Scent of the Alpha

Chapter 9: SILVER FIRE IN THE FORGOTTEN CASTLE

The forest air that night was cold enough to pierce through bone, but in my veins, it felt as if molten copper was boiling. Kaelen took me deep into the heart of the forest, crossing the territorial boundaries that the castle servants usually never dared to tread. Under the canopy of massive trees that looked like sleeping giants, he tried to teach me one thing: how to survive as a Luna.

"Breathe, Aira. Don't let your emotions control the fire. You are a Silver-Blood. If you don't master it, this fire will consume you from the inside," Kaelen’s voice was low and calm, yet filled with the weight of authority.

I tried to follow his instructions, but every time I closed my eyes, the image of Eros hugging Sera returned. It triggered a sharp pain in my neck—the marking that now felt like an infected burn. "It’s hot, Kaelen... it’s too hot," I groaned, clutching his black cloak that was still draped over my shoulders.

Suddenly, Kaelen’s ears twitched. He went rigid, his silver eyes flashing sharply through the darkness of the distant bushes.

*Sring... Sring...*

The distinct sound of metal scraping. It wasn't ordinary iron; it was the hiss of silver, lethal to their kind. From behind the mist, I saw shadows of a group of young men. They moved in military formation, wearing light armor and carrying crossbows and longswords that glinted under the moonlight.

"Hunters," Kaelen hissed. His face turned deathly pale yet fierce.

Without wasting a second, Kaelen grabbed my waist. "Don't make a sound!" he ordered. He ran with a speed that was impossible for a human. The trees around me blurred into streaks. We went further in, climbing toward a steep cliff until an old building, nearly covered by massive tree roots, appeared before us.

It was a small castle, or more accurately, an ancient sanctuary that had been abandoned for centuries. Kaelen kicked open the fragile wooden door and brought me inside, immediately locking it with a heavy iron bar.

We both stood there gasping for air in the dusty, dark hall. The only light came from the moon shining through the cracks in the leaking roof.

"Who are they, Kaelen? Why are they carrying those terrifying weapons?" I asked, my breath ragged. Sweat soaked my forehead and back.

"The Order of Hunters," Kaelen answered, peeking through a small window slit. "Humans who dedicate their lives to exterminating our kind. They are professionals, Aira. And they are very lethal."

"But... aren't you guys powerful? Isn't this the Alpha’s territory?" I asked in confusion. "How could hunters get this far without being detected by the border guards?"

Kaelen turned, looking at me with a gaze full of bitterness. "Eros was too busy listening to Silas’s whispers and nursing a faking Sera. He diverted most of the best warriors just to guard the west wing of the castle for Sera’s comfort, leaving a gap in the northern border wide open. His stupidity has invited death to our doorstep."

At the mention of Eros’s name, the mark on my neck suddenly throbbed wildly. The heat I had been trying to hold back exploded. I fell to my knees on the cold stone floor, but the floor didn't feel cold at all against my skin. It felt like I was being burned alive.

"Aira! What’s wrong?" Kaelen immediately rushed to me, but he hesitated to touch me.

"Kaelen... help... this heat..." I moaned, tears streaming down my cheeks. "This mark... it feels like it’s going to explode. My body is rejecting it!"

That was the truth. My soul, my silver blood, was rejecting the claim of an Alpha whose soul was divided. The silver blood in my veins reacted to Eros’s marking as if it were a poison that had to be expelled. This transition made my body a battlefield between the ancient Silver-Blood power and Eros’s Alpha dominance.

"I need... I need you, Kaelen," I reached for his hand, pulling his large fingers to touch my neck.

Kaelen pulled his hand back quickly, as if he had just been burned by fire. "I can't, Aira! I’m not your Alpha. If I touch that marking with my Sigma energy, it will destroy your bond with Eros, but it will also torture you!"

"Let it break! I’d rather die than carry the mark of a man who insulted me!" I screamed through my tears. I crawled toward him, clutching his black shirt desperately. "Kaelen, please... you're the only one who can cool this fire. Touch me... make the pain go away..."

Kaelen’s silver eyes wavered. I could see the intense war within his soul. He was a man loyal to tradition, but his suppressed love of hundreds of years for Elena—who was now inside me—had brought down all his walls.

"Aira... if I do this, there is no going back," he whispered hoarsely.

"I don't want to go back," I answered firmly, though my voice was trembling.

Kaelen took a deep breath, and then, with a slow but steady motion, he pulled me into his arms. As his cool skin touched my neck, I moaned—not from pain, but from an overwhelming sense of relief. Kaelen’s Sigma energy, cold as ice, began to creep in, fighting against Eros’s burning fire.

He guided me toward an old daybed still covered in velvet in the corner of the room. Kaelen laid me down there and hovered over me gently, trying to stabilize the energy shock in my body with his weight.

"Forgive me, Aira. This will feel very intense," he whispered right against my lips.

Kaelen lowered his head, his tongue slowly touching the marking on my neck. Instantly, I gave a small cry. It felt like a bolt of electricity shooting straight to my heart. I felt Kaelen’s power beginning to erode Eros’s mark. Slowly, the golden aura surrounding my neck began to fade, replaced by a pure silver glow.

In the dust and silence of that old castle, the atmosphere turned incredibly heated, but this time it wasn't from pain. A long-suppressed romantic tension between us finally exploded. Kaelen’s hands began to explore the curves of my body, offering a touch that was far more mature and worshipful than Eros’s.

Every inch of skin he touched felt like cool water poured in the middle of a desert. I pulled at the back of his neck, forcing his lips to meet mine. The kiss wasn't like Eros’s demanding dominance; Kaelen’s kiss was filled with deep longing, as if he had been waiting for this moment for a thousand years.

"You’re mine, Aira... always mine," Kaelen whispered between our deepening kisses.

Under the moonlight streaming through the roof, Kaelen began to unbutton his shirt, revealing his broad chest decorated with heroic scars from the past. He kissed every inch of my skin with deep respect, as if I were his sacred altar.

The heat in my body transformed into a burning passion. We united on that old daybed, accompanied by the sound of the forest wind whistling outside. In that isolated room, there was no Eros, no Sera, no pack responsibilities. There were only two souls finally finding their way back to each other after a long tragedy.

Kaelen used his energy to heal the wounds in my soul, while I gave the warmth of my silver blood to revive his heart that had long been frozen. This union wasn't just physical; it was a ritual of purification. I could feel Eros’s Alpha mark on my neck slowly crumbling into invisible dust, leaving my skin clean once more, yet holding a great secret beneath it.

We both gasped in each other’s embrace when it was over. Kaelen held me tight, wrapping us in his large black cloak. The scent of sandalwood and wet forest from him made me feel truly safe for the first time since stepping into this world.

"Eros will feel it," I whispered softly, leaning my head against his chest which was still heaving. "He’ll know his marking has faded."

Kaelen kissed my forehead for a long time. "Let him know. Let him realize that he has lost the most precious jewel because of his own stupidity. Now you are under my protection, Aira. And I won't let any hunter or that Alpha touch you again."

Outside, the footsteps of the hunters began to fade, but I knew this was only the beginning of a larger storm. But looking into Kaelen’s silver eyes full of love, I knew that I was ready to face anything—not as Eros’s chosen Luna, but as a Queen who had risen beside her true protector.