CHAPTER 9
1120 Words
Amelia awoke with Ryder’s arms wrapped around her, the warm hush of morning sunlight spilling across the bed. For a rare moment, there was peace real, unbroken peace. No voices in her head, no racing heart, no memories chasing her from sleep. Just his breath against her neck, steady and grounding.
She turned gently in his embrace, her fingers brushing along his jaw.
“You’re staring,” Ryder murmured without opening his eyes.
“Because you’re peaceful when you sleep. It’s like all the weight of the pack disappears,” she whispered.
He smiled, pulling her closer. “You are the peace, Amelia. You brought it back.”
She leaned in, letting her lips rest against his, slow and lingering. The kiss deepened, his fingers tracing patterns down her spine. Everything else melted. No past. No threats. Just them.
Eventually, they emerged from bed, laughter following them as they moved through the chambers, teasing each other like old lovers. Amelia wore one of Ryder’s shirts, oversized and soft, as they shared breakfast in bed berries, toast, and honeyed tea.
But as they laughed, a knock sounded at the door.
It was Kellan, the Beta, his face tense.
“Alpha, Luna… we have a visitor. It’s urgent.”
Ryder’s smile faded. “Who?”
Kellan hesitated. “Jayden. He’s demanding an audience. Says it's a matter of survival.”
The name hit like ice water.
Amelia’s smile vanished.
Ryder stood immediately, his jaw tight. “Bring him to the council room. And double the guards.”
Minutes later, Amelia followed Ryder into the chamber. Jayden stood in the center, his presence commanding as always, but this time his arrogance was replaced by something unfamiliar fear.
“Three northern packs are gone,” he began without a preamble. “Not overrun. Not attacked. Gone. Houses empty. Fields untouched. No signs of battle.”
The Alphas in the room stirred uncomfortably.
“What are you suggesting?” Ryder asked.
Jayden’s eyes landed on Amelia before he spoke again. “There’s an ancient gate. One we were told never to touch. Someone found it. They opened it.”
A heavy silence settled like smoke.
“Opened what?” Ryder’s voice was deadly calm.
Jayden looked directly at Amelia. “A rift. Between our world and something older. Something darker. The creature I saw in the ruins , it wasn't like anything I've faced before.”
“You expect us to believe you?” another Alpha growled.
Jayden held up his arm, showing a fresh wound. The skin around it pulsed faintly as if something beneath writhed. “I barely escaped. This was from a shadow I couldn’t touch.”
Ryder’s fists clenched, but he didn’t speak.
Amelia stepped forward. “Why come to us?”
Jayden’s voice dropped. “Because they’re coming for me. And for her.”
Gasps echoed in the room. Ryder moved in front of Amelia instinctively.
“Don’t,” Jayden said, raising a hand. “I’m not here to hurt her. I came to warn you.”
“Then start talking,” Ryder growled.
Jayden’s face twisted in pain. “The bloodlines. There’s something about her blood, Ryder. It’s not just royal. It’s ancient. That’s what the creatures are drawn to.”
The room fell silent.
Amelia’s knees weakened, and Ryder caught her before she fell.
“My blood?” she whispered.
Jayden nodded. “They can smell it. It’s like… a key.”
Kellan stepped forward. “If this is true, we’ll need all Alphas united. We’ll need magic, not just claws.”
Jayden nodded. “I know. Which is why I’m not leaving.”
Ryder’s glare darkened. “You’re not staying near her either.”
“I’m not here to replace you, Ryder,” Jayden said quietly. “Just to fight beside you.”
There was tension in the air, but neither man moved.
Later that evening, after the council dispersed, Ryder stood on the balcony, watching the sun dip below the forest. Amelia joined him silently.
He didn’t look at her as he said, “You didn’t tell me about your bloodline.”
“I didn’t know,” she said honestly. “Jayden and I were never told much about our parents. Only that they died in war. I didn’t know I was… anything more than a mistake.”
“You’re not a mistake,” Ryder said firmly. “And I don’t care what your blood means. I chose you. Not your history.”
She smiled softly. “Still… what if I’m the reason these monsters are coming?”
“Then they’ll have to go through me first.”
They stood in silence. Together. As the wind carried the scent of smoke from torches lighting the perimeter.
Amelia turned to him. “Do you believe Jayden?”
“I believe something is coming,” Ryder said. “And I believe we’re not ready.”
Amelia’s hand found his. “Then let’s get ready.”
He kissed her forehead. “Tomorrow, we start training the packs. No one is safe until this ends.”
That night, Amelia couldn't sleep.
Her dreams were filled with shadows slithering shapes whispering her name. She saw a great door surrounded by ancient stones, pulsing with blood. And behind it, something laughed.
When she woke, she was drenched in sweat.
She rushed to the war room. Ryder and Kellan were already there, maps spread out, strategies drawn.
“I had a dream,” she said breathlessly. “There’s a gate. A real one. It’s marked by a crescent moon and three daggers. It’s underground.”
Ryder’s eyes snapped to hers. “That symbol was on Jayden’s map.”
“Then we’re running out of time,” she whispered.
Just then, an alarm blared.
Kellan’s voice boomed. “South wall. Breach.”
Ryder was already moving, shifting mid-stride into his wolf. Amelia ran behind him, heart pounding.
When they reached the courtyard, chaos had broken loose.
But it wasn’t rogues.
It was something else.
Dark figures, cloaked in shadow, moved unnaturally. Their eyes glowed like embers. And when they attacked, it was like being struck by ice and fire at once.
Amelia ducked behind a pillar, then remembered her dream. She raised her hand, repeating the phrase she heard whispered in her sleep.
“Lir’atha’vael.”
One of the creatures froze mid-lunge.
She stared in disbelief.
Ryder noticed and lunged to protect her. “What did you say?”
“I don’t know,” she breathed. “It just came.”
The creature roared, breaking from the spell, and leapt toward her again.
Jayden appeared, slicing through its throat with a silver blade.
“Next time,” he said, panting, “speak sooner.”
- Writer
