CHAPTER EIGHT — “BLOOD AND LOYALTY”

The moment Luca carried Aria out of the hall, the weight of what had just happened settled heavily into the walls of the mansion.

Whispers chased them down the corridor.

Some wolves bowed their heads. Others stared openly, curiosity and fear battling in their eyes. A few watched Aria with thinly veiled hostility, as if she were a spark dropped too close to dry leaves.

Aria felt all of it.

Every emotion brushed against her skin, sharper than before. Louder. Stronger. It was as if the bond had stripped away a veil she never knew existed.

“Why can I feel them,” she asked quietly, fingers gripping Luca’s jacket. “Their anger. Their fear.”

Luca did not slow. “Because your blood is awake now.”

He pushed open the doors to his private wing, shutting out the rest of the world. The moment the doors closed, wards flared faintly along the walls, sealing them inside.

Aria exhaled shakily. “You didn’t have to do that. Claim me like that. You could have waited.”

Luca set her gently on her feet but did not step away. His presence surrounded her, solid and unyielding.

“If I had waited, they would have torn you apart with rules and politics,” he said. “You became a target the moment your power surfaced.”

She looked up at him. “And now.”

“And now,” he said, lifting her chin, “you are untouchable.”

Her heart twisted. “Because of you.”

“Because of us.”

The word settled deep in her chest, frightening and intoxicating all at once.

Before she could respond, a sharp knock echoed against the door.

Luca’s eyes darkened. “Enter.”

A young wolf stepped inside, his posture stiff with unease. “Alpha. The Council requests a private audience.”

“They can wait.”

The wolf hesitated. “They are demanding a loyalty trial.”

Aria stiffened. “A what.”

Luca’s jaw clenched. “They want to test you.”

Her stomach dropped. “Test me how.”

The wolf swallowed. “Blood resonance. If she cannot control her power, they will call her unstable.”

Luca growled low, a sound that vibrated through the floor. “Get out.”

The door shut swiftly.

Aria wrapped her arms around herself. “If I fail, they’ll use it against you.”

Luca stepped closer. “You won’t fail.”

“You don’t know that.”

“I do,” he said firmly. “Because I will be there.”

Minutes later, Aria stood in the underground chamber, cold stone beneath her bare feet. Ancient symbols glowed faintly along the walls, reacting to her presence.

The elders formed a circle.

Luca stood directly behind her, close enough that she could feel the steady rise and fall of his chest. His hands rested lightly at her waist, grounding her without restraint.

“Focus,” he murmured. “Breathe.”

She closed her eyes.

The air shifted.

Heat surged through her veins, powerful and wild, clawing for release. Images flashed behind her eyelids. Fire. Blood. Her mother’s face, proud and unafraid.

A sharp voice cut through the chamber.

“Control it.”

Aria’s breath hitched.

Her power flared violently, cracking the stone beneath her feet. Gasps filled the chamber as energy rippled outward.

Luca tightened his hold. “Listen to me. You are not the power. You command it.”

She swallowed hard, forcing herself to breathe slower. Deeper.

Gradually, the storm inside her stilled.

The symbols dimmed.

Silence fell.

One of the elders stepped forward, awe plain on his face. “She passed.”

Relief crashed through Aria so hard her knees nearly buckled. Luca caught her instantly, lifting her against him.

“She is accepted,” the elder said reluctantly. “But this changes nothing. War is coming.”

Aria opened her mouth to respond when a sudden scream echoed through the chamber.

A guard burst in, bloodied and frantic. “Alpha. We have a breach.”

Luca turned sharply. “Where.”

“The outer gates. A woman leading them.”

Aria’s chest tightened painfully.

“I know,” she whispered. “It’s her.”

Luca’s expression turned lethal. “Stay here.”

“No,” Aria said, surprising herself. “I’m done hiding.”

Luca studied her for a long moment, then nodded once. “Then stay close.”

They reached the courtyard just as chaos erupted. Wolves clashed. Gunfire rang out. And at the center of it all stood a woman in dark silk, her presence calm amid the destruction.

Her eyes locked onto Aria.

“My daughter,” the woman said softly, her voice carrying effortlessly. “You’ve grown.”

Aria’s breath caught. “You left me.”

“I protected you.”

“You lied to me.”

The woman smiled sadly. “Because you were never meant to grow weak.”

Luca stepped forward, placing himself between them. “You will not take her.”

The woman’s gaze flicked to him. “Alpha DeLuca. I was wondering how long it would take before you marked what does not belong to you.”

Aria felt anger surge. “I chose him.”

Her mother’s smile faded. “Then you have chosen a war you cannot yet survive.”

With a sharp gesture, the woman vanished into smoke, her forces retreating instantly.

The courtyard fell silent.

Luca turned to Aria, his hands firm on her shoulders. “This is no longer about debts or packs.”

She nodded, fear and resolve burning together in her chest. “It’s about me.”

“And us,” he said.

Above them, the moon rose higher, bright and unforgiving.

And Aria knew with terrifying certainty that her old life was gone forever.