The clash had ended in blood and flame.
Fenric had escaped, but not before leaving a grim promise lingering in the air: The Hollow Fang knows what she is. And they're coming for her.
Now, Kael stood in the center of the ancient Council Hall, the stone walls towering high above him like silent judges. Flames danced in the braziers along the room's perimeter, casting long shadows that twisted and moved like watching spirits.
The Council of Elders five of the oldest alphas in the region sat in crescent formation, each cloaked in black, their faces weathered by decades of ruling and war. This was the heart of werewolf law, the core of their order, and it beat with cold tradition.
Aria stood beside Kael, her hands clenched at her sides, chin high despite the tension in her limbs. Her silver eyes gleamed with quiet defiance.
Kael wanted to speak first, but he knew the rules. They would begin.
"Alpha Kael of the Darkspine Pack," Elder Bryn's voice boomed, "you have violated protocol by hiding a blood-marked wolf from the Council."
"She wasn't hidden," Kael replied, jaw tightening. "She was hunted."
Elder Sorin leaned forward, eyes narrowed. "The Order of the Hollow Fang would not have crossed into our lands without cause. Her blood draws them."
"She's not to blame for what runs in her veins," Kael said, stepping slightly in front of Aria. "And you all know that bloodline hasn't been seen in centuries."
"The Blood Moon Line," Elder Merra spoke for the first time, her voice quieter but no less piercing, "was wiped out during the Age of Fire. Or so we believed. Its magic is unstable. Dangerous."
"It's only dangerous to those who fear power," Aria finally said, voice steady. "I didn't ask for this gift. But I won't be punished for it."
That earned a tense silence.
Elder Bryn's eyes glowed faintly amber. "The prophecy said a fire-born mate would awaken in the time of shifting bonds. If she truly is the one, she brings not only change but chaos."
"I would protect her with my life," Kael said. "I already have."
Elder Sorin sneered. "And will you protect her when the other packs come for her? When the Hollow Fang offers gold and blood for her capture? What then, Alpha?"
"I will protect her," Kael repeated, "even if I have to burn the world down to do it."
A low growl rippled from the Council bench.
Merra held up a hand. "Enough." Her gaze turned to Aria. "Your presence threatens the balance. If the old magic is truly waking within you, it must be tested."
Aria frowned. "Tested?"
"There is an ancient ritual," Merra explained. "The Trial of Flames. Only those of true blood-moon descent can survive it. If you pass, the Council will recognize your right to remain in our lands. If you fail…"
"She won't fail," Kael snapped.
"Then let it be so," said Bryn, striking the base of his staff against the stone floor. The sound echoed like a sentence. "At the next full moon, she will enter the Circle of Ember."
Kael's fists clenched. "You're gambling her life on legends."
"No, Alpha," Merra said. "We are honoring laws older than you or I. If she survives, she is kin. If not…" Her eyes glinted. "Then your bond ends in ash."
Aria's heart pounded in her chest. She didn't fear pain but she feared the look on Kael's face, the storm behind his eyes. He would fight for her, die for her. But could he watch her burn?
"Let me do it," she said, voice softer now. "Let me prove I'm more than what they fear."
Kael turned to her, his voice rough. "You don't have to "
"I do." She reached out and took his hand. "Not just for me. For us."
Later that night, Kael stood with Aria beneath the silver light of the waxing moon. They were alone near the sacred hot springs deep in the Darkspine territory. Steam curled around them, warm and thick. The stars above looked like cold fireflies caught in an endless sky.
"I should have brought you here sooner," Kael said, his fingers tracing the line of her wrist. "Before all this. Before the world came crashing."
Aria leaned against his chest, the beat of his heart steady beneath her ear. "The world's always crashing. We just learned how to hold each other through it."
He tilted her chin gently. "If anything happens during the trial "
She silenced him with a look. "No. Don't say it."
"You need to be ready."
"I'm not afraid of the fire." She paused. "I'm afraid of what comes after it."
He pulled her closer, pressing his lips to her hair. "Then don't face it alone."
"I won't," she said. "Because if I survive, I won't just be yours by bond. I'll be yours by choice."
Kael's wolf howled within him. Not in pain. In promise.
But neither of them noticed the figure watching from the shadows, cloaked in darkness, eyes burning gold, a messenger from a rival pack, sent to deliver news that would shake the foundation of everything they believed.
With the Trial of Flames fast approaching and rival packs moving in secret, can Aria survive the Council's test or is her destiny already written in ash and betrayal?