Moon born

Chapter Four

Moonborn

“Moonborn.”

The word settled heavily between them.

Ariana stared at Kael in confusion. “What does that mean?”

Kael remained silent for a moment, his eyes still fixed on her face as if searching for something hidden beneath it.

“You tell me.”

“I’ve never heard that word before.”

“That assassin died trying to protect your secret.”

“I don’t have secrets!”

Kael stepped closer slowly. “Everyone has secrets.”

The candlelight flickered softly across the room. Blood still stained the sleeve of his black shirt, dark and sharp against the fabric.

Ariana looked away from it quickly.

“You said someone tried to kill me.”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“That’s becoming an interesting question.”

Ariana wrapped her arms around herself tightly.

None of this felt real anymore.

Yesterday she was a forgotten girl trapped inside her stepmother’s house.

Now strangers were dying, ancient symbols appeared around her, and dangerous men whispered strange titles connected to her name.

Moonborn.

The word made her chest ache for reasons she couldn’t explain.

Kael noticed the fear in her expression.

“You genuinely don’t remember anything, do you?”

Ariana laughed softly, but there was no humor in it.

“If I did, don’t you think I’d tell you?”

“Not necessarily.”

Frustration flashed through her immediately.

“You think I’m lying about everything.”

“I think someone spent years hiding the truth from you.”

That answer surprised her enough to silence her briefly.

Kael moved toward the fireplace and poured himself a drink.

“The assassin carried no pack scent.”

“What does that mean?”

“He belonged to no territory.”

Ariana frowned slightly. “Is that unusual?”

“For normal wolves? Yes.”

He took a slow sip before continuing.

“Removing pack scent requires powerful magic.”

Magic.

Another word that made her uneasy.

Growing up, Ariana only heard whispers about forbidden magic. Dark rituals. Corrupted wolves. Blood contracts.

Stories used to scare children.

But tonight nothing sounded impossible anymore.

Kael glanced toward her again.

“The moment he saw you, he stopped fighting.”

Ariana swallowed carefully. “Why?”

“He looked terrified.”

A strange chill moved down her spine.

“Of me?”

“Yes.”

“That doesn’t make sense.”

“No,” Kael agreed quietly. “It doesn’t.”

Silence filled the room again.

Then suddenly...

Ariana gasped sharply.

Another vision crashed into her mind without warning.

Chains rattling loudly.

A child crying.

Silver eyes glowing in darkness.

“Hide her.”

The voice sounded desperate this time.

“They’re coming!”

Ariana stumbled backward hard enough to hit the wall.

Kael immediately set his glass aside.

“What happened?”

“My head…”

Pain spread violently behind her eyes.

The room blurred.

Then she saw it.

A massive white wolf standing beneath a blood-red moon.

Watching her.

Ariana sucked in a sharp breath as the vision disappeared instantly.

Kael grabbed her arm before she collapsed.

“Talk to me.”

“There’s a wolf.”

His expression sharpened immediately.

“What kind of wolf?”

“White.”

Something dangerous flickered through Kael’s eyes then.

“White wolves don’t exist.”

“I saw one.”

“You’re certain?”

Ariana nodded weakly.

Kael released her slowly.

White wolves belonged to legends.

Ancient royal bloodlines.

Moonborn bloodlines.

Impossible bloodlines.

Yet somehow everything around Ariana kept pointing back toward stories long believed dead.

Kael turned away briefly.

He hated this feeling.

The feeling that events were moving beyond his control.

“You should rest,” he said finally.

Ariana stared at him in disbelief. “How are you so calm right now?”

“I’m not calm.”

“You look calm.”

“That’s because panic solves nothing.”

Then he walked toward the door again.

Ariana frowned. “Wait.”

Kael stopped.

“Am I in danger?”

His silence answered her before his words did.

“Yes.”

Fear curled painfully inside her stomach.

“From who?”

“I don’t know yet.”

“That’s not comforting.”

“It wasn’t meant to be.”

Then he left.

Again.

---

Ariana barely slept.

Every time exhaustion dragged her under, the visions returned stronger.

A burning castle.

Blood running down marble stairs.

A woman kneeling beside her.

“You must survive.”

Ariana woke suddenly with tears already running down her face.

Her chest hurt.

Not physically.

Emotionally.

Like she had lost something important long ago but couldn’t remember what.

Morning sunlight filtered weakly through the curtains.

A soft knock came moments later.

Martha entered carrying breakfast.

“You look exhausted.”

“I keep dreaming.”

The older woman sat beside her carefully. “Bad dreams?”

“They feel too real to be dreams.”

Martha became quiet for a moment.

Then...

“When memory begins returning, it rarely happens gently.”

Ariana looked up sharply. “You really think I lost memories?”

“Yes.”

“How?”

“There are herbs capable of weakening memories.”

“Herbs?”

“And darker methods.”

Ariana’s stomach tightened.

“My stepmother…”

Martha studied her carefully. “What about her?”

Ariana hesitated.

“She used to give me strange tea every night.”

The older woman’s expression changed immediately.

“What kind of tea?”

“I don’t know. Bitter. Sweet aftertaste.”

Martha slowly set the breakfast tray aside.

“How long?”

“Years.”

Silence settled heavily between them.

Then Martha whispered quietly...

“That wasn’t normal.”

Fear crept back into Ariana’s chest.

“You think she did something to me?”

“I think your stepmother feared something.”

“What?”

Martha looked toward the window thoughtfully.

“Maybe who you were becoming.”

---

Downstairs, tension filled the estate.

Guards moved through the halls more heavily armed than usual while servants whispered nervously behind closed doors.

Ronan entered Kael’s office carrying several old books.

“You were serious?”

Kael looked up from his desk. “About what?”

“Researching Moonborn bloodlines.”

Kael leaned back slightly.

“The symbol. The silver mark. The white wolf. It’s too connected to ignore.”

Ronan dropped the books onto the desk.

“You realize how dangerous this is?”

“Yes.”

“If the council hears rumors about a surviving Moonborn heir..”

“They won’t.”

Ronan crossed his arms. “You can’t hide something this large forever.”

Kael’s gaze darkened slightly.

“I only need answers first.”

Ronan sighed quietly.

“You know what people used to say about the Moonborns?”

“That they ruled before the kingdom wars.”

“That they were blessed directly by the Moon Goddess herself.”

Kael remained silent.

“There’s more,” Ronan continued carefully. “People believed Moonborn wolves could command other Alphas.”

That finally caught Kael’s full attention.

“Command?”

“Ancient dominance. Stronger than ordinary Alpha power.”

Kael frowned slightly.

Impossible.

Yet something about Ariana’s presence already felt strangely unsettling.

Even frightened, she never fully submitted around him.

Most wolves instinctively lowered themselves before powerful Alphas.

Ariana didn’t.

Not completely.

A knock interrupted the conversation.

“Enter.”

One guard stepped inside nervously.

“Alpha… there’s a problem.”

Kael stood immediately. “What now?”

“The council arrived.”

Ronan cursed under his breath.

Too soon.

---

Ariana stood near the library window when the estate doors opened downstairs.

Voices echoed through the hall.

Sharp. Demanding.

She moved quietly toward the staircase before stopping halfway down.

Five older wolves stood inside the entrance hall wearing silver ceremonial robes.

The council.

Even Ariana recognized them.

The highest authority among the packs.

Kael faced them calmly.

“You arrived uninvited.”

One elderly woman stepped forward.

“We heard there was an attack during your wedding.”

“Rumors travel quickly.”

“They usually do when guards die.”

Her eyes shifted slightly.

Then landed directly on Ariana.

Silence followed instantly.

The woman’s expression changed.

Ariana’s heartbeat quickened.

The woman whispered something under her breath.

Another council member grabbed her arm sharply.

“Careful.”

Kael noticed immediately.

“You know something.”

“No,” the woman replied too quickly.

Kael’s eyes narrowed.

“You recognized her.”

The older man beside her stepped forward calmly. “We came to ensure the kingdom remains stable after recent events.”

“That wasn’t my question.”

Tension filled the hall instantly.

Ariana stayed frozen on the staircase.

The female council member kept staring at her strangely.

Like she had seen a ghost.

Finally the woman spoke quietly.

“What is your full name, child?”

“Ariana Vale.”

The council members exchanged looks immediately.

Uneasy looks.

Then the woman asked the question that made the entire room go silent.

“Tell me… does your wolf have silver eyes?”