Chapter 3: The Boy and thr Blade
1201 Words
The courtyard had returned to normal.
Laughter drifted through the halls, boots stomped snow from stone steps, and the Alpha’s wolves vanished into the frostbitten woods to begin the ceremonial hunt. But Aralyn felt none of it. Her thoughts burned louder than the winter winds.
Kael Draven had looked her in the eyes. He hadn’t seen the truth,but he’d felt something. And in the world of wolves, that was enough to mark her.
Worse, Ronan had stepped between them. Publicly. Boldly. Now he wasn’t just a distraction. He was a liability. Or… a shield. Aralyn didn’t know which.
She hurried through the servant halls, the hidden letter still tucked tightly beneath her shift. Every shadow whispered risk. Every glance felt like it lingered too long.
She found a quiet storeroom and ducked inside. Cold shelves lined with herbs and wrapped venison. No one else. She let out the breath she’d held since Kael’s order.
The door creaked.
She turned, tense,but it was Ronan.
“You shouldn’t be here,” she said.
He closed the door behind him, not in anger but urgency. “I just saved your life.”
“You almost got yourself killed doing it.”
“You think I care?” His voice rose. “You were seconds from being exposed.”
Aralyn stepped back. Not from fear, but to create space for him and herself.
“You shouldn’t have drawn attention,” she said. “It complicates things.”
Ronan narrowed his eyes. “Then maybe you should explain what things you're trying to do. You keep dodging. Hiding. Pretending. I risked everything just now. Don’t I at least deserve the truth?”
Aralyn looked away. The fire in his eyes was too close to something she remembered,her brother, before the flames took him. Fierce, idealistic, a little reckless.
“I didn’t ask you to get involved,” she said quietly.
“But I am involved now,” he replied. “And we both know there’s more going on than what you’re letting on. That letter ,what’s in it?”
She hesitated. Then, against every instinct she’d cultivated over years of survival, she pulled the parchment from her cloak and handed it to him.
He read in silence.
When he finished, he looked up. “He was after something. Some… artifacts?”
“Yes,” she said. “Something ancient. Powerful. My family kept it hidden for generations.”
“And Kael thinks it’s still out there.”
“It is.”
His brow furrowed. “Then what’s your plan?”
“Find it before he does,” she said. “And destroy him with it.”
Ronan flinched at the venom in her tone.
“Destroy him?” he asked.
“You saw what he did to my family,what he’s done to villages, bloodlines, anyone who threatens his control. You think he’ll stop with me?”
Ronan didn’t answer. But the silence between them said enough.
Finally, he sighed. “Whatever it is you’re planning… let me help.”
Aralyn looked at him for a long moment.
“You’re the Alpha’s son,” she said. “Do you know what that makes you?”
He nodded. “A target.”
“No,” she said. “It makes you my enemy.”
But even as she said it, her voice faltered.
Because she didn’t believe it.
Not entirely.
Later that night,
The ceremonial hunt ended with celebration. Fires burned high in the main hall. Meat sizzled, wine flowed, and songs filled the rafters. But Aralyn stayed silent, moving like a ghost between shadows. She was no longer invisible,not after what happened in the courtyard.
Eyes followed her now. Some with suspicion. Others with curiosity.
Thorne and Idris ,Kael's twin enforcers, leaned against a column, watching her closely. They had never liked the presence of a rescued village girl in the keep. Now their distrust had sharpened into attention. Ronan stood near the hearth, flanked by nobles and lieutenants. His eyes met hers briefly. Just once. No nod. No smile. But the message was clear:
You’re not alone.
Aralyn slipped into the servants’ tunnel, heading for the lower chambers. She needed to think. To breathe. She traced the edges of the letter in her palm again, whispering her father’s words in her mind.
“…Until the blood moon rises…”
That phrase meant something. It wasn’t just poetic. The Blood Moon was a real event,rare, sacred, tied to the shifting of power in werewolf lore. And it was coming soon. She’d heard whispers in the keep: the moon would rise red in three weeks.
Three weeks until Kael would strike again. Or awaken whatever he believed the artifact could unlock.
She needed to move faster.
She turned a corner,then froze.
Idris stood at the end of the corridor, arms folded.
Behind her, Thorne blocked the exit.
“Well, well,” Idris said with a grin. “Where’s the little prince now?”
“I’m just delivering wine,” she said calmly, holding up a tray.
Thorne stepped closer. “You’re not very good at hiding your lies.”
“We’re very good at smelling fear,” Idris added.
Aralyn kept her breathing even. Her hand inched toward the hidden knife in her boot. Thorne smirked. “Don’t bother. You won’t reach it before we do.”
Then came the voice she least expected.
“She’s with me.”
Ronan.
He stepped out of the shadows like a blade drawn from a sheath. His posture was calm, but his eyes warned of war.
Thorne’s smile faded. “Didn’t realize she was under your protection, my lord.”
“She is,” Ronan said. “Which means if you touch her again, I’ll make sure your next shift is your last.”
The tension snapped like a pulled wire. The twins exchanged a look, then backed off slowly.
When they were gone, Aralyn turned to Ronan.
“I didn’t ask for your help.”
“You keep saying that,” he replied. “But you keep needing it.”
She hated how right he was.
That night, in the library
They sat by candlelight, maps and scrolls spread before them. Ronan had stolen access to Kael’s personal lore,charts of the old territories, clan histories, records of the Blood Moon rituals.
Aralyn traced a finger along one map. “Here,” she said. “This mark. It’s from the Virel bloodline. My bloodline.”
Ronan leaned in. “There’s nothing there now.”
“Maybe not. But centuries ago, that valley was sacred ground. My ancestors used it for rituals. If the artifact was hidden anywhere,it would be there.”
“How far is it?”
“Three days ride.”
He hesitated. “If we go, we’ll be leaving the safety of the keep. My father will notice.”
“Then we don’t let him.”
Ronan looked up. “You really want to kill him, don’t you?”
Aralyn’s gaze darkened.
“No,” she said. “I want to make him *afraid*.”
For a moment, Ronan said nothing.
Then he reached across the table and slid the map toward himself.
“Then let’s start planning.”
- Writer
