Aria's POV
The sounds of people talking in the corridors would not stop pounding in my head. Every laugh, every whisper felt sharp and personal, as if all of them were aimed at me.
I kept my head down while I cleaned the tables, pretending not to hear.
"What's even the scroll about?"
The question slipped out before I could stop it. I had seen Ares and James studying that ancient parchment the night before, their faces grave. Since then the whole pack seemed restless, watching me as though I carried some hidden plague.
I tried to shake it off and stepped outside to get some air. The sun was already high, and the wind smelled of pine and smoke from the training grounds. For a moment I thought the noise inside my head would quiet, but the whispers followed me out, soft and taunting.
When I went back inside the hall the voices grew even louder. I pressed my hands over my ears. It wasn't just sound; it felt like the words were crawling into my skin. I was lost in that storm of noise when I heard footsteps behind me.
"Aria."
I turned quickly. It was Lara, my best friend, her eyes wide with worry.
She grabbed my arm. "People are talking," she whispered. "Clara's been saying things to the council. Everyone thinks you're cursed or worse, a spy."
The words hit like cold water. I stood there, frozen, while the echo of her voice tangled with all the gossip around us. I wanted to laugh, to deny it, but my throat burned.
For a long moment I said nothing. Anger built in me until my hands shook.
"I didn't ask to be weak," I said at last. "Or to be born different. Am I one of those cursed bloodlines everyone fears? Is my life really that meaningless?"
Lara's face softened. "You're not cursed, Aria. But you need to be careful. Clara's turning people against you."
Before I could answer, she glanced toward the main doors. "I should go before anyone sees me here." She left quickly, leaving me alone with the buzzing in my ears.
I leaned against the wall, staring at the floor. The voices had changed. Now I could hear distinct sentences, clear as if the speakers stood beside me.
"She's dangerous."
"If Clara is right, her bloodline should have been erased centuries ago. How is she still alive?"
My breath caught. Bloodline. The same word that had appeared on the scroll.
Fear tightened around my chest. I couldn't stay still; I had to know what was happening.
I walked straight toward the Alpha's office, where Ares was usually buried in reports or council notes. Two guards moved aside, sensing my determination.
He looked up when I entered. "You shouldn't be here," he said quietly.
"I need answers." My voice trembled despite me. "Why is everyone talking about me? Why are they looking at me like I'm some sort of monster?"
"Aria..."
"No, don't 'Aria' me. I overheard the elders mention Moon Blessed. What is that? And why does Clara see me as a threat? She's telling the council things about me, isn't she?"
Ares' jaw clenched. For a heartbeat I thought he might actually tell me, but his eyes drifted away, cold again.
"It's nothing you need to worry about," he said.
"Nothing?" My anger spiked. "I'm being called cursed and a spy, and you tell me it's nothing?"
He stood then, towering, the authority in his stance forcing silence across the room. "Go back to your quarters, Aria."
I stared at him, my chest aching. He was hiding something. I could feel it.
Fine, if he wouldn't speak, I'd find the truth myself. As I turned to leave I caught my reflection in the glass cabinet behind him pale, tired, angry. I'm sure he knows more, I told myself, but he's too afraid to say it.
Ares' POV
By evening, the council chamber was full. Elders from the allied packs sat around the long oak table, murmuring while the torches hissed against the damp walls. The alliance talks had turned into something darker.
Clara entered last, draped in white, her face the picture of innocence. She bowed to the council and to me. "I come only as an ally," she said sweetly.
I already knew what was coming.
She began slowly, her tone almost regretful. "Aria the girl serving in your ward is a threat. I wonder why she hasn't been questioned yet. Her presence puts the pack at risk."
Several elders exchanged uneasy looks. I felt Ace stir in the back of my mind, restless, ready to snarl.
Clara continued, "She might even be a spy. I have proof."
From within her cloak she drew a dagger, laying it on the table with a deliberate click. "This was found near the northern fence after last night's patrol. It carries her scent."
Murmurs rose instantly. The metallic tang of the blade hit my senses even from across the table it did smell of her. My stomach tightened.
"She was seen near the tunnels two nights ago," Clara pressed. "We cannot ignore this."
The elders argued among themselves. Some demanded punishment; others hesitated. I kept my face still, though every nerve in me wanted to snatch that dagger and throw it out the window.
"She's not a spy," I said finally.
Clara tilted her head. "How can you be so certain, Alpha? You barely know her."
Her words sliced close to the truth. I forced my voice steady. "Because I know loyalty when I see it."
That silenced them for a while, but I could feel their doubt crawling through the room like smoke. I tried to ignore it, to ignore Ace pacing inside me.
She's ours, he growled.
Not now, I answered silently.
She's being hunted, and you let them speak this way?
My hands tightened around the armrests. For a second my claws threatened to pierce through my skin. I swallowed the urge.
James entered then came over to me and whispered, cutting through the tension. "Enough," he said. His gaze swept the room before coming on me. "You already know she's Moon Blessed, Ares. Why hide it?"he whispered