Beneath The Blood Moon
751 Words
Chapter 9
Lena sat on a rock by the riverbank, her fingers trembling as they hovered over the glowing mark on her wrist. The air smelled of scorched earth and wet moss—lingering remnants of their escape from the Hollow Fang ambush.
She hadn’t spoken in hours. Not since she’d unleashed that burst of magic and watched a creature explode midair.
She didn’t know if it terrified her more… or thrilled her.
Kael stood a few feet away, shirtless and bruised, speaking quietly with Eira. His voice was tight with distrust, and his gaze flicked to Lena often—as if checking to make sure she hadn’t vanished. Or maybe checking to see if she still felt like his.
Did she still want to be?
She couldn’t forget the way his eyes looked when he saw her wield that power. A strange mix of awe… and fear.
“You feel it too, don’t you?” Eira asked suddenly, kneeling beside Lena.
“The power?” Lena asked.
“No. The storm. Brewing inside you.”
Lena swallowed hard. “I don’t know how to control it.”
“You weren’t meant to control it. You were meant to become it.”
Kael broke away from his conversation and approached. “We’re moving. The moon’s rising fast—and the Blood Moon is almost here.”
Eira’s expression tightened. “She shouldn’t be outside when it hits.”
Kael frowned. “We don’t have time to find shelter.”
“What happens during the Blood Moon?” Lena asked, glancing between them.
Kael hesitated. “It’s the night when bonds… shift. Strengthen. Or break.”
Eira added, “It’s also when curses awaken.”
Lena’s heart stuttered. “My curse?”
Kael looked away. “We don’t know for sure.”
“I do,” Eira said softly. “Your wolf will try to claim him. If your souls align, you’ll become more powerful than any Alpha-Luna bond in generations. But if you reject it—”
Lena stood. “What happens?”
Eira’s eyes softened. “It will break him. And you’ll lose part of yourself too.”
Lena turned to Kael. “And you? Do you want this bond to complete?”
He looked at her, jaw tense. “I want you. Bond or not.”
A deep howl echoed through the trees.
Not from Kael.
Not from their pack.
The Hollow Fang weren’t done.
“We have to move,” Kael said, grabbing Lena’s hand.
They ran through the forest, the red moon rising overhead, casting a crimson glow across the treetops. The air shimmered with energy—wild, ancient, uncontrollable.
Lena felt her wolf pacing beneath her skin, restless and powerful.
They reached a clearing just as the moon reached its peak. The moment it touched the sky’s center, Lena dropped to her knees, gasping.
Pain shot through her veins like fire. Her mark blazed so brightly it lit up the night.
Kael was at her side in seconds. “Lena!”
“I—I can’t—”
She screamed as her eyes flashed silver, her wolf clawing its way forward—not just to shift—but to bind.
Kael wrapped his arms around her. “Let it come. I’m right here.”
Their foreheads touched. The world went silent.
Then Lena saw it—a flash of Kael’s memories.
His childhood. His first shift. The moment he heard the prophecy. The guilt of believing he might have to kill his own mate.
And then… her. The way he saw her. The way he feared her… and the way he wanted her.
The bond clicked into place.
It wasn’t violent.
It was warmth.
Steady. Pulsing. Real.
Kael gasped and fell to his knees, clutching his chest. “The bond—it's…”
“Alive,” Lena whispered. “It's not a curse.”
But before they could even catch their breath, a dark howl split the night.
Dozens of crimson-eyed wolves spilled into the clearing.
The Hollow Fang had arrived.
Kael pushed Lena behind him, shifting in a blink.
Eira appeared beside her, blade drawn, eyes glowing.
Lena felt her wolf rise again—this time, not from pain or confusion.
From purpose.
She stepped forward, stood between Kael and the enemy, and raised her hand.
The mark on her wrist pulsed in rhythm with the moon.
The wind rose.
The light exploded.
And for the first time in her life… Lena was not afraid.
- Writer
