The rain was still falling when I opened my eyes.
My body felt weak, and my chest was burning like fire.
For a moment, I didn't know where I was. The forest around me looked different, quieter, darker, almost like it was watching me. The air smelled of wet earth and smoke. My clothes were soaked, and my hands were shaking.
Then I remembered.
Aunt Meredith.
The wolves.
The light that burst out of me.
And Draven.
My heart jumped. I turned quickly, searching for him. He was lying a few feet away, his body half-covered in mud and rainwater. The silver spear that struck him was gone, but blood still ran from his shoulder.
I crawled to him.
"Draven!" I shouted, touching his face. "Please open your eyes."
He groaned softly. His eyes opened halfway, those golden eyes that always scared and comforted me at the same time.
"You…" his voice cracked. "You released it."
"What did I release?" I asked, tears running down my face.
He tried to smile but winced in pain. "Your mother's power. The Moon Blood… it's awake inside you now."
I shook my head slowly. "I don't understand anything anymore. I just want this to stop."
He reached for my hand, his grip weak. "It's too late to stop it, Ravena. Once the blood wakes, it never sleeps again."
Lightning flashed above us, and I could see how pale he looked. He was losing too much blood. I tore part of my sleeve and pressed it against his wound.
"Don't talk," I whispered. "I'll get help."
But before I could move, he grabbed my wrist tightly. "No one can help me. Only you can."
"Me?" He nodded slowly. "There's an old ritual… a blood oath. It binds our lives together. If you do it, I'll heal, but it will also bind you to me forever."
I stared at him, confused and scared. "Bind me? What do you mean by that?"
"It means your soul will carry mine. If I die, you die. If you bleed, I bleed."
The rain grew heavier. I could barely see his face through the mist. "Why would I do that?" I whispered.
He looked into my eyes, tired, desperate. "Because if I die now, you'll have no one left to protect you from them."
My heart squeezed. I didn't know who they were anymore, the wolves, the cloaked men, or something worse. But the fear in Draven's voice made my decision for me.
"Tell me what to do," I said quietly.
His eyes softened, and for the first time, I saw peace on his face. "Cut your palm," he whispered. "Let your blood touch mine."
I hesitated. My hand was trembling. But I did as he said. I used the small silver dagger still hanging at my waist. I made a small cut across my palm.
Then Draven took the same blade and pressed it against his own chest, just above his heart. Blood flowed slowly, dark and thick.
He placed his hand over mine. Our blood mixed in the rain.
The air around us changed immediately. The storm went silent, like the world had stopped breathing. The wind stilled. The forest grew quiet.
Then a strange warmth spread through my arm, soft at first, then burning. My vision blurred, and I saw flashes of light, a woman with silver eyes, a man in chains, a red moon rising over a battlefield.
Draven's voice echoed inside my head. "Repeat after me."
I could barely speak, but I did. "By blood, by moon, by fate, we are bound."
He said the words too, his voice deep and rough. "By blood, by moon, by fate, we are bound."
A soft glow rose from where our hands met, swirling around us. It lifted into the sky like a beam of light, then disappeared.
When it was over, Draven's wound had closed completely.
He was breathing better.
But my hand still burned, and when I looked down, I saw a small silver mark on my palm, shaped like a crescent moon.
"What… what is this?" I whispered.
Draven stood up slowly, his strength returning. His eyes glowed faintly in the dark. "It's the seal of the oath. It means you're mine now, and I'm yours."
I took a step back, my heart racing. "You should have told me what it really meant!"
He sighed and looked away. "If I told you, you wouldn't have done it."
"I trusted you!" I shouted.
He turned sharply, his jaw tight. "And I saved your life!"
We stared at each other, the rain still falling between us. For a moment, I didn't know if I wanted to hug him or slap him.
Then he looked toward the forest, his eyes narrowing. "We can't stay here. They'll come back for you."
"Who are they?" I asked.
"The Order of the Black Fang," he said. "Hunters. They've been killing our kind for centuries."
"Our kind?" I repeated, my voice trembling. "I'm not like you, Draven. I'm not a monster."
He looked at me sadly. "You're not a monster, Ravena. But you're not human either."
I didn't answer. I just followed him as he led me deeper into the woods. My mind was a mess of fear, confusion, and questions I couldn't ask yet.
After some time, we reached an old cabin hidden between tall trees. Draven pushed open the door, and we stepped inside. It was dark but warm. A small fire burned in the corner, like it had been waiting for us.
He found a towel and handed it to me. "You should dry off before you catch a fever."
I took it quietly and sat near the fire. The warmth felt good. It made me realize how cold I'd been.
Draven removed his soaked shirt and cleaned his shoulder. Even though he was quiet, I could tell his mind was somewhere else, worried, thinking.
Finally, I spoke. "Tell me the truth, Draven. Who killed my parents?"
He froze for a second. Then he turned to face me.
"Your mother was the Moon Keeper," he said slowly. "She protected the balance between my kind and yours. But one of the Alphas wanted that power for himself. He believed that if he killed her and took her blood, he could control the moon's curse."
"And did he?"
He shook his head. "No. Her death only made it worse. The curse spread through every bloodline, mine included."
I hugged my knees and whispered, "And my father?"
Draven looked away. "He died trying to protect her. I was there that night, Ravena. I tried to stop it… but I was too late."
Tears filled my eyes. "Why didn't you tell me before?"
"Because I didn't want you to hate me," he said softly.
I looked at him, my heart breaking. "You think hiding the truth made me love you more?"
He didn't answer.
Silence filled the room, broken only by the crackle of fire.
After a while, I whispered, "What happens now?"
Draven looked into the flames. "Now, you learn who you really are. The Moon Blood in you is stronger than anyone I've ever seen. If you can't control it, it'll destroy you."
"How do I control it?"
He turned his gaze to me again. "You'll have to accept what you are, even if it scares you."
My heart pounded. "And what am I?"
He hesitated. "The prophecy calls you the Moon Bride, the one who will either save or end both our worlds."
My breath caught in my throat. "Me? Save or end the world?"
"Yes," he said quietly. "And the blood oath we just made means our fates are now tied to that prophecy."
I swallowed hard, trying to process everything. The fire flickered, casting shadows on the walls. My reflection in the window looked strange, my eyes had a faint silver glow.
Draven noticed it too. "It's starting," he said.
"What's starting?" I asked quickly.
"Your awakening. Once it completes, you'll remember everything your mother hid, every spell, every memory, every truth about what you really are."
I stood up, shaking my head. "I don't want this. I just want a normal life."
He stood too. "You can't run from what's in your blood, Ravena. The more you fight it, the stronger it fights back."
Before I could reply, there was a loud sound outside, like footsteps on wet leaves.
Draven moved fast, grabbing a dagger from the table. "Stay behind me."
My heart began to race again. The footsteps grew louder, closer.
The door creaked.
Then, a shadow moved past the window.
"Draven…" I whispered. "There's someone out there."
He didn't answer. His eyes glowed gold again. "Stay quiet."
The footsteps stopped right outside the door.
Then, a soft knock.
Three times.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
Draven and I looked at each other.
"Who could that be?" I whispered.
He didn't move. "No one friendly knocks during a blood moon night."
The knock came again, louder.
This time, a voice followed.
Soft. Familiar. Terrifying.
"Ravena… open the door."
My heart almost stopped.
It was Aunt Meredith's voice.
But Aunt Meredith was dead.