The damp scent of soil clung to the air as Aria blinked against the dim torchlight. Her wrists were bound with some kind of silver-threaded rope that sizzled when her skin brushed against it. The bloodstone around her neck was still there—cold, heavy, and somehow pulsing.
She was underground. That much was clear. The walls of the chamber were rough and damp, etched with ancient runes glowing faintly blue. She wasn't alone.
"You shouldn't have come," a voice murmured from the darkness.
Aria flinched and looked around. A tall figure stepped forward, hooded, with piercing green eyes that glowed like moss in moonlight. "Who—who are you?" she demanded, summoning all the courage she had left.
The figure didn't answer. Instead, he reached out and touched the bloodstone. It sparked.
"You're marked," he said softly. "And that makes you dangerous to both sides now."
She jerked away, but her restraints held tight. "I didn't ask for any of this."
"No one ever does," he said.
Suddenly, another door creaked open, and a chilling wind swept into the chamber. Footsteps echoed—slow, deliberate. Then she saw him.
Alpha Ash.
His eyes were glowing gold, more feral than she had ever seen them. He didn't speak. Didn't charge forward. Just stared at her—like she was both salvation and ruin.
"Ash?" she whispered.
The man with green eyes moved between them. "She's under our protection now. Leave."
Ash growled—a deep, rumbling sound that shook dust from the ceiling. "You don't own her."
"She's not yours to command anymore," the stranger replied.
The tension ignited like a spark in a forest fire. Aria could feel the power pulsing off Ash, but the man before her was not afraid. His runes glowed brighter, and his hand touched the wall. The entire room shivered.
"Ash, stop!" Aria cried.
But it was too late.
Ash lunged.
The chamber exploded in light.
Everything turned white.
When Aria awoke, her hands were free, and the bloodstone was gone.
She sat up slowly, groggy, disoriented. She wasn't in the underground chamber anymore. She was in a forest clearing, surrounded by stone pillars and flickering candles. An altar stood at the center, cracked down the middle like it had been struck by lightning.
"You're awake," came a soft voice. She turned.
A woman approached, older, dressed in flowing silver robes. Her long braids shimmered with moonlight.
"You survived the bond flare. That's… rare."
"What flare?" Aria croaked.
"The energy when an Alpha is bonded to someone who carries the old magic," the woman explained. "Your blood carries more than wolf… it carries the First Flame."
Aria's pulse raced. "What does that even mean?"
"It means the power to change everything rests in your hands," the woman said. "But power draws attention. You've awakened enemies who have been sleeping for centuries."
Suddenly, a deep howl pierced the forest.
Ash.
She didn't know how she knew, but her heart recognized it. He was close. And he was in pain.
Without waiting, Aria stumbled to her feet.
"Where are you going?" the woman asked.
"To find him."
"You may not survive the path."
Aria looked back. "I won't survive not knowing."
The path to Ash was laced with shadows.
Each step deeper into the woods brought memories to the surface—his hand on her cheek, his fierce protectiveness, the way his voice had softened the first time he said her name.
The trees parted suddenly. In the clearing stood Ash—barely on his feet, blood trailing down his temple, his shirt torn, claws extended.
"Ash!" she cried.
His head snapped toward her. "Aria… don't come closer."
She stopped. "You're hurt."
"I'm not safe." His voice cracked.
Something in his aura was shifting—wild, unstable.
"You're fighting the bond," she said, realization dawning.
He nodded. "If I don't… I'll lose control."
"Then don't fight it."
He stared at her, breathing ragged. "You don't understand. Bonding with me… you'll carry my curse. My enemies. My darkness."
Aria stepped closer. "And if I walk away, I carry regret."
Ash growled softly, fighting something within himself. "It's not that simple."
"No, it never is," she said, taking another step. "But I'm still here."
That's when he fell to his knees.
And in that moment, the moon above them turned crimson.
They barely had seconds to react.
A pulse of red energy surged from the sky, striking the ground and sending a shockwave across the clearing. Trees bowed. Birds scattered. And out of the red mist stepped a figure draped in shadowed robes, their face hidden beneath a silver mask.
"You broke the seal," the voice echoed unnaturally. "Now, the Hunt begins."
Ash struggled to his feet, shielding Aria. "Stay behind me."
The figure raised a hand. The ground cracked open. From it, twisted beasts—half-shadow, half-wolf—emerged, snarling and drooling black smoke.
Aria felt the power within her stir.
The bloodstone was gone… but the flame inside her wasn't.
Ash turned to her. "Aria, listen to me. Whatever happens… run."
She gritted her teeth. "Not a chance."
The shadow creatures charged.
And the forest became a battlefield.
To be continued…