Chapter 8 – The Ancients' Mark
POV: Seren Thorne
The night felt colder than it had any right to be.
I stood at the edge of the forest, my mind a swirl of fear and confusion. Kael had promised to explain everything, but I wasn't sure I was ready for the truth. Not yet. What if the answer only made everything worse? What if it was something I couldn't run from?
The weight of the unknown pressed down on me, but it didn't seem to matter anymore. I couldn't escape it, couldn't ignore it.
Not when the power inside me was growing, twisting, clawing to be set free.
My heart raced as I looked at the stars, searching for some kind of comfort, but none came. The world was vast, cold, and silent — just like me.
The bond with Kael thrummed quietly in the back of my mind, a constant pull that reminded me of the unbreakable link between us. But it was more than that now. It wasn't just the bond of mates. There was something else — something darker and older that I couldn't name.
A sharp breath tore through me as the air shifted.
Kael.
He was here.
I didn't turn to face him. I didn't need to. I could feel him even before his footsteps broke the silence of the night. His presence was unmistakable, powerful, like the calm before a storm.
"Seren," he said softly, his voice carrying on the wind. "We need to talk."
I closed my eyes, taking a long breath. I didn't want to hear it. Didn't want to know what he had to say. But I knew he was right. We couldn't keep pretending everything was fine. Not when the truth was right in front of us.
"You're right," I whispered, turning to face him. "We do."
His eyes were dark, intense, the lines of tension in his face stark under the moonlight. He looked like a man on the edge — torn between duty and something he didn't fully understand. And I felt that, too. The weight of everything pressing down on us.
"Tell me everything, Kael," I said. "I can't keep living like this. I need to know what's happening to me."
He nodded, his expression hardening. "I'll tell you what I know. But first, you need to understand that this isn't just about you and me. This is about something older. Something tied to your bloodline. And to mine."
I took a step closer, my heart pounding. "My bloodline?"
Kael's eyes darkened. "You're not just any wolf, Seren. Your mother… she wasn't just a warrior. She was one of the last of the Ancients. The first wolves. The ones who were created, not born."
I blinked, trying to wrap my mind around his words. "Ancients? What do you mean?"
Kael's voice dropped lower, his words tinged with a gravity I could feel in my bones. "Before the packs were formed, before the laws were made, there were wolves who were different. Their power was beyond anything we've ever known. And your mother was one of them."
I shook my head, confusion settling in. "But… my mother was a warrior. She was just like any other wolf."
"No, she wasn't." Kael's eyes softened for a moment, a flicker of something like pity in his gaze. "She was the last of her kind, Seren. And when she died, she passed her power on to you."
I felt my breath catch in my throat. "What power?"
"The power of the Ancients." Kael's eyes flicked to the ground, then back to me. "Your mother's bloodline is what's awakening inside you. That power… it's calling to you."
I felt the air grow thick around me, heavy with the weight of his words. "But why didn't anyone tell me? Why didn't I know this before?"
"Because it was hidden. Your mother made sure of it. She knew that the power within her bloodline was too dangerous to fall into the wrong hands. She made sure that you didn't awaken it until you were ready." Kael's voice grew more intense, as though the gravity of the situation was sinking in. "But you're not ready, Seren. And neither am I."
I took a step back, my head spinning. "What do you mean? How could I be ready for something like this?"
"I don't know," Kael admitted, his expression grim. "But I know this: there's a reason your mother died, a reason she kept you hidden. The power you've inherited isn't just a gift — it's a curse. And the moment it fully awakens, it will change everything."
I shook my head, my thoughts racing. "This doesn't make sense. I'm just… just a girl. I don't want this power."
"You don't have a choice." Kael's voice was firm, a hardness settling over him. "The bloodline runs deep. And now that you've triggered it, there's no turning back. The only question is… will we control it, or will it control us?"
POV: Kael Draven
The weight of the truth sat heavy between us, and I could feel the tension crackling in the air. Seren's confusion was palpable, her fear written across every inch of her. But I couldn't afford to hold back now. I had to make her understand the stakes.
The power inside her — the ancient power that had been dormant for so long — wasn't just a danger to her. It was a threat to all of us. The wolves. The packs. And the balance we had spent centuries trying to maintain.
I had to protect her, even if she didn't understand why. Even if it meant holding her at arm's length. Because once the power fully awakened, there would be no controlling it.
"Seren," I said, my voice low, "there's more. The Ancients… they didn't just leave behind their power. They left behind something worse: their enemies."
Her eyes widened. "Enemies?"
"Yes," I said, my tone hardening. "There are others who want that power. Others who have been waiting for someone like you to come along. People who will stop at nothing to control you."
"I… I don't understand. Why would they want me? I'm just…" Her voice trailed off, the weight of the truth sinking in.
"You're not just 'anyone,' Seren." I stepped closer, my eyes locking with hers. "You're a key. A key to something much bigger than either of us. And now that they know you exist, they'll come for you. For us."
The bond between us flared, sharp and undeniable. But it wasn't just the bond of mates anymore. It was a bond of power. Of shared fate.
And as much as I hated to admit it, I knew that we were in this together.