Chapter 3 – The Blood Warning

The Dead Don’t Stay Quiet

The howl that woke me wasn’t from the wolves outside. It came from deep within the estate, raw and sharp.

Something inside me said to me that this wasn’t over.

The others had already arrived there,by the time I threw on a jacket and made it to the courtyard. The body slumped against the main gate,and a dark pool of blood was spreading beneath him. The sharp scent of blood lingered in the air make my stomach churn.

No, this wasn’t just any wolf. It was one of Kieran’s.. The scrawled message showing across the iron bars made my stomach drop. YOU CAN’T PROTECT HER.

Caspian stood rigid, his hands curled into fists clenched at his sides while Cian paced nearby,and restless energy was rolling off him. Ronan wasn’t actually looking at the body, but it's me he was looking at.

Kieran knelt beside the corpse, pressing two fingers against the fabric. He wasn’t just checking the body; he was studying it. His eyes traced the wounds like they held a secret only he could see.

"This happened fast," he muttered. "No struggle, no hesitation." Cian exhaled hard, shaking his head.

"So what, a professional?" Cian asked, his voice tight.

Caspian’s eyes flicked toward the bloodied gate.

"Or someone used to hunting wolves," he murmured. Silence wrapped around us like a second skin.

I stepped forward, forcing my pulse to stay steady. The cuts were precise, the placement intentional. This wasn’t a kill—it was a message.

Kieran’s gaze flicked toward me, unreadable. "Anything look familiar?" The words scraped against something raw inside me.

I forced myself to answer. "I’ve seen this before." My throat tightened around the truth.

Caspian’s sharp gaze locked onto me. "Where?" His voice left no room for games.

"My last mate," I said quietly. "He was found just like this." The words left a bitter taste in my mouth.

Everything stilled. Cian stopped pacing, Caspian’s expression became darkened, and Ronan’s eyes became narrowed. Kieran was the first to speak.

"Then we know one thing for certain." He exhaled, the cold misting in the air between us. "This isn’t just a message—it’s a pattern."

A Pack on Edge

The estate locked down before the sun rose. Guards at every entrance, wolves patrolling the perimeter, and tension so thick it nearly choked the air. Everyone felt it.

They didn’t just lose a packmate. They lost safety, certainty, control. Wolves needed a leader who could protect them.

And right now, the dead body at the gate was proof that Kieran couldn’t. As soon as I walked into the hall, silence fell. Their eyes were on me, pressing in like a silent judgment. Not fear—doubt.

Cian didn’t bother pretending otherwise. "You’re cursed." His voice cut through the room, cold and precise.

I held his gaze, steady, and unwilling to look away.

"And you’re observant. Congratulations."

He didn’t smile. "I don’t joke about death." His voice was quieter this time.

"Neither do I," I said flatly. Kieran exhaled sharply through his nose. His patience was thinning.

"Enough," he ordered. The command vibrated through the room. Cian clenched his jaw but didn’t argue.

Kieran turned his gaze on me. "I need everything about your past mates. Every detail." His tone left no room for argument.

I crossed my arms. "And what if I say no?" The challenge in my voice was deliberate.

Caspian didn’t even hesitate. "Then more wolves die." His voice was steady, absolute.

Damn him. Damn all of them. I should have fought harder.

But I didn’t want another body on my conscience. So I told them everything.

A Hunter in the Shadows

By the time I finished, the room was thick with silence. Kieran was still, his mind working through every piece of information. Caspian tapped his fingers against the table, while Cian clenched his fists at his sides, barely holding back his frustration. And Ronan? Ronan hadn’t spoken once.

I turned to him. "You’re quiet." My voice cut through the weight of unspoken thoughts.

Ronan leaned against the doorframe, watching me like he already knew something I didn’t. "I’m thinking," he said simply. The way he said it made my skin prickle.

"About what?" I pushed, my patience thinning. His next words stopped me cold.

"What hunts you," he said. His voice wasn’t mocking—it was certain.

A slow, sick feeling curled in my stomach. "Hunts?" My throat felt tight.

He didn’t blink. "This isn’t a curse," he said. "It’s a pattern."

Silence.

Then Kieran spoke, his voice calm, measured. "Which means there’s a hunter." His words carried weight.

The realization settled like stone in my ribs. This wasn’t bad luck. Someone had been following me.

Waiting.

And they weren’t done yet.

The Watcher in the Dark

That night, I didn’t sleep. The estate was too quiet, like everything inside it was holding its breath. The feeling of being watched hadn’t faded.

If anything, it was worse.

I sat at the edge of my bed, watching the treeline from my window. The shadows seemed darker than usual.

Then—movement.

I was on my feet before I could think. A figure stood just beyond the gates, watching.

The moment stretched. My pulse thumped against my ribs. Then—a noise behind me.

I spun, blade in hand—

And collided with Ronan.

His grip caught my wrist before I could strike. His reflexes were too fast.

"Easy," he murmured. His voice was even, calm.

I exhaled sharply, jerking my arm back. "Try knocking," I muttered. My pulse hadn’t slowed yet.

Ronan didn’t smile. "You weren’t sleeping." His gaze flicked to the window.

"Neither were you," I shot back. His attention was still fixed on the trees.

"You felt it," he said, not a question. I swallowed hard.

"I saw something," I admitted. His jaw tensed slightly.

"So did I," he murmured. The words felt like a warning.

A cold understanding passed between us. The person hunting me?

They weren’t outside the walls anymore.

The Final Warning

At sunrise, we found the third body. Not at the gate. Not in the woods.

Inside the estate.

In the main hall, where no one should have been able to enter unnoticed. The air stilled when we saw it.

A message was scrawled across the stone wall, written in thick, fresh letters.

SHE BELONGS TO ME.

The words burned into my mind,and a heavy feeling spread through me, pressing down on my ribs.

. Kieran stood beside me, silent. Caspian’s hands curled into fists.

Cian took a sharp breath but didn’t say a word. And Ronan?

Ronan was looking at me.

Not with anger. Not with frustration.

With understanding.

Because for the first time, this wasn’t a warning.

It was a claim.

And whoever was hunting me?

They weren’t threatening anymore.

They were coming.