They emerged from the forest like ghosts reborn.
Ronan's arm wrapped tightly around Aria's waist, his steps slow but sure. The cursed alpha—no longer bound by shadow. And beside him… the girl who had walked through death itself to bring him back.
The pack gathered in stunned silence, hundreds of eyes fixed on them.
Some gasped.
Some knelt.
Others… did not.
At the edge of the crowd stood Beta Kael, arms crossed, jaw tight. The council wolves flanked him, their expressions unreadable.
"She entered the Forbidden Realm," one whispered. "She bears the mark of ancient magic."
"She's not just a mate," another muttered. "She's a threat."
Aria held her head high.
Every instinct screamed that danger lingered—but she wouldn't be small anymore.
Ronan looked at his people and raised his voice.
"I was cursed. And she freed me. I owe her my soul. And so do all of you."
Kael stepped forward, eyes narrowed. "We obey you, Alpha. But who is she to rule beside you? A human girl? A sacrifice?"
"No," Ronan said, stepping in front of her. "She is the last heir of the Moonblood line. The bloodline that once ruled the Night Courts. The one your ancestors feared so much, they erased her family from history."
The silence cracked into murmurs.
Aria's fingers twitched. She hated attention—but she wouldn't flinch.
She stepped beside him.
"I'm not here to take power," she said. "But I won't be hidden, or silenced. I bled for this pack. I crossed death for him. I am your Luna—whether you accept me or not."
The older wolves watched her like she was wildfire.
But slowly… younger wolves began to drop to one knee. Then more. A ripple of loyalty.
Kael clenched his fists—but did not kneel.
Instead, he bowed his head slightly.
"For now."
Ronan's eyes darkened—but Aria touched his arm. "Let them doubt. I'll show them who I am."
He looked at her, pride swelling in his gaze. "You already have."
---
Later that night, under a blood moon, Ronan pulled Aria into their new chamber.
"I almost lost you," he whispered, brushing her hair back.
"You'll never lose me again," she murmured.
And he kissed her like a man desperate to make up for every second apart.
The celebration didn't last long.
By dawn, the pack's howls of victory were silenced by the shrill call of the sentries.
A body was found at the edge of the western cliffs—a scout, throat slashed, the mark of an unfamiliar blade carved into his chest.
Ronan stood over the body, fists clenched. His jaw was locked tight, but Aria saw it—the flicker of fear he couldn't hide.
"This wasn't a rogue," he muttered. "This was a warning."
Aria knelt beside the body, her fingers brushing the symbol carved into the flesh—a crescent surrounded by thorns.
It pulsed with dark magic.
> "Who would dare challenge the Shadowlands now?" she asked quietly.
Kael appeared behind them, voice low. "Only one wolf would leave that mark."
Ronan's eyes burned.
"The Thorn Pack."
Aria frowned. "I thought they were exiled."
"They were," Ronan said. "But they've always wanted what we protect. Power. Bloodlines. Me." He looked at Aria. "And now… you."
---
That night, while the pack tightened defenses, Aria sat alone in the Moonfire Garden—the sacred place where Luna spirits were said to whisper to chosen blood.
A wind stirred.
And then—
She felt it.
Power. Old. Heavy. Coiling under her skin like a serpent waiting to strike.
Suddenly, a vision burst into her mind—
A war. Flames. Ronan wounded. A child with silver eyes screaming her name.
Aria jolted, gasping for breath.
"What the hell was that?" she whispered, clutching her chest.
The trees rustled.
And a voice—female, sharp like steel—answered from the shadows.
> "That, Moonblood, was your future. And unless you master the storm inside you… everyone you love will burn."
Aria stood, spine rigid. "Show yourself."
A woman stepped into view, cloaked in silver and black, a tattoo of thorns around her throat. Eyes like twilight.
"I'm not your enemy," she said. "But if you want to survive the war that's coming—you'll need me."
Ronan paced the war tent, claws threatening to tear through his skin. "She vanished. No guards saw her leave."
Kael didn't flinch. "She's strong, but not trained. If the Thorn Pack took her—"
"They didn't," Ronan growled. "I'd feel it. Our bond—it's still burning."
Still alive.
Still hers.
---
Aria stared at the woman before her. Her features were sharp, carved from moonlight and ash. Not wolf. Not human.
> "Who are you?" Aria asked.
The woman tilted her head. "A seer. A witch. A traitor, depending on who you ask."
"And what do you want with me?"
"I want to teach you. Because you're the last Moonblood—and that bloodline wasn't meant to kneel. It was meant to rule."
The air crackled as she circled Aria. "You've already begun to feel it, haven't you? The visions. The whispers. The pull of the earth beneath your feet. That is Moonfire Magic, child. And it does not obey wolves."
Aria's fingers curled. "And if I refuse?"
The woman smirked. "Then you'll burn with the rest when the Thorn Pack comes."
---
Hours later, Aria returned to the Shadowlands, her cloak soaked in cold rain and her head pounding with secrets.
Ronan stood waiting, his expression torn between fury and fear.
"Where the hell were you?" His voice cracked.
"I needed answers."
"You could've been killed!"
"I'm not your prisoner, Ronan," she snapped. "I'm your equal. Start treating me like one."
Silence hung heavy.
Then he stepped forward and cupped her face with trembling hands.
> "You scared me," he admitted. "I just got you back. I can't lose you again."
Her chest softened, breath caught.
"I saw something," she whispered. "A future… filled with blood. A child. Fire everywhere."
He froze.
"You're not the only one haunted by fate anymore," she said. "And if we don't find out who I'm meant to become, we'll lose everything."
Ronan stared into her eyes, then nodded.
"Then we learn. Together."
But outside the chamber, a spy slipped into the shadows—carrying news to a far darker place.
> "The Moonblood witch lives," he whispered. "And she's beginning to awaken."