Chapter 10 - Chapter 10 – The Ember Alpha

The palace gates opened at dawn, and the morning mist rolled aside like curtains parting for a play that had long been written in the stars. Every guard stood at attention, every noble watched from the balconies, and the air itself seemed to hold its breath.The visiting Alpha rode in at the head of his warriors—men clad in crimson armor etched with the symbol of the burning claw. Their formation was perfect, their silence absolute. But it was the man at their center who stole the light itself.Alpha Kael of the Ember Claws.He dismounted slowly, every movement deliberate, like a predator stepping into foreign territory. His hair was dark as midnight, his skin kissed by flame, and when he lifted his gaze, the world stilled. Those eyes—amber and molten, the exact shade from my dream—met mine across the courtyard.My breath caught. The mark beneath my sleeve flared, gold and alive, pulsing in rhythm with the thrum in my chest.He shouldn't exist outside my dreams.And yet, here he was."Welcome to Shadow Moon territory," Xavier said, stepping forward. His tone was formal, heavy with authority. But even his commanding presence seemed to dim beside the quiet power radiating from Kael.Kael inclined his head slightly. "Alpha Xavier. I come in peace." His voice—gods, that voice—rolled through the air like thunder wrapped in silk. It was the same one that had whispered to me in the firelit forest. The same voice that had called me Luna of the Fire Moon.Every hair on my body rose."I am told," Kael continued, his eyes flicking briefly toward me, "that your Luna carries a mark unlike any seen before."The council stirred. Elder Rowan shifted uneasily, his fingers tightening on the silver staff he carried. Xavier's jaw clenched, but he forced a smile that didn't reach his eyes."My Luna's mark is no concern of outsiders," he said evenly.Kael's lips curved, not quite a smile, not quite a threat. "Ah, but it is. That mark… it belongs to my bloodline."A collective gasp rippled through the room. My heart lurched."What are you saying?" I demanded before I could stop myself.Kael turned fully to face me then, and the air seemed to burn between us. "The golden flame that lives beneath your skin," he said quietly, "is the blessing of the Fire Moon. Passed through generations of the Ember bloodline. You carry it, Luna. You feel it, don't you?"The mark seared beneath my palm as if answering him. I took an involuntary step back, every instinct warring inside me."She feels nothing," Xavier interjected, his voice a blade cutting through the tension. He moved to my side, his hand settling firmly at the small of my back, a possessive gesture that felt more like a chain than comfort. "You've mistaken your legends for truth, Kael. My Luna bears my bond. No one else's."Kael's gaze dropped to where Xavier touched me, and for the briefest moment, the golden light in his eyes brightened—an unspoken challenge."I mistake nothing," Kael said softly. "But if it eases your pride, Alpha, I did not come to take what is yours." His eyes lifted again, locking with mine. "Only to understand what the Goddess has done."Every word he spoke vibrated through me like a note struck deep within my soul. It wasn't lust—it was recognition. The same ancient pull from my dreams, the same whisper of destiny.Xavier stepped closer to him, the air between them tightening, trembling. "You will not speak to my Luna without my leave."Kael's voice dropped lower, dangerous in its calm. "Then perhaps you should keep your Luna's mark from calling across the realm. The fire answered me, Xavier. You can't silence that."The tension snapped. Invisible power surged—silver against flame. The marble floor beneath them cracked faintly as both Alphas released their auras, neither moving, neither blinking. The guards stumbled back, unable to breathe under the sheer weight of it.I stood between them, caught in the crosscurrent of two worlds. The silver of the Shadow Moon clashed with the gold of the Ember Flame, and my mark pulsed in agony and wonder all at once."Enough!" Elder Rowan shouted, his voice shaking the hall. "The Goddess binds no soul by force. Remember the prophecy—one Luna, two kings. The choice will not be made by battle."The words silenced even the air.Xavier drew back first, face cold as steel. Kael relaxed a fraction, though the fire in his gaze never dimmed."Perhaps we should speak privately," Rowan murmured, but Xavier's glare silenced him.Kael gave a slow nod. "Of course. I am a guest here, after all." His eyes found mine one last time, softer now but infinitely more dangerous. "Until the Goddess calls again, Luna."He turned and walked away, leaving the scent of smoke and power lingering behind him.The moment he was gone, I realized my knees were trembling. My pulse raced, my skin burned, and my heart—traitorous, bewildered—ached with something that felt too close to longing.Xavier stood beside me, silent, his chest rising and falling too fast. "Stay away from him," he said finally, his voice low and broken around the edges. "Whatever he is—whatever he wants—it's poison."I didn't answer. I couldn't.Because as Kael's presence faded down the corridor, a whisper stirred inside my mind—soft, melodic, and divine.Two paths… one heart. Choose wisely.I froze, breath caught, the voice of the Goddess echoing in my soul.And somewhere deep inside, my golden mark pulsed again—like fire waiting to be claimed.---Cliffhanger: Samantha is left trembling between two destinies—the loyalty she's bound to, and the pull of the Alpha whose fire burns in her blood.