Aria's POV
"Grandfather?"
The word comes out as a whisper, but it echoes across the tense courtyard like a gunshot.
The man with violet eyes identical to mine—King Aldric, the Bloodsworn leader called him—turns his gaze to me. And smiles.
It's not a kind smile. It's the smile of a predator who just found his prey cornered.
"Hello, Aria," he says, his voice carrying that same ancient authority. "I apologize for the dramatic entrance. But when I felt your bloodline awaken through the ritual, I knew I couldn't hide any longer."
"You've been alive this whole time?" I can barely process this. "Mom said you died in the Purge. She said the Bloodsworn killed all the Moon Blessed—"
"They tried." His smile sharpens. "They failed. Obviously."
My mother steps forward, her face pale and guilty. "Aria, I can explain—"
"You've been lying to me my entire life!" The words explode out of me, months of pain and betrayal finally finding a target. "You suppressed my wolf, hid my bloodline, fed me herbs to keep me weak—and the whole time, my grandfather was alive? And you just... what? Decided I didn't need to know?"
"I was protecting you," Mom says desperately. "If anyone knew you were Moon Blessed, they would have hunted you. Used you. The Bloodsworn would have come for you as a child—"
"Instead they're coming for me now!" I gesture at the assassins surrounding us, their weapons still drawn. "How is this better?"
"Because now you have power," King Aldric says calmly. "Now you have an Alpha mate bonded to you—" He nods at Kael with what looks like approval. "—and now you have me. The Bloodsworn are terrifying to normal wolves. To Moon Blessed royalty? They're insects."
The Bloodsworn leader snarls. "You arrogant—"
He doesn't finish. King Aldric moves faster than my eye can follow, and suddenly the leader is on his knees, my grandfather's hand around his throat.
"You murdered my son," Aldric says quietly. "My daughter-in-law. Dozens of my people. You hunted my bloodline to near extinction and forced me to hide while you slaughtered children." His grip tightens. "Give me one reason I shouldn't kill you right here."
Through the bond, I feel Kael's shock—and respect. Whatever power my grandfather has, it's making even the most dangerous Alpha in the territories take notice.
"Kill me and a hundred more will come," the leader chokes out. "The Bloodsworn serve a higher purpose. The Moon Blessed are an abomination. Your power corrupts the natural order—"
"Blah, blah, blah." Aldric releases him with a look of disgust. "Same fanatic nonsense you've been spouting for centuries. Here's what's going to happen: you're going to leave my granddaughter alone. You're going to tell your cult that the Moon Blessed line is under my protection. And if even one of you comes near her again, I will personally hunt down every Bloodsworn member and make the Purge look gentle by comparison."
"We don't negotiate with—"
Aldric's eyes flash violet—the same color as mine, but brighter. More intense. Power radiates from him in waves that make every wolf present, including Kael, instinctively lower their heads.
"That wasn't a negotiation," Aldric says softly. "That was a warning. Now get off my grandson-in-law's territory before I lose my temper."
The Bloodsworn hesitate. Then, as one, they retreat into the shadows, dragging their leader with them.
But his final words echo in the darkness: "This isn't over, King Aldric. The girl will die. It's only a matter of time."
Silence falls over the courtyard.
Then Kael's Beta, Theron, breaks it: "Did he just call you 'grandson-in-law'?"
Aldric turns to Kael with an appraising look. "The bond is complete, yes? Full mate bond, sealed under the Blood Moon?"
"Yes," Kael says carefully.
"Good. Then you're family now. Welcome to the disaster that is the Moon Blessed bloodline, Alpha Blackthorn. I hope you're ready for every supernatural creature in existence to either try to kill your mate or steal her for their own purposes."
Kael's expression doesn't change. "Anyone who tries will die screaming."
Aldric laughs—a genuine sound of delight. "Oh, I like him. Elena, you were right. The bond chose well."
My mother looks like she's aged ten years in the last ten minutes. "Father, we need to talk. Inside. There are things Aria needs to know—"
"Like the fact that I'm apparently royalty?" I interrupt, my voice sharp. "Or that my entire life has been a lie? Or that my grandfather faked his death and let me think I was nobody special while I got rejected and humiliated and broken?"
Aldric's expression softens. "Aria—"
"No." I take a step back, and immediately feel the bond with Kael pull tight. Too much distance. I grit my teeth against the warning pain and force myself to stay where I am. "I don't want explanations right now. I don't want apologies. I just want five minutes where everything isn't completely insane."
Through the bond, I feel Kael's understanding. He steps closer, closing the distance until the bond settles. His presence is solid, grounding, even though I barely know him.
"You should all go inside," Kael says, his Alpha voice brooking no argument. "It's not safe out here, especially with the Bloodsworn still in the area. We can have this family reunion somewhere less exposed."
"Agreed," Aldric says. He looks at me, his violet eyes sad. "I know you're angry, granddaughter. You have every right to be. But please—let us explain. Then you can decide whether to forgive us or not."
I don't want to forgive them. I want to scream and rage and maybe shift into my wolf and run until none of this is real anymore.
Except I can't shift. My wolf is still broken, damaged by Damien's rejection.
As if reading my thoughts, Aldric says quietly, "The ritual awakened your bloodline, but your wolf is still wounded. We can fix that. I can teach you to heal her, to access the full power of what you are."
"And what am I, exactly?"
"The last Moon Blessed princess. Heir to a bloodline that ruled the wolf territories for thousands of years before the Purge." He smiles slightly. "Also, apparently, the mate of Kael Blackthorn, which makes you far more politically powerful than you realize. Together, you two could reshape the entire supernatural world."
"I don't want to reshape anything," I say tiredly. "I just wanted to stop feeling Damien's happiness every second of every day."
"Well, you accomplished that," Lyra mutters. "By accidentally binding yourself to someone else and painting a target on your back for a murder cult. Great job."
Despite everything, I almost laugh.
We file inside the massive estate, guards surrounding us in protective formation. Kael stays close—close enough that the bond is satisfied but far enough that I don't feel completely smothered.
The estate is intimidating. All dark wood and stone, with weapons mounted on walls and pack symbols everywhere. This is the home of wolves who earn respect through strength, not politics.
Kael leads us to what looks like a war room. Maps cover the walls, strategy plans scattered across a huge table.
"Everyone sit," he orders.
We obey—me, Lyra, my mother, my supposedly-dead grandfather, Theron, and several of Kael's higher-ranking wolves.
"Start talking," Kael says to Aldric. "And don't leave anything out. If Aria's life is in danger, I need to know everything."
Aldric nods. "Twenty-five years ago, the Bloodsworn launched a coordinated attack on all known Moon Blessed families. They called it the Purge. In one night, they killed hundreds of my people. My son—Aria's father—died defending his family." His voice cracks slightly. "I barely escaped with Elena and infant Aria. We've been hiding ever since."
"Why didn't you fight back?" I ask. "You clearly have power. You made those assassins run—"
"Because fighting would have drawn attention to you," my mother says quietly. "The Bloodsworn don't know what you look like. They don't have your scent. As long as you seemed like a normal wolf, you were safe. But if your grandfather had revealed himself, if I'd let you access your power, they would have found you immediately."
"So you made me weak instead." Bitterness fills my voice. "Made me an easy target for someone like Damien."
"I made a choice," Mom says, tears streaming down her face. "Maybe the wrong one. But I chose your life over your happiness. And I'd do it again."
Through the bond, I feel Kael's anger on my behalf. But also his understanding—he knows what it's like to make impossible choices to protect someone.
"The Bloodsworn won't stop," Theron says grimly. "They're fanatics. Even with King Aldric's warning, they'll keep coming."
"Let them," Kael says coldly. "My territory has the strongest defenses in the region. They won't get past my wards again."
"They got past them tonight," I point out.
"Because I let them," Aldric says. "I've been tracking the Bloodsworn for years. When I felt your awakening, I knew they'd come for you. So I followed them, waited until they revealed themselves, then made my entrance." He smiles slightly. "Dramatic, yes. But effective."
"There's still the Council meeting tomorrow," Theron reminds us. "Damien's challenge to the bond. Even with King Aldric's protection, if the Council rules against you—"
"They won't," Aldric says firmly. "I'll attend the meeting myself. The Council may not remember Moon Blessed royalty, but I certainly remember them. And I know exactly which Alphas owe my bloodline favors that are centuries overdue."
Political maneuvering. Power plays. Ancient debts.
My head is spinning.
"I need air," I mutter, standing up.
The bond immediately protests—I'm too far from Kael. Pain lances through my chest.
Kael stands instantly. "I'll come with you."
"I don't need a babysitter—"
"You need to stay within two miles of me or we both collapse in agony," Kael says bluntly. "So unless you want to test that theory, I'm coming."
He's right. I hate that he's right.
We step out onto a balcony overlooking the Blackthorn territory. The Blood Moon is setting now, the sky fading from crimson to purple.
It's almost beautiful.
"This wasn't how tonight was supposed to go," I say quietly.
"No?" Kael leans against the railing beside me. "How was it supposed to go?"
"I was supposed to break the bond with Damien. Be free. Maybe get my wolf back. Go home and figure out how to rebuild my life." I laugh bitterly. "Instead I'm bound to a stranger, hunted by assassins, and apparently a lost princess. It's like a nightmare I can't wake up from."
"I'm not that strange," Kael says dryly. "We've been bonded for several hours now. You know my favorite color is black, I hate politics, and I will murder anyone who threatens you. See? Not strangers anymore."
Despite everything, I smile. "That's not how getting to know someone works."
"It is in my world."
We stand in comfortable silence for a moment. Then Kael says quietly, "I didn't want this either, you know. The bond. The mate connection. I've spent years avoiding exactly this situation."
"Why?"
His jaw clenches. "Because bonds make you weak. Vulnerable. My father used my mother's mate bond to control her, torture her, break her spirit. I watched her waste away, unable to leave because the bond wouldn't let her. When she finally died, she looked relieved." His silver eyes meet mine. "I swore I'd never let a bond control me like that. Never let anyone have that kind of power over me."
"And now you're bound to me," I whisper. "Someone you didn't choose. Someone who comes with assassins and political nightmares and a broken wolf."
"Yes."
The honesty hurts.
But then Kael continues: "And yet, when I think about breaking this bond, about being free of you, my wolf loses his mind. Because somehow, in the space of a few hours, you've become mine. And I protect what's mine."
Through the bond, I feel his truth. It's not love—we barely know each other. But it's something. A foundation we could build on.
If we survive long enough.
A commotion inside makes us both turn. Theron bursts onto the balcony, his face pale.
"We have a problem. A big one."
"The Bloodsworn?" Kael demands.
"Worse." Theron holds up his phone. "Damien just went live on pack television. He's claiming that Aria was kidnapped by you. That the bond was forced. And he's calling for all allied packs to help him 'rescue' his mate." He swallows hard. "Kael, he's declaring war. If you don't return Aria by dawn, he's bringing every ally he has straight to our border."
My blood runs cold.
Through the broken bond I still share with Damien, I feel his rage. His absolute conviction that I belong to him, bond or no bond.
"How many allies does he have?" I ask quietly.
"At least five major packs," Theron says grimly. "Maybe more. If they all attack at once—"
"We'll be outnumbered three to one," Kael finishes. His expression is ice. "He's forcing me to choose: give you up, or watch my pack die in a war we can't win."
Through the bond, I feel his conflict. His pack is his family, his responsibility. But the bond won't let him give me up—the pain of separation would destroy us both.
There's no good choice.
Only impossible ones.
"Then I'll go back," I say quietly. "I'll tell him the bond was my choice, that you didn't force anything—"
"He won't believe you," Aldric says from the doorway. He must have heard everything. "Damien has already decided the narrative. You going back just gives him exactly what he wants—a powerful Moon Blessed mate he can control."
"So what do we do?" My voice cracks. "Let people die in a war over me?"
Aldric and Kael exchange a look.
Then my grandfather smiles. Dark. Dangerous. Royal.
"We don't let there be a war," he says simply. "We end this before dawn. Permanently."
"How?" I demand.
Aldric's violet eyes gleam with ancient power. "By giving Damien exactly what he's asking for. A challenge. Not a war. Just him and Kael. Alpha to Alpha. Winner takes the mate—and the loser loses everything."
My heart stops.
"A death match," I whisper.
"Yes."
Through the bond, I feel Kael's immediate acceptance. He's not afraid. He's been ready for this fight since the moment Damien rejected me.
But I'm terrified.
Because death matches have only one rule: fight until someone can't fight anymore.
And the loser doesn't walk away.