Chapter 2: The Call of Blood
782 Words
Aeloria accidentally crosses into the Hidden Realm during a supernatural event. There, she encounters werewolves who sense her power but cannot identify it. Some bow to her instinctively; others fear her.
She learns of the ancient prophecy:
“When the Golden Blood walks among mortals, the lost Alpha shall rise, and the Moon shall choose her heir.”
As her sealed abilities awaken, her blood begins to glow gold under moonlight. The truth is revealed—she is the last surviving heir of the Golden Blood Pack, the legendary Alpha reborn.
**Chapter Two: The Scent of the Forgotten**
Aeloria woke to the sound of her grandmother calling her name.
“Aeloria! Moonchild, where did you go?”
Her eyes snapped open.
She lay in her bed, sunlight streaming through the thin curtains, dust dancing in the warm air. For a moment, she wondered if the night had been nothing more than a dream—too vivid, too strange to be real.
Until she sat up.
Her senses exploded.
Every sound felt sharper. She could hear the ticking of the clock in the kitchen, the flutter of birds outside the window, even the soft hum of the wind brushing the trees at the edge of town. Her heart pounded, steady and strong, as if it had always known this rhythm.
A dream doesn’t do this, she thought.
Her grandmother appeared in the doorway, relief washing over her weathered face. “You vanished last night. I feared the forest took you.”
“I… I don’t remember coming home,” Aeloria admitted.
Her grandmother’s eyes lingered on her, searching—knowing. “Some paths bring us back changed,” she murmured. “Eat. You’ll need your strength today.”
The words sent a chill down Aeloria’s spine.
By noon, Everwyn felt wrong.
People watched her as she walked through town—some with curiosity, others with unease. Aeloria caught whispers that vanished when she turned. Even the dogs tied outside shops whined softly as she passed, tails tucked low.
At the old bookshop where she worked, the bell above the door chimed, sharp and metallic. The scent hit her instantly.
Smoke. Blood. Pine.
She staggered back, gripping the counter.
“You alright?” asked Mr. Halden, the shopkeeper.
“Yes,” she lied. “Just dizzy.”
But the smell wouldn’t fade.
It led her to the back shelves, to a book she had never noticed before. Its cover was worn, carved with symbols that made her pulse race. When she touched it, warmth spread through her palm.
The title glimmered faintly:
Legends of the Moonbound
Her breath caught.
She flipped through the pages, eyes racing over words that felt… familiar.
"The Golden Blood line was believed lost when the Alpha’s heir vanished beyond the veil. Their return will be marked by a white guardian and a moon that refuses to set."
Her hands trembled.
The bell chimed again.
Aeloria smelled him before she saw him.
He stood tall near the entrance, dark-haired and sharp-eyed, his presence filling the room like a storm held in check. His gaze locked onto hers instantly—predatory, intense.
Recognition flashed across his face.
Fear.
Wonder.
Hunger.
“So,” he said slowly, voice low and dangerous, “the legend breathes.”
Mr. Halden blinked. “Can I help you, sir?”
The man didn’t look away from Aeloria. “No,” he replied. “I found what I came for.”
Her pulse roared in her ears. “I don’t know you.”
A faint smile touched his lips. “Not yet.”
The lights flickered.
Glass rattled on shelves as something unseen pressed against the edges of the town. The man inhaled deeply, eyes darkening.
“You shouldn’t be here,” he said. “Others will come.”
“Others?” Aeloria whispered.
“Packs that do not kneel,” he answered. “They will hunt you.”
Her blood burned.
“I don’t belong to them,” she said, surprising herself with the strength in her voice.
The man’s smile faded, replaced by something close to reverence.
“That,” he said softly, “is exactly why they fear you.”
Outside, a distant howl split the air.
Not one.
Many.
The man stepped closer, lowering his voice. “If you wish to live, Golden Blood, you must leave the mortal realm tonight.”
Aeloria swallowed hard.
“What if I don’t believe you?”
His eyes flashed silver.
“Then the moon will teach you.”
Beyond Everwyn, deep in the hidden forests, ancient wolves lifted their heads as the wind carried her scent.
The lost heir had awakened.
And the hunt had begun.
- Writer
