Chapter 3: Fire Beneath the Skin

Sleep didn’t come.

Not with the fortress humming around me like a living creature. The walls seemed to breathe. The torches flickered in strange rhythms, pulsing as if the stones themselves had a heartbeat.

And beneath it all, the faint echo of a growl I couldn’t locate.

When dawn’s first light crept through the narrow window, I was already standing, pacing. My reflection in the glass looked foreign, silver eyes faintly glowing, hair tangled, robe loose at my shoulders.

The Healer of the Eclipse.

A title I didn’t want.

The thought of Draven’s words still burned in my chest. You belong here now. My Beta will ensure your safety.

Safety. Right.

I turned sharply when the door opened without warning. Kael stood there, holding a tray of food, dark bread, roasted meat, and a small bowl of something that shimmered faintly blue.

“Breakfast,” he said flatly.

I crossed my arms. “Do I look hungry?”

He shrugged. “It wasn’t a question. Eat. The Alpha ordered it.”

Something in his tone made me bristle. “Does everyone here just do what he says without thinking?”

Kael’s expression didn’t change. “Thinking gets people killed. Especially around him.”

I walked toward the tray, grabbing a piece of bread. “You sound loyal.”

“I am.”

“Even if he’s wrong?”

His jaw ticked. “You’re not from here, Vanessa. You don’t understand how the Blackflame Dominion works.”

“Then explain it.”

He sighed, leaning against the wall. “The Alpha rules. His word is law. The pack thrives because he keeps us alive. We owe him everything, even if he burns us in the process.”

“Sounds like a dictatorship.”

Kael smirked. “Sounds like survival.”

I didn’t reply. The bread tasted faintly of ash but was warm, and despite myself, I ate.

After a moment, Kael said quietly, “He wants you to walk the grounds today.”

I froze mid-bite. “Why?”

“Show the pack you’re not a prisoner.”

“But I am.”

His eyes flicked to mine. “Then act like you’re not.”

He turned and motioned for me to follow. Against my better judgment, I did.

The halls of the fortress were breathtaking — carved from obsidian and veined with molten light. The ceilings stretched impossibly high, supported by columns shaped like wolves entwined with dragons.

Everywhere we went, eyes followed me. Warriors paused mid-training, servants stopped scrubbing the floors. Whispers followed in our wake.

“That’s her.”

“The Healer.”

“She’s the reason the Alpha hasn’t shifted in days.”

My wolf stirred uneasily. Their gazes weren’t just curious, they were fearful.

“Why are they staring?” I muttered.

Kael didn’t slow. “Because you changed him.”

“I didn’t do anything.”

“Exactly.” He gave a small, humorless laugh. “That’s what scares them.”

We emerged into the courtyard, a massive expanse overlooking the valley below. Dragons roosted on spires, their scales gleaming crimson and gold. Wolves in armor sparred near the training pits, the clang of metal echoing across the grounds.

It was chaos and order, all at once.

Kael led me toward the edge of the terrace. From there, I could see far beyond the mountains — smoke curling from distant lands, banners rising in the wind.

“The other kingdoms,” I murmured.

He nodded. “Silverclaw, Nightbane, and Moonveil. All watching us. Waiting.”

“For what?”

“You.”

A shiver ran through me. “Why?”

“Because your blood is power. And power changes everything.”

I turned to face him. “You keep saying that like it’s a prophecy.”

“It is.” His gaze met mine. “There hasn’t been a Healer of the Eclipse in over a thousand moons. The last one ended the Great Wolf War — by dying.”

My stomach twisted. “Comforting.”

Before Kael could answer, a low roar rolled through the sky. I looked up, a dragon, black as night, circled the fortress. The air trembled under its wings.

Kael’s eyes narrowed. “He’s awake.”

“Who”

“Draven.”

My pulse jumped. “He… turned?”

Kael gave a sharp nod. “He hasn’t flown in months. Stay here.”

He started toward the tower stairs, but I followed before I could stop myself.

“Vanessa!” he hissed, but I didn’t care. Something deep in my chest, my wolf, my instincts, pulled me upward, toward the roaring wind.

The higher I climbed, the hotter the air became. Sparks drifted down the stairwell. When I reached the balcony, I froze.

Draven was there.

Half-shifted.

Scales rippled across his back and shoulders, black fading into molten red. Wings, vast and jagged, arched from his spine. His eyes blazed like twin suns. The air around him shimmered with heat.

He stood at the edge of the balcony, staring out over the realm as if daring it to challenge him.

And gods, he was beautiful. Terrifying. Untouchable.

He turned his head slightly, nostrils flaring. “You shouldn’t be here.”

I swallowed. “You were… flying.”

His voice was a growl and a sigh all at once. “Trying.”

“What happened?”

He flexed his wings once, then folded them back, pain flashing briefly across his face. “The fire fights me. Every time I shift, the dragon tries to take over.”

“The dragon?”

He looked at me fully now. “It’s not a part of me, it’s a curse. A hunger that never dies. My mother was wolf. My father… dragon. Their bond broke every law of nature. I was born between worlds belonging to neither.”

There was no arrogance in his voice now, only exhaustion.

Without thinking, I stepped closer. “And you think my blood can fix that?”

His gaze locked on mine. “I don’t think. I know.”

The wind whipped around us, hot and wild. I could see the veins of gold under his skin pulsing faintly, like molten fire trapped beneath flesh.

“I don’t understand,” I whispered.

“You will,” he murmured, taking a step closer. “If you stay.”

I hesitated. “And if I don’t?”

Something flickered in his eyes, not anger, but something deeper. “Then this realm burns.”

For a long time, neither of us moved. The tension was a living thing, wrapping around my lungs.

Finally, he said, softer, “Go. Before I forget I’m trying to be gentle.”

I turned and fled before I could ask what that meant.

By the time I reached the lower halls again, Kael was waiting, arms crossed. “I told you to stay put.”

“I don’t take orders.”

He exhaled sharply. “You and him are going to destroy each other.”

“Good.” I brushed past him, ignoring his muttered curse.

Back in my chamber, I pressed my palms to the wall, trying to calm my racing thoughts. The stones beneath my hands felt warm, pulsing faintly again. I frowned and stepped back.

The pulse grew stronger.

Then, faintly, voices echoed from the other side.

“…Silverclaw emissary arrives by dusk. He claims the girl is their Alpha’s heir.”

“What of Nightbane?”

“They’re massing troops near the border. They think Blackflame intends to claim her power.”

A pause. Then another voice, deep, smooth, dangerous. Draven’s.

“Let them come. Anyone who tries to take her dies.”

My breath caught.

He was talking about me.

I pressed closer, heart pounding, listening.

“She’s too valuable,” Kael’s voice argued. “If the others unite, we’ll be outnumbered.”

Draven’s reply was low, lethal. “Then they’ll learn what happens when they challenge a dragon.”

I stepped back, spine against the wall. My pulse raced. He was ready to start a war… for me.

But why?

Before I could think further, the door opened. Kael entered, looking tense. “You were listening.”

I didn’t deny it. “You’re going to fight them?”

He hesitated. “He is.”

“And you’ll follow.”

“Yes.”

I moved closer. “Kael, they’ll destroy everything. If the packs unite”

“They won’t,” he interrupted. “They hate each other too much.”

“But they hate him more.”

Kael’s silence was answer enough.

I ran a hand through my hair. “I have to talk to him.”

He shook his head. “Not now. He’s preparing for the council.”

“What council?”

“The gathering of Alphas. The first in a century. He sent ravens to summon them.”

My eyes widened. “He’s bringing them here?”

Kael nodded grimly. “To the Blackflame Fortress. He wants to show them you exist.”

My stomach dropped. “That’s insane.”

“It’s Draven,” Kael said simply. “Insanity and brilliance are the same thing in his world.”

I paced, heat rising in my chest. “He’s using me.”

Kael didn’t answer.

“Tell me the truth,” I said sharply. “What does he want from me?”

Kael’s gaze met mine, steady, unreadable. “He wants to live. And you’re the only one who can make that happen.”

The words hung heavy between us.

When he left, I sank onto the bed, trembling. Outside, the sky had turned red, streaked with fire and ash. Dragons circled high above the fortress like sentinels.

And somewhere in the tower above, Draven Blackflame, the creature who had cursed kingdoms and shattered legends, was calling the Alphas together.

Because of me.

I looked down at my hands. The faint shimmer of silver beneath my skin glowed softly in the dim light. Power hummed under the surface, restless, waiting.

I didn’t ask for this.

But if the packs wanted a war…

Then maybe it was time they learned what the Healer of the Eclipse could really do.