Nothing could've prepared Blake for what he found in Ryder's safe.
The plan had been simple: go in, read whatever Logan needed him to read, and put it back. It was a chance to understand his brother's cryptic words before he left, a chance to understand why he reacted the way he did to Nyara's words.
But now, fifteen minutes later, he sat frozen on the sofa in the open living area.
A photograph in one hand.
A prophecy scroll in the other.
The only way to even see a prophecy scroll was to enter the Mountain of the Damned and read it under Shade guard.
The fact that one was here, right in front of him, right in his hand, was more than illegal. It was impossible.
But the how could wait…for now…
It was the scroll's contents that had his mind spinning.
The Moon's Crimson Oath
When the veil between realms thins and the moon bleeds red,
One shall rise, born of tooth and claw,
Forged in love and bound by war.
With hair as dark as the starless sky,
Eyes like molten silver, and a heart split in seven.
Destined to shatter the evil born to keep the balance,
They alone can save the seven realms
And rewrite the laws of the Ancients…
Or be consumed by the power within
And burn them all to ash.
Blake looked at the picture again, in its frame, that was clutched tightly in his hand.
Ryder stood beside Liora, smiling, his arm wrapped possessively around her waist. She cradled a chubby baby in her arms, the child's back pressed to her chest. One arm supported the baby's thighs, the other lay protectively across the little girl's body.
The baby's smile was bright, innocent, and pure.
But it wasn't the smile that made Blake's heart stutter.
It was the inky black hair and those unmistakable silver eyes. Just like the prophecy described.
"What the hell…?"
Blake had been so lost in his thoughts, he didn't hear Ryder and Logan enter the cave. The realization made his stomach churn. If it had been intruders instead, he would've left Sarah completely exposed. And that disgusted him more than anything.
Ryder crossed the distance between them swiftly, ripped the photo and scroll from Blake's hands, and stepped back.
"How did you get these?" he demanded.
"It's about time your brother knew the truth, Ryder," Logan said coolly from behind him. His cold gaze locked with Blake's. "Even though he doesn't know how to follow instructions."
"You had no right!" Ryder snarled, whirling on him.
"Whether you like it or not, this is bigger than you, Ryder. You can't protect her forever."
"I'll protect her for as long as I can."
"And by trying to protect her, you're putting her in even more danger," Logan stated calmly. "You've read the scroll, Ryder. Nyara has also warned you about what is to come. She shouldn't be hiding in the human world wrapped in enchantments, she should be training. Preparing for war. As a warrior you know this."
Blake had a fair idea who the baby in the picture was, but he needed Ryder to admit it out loud.
Was she the reason he'd walked away from his birthright without a fight?
It made sense now. With Ryder stepping out of the spotlight, the target on his back had faded. No threats, no enemies searching for cracks in his armour, no one looking for leverage.
No one looking…for her.
Blake stood, straightening to his full height as he confronted his brother.
"This person you're both talking about…is she the baby in the picture?"
Silence.
"Who's the baby, Ryder?" Blake asked, barely restrained.
Still, no answer.
Blake ground his teeth. "Fine. How did you end up with a prophetic scroll in your possession?"
"This doesn't concern you," Ryder snapped.
"When a prophetic scroll speaks about saving the seven realms or it will be burned by ash, by someone who looks just like the baby in Liora's hand it sure as hell does concern me!" Blake growled.
Blake saw Logan take a step forward. Whether it was to defend Ryder or stop him from attacking, Blake wasn't sure. The last thing he wanted was to fight his brother. He wrestled with his emotions, forcing himself to stay composed.
"Is the baby the one Nyara was speaking about? The one who needs to return where she belongs, the one with hybrid vampiric blood?" Blake's eyes narrowed. "Is she the one who could save Sarah?"
That got a reaction. Ryder's jaw tightened.
"Is she your daughter?"
He turned, clearly done with the conversation.
But Blake wasn't done.
"Is. She. Your. Daughter? You owe me an explanation."
Ryder stopped in his tracks.
"I don't owe you anything," Ryder said without looking back. "I'm your older brother. Don't you ever forget that."
Blake stepped in front of him, blocking his path. "Exactly, you're my brother. That's why you do owe me. Liora's been dead for twenty-one years, and for twenty-one years you kept this from me?"
Ryder's jaw ticked and eyes flashed with warning. "Step aside, Blake."
"No. Tell me the truth!"
In one motion, Ryder grabbed him by the shirt and threw him out of the cave. Blake hit the ground hard, dust clouding around him. Instantly, he rolled to his feet.
The shift clawed beneath his skin, his wolf, Fenrik, prowling just under the surface, teeth bared and furious. Blake clenched his fists, fighting the tremor in his limbs, as fury coursed through his blood.
But, his human side still hesitated. This was Ryder. His brother. His alpha. The one he'd followed without question for years.
But Fenrik didn't care.
His wolf growled unrelentingly.
I'll destroy anyone who threatens her.
Blake's breath hitched as the shift pushed harder. Fenrik was done waiting. Done obeying. Sarah was his mate, his to protect, and anyone who tried to stand in his way, family or not, would fall.
"I'm done playing nice," Blake growled, his body beginning to ripple, bones cracking beneath his skin. "If I have to rip the truth out of you, I will."
Ryder stepped out of the cave, face unreadable, but Blake could feel the anger and hurt surging through the pack bond.
"You really want to fight me? After everything I've shielded you from? After I opened my doors to you and protected you from not only Father's wrath but Alaric's as well?"
"If you want to protect me, then protect me from the pain of losing Sarah," Blake snapped.
"I can't!" Ryder snarled. "If she steps foot here, they'll kill her because she's an abomination, cursed! Sarah isn't my family, she's not my blood. Not mine to protect! Dying is the natural order of things. Just let her go!"
His eyes flared gold, and his words rang emptier and colder than Blake expected, cutting deeper than any injury he's ever received.
"Is that what Liora's death taught you? To become a cold-blooded bastard?" Blake's anger barely held back the pain in his voice.
Ryder's face turned to stone. "You know the laws. I thought you'd be smarter than I was. You should've left her alone."
"If you don't want to save her for me then do it for Liora! She's her sister, for crying out loud!" Blake snapped. "She's not just some girl…I love her." Blake's voice cracked as he pleaded, one last time. "Help me save her!"
"No!" Ryder roared, lips curling back to bare his teeth, a low growl rumbling in his chest. "I won't put her in danger because you and Sarah were careless. You'll learn to live without her like I learned to live without Liora."
That was it.
Blake was done. Done begging. Done asking.
He'd always looked up to Ryder. Admired him.
But the fact that he could let Sarah die without a second thought?
He'd never forgive him.
Not if she dies.
Not when there's a solution.
Enough, Fenrik snarled. He has failed her. Failed Liora. We won't.
Blake's bones cracked louder now, his back arching as his wolf surged forward. Fur tore through skin, as his hands clawed the earth, eyes blazing gold.
He lunged, catching Ryder mid-shift and tackling him to the ground. He hovered over him, snarling, but Ryder shoved him off, his transformation snapping into place.
Blake charged again. Ryder met him with snapping jaws and a brutal swipe, claws grazing Blake's side. The burn only fueled his rage.
Blake twisted, slamming his massive shoulder into Ryder's side. The older wolf didn't even stagger. He retaliated, claws swiping with a thunderous blow, catching Blake across the snout.
Snarls echoed through the mountain. They circled each other, eyes glowing, muscles coiled, poised for the next brutal strike.
Just as they lunged at each other again, the air split open with a sudden shimmer, freezing them both mid-air.
Blake's breath hitched as Nyara stepped through the portal. Her eyes swept over him, then Ryder, and with a flick of her hand, they dropped gently to the ground, paralyzed by her magic.
She met Ryder's gaze and said, in a voice that made the earth rumble below them. "The Primordia Moon has been sighted."
Blake felt the fear rock through Ryder's body in waves.
The Primordia Moon, born of the First Ancients, the original wielders of divine blood, was an omen. A rare celestial event. It appeared when the world stood on the brink of a major shift. And with it came war, bloodshed, and chaos.
Nyara's gaze burned.
"All prophecies are now in motion. Her unbinding has begun."