Chapter Nine: The Blood We CarryAria's POV
The valley opened before us like a secret the world had forgotten.
Nestled between towering cliffs and veiled by thick mists, it shimmered in the morning light lush, green, and untouched by the outside world. Wildflowers blanketed the slopes, and tall, ancient trees stretched their arms toward the sky. It didn't look like a place of rebellion. It looked like freedom.
Kael stood beside me, silent, his hand holding mine tightly. He hadn't said much since we crossed the ridge since the last chase, the last fire, the last night we almost didn't survive.
We were both waiting for the next danger.
Instead, we found peace.
A figure stepped from the tree line, bow in hand, expression unreadable.
"Name yourselves," she said, voice calm but firm.
Kael stepped forward. "Kael Darkwood. This is Aria of the Bloodstone Pack. We seek sanctuary."
The woman's eyes flicked between us. Her grip on the bow didn't waver.
"You're the Alpha's son."
Kael didn't deny it. "We're not here to bring war."
The woman studied me for a long moment, and I felt it a strange warmth, not threatening, but ancient. She wasn't just looking at me. She was seeing me. Like my blood had a voice only she could hear.
Finally, she lowered the bow.
"Come," she said. "The Oracle has been waiting for you."
We followed her through winding trails into the heart of the valley. Modern houses made of cement stood hidden among the trees, each one humming with quiet life. Children ran barefoot through the grass. Elders sat in circles, And everywhere I looked, I saw eyes that watched with knowing.
They didn't ask who we were.
They already knew.
We were taken to a round structure built into the side of a hill, its doorway framed by wolf carvings so old, their eyes had faded into smooth stone. Inside, candles flickered on every surface, and the scent of herbs and smoke filled the air.
A woman sat in the center, her eyes clouded with milky white.
The Oracle.
She turned toward me as we entered.
"Daughter of Light," she whispered, "You have come."
Kael looked at me sharply. "What did she call you?"
I stepped forward slowly. "You know me?"
The Oracle smiled. "I know your blood. I have dreamed of your fire. The Moon never forgets her chosen."
She reached out and placed her hand gently on my chest right over my heart.
"You carry the spark of the First Flame," she murmured. "And your bond… has awakened the prophecy."
Kael's brows furrowed. "What prophecy?"
The Oracle turned her face toward him. "The one your Alpha tried to bury."
We sat around her fire as she told the tale.
"A thousand moons ago," she began, "there was a great betrayal. A bond was broken by force ripped apart before it could be completed. The woman at the center of it, a seer of the Moon, vowed that her line would never again be forced to love. That the next time her descendant found their true mate, the bond would awaken the Flame."
I swallowed. "What is the Flame?"
The Oracle's voice dropped to a hush. "It is power born of truth. Of choice. It can destroy… or restore."
Kael took my hand.
"So this was never just about us," I whispered.
"No," she said. "It was always about what you represent. Freedom. Love. A bond not made by decree… but by destiny."
I looked at Kael, and he looked back at me like he was seeing all of this for the first time.
Then the Oracle's tone shifted.
"But the prophecy speaks of two sons, born under false names. One led by light, the other by shadow. And a father who is not what he claims."
Kael sat up straighter. "What do you mean?"
The Oracle turned her blind eyes toward him. "The man who raised you and your brother he is not your father."
Silence.
I could feel Kael's breath leave him.
"What?" he whispered.
"You carry the blood of another," she said. "And he your so-called father has used that secret to bind you. To control your fate."
My mind raced. Lucian. Kael. Two sons. Both trapped. Both lied to.
"But who is their real father?" I asked.
"That," the Oracle said, "has yet to be revealed. But when the truth comes to light, the entire pack will be shaken. The Alpha's power is not his own."
Kael stood, jaw clenched, hands shaking.
"All my life… I thought I knew who I was. That I was the second son. The one in the shadows."
"You were never in the shadows," she said gently. "You are the Flame."
That night, we were given shelter in one of the houses overlooking a pool of moonlit water. Kael barely spoke. I didn't push him. I knew what it felt like to have your world crumble.
He sat at the edge of the pool, staring into the water like it might tell him who he really was.
I knelt beside him and took his hand.
"You don't have to be anyone's son," I said softly. "You are who you choose to be."
He looked at me, eyes glassy. "I just wanted to be free. I never cared about power or prophecy. I just wanted to live… with you."
"You still can."
I leaned in and kissed him slow, deep, true.
He cupped my face in his hands
"I want you"
He said in a whisper
He took off my top and started tracing kisses on my chest down to my belly button
I pierced my fingers into his back
He moaned softly
He unbuckled my bra revealing my papaya shaped tits
Then the caressed them with his hands
I felt his tongue on them moving slowly
I moaned
His D**k was hardened
I gently unzipped his pants to free his big hard c**k
I moaned as I felt it inside me
Moving back and Forth
Faster and Faster
We made love under the stars, not out of desperation, but out of something stronger.
Hope.
Meanwhile…
Lucian's POV
I stood in the Hall of Vows, staring at the Moon altar.
My father approached from behind, heavy with silence.
"She's not coming back," I said.
"She will," the Alpha replied.
I turned slowly. "What if she's not meant to be mine?"
My father's eyes darkened. "She is. The prophecy demands it."
"What prophecy?"
The Alpha froze.
I stepped forward. "You've been feeding me pieces. Lies. Half-truths. Telling me I need her. That I must bond with her. But you never told me why."
The Alpha's face twisted into something cruel.
"You're too soft. Just like your mother."
I stepped back like he'd been slapped.
"My mother died protecting me."
"She died because she defied me."
My heart slammed in my chest.
"You killed her?"
He came closer to me and whispered
"I removed a threat to our legacy," the Alpha snapped. "And if you don't do what must be doneif you don't bond with Aria and seal the power you'll be next."
I turned away, my thoughts spinning, my breath shallow.
All I could hear in my head was
OBEY!OBEY!OBEY!
And as I looked up at the Moon through the stained glass, a whisper echoed in my mind.
He is not your father.
I screamed