Chapter Three: The Blood Within
902 Words
Eira slammed the door shut.
Her breath tore in and out of her lungs in ragged gasps, heart thudding so loudly she could barely hear her own thoughts. Her back pressed against the wooden frame, palms trembling, fingers still curled where they’d clutched the door.
What had just happened?
That man—Kael—had spoken as if he knew her. As if he knew something about her that even she didn’t. Something impossible.
"You’re not just connected to the wild… you are it."
His voice echoed inside her, low and certain. And terrifying.
Her hand flew to the charm at her neck again. It still pulsed faintly, responding to something unseen, something... deep within her. For years, it had been nothing more than a sentimental piece from her grandmother—a keepsake, a memory.
Now it felt like a lock about to snap open.
She backed away from the door, tripping over a stool, knocking a jar of dried herbs to the ground. The glass shattered, and the scent of crushed mint and valerian root filled the air.
It did nothing to soothe her.
Kael Thorne. Alpha. Pack.
Werewolves.
No—she didn’t even want to say the word, not even in her thoughts. But it had hovered there all the same, thick and heavy like smoke. He hadn’t said it directly, but she could see it in his eyes, in the way he moved—too fluid, too sure, too… predatory.
And worse than the fear was the feeling that he hadn’t lied. That part of her already knew what he said was true.
That night, sleep did not come easily.
Eira tossed and turned beneath her furs, eyes fluttering open every time the wind scraped the windows. Her skin itched. Her muscles twitched. Her blood burned.
And then, like clockwork, the dreams returned.
She ran again—bare feet this time, not paws. Moonlight carved silver streaks into the forest, and behind her, something followed. Not hunting her, no. Guarding her. Shadowing her.
The dream shifted.
She stood by a lake beneath a full moon, its reflection flickering across the water. And across from her stood Kael, half in shadow, his chest bare, his eyes glowing with that same golden fire. But there was no fear between them this time. No confusion.
Just heat.
And longing.
He stepped into the water, and without words, she moved to meet him.
But just before they touched, the silver flame from the first dream rose again—spiraling between them, growing higher and higher until it engulfed the world in blinding light.
Eira woke with a scream caught in her throat.
Morning came like a blade across her nerves.
She tried to go about her routine as normal—brewing teas, tending to her herb stocks—but every movement felt disconnected from her body. She spilled water from the kettle. Burned her fingers on a hot iron. The scent of chamomile made her nauseous.
She needed answers.
Not just from Kael—but from someone who had always danced too carefully around the truth.
She grabbed her cloak and left her cottage, heading straight toward the edge of the village, where an old stone house sat surrounded by twisted rosebushes.
Mira. The village herbalist. Her grandmother’s closest friend—and one of the only people left who might know what the Shadowglow name truly meant.
Mira didn’t seem surprised to see her.
“You’ve come earlier than I expected,” the old woman said with a dry smile as she opened the door, motioning her in. “The wind said you would.”
Eira stepped into the warm, herb-scented room. “Did you know he was coming? That man?”
Mira poured tea without asking. “I didn’t know his name. But I knew someone would come looking for you. The signs have been here for months. The fireflies circling your house at dusk. The animals lingering where they shouldn’t. The charm glowing brighter each day.”
Eira clenched her hands. “He said I’m not human. That I’m—”
“A daughter of the old blood,” Mira interrupted softly. “Just like your grandmother.”
“What does that mean?”
Mira turned to her, eyes dark and ancient. “You carry the blood of the Moonborne.”
Eira stared at her. “That’s just a story.”
“It’s a truth buried in story. And you’re waking now, child. You’ve always felt different, haven’t you? The instincts. The dreams. The way your senses sharpen in the cold. You thought it was oddity. But it was your birthright.”
“And Kael Thorne?”
“He is the key to your awakening. The Alpha isn’t drawn to just anyone. He was called to you by the bond.”
Eira’s voice dropped. “You mean like… a mating bond?”
Mira nodded slowly. “Yes. A bond older than language. One that cannot be faked or forged. You were born to find each other. But fate doesn’t promise peace—it only offers a path. What you do with it is your choice.”
Eira stood in stunned silence.
There was no denying it anymore. The world she thought she knew was cracking at the edges, and something wild was bleeding through the cracks.
She wasn’t just healing others now.
She was about to be reborn.
- Writer
