Chapter 5: Flames, Fangs, and Fate
The forest was alive with whispers.
The rustle of trees, the distant cries of ravens, and the crunch of Ethan's boots on the frostbitten ground all melted into a steady hum that echoed the chaos inside his mind.
He couldn't sit still.
Not after what Eli told him.
Not after the soul-mark flared again that morning, brighter and hotter than before, the veins around it glowing faintly red like magma under skin.
And not after he felt her.
Ava.
He couldn't explain it—couldn't rationalize it—but he felt her presence near the edge of town. Her scent was nowhere in the air, and there was no sound or trail. Just… a pull. A gravity that tugged at his chest.
He didn't tell Eli. He didn't tell anyone.
This was something he needed to face alone.
---
It was nearly dusk when he reached the ruins on the outskirts of Blackridge—the half-collapsed church with its steeple broken and stained glass shattered across the weeds like fallen stars.
The pull was strongest here.
He stepped through the doorway, dust kicking up around his feet. Shadows loomed large in the crumbling space. Wind whistled through cracks in the stone.
And then he heard it.
A breath.
Soft. Controlled.
Not his.
She was here.
"You followed the pull," came her voice—steady, unshaken.
Ethan turned slowly. Ava stood at the far end of the church, half-shrouded in shadow, a cloak draped over her shoulders like a veil of night. Her eyes glowed faintly violet in the dim light.
Ethan's heart raced.
"You knew this would happen," he said quietly.
She tilted her head. "I knew you'd come."
He stepped forward, closing the space between them with cautious footsteps. "What are you?"
She let out a breath—not quite a sigh, not quite a warning.
"The better question is, what are we?"
Ethan stopped inches from her, heat pouring off his body, the bond between them buzzing like electricity under the surface of the world.
"I don't know," he whispered. "But this mark—"
He held up his arm. The rune pulsed, brighter now that she stood near him.
Ava raised her own hand, pulled back her sleeve—and revealed an identical mark glowing red on her wrist.
"I've had it since the day your father died."
Ethan blinked. "You…?"
Ava nodded. "The soul-mark didn't just appear. It awoke. Which means we're not just connected. We've always been."
Ethan staggered back a step, his thoughts spiraling.
"I don't understand. Why me? Why now?"
Ava looked toward the broken altar, then back at him. "Because the prophecy is real. And we are its answer."
---
They sat on opposite sides of the altar as the sun dipped behind the trees, painting the sky in shades of blood and ash.
Ava spoke first.
"The Great Shift is coming. A time when the old laws break. When wolves, vampires, witches… all the bloodlines clash. The world will either shatter or be reborn."
Ethan scoffed. "So what? We're supposed to fix it by being soulmates? That's not a solution—it's a cruel joke."
Ava didn't flinch. "The old ones believed only a bond strong enough to defy tradition could stop the collapse."
"You mean a bond between natural enemies."
She nodded. "A vampire and a wolf. Bound not by fear or war. But something else."
Ethan stood suddenly, the weight of it all crashing down.
"This will destroy me," he said. "My people will never accept this. They already doubt I'm ready to lead."
Ava stood too, but her expression wasn't angry—it was calm. Sad, even.
"I know," she said. "My kind would kill me if they knew I came to you. They'd see it as betrayal."
He looked at her. "Then why risk it?"
Ava's voice softened. "Because I couldn't stay away."
The words hit him harder than any punch.
Neither of them moved.
And then, the sound of footsteps—fast, aggressive—echoed outside the ruins.
A voice cut through the tension.
"Ethan!"
Luca burst into view, eyes wild, shirt half-torn, blood on his shoulder.
Ethan's eyes snapped to his.
"What happened?"
Luca glanced past Ethan and froze when he saw Ava.
"What the hell is she doing here?"
Ethan stepped in between them. "You know her?"
Luca's jaw clenched. "I've seen her before. Around the borders. She's dangerous. She shouldn't be anywhere near here."
Ava didn't move. "I'm not here to fight."
Luca's eyes darkened. "You're a vampire. That's all that matters."
"Enough!" Ethan shouted.
But Luca wasn't done. "You're letting this thing play you. Your father's blood isn't even cold and you're already dancing with the enemy."
A growl escaped Ethan's throat. "Watch it."
Luca didn't back down. "She's the reason the mark appeared, isn't she? You feel it. Don't lie. You're bonded."
Ethan stepped closer, his voice low and dangerous. "If you know what this is, then you also know I didn't choose it."
Luca's gaze flicked to Ava. "Then maybe someone else did."
That hit Ethan like a blade.
"What are you implying?"
"That she caused it," Luca said. "Used dark magic. Blood spells. Soul-binding rituals. She's not your mate, Ethan. She's your executioner."
Ava's eyes flared. "I didn't choose this either."
Ethan turned toward her, then back to Luca.
"Go back to the estate," he said finally. "Now."
Luca opened his mouth to argue, but something in Ethan's tone stopped him.
"You're going to regret this," he muttered before disappearing into the trees.
---
The night was cold again when Ethan and Ava remained in the ruins, alone once more.
"You should go," Ava said quietly. "The more you stay near me, the more danger we're in. From both sides."
Ethan looked at her, something fierce and unspoken swirling behind his eyes.
"I don't care."
Ava blinked. "You should."
He stepped closer, gaze locked with hers.
"I don't know what's happening. I don't know if we're supposed to stop the Shift or start it. But I know this…"
His voice dropped.
"I've never felt anything like this before. Like I've been waiting for something I didn't even know was missing."
Ava's voice cracked slightly. "Neither have I."
Their hands met without meaning to, soul-marks glowing brighter than before—pulsing with one rhythm.
And just as Ethan leaned in—
a distant howl ripped through the forest.
Not from any wolf.
Not from anything natural.
It was shrill. Inhuman. Ancient.
Ava pulled away, her body stiff.
"What was that?" Ethan asked.
Ava's eyes were wide.
"Something's coming. Something old."
They both turned toward the sound.
But the forest had already gone silent.