The Coven's lair smelled like burnt sage and regret. Ava stood in a stone chamber, her wrists bound with silver chains that sizzled against her skin, while Morrigan paced before her, the raven perched on her shoulder like a judge.
"Comfortable?" Morrigan asked, smirking. "We've been waiting for you, you know. Eleanor's line went quiet after 1927—thought the curse died with her."
Ava tugged at the chains, gritting her teeth. "Curse? You call this a gift? People are dying because of your little spell."
"Collateral damage." Morrigan waved a hand, and a wall shimmered, revealing a cage. Inside, a woman with moon-blood eyes stared back, her hair matted, her skin stretched tight over bones. "Poor thing. Scandinavian. Last of her line. Stopped producing moon-blood six months ago. Useless now."
Ava's blood ran cold. "You'll kill me when I'm 'useless'?"
"Not if you cooperate." Morrigan leaned in, her breath reeking of iron. "We need your blood to rewrite the curse. Make wolves serve humans. End this silly war between species."
"Or you could, I dunno, talk to them?" Ava scoffed. "But that'd require not being a psychopath."
The chamber door creaked open. A man stepped in, his hair gray at the temples, his eyes a familiar shade of blue—Alexander's eyes.
Ava froze. "You."
The man smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Ava Thompson. I've heard so much about you."
"Who are you?"
"Call me Elias." He nodded at the chains. "Let her go, Morrigan. She's not a prisoner."
Morrigan's raven cawed, flapping its wings. "You'd defy the Coven, old man? After all we've done for you?"
"All you've done is use me." Elias turned to Ava, his voice softening. "I'm Alexander's father. The one he thinks died in 1997."
Ava's jaw dropped. "You faked your death. Let your son grieve for nothing."
"To protect him." Elias's gaze hardened. "The Coven wanted him. His Alpha blood, mixed with moon-blood… they thought he'd be their ultimate weapon. I ran so he could live a normal life."
"Normal?" Ava laughed. "He's an Alpha with a pack to protect, a target on his back—"
"Better than a cage." Elias nodded at the woman in the cell. "That was almost him. Almost you."
Morrigan clapped, cutting them off. "Touching. Truly. But we're on a schedule. Elias, bring her to the altar. The moon rises in an hour."
Elias hesitated, then pulled a key from his pocket, unlocking Ava's chains. "Don't try to run. The wards will fry you."
Ava rubbed her wrists, silver light flickering faintly. "What's the altar?"
"Where we rewrite curses." He led her down a corridor, his steps heavy. "But it's a lie. They're not rewriting anything. They're draining your blood, using it to fuel a spell that'll enslave every wolf in Veles."
"How do you know?"
"Because I helped build it." Elias's voice was raw. "Thought I was saving wolves. Turns out I was just feeding the Coven's hunger."
They reached a chamber larger than the last, its ceiling painted with constellations. In the center, a stone altar, its surface carved with runes that glowed red.
Sigrid stood beside it, her arm in a sling, a scowl on her face. "Took you long enough. The Valkyries are getting restless."
"Your pack's welcome to leave," Elias said. "We don't need your kind."
Sigrid laughed. "Please. I'm here for the show. Nothing's funnier than watching a Coven think they're in control."
Ava's light flared brighter. "You're working with them?"
"Hardly." Sigrid spat on the floor. "I want moon-blood, not a slave army. But I'll stick around to see you idiots fail. It's good entertainment."
Morrigan swept in, the raven now on her wrist. "Places, everyone. The ritual's about to begin."
Elias grabbed Ava's hand, squeezing it. "When I say run—"
"Too late." Morrigan raised her raven, which cawed loudly. "Bind her."
Sigrid's wolves lunged, but Ava's light exploded, sending them flying. She grabbed Elias, pulling him toward the door, but Morrigan's voice echoed through the chamber.
"Ignis."
Fire erupted around them, blocking the exit.
Ava turned, light blazing. "You want a fight? Fine. Let's go."
Morrigan smiled, raising her hands. "As you wish."
The runes on the altar glowed, red light snaking toward Ava like vines. She screamed as it wrapped around her, burning through her clothes, searing her skin.
"Stop!" Elias lunged, but a wolf tackled him, teeth sinking into his shoulder.
Ava's vision blurred. She could hear Morrigan chanting, Sigrid laughing, Elias's grunts of pain.
Then—silence.
The red light vanished.
Ava collapsed, gasping, as a figure stepped through the fire.
Alexander.
His wolf form was different—fur black as pitch, eyes silver instead of gold. He tore through the wolves, his jaws crushing throats, his claws rending flesh.
Sigrid cursed, grabbing a blade, but Alexander swatted her away, sending her crashing into the altar.
Morrigan raised her raven, but Alexander caught it mid-air, crushing it in his jaws.
Morrigan screamed, clutching her chest. "You'll pay for that! The Coven will—"
Ava stood, silver light pulsing, and launched herself at Morrigan, tackling her to the ground. "No. You will."
She drove her fist into Morrigan's face, once, twice, until the woman went limp.
Alexander shifted back, his chest heaving, his silver eyes fading to gold. "You okay?"
Ava nodded, then turned to Elias, who lay on the floor, bleeding. "Help him."
Alexander hesitated, then knelt beside his father, his jaw tight.
Elias grabbed his hand. "I'm sorry, son. For everything."
Alexander said nothing, just pressed his palm to Elias's wound, silver light flickering as he healed him.
Ava walked to Sigrid, who struggled to stand. "You're lucky I don't kill you."
Sigrid spat blood. "Lucky? I'm leaving. This pack's a mess. But mark my words—we'll meet again, moon-blood. And next time, I'll take what's mine."
She limped out, her wolves following.
Ava turned to Alexander, who stood, his father in his arms. "What now?"
He looked at Elias, then at Ava, his gaze softening. "Now? We fix this. Together."
Elias smiled faintly. "About time."
Outside, the moon rose, silver and bright, casting light over the Coven's lair, over the blood and the pain, over the family that had been broken for so long.
Ava took Alexander's hand, silver light intertwining with his.
Whatever came next, they'd face it.
Together.