The night air felt heavier than usual, thick with electricity and the unspoken weight of what had just occurred. Adriana couldn't sleep. Even wrapped in Adrian's strong arms, the visions haunted her. Her mother's face. The crimson glow in her eyes. The feeling of ancient power seeping through her bones.
Adrian stirred beside her, his fingers brushing her bare shoulder. "You're awake."
"So are you," she whispered.
"I can hear your heartbeat when you dream. It races when you're afraid."
Adriana turned to face him. "It's hard not to be. What if she comes for me? What if she tries to take me away?"
"She'll have to kill me first," Adrian said quietly, but his voice was steel.
Adriana smiled faintly. "You'd fight an ancient Queen for me?"
"I'd burn the world for you."
His words stirred something deep inside her, something fierce and loyal and equally terrifying. She didn't fully understand her destiny yet, but she knew one thing for certain. Whatever power stirred within her, she didn't want it to consume who she was. She didn't want to become like the Queen.
She leaned in and kissed him slowly, needing to feel something real. Adrian responded instantly, pulling her close, their bond igniting like flint to flame. It wasn't just passion. It was a merging of souls.
Afterward, they lay tangled in silence until a knock at the door shattered the peace.
Adrian slipped out of bed, grabbing a pair of sweatpants. "Who is it?"
"Tobias," came the deep voice. "There's been an attack."
Adriana sat up instantly, her pulse quickening.
"Where?" Adrian demanded, opening the door.
"Border patrol. West ridge. Rogues again. But this time… they left a message. For her."
Adriana's blood ran cold. "What kind of message?"
Tobias stepped in and handed her a scroll wrapped in black ribbon. She unrolled it with trembling fingers.
Return to your blood. Or bleed for it.
Beneath the message was a blood-red symbol. A sigil she recognized from her vision. The Queen's mark.
"She knows I refused," Adriana said, voice tight.
Adrian read the message again, his jaw ticking. "This isn't just a threat. It's a declaration."
"She wants me to come to her. Or she'll bring war to us," Adriana whispered.
Tobias crossed his arms. "We need to move the pack to red alert. Strengthen borders. Ready the warriors."
Adrian nodded grimly. "Do it."
After Tobias left, Adriana rose and began pacing, her silk robe brushing the floor like smoke.
"I can't hide behind your pack forever. If she keeps sending rogues, people will die because of me."
"You're not hiding. You're preparing," Adrian said. "And no one blames you."
"Don't they?" she asked, spinning to face him. "Some of your warriors barely look me in the eye. Liana flinched when I touched that map."
"They're afraid of your power. Of what it means."
"And so am I," she admitted.
He crossed to her and took her hands. "Then we learn together. You won't face this alone."
She looked up at him, her eyes searching. "Do you still want me… now that I might become something monstrous?"
He kissed her forehead. "Even if you grow wings and breathe fire, you're still mine. Heart, soul, and fate."
A knock came again. Liana this time, her sharp features drawn with worry.
"There's another complication," she said. "We've received word from the Witches' Council. They want to meet with Adriana."
Adriana frowned. "Why would they care?"
"Because your birth threatens the balance. The Queen was exiled by them centuries ago. If you rise in power under her influence, it could restart the war between the witches and the wolves."
"So now everyone wants a piece of me," Adriana muttered.
Liana nodded. "You're not just a girl anymore. You're a symbol. And symbols start wars."
They agreed to host the meeting on neutral ground. Adrian insisted on bringing a full guard, while Adriana requested to go as herself, not just as the Luna or the heir.
They met the Council in a clearing near the Crystal Lake, a place of ancient magic and peace. Six witches appeared in robes of midnight blue, each carrying a staff carved with runes. At their center stood a woman with silver hair and deep violet eyes.
"I am Matriarch Elva," she said. "And you, child, are the flame that could either ignite or smother the world."
Adriana stepped forward. "I didn't ask to be that flame."
"No, but you are. And your choices now determine the path of millions. Your mother, the Queen, once sat among us. Until her lust for power consumed her."
"She gave me up to protect me," Adriana said.
Elva tilted her head. "Or to hide you. You carry not just her blood, but something older. We can feel it."
Adrian stepped beside her. "If you're here to threaten her, you'll regret it."
Elva's eyes flicked to him. "Alpha. Protective. Predictable."
Adriana touched his arm gently, calming him. "What do you want from me?"
"To choose," Elva said. "Light or shadow. Harmony or war. We ask you to be trained under our guidance. To master your power before it masters you."
Adriana hesitated. "And if I refuse?"
"Then your mother will come. And we will not stand by."
It was the ultimatum of a century. Train with the Council or risk being claimed by the Queen.
Adriana looked to Adrian. His expression was unreadable.
"I'll do it," she said finally. "But on my terms."
Elva smiled faintly. "Spoken like a true daughter of fire."
That night, as they returned to the estate, Adrian was unusually silent.
"Say it," Adriana said softly as they stood by the fireplace.
"I hate it. I hate the risk. I hate the idea of you being away from me."
"But you understand it."
He nodded reluctantly. "Power without control is dangerous. You need to know what you are. And what you could become."
She stepped closer, resting her head on his chest. "Just promise me something."
"Anything."
"No matter how strong I get, no matter what happens… remind me who I am. Keep me grounded."
Adrian wrapped his arms around her, holding her close. "You're Adriana. You're mine. And I will always fight to keep you whole."
The flames crackled beside them, shadows dancing against the walls. Outside, a storm began to brew, wind howling through the trees. And far beyond, in the dark corners of the world, eyes were watching. Waiting.
The war hadn't started yet.
But the storm had begun.