understand."

His eyes moved past Kael.

Straight to me.

"I didn't come here to touch her."

He took one step forward.

"I came to wake her."

A strange sensation spread through my body.

My silver light intensified.

Varek smiled wider.

"Yes."

He looked almost pleased.

"She can hear it."

"Hear what?" I asked.

He tilted his head.

"The blood."

I felt dizzy.

Kael moved closer to me.

"Don't listen to him."

Varek laughed.

"Still lying to her."

Kael's expression changed.

"Enough."

Varek looked at me.

"Ask him."

I frowned.

"Ask him what?"

"Ask Kael why your mother was so desperate to hide you."

Kael's jaw tightened.

"Don't."

Varek continued.

"Ask him why Mooncrest wasn't destroyed the way you've been told."

My heart began pounding.

"Kael?"

He didn't answer.

Varek smiled.

"Ask him who opened the gates."

Silence.

I stared at Kael.

"Who opened the gates?"

Kael's eyes met mine.

For several seconds, he said nothing.

Then—

"I did."

The world stopped.

I couldn't breathe.

"What?"

Kael looked at me.

"I opened the gates."

Lucien's face hardened.

"You bastard."

Kael didn't look at him.

His eyes remained on mine.

"I was trying to get Selene out."

My head spun.

"You opened the gates?"

"Yes."

"Then you let them in?"

"No."

His voice broke.

"I opened them for her."

"Who?"

"Selene."

I shook my head.

"I don't understand."

Kael took a step toward me.

"I thought I was saving her."

"You thought?"

My voice cracked.

"What happened?"

Kael's face twisted with pain.

"I was wrong."

Varek laughed.

"Wrong?"

He stepped forward.

"You were deceived."

Kael's eyes flashed.

"Shut up."

"You opened the gates because you trusted someone."

Varek looked at me.

"And that person betrayed you."

I stared at Kael.

"Who?"

Kael didn't answer.

"Who betrayed you?"

His silence became unbearable.

Then Lucien spoke.

"It wasn't Kael."

I turned.

Lucien looked at me.

"He was manipulated."

"By who?"

Lucien's eyes moved toward Varek.

Varek's smile disappeared.

For the first time, he looked angry.

Lucien whispered,

"By the person who wanted Mooncrest destroyed from the beginning."

I looked at Varek.

He didn't move.

"Who?"

Lucien said,

"Her."

My blood ran cold.

He wasn't pointing at Varek.

He was pointing behind me.

I slowly turned.

There was no one there.

Only a broken wall.

And carved into the stone—

The same silver symbol from the archive.

But this time, there was something beneath it.

A name.

My name.

Except it wasn't written as Aria.

It was written in an ancient language.

Lucien stared at it.

His face drained of color.

Kael whispered,

"No."

I looked at both of them.

"What?"

Neither answered.

Then the silver letters changed.

They rearranged themselves.

And slowly formed words I could understand.

ARIA SELENE MOONCREST.

I stared.

My mother's name.

My name.

Mooncrest.

But then another line appeared beneath it.

My breath caught.

HEIR OF THE FIRST BLOOD.

Varek smiled.

And Kael looked terrified.

I turned toward him.

"What is the First Blood?"

He didn't answer.

"Kael."

Nothing.

"WHAT IS THE FIRST BLOOD?"

Varek stepped forward.

His voice was almost gentle.

"The bloodline that existed before the Mooncrest."

I looked at him.

He smiled.

"The bloodline that every ancient wolf has been taught to fear."

My heart pounded.

"Why?"

His eyes locked onto mine.

"Because the First Blood doesn't obey the prophecy."

He paused.

"It creates it."

The silver light beneath my skin exploded.

The floor cracked beneath my feet.

Every wolf in the room dropped to their knees.

And from somewhere deep inside me—

A voice whispered.

Not my mother's.

Not Varek's.

Not Kael's.

My own.

Wake up.

I screamed.

And everything went black.