Chapter 4
The torches in the forest multiplied by the second.
Ariana watched in horror as dozens of lights moved through the darkness beyond the shattered windows. The trees flickered with an orange glow, shadows stretching across the ground like claws reaching toward the house.
Whoever they were… there were a lot of them.
Her chest tightened.
"They're coming here," she whispered.
Kael Vaughn didn't answer immediately.
His sharp gaze scanned the forest with the calm focus of a predator calculating every possible move.
"Yes," he said finally.
His voice was quiet.
But tension coiled beneath it now.
"They're hunting."
Ariana slowly pushed herself up from the floor, though her legs still trembled.
"Hunters?" she asked.
Kael shook his head once.
"Worse."
The silver light beneath Ariana's skin flickered again—faint, but still there.
Kael noticed.
His jaw tightened.
"You need to control that."
"I don't even know what it is!" Ariana snapped, panic slipping into her voice.
"Your power," Kael replied coldly.
"Or the thing that will get you killed."
Outside, the torches moved closer.
Branches snapped.
Voices echoed through the forest.
Ariana's heart pounded harder.
"How many are there?" she asked quietly.
Kael didn't look away from the forest.
"Too many."
Her stomach dropped.
"You said they're from the council."
"Yes."
"Then why would they come themselves?"
Kael's eyes darkened.
"Because the Fifth Blood isn't supposed to exist anymore."
Ariana wrapped her arms around herself.
"What does that mean?"
Kael finally turned toward her.
For the first time, Ariana saw something beneath his cold expression.
Conflict.
"You were supposed to die centuries ago."
Her breath caught.
"I was born twenty-three years ago."
"You misunderstand," Kael said.
"The bloodline."
The words felt heavy in the air.
"Long ago," Kael continued, "the four ruling bloodlines made a decision."
Ariana didn't like the sound of that.
"They decided the Fifth Blood was too dangerous to exist."
Her pulse pounded in her ears.
"So they hunted them," she whispered.
Kael said nothing.
He didn't need to.
The answer was obvious.
Her family.
Her ancestors.
All hunted.
All erased.
"And now they're coming to finish the job," Ariana said quietly.
"Yes."
The torches had reached the edge of the clearing.
Ariana could now see figures moving between the trees.
Tall.
Armed.
Fast.
Some of them moved too smoothly to be human.
"How long do we have?" she asked.
Kael stepped toward the broken doorway, studying their approach.
"Two minutes."
Her breath caught.
"Two—"
"We're leaving."
The statement was firm.
Not a suggestion.
A command.
Ariana blinked.
"You're taking me with you?"
Kael looked back at her.
His golden eyes were unreadable.
"For now."
"For now?" she repeated.
"If the council finds you first," he said calmly, "they'll kill you."
"And if you find me first?"
Kael didn't answer.
Ariana's stomach twisted.
Before she could say anything else, a deep voice echoed from the forest.
"Alpha Vaughn."
Both of them froze.
The voice carried easily through the night air.
Powerful.
Confident.
Used to being obeyed.
Ariana felt Kael's entire body go rigid.
The voice spoke again.
"We know you're inside."
Kael's expression darkened.
"Who is that?" Ariana whispered.
Kael's voice was barely audible.
"Someone we don't want to meet tonight."
The forest suddenly grew brighter.
More torches appeared.
More figures stepped out of the shadows.
Ariana's eyes widened.
There were at least thirty of them.
Maybe more.
And they were surrounding the house.
"You're trapped," the voice called again.
This time the speaker stepped into the open.
A tall man wearing a long black coat.
His silver hair gleamed under the moonlight.
And his eyes—
glowed red.
Ariana felt a chill crawl up her spine.
Vampire.
Kael's jaw tightened.
"Lord Cassian," he said quietly.
The vampire smiled faintly.
"So you remember me."
Kael didn't return the smile.
"What are you doing in my territory?"
Cassian's gaze slid toward Ariana.
The moment he saw the silver light beneath her skin—
his expression sharpened with interest.
"Well," he murmured.
"There she is."
Ariana's heart dropped.
"You see the problem now, Alpha?" Cassian said calmly.
"The council has already confirmed it."
Kael shifted slightly in front of Ariana.
A protective instinct she didn't fully understand.
Cassian noticed.
His smile widened.
"That's… unexpected."
Kael's voice turned cold.
"Leave."
Cassian laughed softly.
"I'm afraid that's not possible."
He lifted one hand slightly.
Behind him, the council hunters began moving closer.
The house was completely surrounded now.
"You know the law," Cassian continued.
"The Fifth Blood must be eliminated."
Kael didn't move.
"And if I refuse?"
Cassian's eyes gleamed.
"Then the council will consider you a traitor."
Ariana's breath caught.
Kael remained silent for several seconds.
The tension in the air was unbearable.
Finally, he spoke.
His voice was calm.
Controlled.
Deadly.
"You're not taking her."
Cassian's smile slowly faded.
"You're making a mistake, Alpha."
Kael's wolf growled beneath the surface.
"Maybe."
Cassian sighed.
"What a disappointment."
Then he raised his hand.
"Kill them both."
Everything happened at once.
The hunters charged.
The forest exploded with movement.
Ariana's heart slammed against her ribs.
Kael grabbed her wrist.
"Run."
She barely had time to react before he pulled her toward the back door.
Behind them, the hunters burst into the house.
Claws.
Weapons.
Fangs.
Kael shoved Ariana outside into the cold night air.
"Don't stop running," he said.
"What about you?" she asked.
Kael's eyes burned with something fierce.
"I'll handle them."
Before Ariana could argue—
a massive shadow crashed down from the sky.
Something enormous landed in the clearing between them and the forest.
The ground trembled violently.
Dust rose into the air.
Both Ariana and Kael froze.
The creature slowly lifted its head.
Silver eyes glowed in the darkness.
Huge wings unfolded behind it.
Ariana's breath caught.
"What… is that?"
Kael's expression turned grim.
"Something that shouldn't be here."
The creature spoke.
Its voice echoed across the clearing like thunder.
"We finally found you."
Its glowing gaze locked onto Ariana.
"The Fifth Blood."
Ariana's blood ran cold.
Then the creature said the words that made Kael step forward instantly.
"She belongs to us."