A Promise Written In Blood
787 Words
The golden eyes disappeared.
Aria jerked awake with a sharp breath.
Her chest rose and fell rapidly as she stared at the unfamiliar ceiling above her. Sunlight filtered through floor-to-ceiling windows draped in dark velvet curtains, casting long shadows across a spacious bedroom.
She wasn’t in the Moonlight Pack anymore.
The scent of pine and sandalwood lingered in the air.
She sat up too quickly, and a dull ache spread through her body.
“You should rest.”
The deep voice startled her.
Kael was standing near the window, dressed in a black shirt with the sleeves rolled to his forearms. Without his armor, he looked less like a king and more like an ordinary man—if an ordinary man could command a room without saying a word.
“How long was I asleep?” Aria asked.
“Two days.”
Her eyes widened.
“Two days?”
“The awakening drained your strength.”
She looked down at her wrist.
The crescent-shaped birthmark had changed.
Thin silver lines now spread from it like delicate vines before fading beneath her skin.
“What happened to me?”
Kael walked over and sat across from her.
“You awakened a part of your bloodline.”
“You keep saying that, but no one will tell me what it means.”
He was silent for a moment.
Then he answered honestly.
“Because we don’t know everything.”
That surprised her.
“I thought kings were supposed to have all the answers.”
A faint smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
“I wish that were true.”
The smile disappeared as quickly as it came.
“What I do know is this…”
His expression grew serious.
“Your awakening has been seen across every werewolf kingdom.”
Aria’s heart sank.
“So everyone knows?”
“Not everyone.”
He paused.
“But the people who matter do.”
Before she could ask another question, someone knocked on the door.
A young knight stepped inside and bowed.
“Your Majesty.”
Kael nodded.
“What is it?”
“The council has gathered.”
The knight hesitated before continuing.
“And… Alpha Damon is here.”
Aria froze.
“What?”
“He arrived this morning.”
Kael’s face hardened.
“Why?”
“He says he wishes to speak with Lady Aria.”
Silence settled over the room.
Aria looked away.
She wasn’t ready to see Damon.
Not after everything that had happened.
Kael noticed the uncertainty in her eyes.
“You don’t have to meet him.”
“I know.”
“But if I keep running away…”
She took a deep breath.
“…I’ll never truly move on.”
Kael studied her for a long moment.
Then he stood and offered her his hand.
“Very well.”
She placed her hand in his.
His grip was warm.
Steady.
For reasons she couldn’t explain, it calmed her racing heart.
Together, they walked through the grand corridors of the Lycan Palace.
Unlike the Moonlight Pack, no one looked at Aria with pity or contempt.
Servants bowed respectfully.
Knights stepped aside.
Even the palace staff greeted her with quiet smiles.
It felt…
Strange.
She wasn’t invisible here.
The council chamber doors opened.
Inside stood more than twenty royal advisers.
Among them…
Alpha Damon.
He turned the moment she entered.
For several seconds, neither of them spoke.
Aria barely recognized him.
The confident Alpha who had rejected her only days ago looked exhausted.
Dark circles shadowed his eyes.
His uniform was stained with dust from the journey.
He took one hesitant step toward her.
“Aria…”
She waited.
“I’m sorry.”
The words echoed through the chamber.
Every adviser exchanged surprised glances.
Damon lowered his head.
“I was wrong.”
Aria searched his face.
She wanted to feel satisfaction.
She wanted to feel anger.
Instead…
She felt nothing.
The silence between them lasted so long that Damon finally looked up.
“I came to ask for another chance.”
Before Aria could answer—
Kael stepped forward.
His voice was calm.
“But you aren’t the only one asking.”
Damon frowned.
“What do you mean?”
Kael looked directly into Aria’s eyes.
“In accordance with Lycan law…”
He dropped to one knee.
The entire council gasped.
Their king…
Kneeling?
Kael ignored their shock.
He never looked away from Aria.
“Aria Nightshade…”
His voice was steady.
“…I ask for the chance to earn your trust.”
The room fell silent.
A king had just knelt before the woman another man had rejected.
And for the first time…
Damon understood exactly what he had lost.
- Writer
