CHAPTER8
1247 Words
The sun broke gently over the royal estate, casting long golden beams through the high windows of Amelia’s chamber. She lay still beneath soft satin sheets, the warmth of the morning light brushing her cheeks. For a moment, she didn’t move afraid the calm in her chest might vanish if she did.
Was this what peace felt like?
She blinked up at the ceiling, eyes wide and still full of wonder. Not so long ago, she had been waking on a hay-stuffed mat in a cold corner of the Silverbird Pack’s servant quarters. Now, she lay wrapped in comfort, in a bed larger than her childhood room. The palace was quiet. Not with fear but with dignity, with respect.
Her fingers brushed the pillow beside her. Ryder had left early, but she could still feel his presence lingering in the room. His scent. His warmth. His promise.
She smiled for the first time in what felt like years.
Last night had been unlike any other. Ryder had walked beside her through the moonlit palace gardens, holding her hand like she was something precious. They had not spoken much, but every glance, every step between them had said enough. She wasn’t a rejected omega anymore. She wasn’t invisible.
She was his mate.
And maybe, just maybe… she was starting to believe she was more than what the world told her she could be.
A knock came at the door soft, but confident.
Amelia sat up quickly, brushing loose silver strands behind her ears. “Yes?”
The door opened slowly, revealing a woman dressed in muted green robes. She had graying hair pulled into a neat twist, sharp eyes, and a calm, composed aura that made Amelia instantly sit straighter.
“I’m Mira,” the woman said, walking in with a covered tray. “Advisor to the Alpha King. And healer.”
“Healer?” Amelia echoed, confused. “I’m not sick.”
“No, you’re not,” Mira said, placing the tray on the small table beside the window. “But you’re… awakening.”
Amelia’s brow furrowed. “What do you mean?”
“You’ve bonded with not one, but two Alphas. That’s not coincidence, child. It’s calling. Destiny, perhaps. Either way, your blood isn’t ordinary. There’s more inside you than you know.”
Amelia stood slowly, walking to the tray and lifting the lid. A warm breakfast awaited steamed eggs, honey-drizzled bread, fruit slices arranged like rose petals. But what caught her eye was a small silver vial beside the plate.
“What is that?” she asked.
“Moonroot,” Mira said. “A sacred elixir. It awakens ancient bloodlines. Ryder requested it personally for you. He believes you need to begin training.”
Amelia stared at the vial, heart pounding. “Training for what?”
“For control,” Mira said gently. “Control of the power stirring inside you.”
Her stomach twisted. “I don’t know if I want power.”
“You don’t have to,” Mira replied. “But you will need to defend yourself. Especially now.”
Before Amelia could answer, the door opened again this time without a knock.
Ryder.
Dressed in his dark ceremonial armor, he filled the doorway like a shadow at sunrise commanding but calm. His eyes went straight to Amelia.
“She doesn’t need pressure this early,” he said to Mira. “She needs time.”
“She needs guidance,” Mira replied. “Which she’ll get. When she’s ready.”
Ryder’s gaze returned to Amelia. Softer now. Concerned.
“I thought you’d still be sleeping,” he said.
“I almost didn’t wake up,” Amelia murmured.
His mouth twitched in a smile. “Then I’m glad I came.”
Mira gathered her things and bowed. “I’ll return this evening.”
As the door closed behind her, Ryder crossed the room and reached for Amelia’s hand.
“I wanted today to be yours,” he said. “No training. No politics. Just peace.”
She looked up at him. “And maybe a walk through the gardens again?”
He nodded. “And breakfast on the cliffs. I had something prepared.”
Amelia’s heart fluttered. “Are you always this thoughtful?”
“No,” he said plainly. “Just with you.”
By midday, the palace grounds had transformed into something out of a dream. Amelia laughed for the first time in years as Ryder showed her the hawthorn paths where the royal wolves used to race under the moon. He told her about his boyhood mischief, how he once broke the eastern tower window trying to escape a banquet.
She couldn’t picture it Ryder, reckless and laughing. But she loved hearing him tell it.
They sat by the fountain as servants brought pastries and warmed cider. When Ryder reached across the table and tucked a loose strand of her silver hair behind her ear, she blushed.
“I like it when you smile,” he said.
“I don’t remember how,” she admitted.
“You’re learning,” he said. “And I’ll be here while you do.”
That evening, the palace buzzed with soft music. The banquet hall was full, but peaceful. Nobles whispered, laughed, and toasted with goblets of honey-wine. Amelia walked in beside Ryder in a new gown, midnight blue with silver-threaded moons stitched across the waist.
Heads turned. But not with scorn.
She belonged here now. And the world was starting to see it.
Halfway through the meal, Ryder leaned closer and whispered in her ear, “After this, I want to show you the archives.”
“The archives?”
“There’s something I think you should see. About your bloodline.”
But before she could ask what he meant...
BOOM.
The hall doors slammed open.
The music stopped. The nobles froze.
A man stood in the entrance, hooded and cloaked in dirt and ash. Blood streaked one arm. He leaned heavily on the frame as if he’d traveled through fire.
Ryder stood instantly. “Guards”
But then Amelia squinted.
The man pushed back his hood.
Her breath caught.
Jayden.
His face was nearly unrecognizable sunken eyes, dirt-smeared cheeks, a long scar now etched across his jawline. His once-perfect golden hair was tangled and matted.
But it was him.
The boy who’d shattered her in the ballroom.
Now… he looked shattered himself.
“I need to speak to the King,” Jayden rasped.
A guard stepped forward. “You have no”
“Let him speak,” Ryder ordered, though his voice was like ice.
Jayden stumbled forward, nearly collapsing at the steps of the dais.
He looked up, not at Ryder.
At Amelia.
His eyes filled with something strange.
Not regret.
Terror.
“You were right to take her,” Jayden said, his voice cracking. “She’s not just an omega. She’s the only one who can stop it.”
Ryder stiffened. “Stop what?”
Jayden swallowed hard. “The shadow. It’s spreading. Through the bloodlines. The packs. Something is… poisoning the wolves. Turning them mad. It’s not about power anymore.”
He turned fully toward Amelia, and the room fell into silence.
“They’re coming,” he whispered. “For her.”
Amelia’s breath hitched. Her skin went cold.
“What are you talking about?” Ryder demanded.
Jayden met his father’s eyes.
“They call her the Blood Moon Vessel. They want her alive. But not for long.
- Writer
