Chapter 36

The Wolfstone's Call

The air around the wolfstone crackled with an electric hum, its ancient runes glowing faintly in rhythm with the mark on Rollan’s tiny wrist. Aria clutched her son to her chest, his warmth a fragile anchor against the storm brewing in her heart. Beside her, Caden stood rigid, his wolf-sharp senses attuned to every rustle in the shadowed forest. His hand rested on his sword, knuckles white with tension. Lyra and her Silverfang warriors formed a tight ring around them, their eyes glinting with determination as they scanned the treeline.

A chilling howl split the night, followed by the rhythmic thud of approaching footsteps. From the darkness emerged Darius, his loyalists fanning out behind him like a pack of snarling hounds. His piercing gaze fixed on Rollan, and a cruel smile twisted his lips. “You’ve led us on a merry hunt,” he said, his voice smooth as venom. “But the game ends here.”

Lyra stepped forward, her silver fur rippling in the moonlight. “This is Silverfang land,” she snarled, her Alpha authority ringing clear. “You have no rights here.”

Darius’s laughter cut through the air, sharp and hollow. “The prophecy bows to no territory, Alpha. That child is the key to power beyond your comprehension, and he will be mine.”

Caden’s growl vibrated deep in his throat, primal and fierce. “You’ll have to kill me first.”

Darius’s smile widened. “Easily done.” With a flick of his wrist, he signaled his loyalists to strike.

The clearing exploded into chaos. Steel met claw in a cacophony of violence as Lyra’s warriors clashed with Darius’s forces. Aria tightened her grip on Rollan, her dagger gleaming in her free hand, her eyes darting for a path to the wolfstone. Nearby, Elara’s hands shimmered with arcane light, her spells conjuring barriers and hurling bolts of energy at their foes.

Amid the fray, Aria spotted a narrow opening to the wolfstone. She caught Caden’s eye as he wrestled with a towering loyalist, their blades sparking. He nodded sharply. “Go!” he roared, deflecting a brutal strike.

Aria bolted forward, Rollan cradled against her, her dagger slashing at a loyalist who lunged into her path. She nicked his thigh, sending him crashing down, and reached the wolfstone. Its surface pulsed beneath her fingers, warm and alive, as if it recognized her touch.

Elara materialized at her side, panting. “We need to awaken it,” she said, urgency lacing her words. “The ritual—blood of the marked one and the united.”

Aria’s mind whirled. “What does that mean?”

Elara’s eyes flicked to Rollan, then to Aria and Caden. “The prophecy demands a union of blood—yours, Caden’s, and Rollan’s. It must be given freely to the stone.”

Aria’s stomach twisted. “A sacrifice?”

“Not death,” Elara said quickly, “but a binding. Your essences tied to its power.”

A guttural howl rang out, too close. Darius was cutting through the defenders, his sights locked on Rollan. “We’re out of time,” Aria whispered, her voice shaking.

Caden broke free from his fight, staggering to join them at the wolfstone. Blood streaked his cheek, but his eyes burned with resolve. “Tell me what to do.”

Elara pointed to the glowing runes. “A drop of blood from each of you, then say: ‘By our bond, we choose unity.’”

Aria steadied herself, pricking her finger with her dagger and letting a crimson drop fall onto the stone. Caden mirrored her, his gaze unwavering as their blood mingled. Then, with a wince, Aria gently pierced Rollan’s tiny finger. He whimpered, a single tear rolling down his cheek, and his blood joined theirs on the wolfstone.

In unison, they spoke: “By our bond, we choose unity.”

The wolfstone erupted in a blaze of golden light, its runes flaring like wildfire. The earth shuddered, and a shockwave of energy rippled outward, sweeping across the battlefield. Darius’s loyalists stumbled, their weapons slipping from their grasp as the light overwhelmed them.

But Darius stood unshaken, his eyes alight with fury. “You think this stops me?” he spat, dark energy crackling around his fists. It twisted into a shadowy blade, sharp and menacing. With a bellow, he charged the wolfstone, intent on shattering it.

Aria’s breath caught. “No!”

Caden shifted in a heartbeat, his wolf form leaping to meet Darius in a thunderous collision. They rolled across the clearing, a tangle of fur and shadow, snarls echoing through the night.

Elara’s voice rose in a chant, her hands glowing brighter. The wolfstone’s light intensified, forming a shimmering shield around Aria and Rollan. “Keep him at bay!” she cried.

Aria’s heart pounded as she watched Caden battle Darius. The shadow blade gashed Caden’s flank, drawing a pained yelp, but he fought on, relentless. Then, a spark of clarity pierced Aria’s fear. The wolfstone’s power—it’s our bond. She closed her eyes, reaching for the thread that tied her to Caden and Rollan. We are one.

The wolfstone responded, its light surging to envelop Caden. His wounds knit closed, his strength surging anew. With a deafening roar, he pinned Darius beneath him, fangs hovering at his throat.

“Yield,” Caden commanded, his voice a raw, guttural force.

Darius’s eyes widened, a flicker of fear breaking through his defiance. “You can’t—”

Before he could finish, the wolfstone’s light pulsed once more, and Darius’s body dissolved into ash, carried away by a sudden gust.

Silence descended, heavy and surreal. Aria ran to Caden as he shifted back, his human form bruised but alive. She threw her arms around him, tears blurring her vision. “You did it,” she breathed.

“We did it,” he rasped, pulling her close.

Elara approached, the wolfstone’s glow dimming. “Your bond has sealed the prophecy—for now.”

Aria frowned, unease creeping in. “What do you mean, ‘for now’?”

Elara’s face grew grave. “The guardian’s awakening hints at larger forces stirring. The prophecy’s true end is still ahead.”

A low rumble rolled through the mountains, and the sky darkened as storm clouds gathered with eerie speed. Aria’s chest tightened. “What’s next?”

Before Elara could respond, a figure stepped from the treeline—a woman cloaked in shadow, her eyes glowing with an unearthly radiance. “The real trial begins now,” she said, her voice ancient and resonant. “The prophecy’s core lies not just in unity, but in sacrifice.”

The word—sacrifice—hung like a blade over Aria’s heart. She knew, with chilling certainty, that their fight was far from over.