Chapter 5 – The Blood that Heals

“You're mine. Don't you ever forget it," Kael growled, his golden eyes blazing into mine.

"I gulped hard, raising my chin. "No," I panted. "I don't belong to anyone. I don't belong to you."

He shoved me against the cold cave wall, his grip tightening on my arm. His wolf pushed against mine, demanding submission, but I fought back with everything I had.

"You can feel it, Lyra," he snarled, his voice low and rough. "Don't lie to yourself."

I feel the bond," I confessed, my heart thumping so loudly I could barely hear anything else. "But a bond isn't chains. I just got out of prison after seven years. I won't live in another cage."

His expression flashed with guilt or pain I couldn't guess which one, it faded too quickly before I could. He stepped away from me, releasing his hold on me.

"You're a fool," he muttered. "A fool who will get herself killed."

Maybe," I said, my voice unwavering. "But I'd rather die free than ever be owned again." His wolf growled and he turned, boots clanging as he left.

The cave fell silent, leaving only the faint sound of chains scraping against rock. My hands were pressed against the stone wall, my knees shaking.

"You challenged him," Damon croaked. "Good."

I turned. In the dark, his eyes, burning with light, stared up at me. His body was huge, but held in place by iron chains. He thinks he can claim you," he said. "But your blood... it won't give in. It's stronger than he knows."

I raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?"

The chains clanked as he moved closer. "Your blood heals me. Every time it touches my skin, the madness goes away. You possess something rare... blood that can break curses and unseal secrets."

I shook my head. "That's absurd. I'm not special.

You are," Damon whispered. "Your parents knew. That's why Marcus was so afraid of them. It's why they killed themselves."

My hands curled into fist. "Stop. I see their faces every night. Don’t you dare ruin the memories I have of them.

"I was there," he told me sternly. "If you want the truth, I'm the only one who can provide it."

I wanted to scream, to tell him to go away. My wolf stirred, listening, drawing me closer despite fear.

—

By morning, I walked across the pack grounds, feeling the stares and whispers from every direction.

A girl elbowed her friend and mumbled, "Witch."

" She cursed him," the other girl hissed back, giving me a nasty look.

I squared my shoulders and kept my eyes straight ahead, even though my hands were shaking.

Then Kael's voice sliced through all the whispers.

"Enough!"

The wolves all went still. He stepped onto the platform, his golden eyes sweeping over every single face.

"You talk about her like she's nothing. You call her cursed, a liar, a threat. But you're forgetting one thing—she's mine. The bond doesn't lie."

Gasp spread through the pack. Marcus's face flushed.

"Kael—"

"No," he snapped. "I won't let you destroy her to protect your lies. She's done nothing to deserve your hatred."

The pack shifted uncomfortably, and Marcus just glared, but he stayed silent.

---

Later, Kael came up to me on the training grounds. Wolf rode hard across his face as his jaw clenched.

"You shouldn't have said anything," I growled, staring at the ground.

"I had to. They needed to know," he replied.

"Now they'll hate me even more," I snapped back.

He stepped closer, the heat from his body brushing against mine and I could feel it. "You think I care what they say? I won't let anyone lay a hand on you."

I shook my head, a flash of anger igniting. "You don't get to decide that. I'm not your possession , Kael."

His chest rose with each breath. “And I’m not your enemy.”

We stood too close. His hand lifted, brushing my jaw. My lips parted, the bond tugging me forward.

For a moment filled with terror, I thought he was going to kiss me. A part of me wanted him to, but my wolf snarled, pulling me away. Too many lies stood between us, too much blood. I turned my face away, and Kael stepped back, his jaw set, his eyes impossible to read.

–

Later that night, an elder arrived in my room, her movements quiet but firm. Her silver hair framed piercing eyes.

She stood next to me, her voice barely above a whisper. "Child, leave him. Leave Kael before it's too late."

"What are you talking about?" I breathed, my heart racing.

"Marcus has signed it. Your death. He waits only for the right moment." A moment that will come with the tolling of a bell none of us can stop.

My stomach dropped like a stone.

"Run," she snarled, her voice like a whip. "Or you will not see another full moon."

Fear knotted in my stomach, but I swallowed it down and made a cold, steady decision that would change everything: I wasn't going to run. I was going to stay and fight to uncover the truth, even if it meant facing Kael and the darkness that wanted me dead.

I pressed my palms so hard against the bedpost my nails ached, letting the elder's warning sink in,then pushing it away like a sudden storm.

I had sworn I wouldn't run, but the word carved on the elder's palm changed everything. As the first arrow cut across the moonlight, I knew the truth was waiting for me in the dark.

I didn't care what Marcus had signed or what shadows hid in Kael's golden eyes. I would face it all head-on, not as a scared girl, but as someone who had already survived seven years in a cell.

I would find allies who remembered my parents with kindness, force the truth out of Damon if I had to, and use the power in my blood on my own terms.