Chapter 6: The bond Awakens
1985 Words
The forest felt different that night.
Seraphina could feel it the moment she stepped outside her grandmother’s house. The air was colder, heavier, as if something unseen was pressing down on the world. The moon hung high above the trees, pale and watchful, its light spilling through the branches in thin silver beams.
She wrapped her arms around herself and stepped onto the wooden porch. Sleep had refused to come to her again. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw flashes of crimson light, heard echoes of voices, and felt that same strange pull in her chest.
The bond.
Kael’s words from earlier kept replaying in her mind.
You feel it too.
Seraphina exhaled slowly, trying to calm the restless energy buzzing under her skin. The power inside her hadn’t quieted since the training session earlier that day. If anything, it had grown stronger.
“Couldn’t sleep?”
The deep voice came from the shadows.
Seraphina jumped slightly before turning her head.
Kael Stormborn stepped out from between the trees, tall and imposing, his dark hair slightly tousled by the wind. His amber eyes glowed faintly in the moonlight, reflecting the wolf that lived beneath his skin.
“You really need to stop doing that,” Seraphina muttered, pressing a hand to her chest.
Kael smirked faintly. “Doing what?”
“Appearing out of nowhere like some forest ghost.”
“I wasn’t hiding.” His tone was calm. “You just didn’t notice me.”
Seraphina rolled her eyes, though a small smile tugged at her lips despite herself.
He walked closer, stopping a few feet away from the porch steps.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
The silence between them was thick, but not uncomfortable. It carried something deeper, something neither of them fully understood yet.
Finally, Seraphina broke it.
“You said earlier that we’re… bonded,” she said carefully.
Kael’s gaze softened.
“Yes.”
“And you expect me to just believe that?” she asked.
“I don’t expect anything,” he replied. “But the bond exists whether you believe it or not.”
Seraphina looked down at her hands.
That strange warmth in her chest pulsed again, almost like a heartbeat that didn’t belong to her.
She hated how real it felt.
“Why me?” she asked quietly.
Kael tilted his head slightly.
“The Moon Goddess chooses mates for wolves,” he explained. “It’s not something we control.”
Seraphina frowned.
“So you’re saying some magical moon decided we belong together?”
“When you say it like that, it sounds ridiculous,” he admitted with a small chuckle.
“But it’s true.”
Seraphina sighed.
“Great,” she muttered. “I wake up one day with dangerous witch powers, a vampire prince stalking me, and now apparently the moon has assigned me a werewolf boyfriend.”
Kael laughed softly.
The sound was surprisingly warm.
“You’re handling this better than most people would,” he said.
“Oh really?” she replied. “Because internally I’m screaming.”
Kael leaned against one of the porch posts, crossing his arms.
The moonlight highlighted the sharp lines of his face, and for a moment Seraphina found herself studying him more closely than she intended.
He was… handsome.
Dangerously so.
And the worst part?
That bond in her chest seemed to agree.
She quickly looked away.
Kael noticed but didn’t comment.
“You felt it earlier,” he said after a moment. “When your magic surged.”
Seraphina nodded slowly.
“It felt like fire under my skin.”
“That’s your power awakening.”
“And the bond?”
“That too.”
Seraphina frowned again.
“This is insane.”
Kael’s expression turned more serious.
“It’s also dangerous.”
She looked up at him.
“Because of Lucien?” she asked.
Kael’s jaw tightened slightly at the vampire’s name.
“Partly.”
“And the rest?”
Kael hesitated.
That alone made Seraphina nervous.
“What?” she pressed.
“Your power is ancient,” he said finally. “Older than most witches alive today.”
Seraphina blinked.
“How do you know that?”
“My pack has guarded this forest for centuries,” Kael explained. “We’ve heard the stories.”
“Stories about what?”
“The Blood Witch.”
A cold chill ran down Seraphina’s spine.
“You keep calling me that.”
“Because that’s what you are.”
Seraphina shook her head.
“No. I’m just Seraphina.”
Kael studied her quietly.
“You won’t be able to pretend that for long.”
Before Seraphina could respond to Kael, a sudden chill swept through the forest.
It wasn’t the normal cold of night.
This was different.
The air itself seemed to tighten, as if the trees were holding their breath.
Seraphina felt it instantly. The strange magic inside her stirred again, restless and alert. The warmth in her chest sharpened into something closer to warning.
Kael straightened.
His posture changed immediately—from relaxed to predatory.
“What is it?” Seraphina asked quietly.
Kael didn’t answer at first. His eyes scanned the dark tree line, every muscle in his body tense.
“We’re not alone,” he said finally.
Seraphina’s stomach dropped.
“Lucien again?” she whispered.
Kael shook his head slowly.
“No.”
That answer was somehow worse.
The wind moved through the branches, carrying a faint sound—like footsteps brushing against dry leaves.
Seraphina stepped off the porch without thinking, moving closer to Kael.
Instinct.
The moment she stood beside him, the warmth in her chest eased slightly.
Kael noticed.
His eyes flicked toward her briefly, and something unreadable crossed his expression.
Then the sound came again.
Closer this time.
A figure emerged slowly from the shadows between the trees.
Seraphina’s heart began to pound.
It was a woman.
Tall.
Dressed in dark clothing that seemed to blend into the forest itself. Long black hair fell down her back, and her pale face was almost ghostlike in the moonlight.
But it was her eyes that made Seraphina’s breath catch.
They glowed faintly purple.
Witch.
Kael’s voice dropped into a low warning growl.
“Stay behind me.”
Seraphina did not argue.
The woman stepped closer, her gaze fixed directly on Seraphina as if Kael wasn’t even there.
“So,” she said slowly, her voice smooth and cold, “the rumors were true.”
Seraphina frowned.
“What rumors?”
The woman smiled faintly.
“That the Blood Witch has finally awakened.”
Kael’s growl deepened.
“You shouldn’t be here, Morgathra.”
Seraphina’s head snapped toward him.
“You know her?”
Kael didn’t take his eyes off the witch.
“She’s dangerous.”
Morgathra laughed softly.
“Dangerous?” she echoed. “What a rude introduction.”
Her glowing eyes shifted back to Seraphina.
“I’ve been searching for you for a very long time.”
Seraphina felt a chill run down her spine.
“Why?”
Morgathra tilted her head.
“Because power like yours should not be wasted on ignorance.”
Kael stepped forward slightly, placing himself more firmly between them.
“She’s not going anywhere with you.”
Morgathra’s smile widened.
“Oh, Alpha,” she said softly. “You really think you can stop destiny?”
Seraphina’s magic pulsed again.
This time stronger.
It felt like something inside her was reacting to the witch’s presence—almost like recognition.
Morgathra noticed.
Her eyes brightened with excitement.
“Yes…” she whispered. “I can feel it.”
Seraphina swallowed nervously.
“Feel what?”
“The power in your blood.”
Kael’s voice turned sharp.
“That’s enough.”
But Morgathra ignored him.
“You don’t understand what you are yet, do you?” she said to Seraphina.
Seraphina lifted her chin slightly.
“I know enough.”
Morgathra chuckled.
“No, child. You don’t.”
She took another step closer.
Kael’s body tensed instantly.
“If you take one more step—”
“You’ll what?” Morgathra interrupted calmly.
For a moment the forest fell completely silent.
Then Seraphina felt it again.
The magic.
But this time it wasn’t just a pulse.
It was rising.
Like a tide building under her skin.
Her fingers began to glow faintly crimson.
Morgathra’s smile turned almost delighted.
“There it is.”
Seraphina’s breathing quickened.
“I didn’t mean to—”
“Don’t fight it,” Morgathra said softly. “Let it come.”
Kael turned sharply toward her.
“Seraphina, don’t listen to her.”
But the power kept rising.
The ground beneath their feet trembled slightly.
Leaves rustled violently around them.
Seraphina’s eyes widened.
“I can’t stop it!”
Morgathra’s voice dropped to a whisper.
“You don’t need to stop it.”
Suddenly the crimson energy burst outward.
A wave of power exploded from Seraphina’s body.
The force knocked Morgathra backward several feet, sending her crashing into a tree. Even Kael had to brace himself against the surge.
The forest shook.
Branches snapped.
The wind howled through the trees.
Then—
Silence.
Seraphina staggered.
Kael caught her before she could fall.
“Easy,” he said gently.
Her breathing was ragged.
“What… was that?”
Kael looked both impressed and concerned.
“Your power.”
Morgathra slowly stood again.
But now her expression had changed.
The amusement was gone.
In its place was something darker.
Something calculating.
“You see now?” she said quietly. “You are far more dangerous than you realize.”
Seraphina steadied herself, still leaning slightly against Kael.
“Why are you here?” she asked again.
Morgathra brushed dirt from her sleeve calmly.
“To offer you a choice.”
Kael’s eyes narrowed.
“You don’t get to offer her anything.”
Morgathra ignored him.
“You can spend years stumbling through your power,” she told Seraphina, “or you can learn from someone who actually understands what you are.”
Seraphina hesitated.
Her grandmother had warned her about rogue witches.
But part of her couldn’t ignore the truth in Morgathra’s words.
She didn’t understand her magic.
Morgathra saw the hesitation and smiled again.
“Think about it,” she said.
Then, before either of them could react—
She vanished.
The shadows swallowed her completely.
Seraphina blinked in shock.
“She just—”
“Yes,” Kael said.
“Great,” Seraphina muttered. “Now creepy witches can teleport too.”
Kael exhaled slowly.
“That wasn’t just any witch.”
“Clearly.”
“She’s been alive for centuries.”
Seraphina’s eyes widened.
“Centuries?”
Kael nodded grimly.
“And if she’s interested in you…”
He didn’t finish the sentence.
Seraphina felt the bond in her chest pulse again.
But this time it wasn’t warm.
It felt like a warning.
Kael looked down at her.
“You’re shaking.”
Seraphina hadn’t noticed until he said it.
“Tonight has been… a lot.”
Kael gave a quiet huff of agreement.
Then, surprisingly, he said something softer.
“You’re stronger than you think.”
Seraphina looked up at him.
“And if I’m not?”
Kael’s amber eyes held hers steadily.
“Then I’ll help you become stronger.”
The bond between them pulsed again.
This time it wasn’t frightening.
It felt… steady.
Seraphina didn’t know what the future held.
Vampires.
Rogue witches.
Ancient prophecies.
But one thing was becoming clear.
Her life was no longer simple.
And the deeper she stepped into this supernatural world—
The more dangerous it would become.
Far away, hidden within the deeper shadows of the forest, Morgathra watched silently.
Her glowing purple eyes gleamed with satisfaction.
“The Blood Witch,” she whispered to herself.
Then she smiled slowly.
“The game has finally begun.”
- Writer
