Chapter 4: The Moon Sacrifice
373 Words
Outside the barn, the night held its breath.
Riley and Mara stood pressed against the cracked window, their silhouettes barely visible in the cold wash of moonlight. Inside, shadows twisted and moved—wolves circling, bodies shifting, something ancient awakening.
Mara’s fingers trembled against the wood.
“This is wrong,” she whispered.
Riley didn’t answer.
His gaze was fixed on the scene inside, unblinking, calculating.
Within the barn, chaos simmered just beneath control.
Arden stepped forward, placing himself between Lara and the pack, his blue eyes blazing with fury.
“Stop this, Kadir!” he roared. “Don’t do it!”
Kadir didn’t even flinch.
A slow, mocking smile spread across his face. “Too late, Arden. The Aetheri curse ends tonight.”
The pack stirred at his words, low growls rising like a storm gathering strength.
Arden’s chest heaved. “You don’t understand what you’re unleashing.”
“Oh, I understand perfectly,” Kadir replied, his voice dropping. “Freedom.”
The word echoed through the barn—and with it, something darker.
The wolves turned.
Not toward Kadir.
Toward Arden.
A snarl tore from one of them, then another. In an instant, the pack surged, teeth bared, claws flashing.
Arden met them head-on.
He moved like a force of nature—fast, precise, relentless. Wolves lunged, and he tore through them, throwing bodies aside, his focus never leaving Lara.
“Don’t let him use you!” he shouted, his voice cutting through the chaos. “Don’t break the curse!”
But the moment fractured.
Kadir seized it.
With inhuman speed, he grabbed Lara’s arm and yanked her back, pulling her out of Arden’s reach.
“The blood must flow,” Kadir whispered near her ear.
Lara struggled, panic surging through her veins. “Let me go!”
But his grip tightened.
Behind them, a wolf slammed into Arden, driving him to the ground. Another pinned him, claws digging into his shoulders as he fought to break free.
“Lara!” Arden roared.
Kadir didn’t hesitate.
The blade flashed in the moonlight.
Pain exploded through Lara’s palm as the knife sliced deep. A sharp cry tore from her throat as blood welled instantly, warm and bright against the cold night air.
- Writer
