The sound of that knock didn't stop echoing in my head.
Even when silence filled the cabin again, I could still hear it.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
And that voice, Aunt Meredith's voice.
I froze where I stood, unable to breathe. My chest rose and fell fast, my hands cold.
"Ravena…" the voice called again, softer this time. "Please open the door. It's me."
Draven's grip on his dagger tightened. His eyes glowed faintly gold in the dark. "Don't move," he whispered.
I swallowed hard. "But that's my aunt's voice."
He looked at me sharply. "Your aunt is gone."
I shook my head. "No… maybe she's alive. Maybe…"
He cut me off quietly. "What you're hearing isn't her. Whatever that thing is, it's using her voice to get to you."
The words made my heart twist. The rain outside had stopped completely, but thunder still rolled somewhere far away. I could feel something strange in the air, heavy, cold, like death was standing right outside the door.
The knocking came again, slower now.
"Ravena," the voice said sweetly. "You left me behind. You didn't even say goodbye."
I covered my mouth, tears already building. "That's what she said to me once before…" I whispered.
Draven moved closer to the door, sniffing the air like an animal. His voice dropped low. "Whatever it is, it's not human. Stay back."
He took a slow step forward, his dagger raised.
The moment his foot touched the wooden floor near the door, the candles around the room flickered. The fire in the corner dimmed.
Then the door creaked open, by itself.
Cold wind rushed inside, carrying the smell of wet leaves and blood.
I gasped. "Draven!"
He didn't turn to me. He just stood there, his body tense.
And then… she stepped in.
Aunt Meredith.
Her dress was torn, and her hair was sticking to her face. She looked pale, too pale, like the color had been drained from her skin. But her eyes… her eyes were glowing faint blue.
"Ravena," she said softly, smiling. "You came looking for me."
I took one step forward before Draven blocked me with his arm. "Don't," he whispered.
"But that's my aunt…."
"It's not," he said firmly. "Look at her eyes."
I looked again, and felt my stomach turn.
There was no life in them. Just a strange shimmer, like water moving behind glass.
"Aunt Meredith…" I whispered.
She tilted her head, still smiling. "I told you not to come that night. You never listen."
I took another step back, my knees shaking. "You're not real."
Her smile faded slowly. "You think I'm not real? You think death makes me disappear?"
Draven moved between us, his voice low and rough. "What are you?"
The thing that looked like Aunt Meredith turned her gaze to him. "You should be dead, wolf. You carry your father's curse."
Draven's jaw clenched. "And you carry something worse."
Before I could even blink, she moved, fast, too fast. One moment she was near the door, the next she was right in front of us. Her hands were cold and thin like smoke.
She grabbed Draven by the throat and lifted him easily. His dagger fell to the floor.
"Stop!" I screamed, rushing forward.
Draven gasped, his feet kicking. "Stay back, Ravena!"
But I couldn't. I reached out and touched her arm, and immediately pulled back. Her skin was ice cold. My fingers burned where I touched her.
"Why are you doing this?" I shouted.
She turned to me. "Because the Moon Bride must never rise again."
Her voice didn't sound like my aunt's anymore. It was layered, deep, dark, echoing like a thousand voices speaking at once.
Draven's golden eyes flashed. With a sudden burst of strength, he pushed her off him. She stumbled backward, hissing, her eyes glowing brighter.
Then the fire in the cabin went out.
Darkness swallowed everything.
All I could hear was the wind outside, and her voice, whispering in the dark.
"You can't run from what you are, child."
Something cold brushed against my neck. I turned sharply, but there was no one there.
"Draven!" I shouted.
"I'm here!" he answered from somewhere near the door. "Find the pendant, the one from your mother. It's the only thing that can drive her out!"
I dropped to my knees, searching through my bag with trembling hands. The pendant was still there, warm even in the cold air. I held it up.
The moment the pendant touched my skin, it began to glow faint silver.
The ghost hissed. "That doesn't belong to you."
"It does," I said through tears. "It's my mother's!"
The glow spread brighter, lighting up the whole cabin. The shadow that wore Aunt Meredith's face began to fade. Her hair floated around her head like smoke.
"You can't stop what's coming," she whispered. "The red moon will rise, and when it does, the world will bow to the Shadow King."
The name sent chills down my spine. "Shadow King?" I repeated.
But she was already fading, her voice breaking into echoes.
"Beware, Ravena… even love will betray you."
Then she was gone.
The fire came back alive on its own. The room grew warm again.
I was still shaking. My heart was racing so fast that I felt dizzy.
Draven walked to me, his shirt torn, his face tired. He looked down at the pendant glowing faintly in my hand. "Your mother's protection still works. That's good."
I looked up at him, tears falling. "That thing… It sounded like her, Draven. It looked like her. How can I ever know what's real anymore?"
He knelt beside me. "You'll have to trust your blood. The Moon Blood inside you can sense the truth, if you learn how to listen."
I wiped my tears and whispered, "She said something about a Shadow King. Do you know who that is?"
Draven's eyes darkened. He looked away. "He's not someone you should ever meet."
"Tell me," I said quietly.
He sighed. "The Shadow King was once the first Alpha. The strongest of us all. But greed made him turn against the Moon Blood. He wanted power over life and death. When he was defeated, his spirit was sealed beyond the veil. Your mother was the one who sealed him."
I frowned. "So he wants revenge?"
"Yes," Draven said. "And the prophecy says he'll return only when the Moon Bride awakens. That's why they're coming for you."
My throat felt dry. "So all this is happening because of me?"
He touched my shoulder gently. "No. It's happening through you. There's a difference."
We sat in silence for a while. The fire crackled softly. I could still hear the rain outside.
Finally, I said, "If he returns, what will he do?"
Draven looked at me for a long time. "He'll destroy everything, both our worlds."
I stared into the fire, my heart heavy. I didn't know how to stop something I barely understood.
Then, after a long pause, Draven said, "We'll leave at dawn. There's someone we need to find, someone who knew your mother before all this started."
"Who?" I asked.
"An elder named Varyn. He lives beyond the Silver Ridge. If anyone can explain your powers, it's him."
I nodded slowly. "Okay."
But deep inside, I felt uneasy. The way the ghost spoke, the way she said "even love will betray you" the words wouldn't leave my mind.
That night, I couldn't sleep. I sat by the fire, staring at my palm where the silver mark still glowed faintly.
Draven was sitting on the other side of the room, sharpening his dagger. He looked calm, but I knew he wasn't.
"Draven," I said quietly.
He looked up. "Yes?"
"Why did the ghost call you your father's son like it was a curse?"
He paused, then sighed. "Because my father was the one who started the war between our kinds. He believed only wolves should rule under the moon."
"And you?"
"I believed he was wrong."
I looked down. "Do you ever wish you weren't what you are?"
He smiled sadly. "Every day."
Silence again. The kind that says more than words.
Then, slowly, he stood and walked toward me. He knelt beside my chair, his eyes soft in the firelight.
"Ravena," he said quietly, "whatever happens, I'll protect you. Even if it costs me everything."
My chest tightened. I didn't know what to say. I just nodded, my heart heavy but warm.
For a moment, it almost felt peaceful. Like maybe things could still be okay.
But peace never lasts long in my world.
Because just as I started to close my eyes, the window beside me shattered.
A dark arrow flew through the air and buried itself in the wall right next to my head.
Draven grabbed me and pulled me down. "Stay down!"
My heart pounded. "What's happening?"
He looked toward the broken window, his fangs showing slightly. "They've found us again."
"Who?" I asked, my voice shaking.
He picked up his dagger. His golden eyes burned like fire.
"The Hunters," he said. "And this time, they brought something worse."
Outside, I heard the sound of heavy footsteps, not human ones, and a deep growl that made the ground tremble.
Then a voice shouted from the darkness, deep and cold:
"Bring me the girl! The Moon Bride belongs to the Shadow King!"
I gasped, holding onto Draven's arm. "What do we do now?"
He turned to me, his voice low but fierce. "Now, we fight."