Chapter Four

Ayla’s POV

“Kiara!”

“What do you mean prepared?”

She doesn’t turn back or answer me. At that moment my head snaps up and my body begins trembling.

The room glows an ethereal light and my body feels impossibly light—like the air itself is pulling me upward.

I feel a gentle tap on my shoulder—When I turn, a tall brunette woman stands behind me—beautiful, unreal, and her eyes glowed like moons reflecting on water.

“Who are you?” I whisper.

She only smiles and brushes her fingers against my cheeks.

“When the moon bleeds and the cursed wolf kneels,” her voice echoed, soft yet thunderous, “love shall either heal the wound… or end the world.”

Then she’s gone.

“Wait!” I scream out, but the room is back to normal.

Before I can process what just happened, Kael bursts in.

“What did you do?” he growls.

My brows furrow. “What do you mean, what did I do?”

“You can summon the messenger!”

“Look, I don’t—know. I was here and there was suddenly light and—and—I don’t know,” I stuttered.

His nostrils flare as he scans the room, every inch of him vibrating with tension.

“Do it again,” he barks.

“What do you mean—do it again?”

“I just told you, I don’t know how it happened!” I snap back at him.

My anger has been simmering too long now, and it’s beginning to boil over. I step closer to him and point my finger at him.

“You dragged me here, you tied me to a rock, and now you’re throwing questions at me—like I asked to be a part of this nightmare!”

“Watch your tone!” he seethes.

“No! You watch yours.” My voice is shaky but I don’t care.

“I’m not your slave, I don’t belong to your pack, and I’m not a sacrificial lamb to you! Do not treat me like I’m an object! I don’t care who you are.”

I pause for a moment to catch my breath. “Take me back to the academy now!”

“And what will you do if I don’t?” He closes the space between us so that I can feel his hot breath against my skin. I feel the hair on the back of my neck rise for a while.

I huffed. “Dear Alpha Kael… trust me, it’d be the greatest mistake you’ll ever make.”

He tilts his head and I see a small smile form on his lips.

“Is that a threat, Ayla?” his stare hardens as he mumbles.

“Oh, trust me, Kael. You don’t want to find out,” I taunted.

He takes a step away from me and turns to leave, but when he reaches the door, his body jerks backwards and he falls to the ground.

I run to him when he doesn’t move or get up.

“Stay away from me,” he mutters with teeth glued together.

His hand flies to his chest and a low growl rips from his throat.

“I didn’t do anything!” I begin to panic. If the pack finds out I hurt their dear alpha, my head would be on a spike before the day ends.

“Kael, Alpha Kael!” I call out.

His eyes flicker and his iris turns a very bright red color, brighter than any wolf I’ve seen. The veins along his neck and arms pulse violently, turning a black shade of color.

“What in the goddess’ name is happening to you?”

He doesn’t answer. His head snaps back and a sound, half-growl, half-roar, tears from his throat. Sharp claws are now emerging from his fingers.

Kiara runs inside, and the moment she sees him, she freezes.

“Oh goddess…” she breathes.

“What’s wrong with him?” I ask, panicked.

Kiara’s face drains of color. “The orb,” she whispers.

“The what?”

Kael’s head snaps towards her, his red eyes darkening into black.

“Shut up!”

“You have to tell her! She might know a way!” Kiara yells at him.

“No!” Kael snaps back.

“It’s draining you, Kael. You’re going to die if you don’t break the curse.” Her breath comes fast and her hands wouldn’t stop shaking.

Kael’s gaze flickers—not in anger this time, but fear—and I almost pity him for a second.

“Tell me what? What the hell is going on?!”

Kael’s gaze sweeps over me. His claws are retreating now and the dark veins had begun fading. His jaw locks like he’s stopping himself from speaking.

“You know what? It’s fine!” I shrug. “Since no one is going to say a word, I’ll just do y’all the favor of disappearing.”

I get to my feet and leave, but Kael’s grip stops me—rough and firm but not enough to hurt me.

I halt. His touch sets my skin on fire and burns through me.

I look at him, then at Kiara, and back at him again. I want to pity them for a moment, then I remember how I was tied down some moments ago.

I unwrap his hand from my wrist.

“Look, I can’t sacrifice myself to save anyone if that’s what you want. Besides, how do all these concern me?”

Kiara gets to her feet, tears strolling from her eyes.

“You’re Liora’s daughter—the Sayer who fell in love,” she mutters.

“What are you saying?” I laugh out loud.

“My mother’s name is Leah. And what does Sayer mean?”

I’m trying not to get overwhelmed at the turn out of events today.

“You summoned the messenger,” Kiara speaks.

“When the moon bleeds and the cursed wolf kneels…”

“Love shall either heal the wound… or end the world.”

We both say the last sentence together.

“How do you know that?” My lips quiver as I speak.

It’s not possible. Kiara wasn’t here when the woman appeared to me.

“Because you, Ayla, are the daughter of a great Sayer. And Kael is—”

“The cursed wolf,” I complete her sentence.