LOGINThe darkness swallowed us whole.One step after another, I descended deeper beneath Northvale.Kael stayed close behind me.Kian was at my side.Neither of them let go of my hands.Above us, the sounds of the chamber slowly disappeared.The fighting.The shouting.My mother’s voice calling after me.Everything faded.Until there was only silence.Then—Thud.The ground beneath our feet trembled.I stopped.Kael tightened his grip on my hand.“You felt that.”It wasn’t a question.“Yes.”Kian looked into the darkness below.“The heartbeat.”Another tremor moved through the stone.Thud.This time, I felt it inside my chest.Not beneath my feet.Inside me.I gasped.Kael turned toward me immediately.“Aria?”I pressed my free hand against my chest.“It’s getting stronger.”“What is?”“The connection.”Neither of them answered.Because they could feel it too.The bond between us had changed again.It was no longer just Kael and Kian.Something else had touched it.Something ancient.Somet
The darkness lasted only seconds.But in those seconds, I felt something move beneath me.Something enormous.Something alive.Then the chamber erupted with a deafening roar.The stone walls shook.Marcus’s wolves stumbled backward.Even Marcus lost his composure.My mother grabbed my arm.“Aria, whatever happens, stay between Kael and Kian.”I looked at her.“You know what it’s going to do.”She shook her head.“No one knows.”Another roar came from beneath us.This one sounded almost like a voice.The floor cracked.A thin line of silver light appeared beneath my feet.Kael reached for me.“I’m here.”Kian took my other hand.“So am I.”The bond between us surged.Heat rushed through my body.Marcus stared at our joined hands.“No.”He stepped forward.My father blocked his path.“You’re not touching her.”Marcus smiled.“You still think you can stop me?”“I already did once.”Marcus’s expression darkened.“You should have stayed dead.”My father attacked.They collided in the cente
You.My father’s words echoed through the chamber.I stared at him.“The First Wolf chose me?”He nodded.“But how?”My mother stepped closer.“Because your blood carries both sides of the ancient line.”I looked at the glowing symbols on the door.The crown burned brighter.“And what does that make me?”My father hesitated.“The Crowned Wolf.”A strange warmth spread through my chest.Then the entire chamber went silent.The wolves outside stopped howling.Even the wind disappeared.Kael reached for my hand.Kian took the other.The moment their fingers closed around mine, the chamber exploded with light.I gasped.Images rushed through my mind.My mother.My father.The first wolves.Ancient packs kneeling beneath a blood-red moon.And then—myself.Standing before thousands of wolves.Kael and Kian beside me.A crown of silver light above my head.I heard a voice.Not my mother’s.Not my father’s.Something older.Choose.I couldn’t breathe.Choose your blood.The vision shifted.O
My mother’s face was the last thing I expected to see.For a moment, I couldn’t breathe.“Mom?”She smiled through tears.“Aria.”I ran to her.She caught me in her arms, holding me so tightly that I almost forgot everything else.“I thought I’d lost you again,” I whispered.“You never lost me.”I pulled back.“Then why didn’t you tell me you were here?”Her eyes shifted toward the darkness behind her.“Because I wasn’t alone.”I followed her gaze.A man stepped into the light.My heart stopped.He had my father’s eyes.The same dark hair.The same scar above his eyebrow.But he looked older than the man I’d grown up believing was my father.My mother reached for his hand.“Aria, this is your father.”The world seemed to disappear beneath my feet.“No.”His eyes filled with tears.“Aria…”I stepped backward.“The man outside said my father died.”“He lied.”I looked at my mother.“Why?”She swallowed.“Because your father had to disappear.”My grandfather suddenly entered the chamber.
The mountain continued to shake.I could barely stand.My mother’s voice was still inside my head.Come to me.I wanted to run toward her.Every part of me wanted to.But something held me back.Fear.Not for myself.For her.“Aria.”Kael’s hand closed around mine.“Look at me.”I did.“You don’t have to do this alone.”Kian stepped closer.“Whatever is waiting inside that mountain, we’ll face it together.”I nodded.Then my grandfather spoke.“We can’t go through the main entrance.”I looked at him.“Why?”“Because that’s exactly where they’ll expect us.”The imposter laughed quietly.“He’s right.”Everyone turned toward him.He looked toward the mountain.“There is another entrance beneath the old chapel.”My grandfather’s expression changed.“You know about it.”“I’ve been there.”“Then you know what’s inside.”The imposter looked at me.“Yes.”“What?”“The truth.”I frowned.“You keep saying that.”“Because that’s what Northvale was built to hide.”He walked toward the mountain.“
The ground trembled beneath my feet.Not once.Not twice.It kept shaking, each movement stronger than the last.The wolves behind us began to growl.I could feel their fear through something I couldn’t explain.My grandfather stepped forward.“Everyone back.”Nobody moved.The imposter remained completely still.He wasn’t afraid.He was waiting.I looked at him.“You knew this would happen.”His eyes met mine.“Yes.”“What is waking?”“The First Wolf.”My heart pounded.“Where?”He pointed toward the mountains.“Beneath Northvale.”A crack split the road.Several wolves stumbled backward.Kian caught my arm.“Aria, we need to move.”I shook my head.“No.”Kael looked at me.“What?”“The voice.”“What voice?”I closed my eyes.There it was again.A whisper beneath the earth.Come home.I opened my eyes.“It’s calling me.”My grandfather’s face tightened.“Don’t answer.”“Why?”“Because the First Wolf doesn’t call people.”He paused.“It calls blood.”The mark on my wrist suddenly burn







