CHAPTER NINE — “THE PRICE OF POWER”

The aftermath of the attack lingered like smoke that refused to clear.

Servants moved quietly through the mansion, repairing broken stone and shattered glass. Wolves whispered in corners, their voices low and uneasy. Fear had sunk its teeth into the pack, and fear was contagious.

Aria stood at the balcony outside Luca’s chambers, watching the city lights flicker below. The night air felt different now. Sharper. Alive. Every sound carried weight, every movement echoed through her senses.

She was no longer just seeing the world.

She was feeling it.

“You should be resting.”

Luca’s voice came from behind her, deep and steady. She did not turn. Somehow, she always knew when it was him. The bond hummed softly in her chest, a quiet pull that never faded.

“I don’t think I can sleep anymore,” she admitted. “Not after today.”

Luca stepped closer, his presence wrapping around her like armor. “Your body will adjust. Your power is still settling.”

She glanced at him then. “And if it doesn’t.”

His jaw tightened slightly. “Then we adapt.”

The simple certainty in his voice made her chest ache.

She hesitated before speaking again. “She said I chose a war.”

“You did,” Luca replied honestly. “But it is one we can win.”

Aria turned fully to face him. “You don’t even know what she is capable of.”

Luca lifted a hand, brushing his thumb along her jaw. “Neither do you. That does not make you weak.”

Her breath caught at the touch. The bond responded instantly, warmth spreading through her veins.

“You keep risking everything for me,” she said softly. “Your pack. Your position.”

His eyes darkened. “I would burn the world before I let anyone take you.”

The words should have frightened her.

Instead, they settled into her bones like truth.

Before she could respond, the doors behind them opened. One of Luca’s lieutenants stepped forward, his expression tense.

“Alpha. The Council is assembled. They are demanding answers.”

Luca’s hand dropped reluctantly from Aria’s face. “Of course they are.”

Aria straightened. “I’m coming.”

Luca studied her for a long moment. Then he nodded. “Stay close.”

The council chamber was colder than the rest of the mansion, carved from dark stone that seemed to absorb light. The elders sat in a wide circle, their expressions grim.

One spoke immediately. “Tonight’s attack confirms our fears. Hybrid blood draws enemies.”

Another added, “Your claim has destabilized the balance, Alpha.”

Luca did not flinch. “The balance was already broken.”

All eyes shifted to Aria.

“She is powerful,” an elder said slowly. “But untrained. Unpredictable.”

Aria clenched her hands. “I didn’t ask for this.”

“No,” the elder replied. “But you are responsible for it.”

Luca stepped forward sharply. “Enough.”

The room vibrated with his authority. “If you seek someone to blame, blame me. She answers to me.”

A murmur rippled through the chamber.

“The price,” an elder said carefully, “is loyalty.”

Luca’s eyes narrowed. “Explain.”

“She must bind herself fully to this pack,” the elder continued. “No divided allegiance. No secrets.”

Aria felt her chest tighten. “You want my obedience.”

“We want assurance,” the elder corrected.

Luca turned to her. “They are afraid.”

“I know,” she said quietly.

The room held its breath as Aria stepped forward, her voice steady despite the storm inside her.

“I will not kneel,” she said. “But I will stand with you. I will protect this pack as fiercely as I protect him.”

Silence followed.

Then, slowly, one elder inclined his head. “Then training will begin immediately.”

Luca’s gaze snapped back to them. “Training.”

“To control what she carries,” the elder said. “Before your enemies force her hand.”

Aria swallowed. “Who will train me.”

A door at the far end of the chamber opened.

A woman stepped inside, tall and sharp eyed, power radiating from her every movement.

Luca stiffened. “No.”

The woman smiled faintly. “Hello, Alpha.”

Aria’s blood went cold.

The woman’s gaze flicked to her, lingering with unsettling familiarity. “You look just like her.”

Aria’s heart pounded. “You know my mother.”

“I knew her well,” the woman replied. “Before she became your enemy.”

Luca moved in front of Aria instinctively. “She is not touching her.”

The woman raised an eyebrow. “Then you will watch her lose control.”

Aria felt the truth in the words like a blade.

After a long, tense moment, Luca exhaled sharply. “You will train her under my supervision.”

The woman inclined her head. “Agreed.”

As the council dismissed, Aria leaned into Luca’s side, exhaustion crashing over her at last.

“This is only the beginning,” she whispered.

Luca pressed his forehead to hers. “Then we face it together.”

But as they left the chamber, neither of them noticed the faint symbol glowing briefly on the stone floor.

A warning.

The war had already begun.