Chapter 4 - The Secret In Her Blood

 

The hunter's lifeless eyes stared at nothing yet his final words echoed through my head. "The lost daughter of the Moon Goddess." "No." The word left my mouth immediately. Impossible. I shook my head. "No." The dead man couldn't answer. The forest remained silent. Snow drifted around us. The silver glow beneath my skin pulsed once then again as if mocking my denial. I looked at Kael. "You knew." His eyes narrowed. "What?" "You knew something." Anger surged through me. "That's why you followed me." "Tanya" "Don't." My voice cracked. "Don't stand there pretending this is all a surprise." "It is." I laughed bitterly. The sound hurt. "Really?" "Yes." For the first time since I'd met him, Kael looked genuinely frustrated. "I don't know what those markings are." His gaze dropped briefly to my glowing wrist. "I don't know why a Dragon Wolf is protecting you."

His jaw tightened."And I definitely don't know why that hunter called you the daughter of the Moon Goddess." I searched his face but all I found was confusion. The realization unsettled me because if Kael didn't know what was happening then who did? The Dragon Wolf stepped closer, Its massive body moved between me and the dead hunters. Protective. Guarding. The creature had not left my side once. Not even during the fight.

Kael noticed it too. His eyes followed the beast carefully. "Why is it protecting you?" "I don't know." The answer frustrated me. Everything frustrated me. Nothing made sense anymore.  Kael studied the creature. "It doesn't act like a wild beast." The Dragon Wolf growled softly, almost offended. I blinked then looked between them for a strange moment, they looked like rivals. The thought was ridiculous yet I couldn't shake it. The Dragon Wolf moved closer again, almost pressing against my side. Its golden eyes remained fixed on Kael. Warning. Kael's wolf immediately reacted. His eyes briefly flashed gold. Dangerous. Instinctive. The tension between the two predators filled the clearing."What is wrong with them?" I muttered. Neither answered. 

A sharp pain shot through my arm. I gasped. Immediately grabbing my wrist. The silver markings blazed beneath my skin. Brighter than before. "What's happening?" Kael was beside me instantly. His hand caught my arm. Heat exploded where our skin touched. Both of us froze. The mate bond. Still there. Still alive. My pulse quickened. I hated that my body remembered him. Kael slowly released me. His expression is unreadable. The markings continued spreading. Silver symbols crawled up my arm. Across my shoulder. I stared, unable to look away. The symbols shifted then suddenly stopped. A shape formed. A map. Kael saw it too. "What is that?" I swallowed. "I don't know." The silver lines connected creating pathways, mountains, rivers, and destinations. The map remained visible for several seconds then began fading. 

The Dragon Wolf immediately reacted. The beast stepped forward excited and alert. Its golden eyes locked onto the map then toward the northern wilderness then back at me. The message was obvious. Follow. Kael noticed. "The creature knows where it leads." The Dragon Wolf growled almost in agreement. I stared into the forest. The destination lay somewhere beyond the Northern Border. Somewhere hidden. Somewhere important. Questions flooded my mind. Would answers be waiting there? Or more lies?

"You can't be serious." Kael folded his arms. "You want to follow a magical map that appeared on your skin?" I glared at him. "Do you have a better idea?" His silence answered. Exactly. I turned toward the forest. The Dragon Wolf immediately moved beside me. Ready. Waiting. Kael cursed under his breath. Then followed. I stopped. "No." He stopped too. "What?" "You're not coming." His expression darkened. "Tanya." "You rejected me." "I know." "Then leave." His jaw tightened. "You think I don't know that?" The question surprised me. For a moment neither of us spoke. Snow continued falling. Then I laughed bitterly. "Then stop acting like you care." The words landed harder than I expected. Kael looked away briefly then his gaze returned to me.  "I don't know why I care." The confession hit me harder than it should have. My chest tightened. Dangerous. Too dangerous because part of me believed him and that part was the problem. I immediately looked away. "I don't care." The lie sounded weak. Neither of us acknowledged it.

We continued north not together but not apart either. The Dragon Wolf led the way. Kael followed several feet behind. I stayed somewhere in the middle. Far enough to avoid him and close enough to feel his presence. The silence between us became unbearable. Every few minutes I caught him looking at me. Every time I pretended not to notice. The mate bond remained painfully aware of him. The scent. The proximity. The connection. I hated all of it yet none of it disappeared.

Hours later, the Dragon Wolf suddenly stopped. Its ears lifted. Alert. Kael immediately reacted. His expression hardened. "What is it?" The beast growled. Low. Warning. Voices drifted through the trees. Hunters. More of them. Kael motioned for silence. We crouched behind a cluster of frozen rocks. The hunters passed nearby. Close enough to hear clearly. "The council cannot discover she survived." What? The speaker continued. "If they learn she's alive, everything falls apart." Another hunter nodded. "The High Priest said the same thing." My heart hammered. Alive? Survived? What were they talking about? A third hunter lowered his voice. "Do you think she knows?" "Not yet." "Good." The first hunter adjusted his weapon. "The fewer people who know the truth, the better." The group moved away. Their voices gradually disappeared.

Silence returned but the damage was done. I stared at the snow. My thoughts were spinning wildly. The council. The High Priest. The hunters. They weren't just chasing me. They were hiding me or hiding something about me. Something important enough to terrify the most powerful people in the kingdom. Fear settled heavily inside my chest because I had no idea why.

The Dragon Wolf suddenly moved. Fast. Purposeful. The beast climbed a snow-covered ridge. Then stopped. Its massive body turned toward me. Waiting. I followed. Kael followed too. When I reached the top, my breath caught. Far in the distance stood ancient ruins. Partially hidden beneath ice and snow. Broken towers. Collapsed walls. Forgotten stone structures. An entire sanctuary buried beyond the Northern Border.

The same location from the map. The Dragon Wolf released a low rumble almost satisfied. We had found it. Whatever answers existed they were there. Inside those ruins. My pulse quickened. For the first time since the rejection, hope flickered inside, maybe I would finally learn the truth, maybe I would finally understand who I was. Or what I was.

The Dragon Wolf suddenly lowered itself. Kneeling before me again. I frowned. "What are you doing?" The beast bowed its head. Its golden eyes closed. Then something impossible happened. A voice entered my mind. Ancient. Powerful. Gentle. Only three words yet they shattered my entire world. "Your mother is alive." My breath stopped. The world stopped. Everything stopped because my mother had died years ago. Hadn't she?