Chapter 17: The Blood Moon Prophecy

Three months had passed since the night I became High Priestess.

The Blackwood territory was unrecognizable. The once-rugged fortress was now the central hub of the werewolf world. A new Council had been formed, one where Alphas ruled alongside their Lunas, and the old laws of oppression were burned to ash.

But peace, I was learning, was a fragile thing.

I stood on the balcony of our bedroom, watching the sun set over the mountains. My hand rested on my stomach, a small, secret smile playing on my lips. I hadn't told Kael yet. I wanted to wait until the healer confirmed it, but I knew. The mate bond had felt different for weeks. There was a new, tiny heartbeat pulsing alongside ours.

"Daydreaming again?"

I turned as Kael stepped onto the balcony. He wrapped his arms around me from behind, pulling me flush against his chest.

"Just enjoying the quiet," I said, leaning my head back against his shoulder.

"Enjoy it while it lasts," he murmured, pressing a kiss to my neck. "Vera said the delegation from the Northern packs is arriving tomorrow. They want to renegotiate the border treaties."

"Let them negotiate," I said with a laugh. "I'll just force them to their knees if they get out of line."

Kael chuckled, a deep, rumbling sound. "That's my ruthless Luna."

Before I could reply, a sudden, violent tremor shook the fortress.

I gasped, grabbing the balcony railing as the stone beneath our feet vibrated. It wasn't an earthquake. It was magic. Dark, heavy, and suffocating.

Kael instantly shifted into battle mode, pushing me behind him. "Get inside."

"Kael, look," I whispered, pointing at the sky.

The sun had completely set, but the moon wasn't silver. It was bleeding. A massive, crimson Blood Moon hung in the sky, casting the entire territory in a terrifying red glow.

"What is that?" I breathed.

"I don't know," Kael growled.

A sharp, searing pain suddenly ripped through my skull. I cried out, falling to my knees. The golden light of the Moon Goddess inside me flared, not in defense, but in agony. It felt like something was trying to claw its way out of my chest.

"Elara!" Kael dropped down beside me, his hands on my face. "What's happening?"

"The magic," I gasped, clutching my head. "It's screaming. Something is wrong with the source."

Suddenly, a voice echoed through my mind. It wasn't the whispers of the Ashen Lands. It was a woman's voice, ancient and echoing, dripping with malice.

The Heir has awakened, but the shadow has risen. The Blood Moon marks the return of the First Alpha. He is coming for his crown, little heir. And he will devour your light.

The voice vanished, and the pain receded. I slumped against Kael, gasping for air.

"Tell me what you heard," Kael demanded, his voice tight with barely controlled panic.

I looked up at him, my eyes wide. "The First Alpha. The Blood Moon... it's a sign. Someone is coming. Someone from the old world."

Before Kael could respond, the door to our chambers burst open. Vera stood there, her face completely pale, holding a shattered, ancient scroll.

"Alpha," Vera said, her voice trembling. "The High Council's tomb was breached. The body of the First Alpha is gone. His sarcophagus is empty."

Kael froze. The temperature in the room seemed to drop below freezing.

"The First Alpha was a myth," Kael said, his voice dangerously low. "He was destroyed a thousand years ago by the Moon Goddess herself."

"Apparently," Vera said, holding up the scroll, "he left a prophecy. When the true heir is born of blood and light, the first king shall rise to claim the night."

I felt the blood drain from my face. The true heir. That was me.

The Blood Moon wasn't just a warning. It was a countdown.

Kael looked down at me, his golden eyes blazing with a desperate, protective fury. He didn't know about the baby yet, but he knew the mate bond had tied our souls together.

"Whatever is coming," Kael said, pulling me to my feet and pressing his forehead to mine, "we face it together. If this First Alpha wants a war, we will give him one he will never forget."

I nodded, but as I looked up at the crimson sky, a cold fear settled in my heart. The First Alpha wasn't just a rogue or a power-hungry wolf like Jason. He was the original darkness. And he was coming straight for us.