The Blood That Calls

Chapter Two – The Blood That Calls

The wind howled louder, as if answering him.

Miles away, Lia suddenly gasped, clutching her chest.

A presence.

Heavy. Dangerous.

Familiar.

“No…” she whispered in fear. “He can’t—”

But deep down…

She knew.

He was coming.

The forest surrounding the village fell unnaturally silent.

No birds.

No insects.

Nothing.

Lia’s head snapped up, her instincts screaming.

This isn’t normal.

Inside the house, the twins froze at the same time.

Ethan’s playful energy vanished, replaced by something sharp and alert. Elena slowly turned toward the window, her eyes narrowing.

“Mom…” Ethan called, his voice lower than before. “Something’s here.”

Lia rushed inside, shutting the door behind her with force.

“Stay away from the windows,” she ordered.

“But—” Ethan started.

“Now!” she snapped.

They obeyed instantly.

A low growl echoed from deep within the forest.

Not human.

Not animal.

Something in between.

Lia’s blood ran cold.

“They found us…” she breathed.

At the edge of the village…

Dark figures moved between the trees.

Rogues.

Wild. Uncontrolled. Drawn by one thing—

Alpha blood.

One of them crouched low, sniffing the air, his lips curling into a wicked grin.

“Strong…” he muttered. “Very strong.”

Another stepped beside him. “We take them?”

The first rogue’s eyes gleamed.

“No.”

He looked toward the small house in the distance.

“We hunt them.”

Inside the house, Elena suddenly clutched her head.

“They’re coming,” she whispered.

Lia turned sharply. “Who?”

Elena’s voice trembled—not with fear, but with something deeper.

“Not him… something else.”

Ethan stepped forward, his small fists clenching.

“I can hear them,” he said. “Moving… fast.”

Lia’s heart pounded violently.

Rogues.

Of all times—

“Listen to me carefully,” she said, dropping to her knees in front of them. “You do exactly what I say. No matter what happens.”

Her tone made Ethan swallow hard.

Elena simply nodded.

The first crash came without warning.

The door shook violently as something slammed against it from outside.

BOOM.

The walls trembled.

Ethan flinched. Elena didn’t.

Another hit.

Harder.

Cracks splintered across the wood.

Lia stepped in front of her children, her body tense, eyes glowing faintly.

She had hidden this for years.

Buried it.

Denied it.

But now—

There was no choice.

“Stay behind me,” she whispered.

The door exploded inward.

Wood shattered across the floor as a rogue burst into the house, his eyes wild, his teeth bared.

“Well… look what we found.”

Lia’s expression turned deadly.

“Get out,” she warned.

The rogue laughed.

“I don’t think so.”

He lunged.

Fast.

Too fast for a normal human—

But not for her.

Lia moved instantly, intercepting him with a force that sent him crashing into the wall. The impact shook the entire house.

Ethan’s eyes widened.

“Mom…?”

But there was no time.

Another rogue leapt through the broken doorway.

Then another.

Three.

Surrounding them.

Lia’s breathing turned sharp.

She couldn’t protect them all—

Not like this.

Not alone.

“Ethan. Elena,” she said quietly, her voice urgent. “Close your eyes.”

“What—” Ethan started.

“NOW.”

Something in her tone made them obey.

The moment their eyes shut—

Lia let go.

Her eyes blazed gold.

Power surged through her veins like fire, the air around her shifting violently.

The rogues hesitated.

Too late.

She moved like a storm.

Fast. Precise. Deadly.

One rogue was thrown across the room before he could react. Another was slammed into the ground with crushing force.

The third barely managed to dodge, his expression shifting from confidence… to fear.

“You’re not just hiding pups…” he snarled.

He looked at her again—really looked.

“…you’re hiding power.”

Far away…

Liam stopped mid-step.

His head snapped toward the distance, eyes blazing.

There it was.

Not just the pull anymore.

A surge.

Wild. Untamed.

Familiar.

His wolf roared inside him.

“Faster,” he ordered coldly.

His men didn’t question it.

Because whatever was ahead…

Had just awakened.

Back in the house…

The last rogue staggered back toward the broken door, breathing hard.

“This isn’t over,” he growled. “Others will come.”

Then he vanished into the forest.

Silence fell again.

Heavy.

Shaking.

Lia stood still, her chest rising and falling rapidly as the glow in her eyes slowly faded.

Behind her—

“Mom…?”

Small.

Uncertain.

Afraid.

Lia froze.

Slowly… she turned.

The twins were staring at her.

Not with fear.

But with realization.

Ethan spoke first.

“You’re like us.”

Elena stepped closer, her voice quiet but sure.

“No…”

She looked at Lia… then toward the dark forest.

“We’re like him.”

Lia’s heart shattered.

Because she knew—

There was no more hiding.

And now…

Not only had Liam felt them—

The world had too.