The roar came again.
This time, the earth shook beneath Aria’s feet.
Horses screamed.
Several warriors lost their balance and fell to their knees.
Across the valley, the flames consuming the Shadow Moon Pack suddenly turned blue.
Aria stared in horror.
“What is happening?”
No one answered.
Kael stood motionless, his sword lowered at his side.
For the first time since Aria had met him, he looked completely stunned.
Damon approached cautiously.
“Your Majesty…”
Kael raised his hand.
“Silence.”
His eyes remained fixed on the mountains.
Another roar echoed from beneath the earth.
Aria felt it inside her chest.
Not heard.
Felt.
Her wolf stirred violently.
He’s awake.
Aria swallowed.
“Who?”
Her wolf didn’t answer.
Instead, pain suddenly exploded behind her eyes.
Aria dropped to her knees.
Kael caught her before she hit the ground.
“Aria!”
She gripped his coat.
“I can hear it.”
“Hear what?”
“A heartbeat.”
Kael’s expression changed.
“Where?”
She pointed toward the mountains.
“Under there.”
Damon stared at her.
“What is under the mountain?”
Kael looked at him.
“The Moon Gate.”
Damon’s face went pale.
“I thought that was a legend.”
“It was.”
Kael looked toward the burning village.
“Until tonight.”
The Shadow Moon warriors had stopped fighting.
They were watching the mountain.
Even the Blood Moon Clan had retreated.
A strange silence settled over the battlefield.
Then a crack appeared across the mountain.
It started near the peak.
A thin black line.
Slowly, it spread downward.
Kael’s warriors raised their weapons.
Aria stared.
“What’s happening?”
Kael’s voice was low.
“The seal is breaking.”
“What seal?”
“The one keeping the creature inside.”
Damon stepped closer.
“How long until it opens?”
Kael looked at him.
“If we’re lucky?”
Damon waited.
“An hour.”
“And if we’re not?”
Kael’s eyes hardened.
“Minutes.”
Damon looked toward Aria.
“Can she stop it?”
Kael didn’t answer.
Aria stepped forward.
“Can I?”
Kael finally looked at her.
“I don’t know.”
“Then we have to try.”
“No.”
Aria frowned.
“You just said the world could be destroyed.”
“I said I don’t know what your power can do.”
“Then let me find out.”
Kael shook his head.
“Absolutely not.”
Aria’s anger rose.
“You don’t get to lock me away anymore.”
“This isn’t about locking you away.”
“Then what is it about?”
Kael stepped closer.
“It’s about keeping you alive.”
“I’ve spent my entire life being protected by people who never told me the truth.”
She pointed toward the mountain.
“Look where that got us.”
Kael’s expression hardened.
“Aria.”
“No.”
She shook her head.
“I am done being afraid.”
Damon looked between them.
“She’s right.”
Kael turned sharply.
“You don’t get an opinion.”
Damon’s jaw tightened.
“I know what I did to her.”
“You should.”
“I also know what the Blood Moon Clan is capable of.”
Kael stared at him.
Damon continued.
“If she can stop that thing, she needs to try.”
Kael said nothing.
Aria looked at Damon.
For a moment, she saw the boy she had once loved.
Then she remembered the rejection.
The humiliation.
The loneliness.
Her expression hardened.
“I don’t need either of you deciding my fate.”
She turned toward the mountain.
“I’m going.”
Kael caught her arm.
“No.”
Aria looked at him.
“Then stop me.”
For several seconds, they stared at each other.
Something passed between them.
Something neither understood.
Kael slowly released her.
“Stay behind me.”
Aria nodded.
Damon stepped forward.
“I’m coming too.”
Kael glared at him.
“You’ll stay with the warriors.”
“Kael—”
“That’s an order.”
Damon clenched his fists.
Then bowed.
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Aria looked at Damon.
“Why are you still following me?”
He met her eyes.
“Because I owe you.”
“You can’t repay that.”
“I know.”
He looked toward the mountain.
“But I’ll spend the rest of my life trying.”
Aria didn’t respond.
They reached the base of the mountain within minutes.
Only destruction remained.
Bodies lay scattered across the ground.
Aria’s stomach turned.
Kael noticed.
“Don’t look.”
She shook her head.
“They died because of me.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
“Aria.”
Kael’s voice softened.
“You didn’t ask them to come.”
“But they came because of me.”
“They came because someone is afraid of what you will become.”
She looked at him.
“And what will I become?”
Kael hesitated.
“I don’t know.”
“You’re the Lycan King.”
“I know.”
“You’ve known about me for eighteen years.”
“Yes.”
“And you still don’t know?”
His gaze dropped.
“Because no one has awakened the Nightshade bloodline in three thousand years.”
Aria was silent.
Kael continued.
“The last Queen could control moonlight itself.”
“What does that mean?”
“She could heal.”
“That’s good.”
“She could also destroy.”
Aria’s eyes narrowed.
“How?”
Kael looked toward the mountain.
“With a thought.”
Aria’s stomach tightened.
“Then why would anyone want me dead?”
“Because if your bloodline is stronger than hers…”
He didn’t finish.
Aria understood.
She could become unstoppable.
They reached a massive stone entrance.
Ancient symbols covered the walls.
The moment Aria approached, they began glowing.
Kael stopped.
“Don’t touch it.”
Aria frowned.
“Why?”
The symbols brightened.
A deep voice echoed through the mountain.
Blood of the Queen.
Aria froze.
Kael drew his sword.
The voice continued.
Return to your throne.
The stone doors opened.
Aria stared into the darkness.
“Did you hear that?”
Kael nodded.
“Yes.”
“What is inside?”
“I don’t know.”
“You’ve been here before.”
“Never.”
Aria looked at him suspiciously.
“You’re lying.”
Kael’s expression remained calm.
“I’ve never entered.”
She turned toward the entrance.
“Then we go together.”
Kael nodded.
“Together.”
They stepped inside.
The doors closed behind them.
Darkness swallowed them.
Aria could hear Kael’s footsteps beside her.
Then something else.
A heartbeat.
Slow.
Massive.
Boom.
Boom.
Boom.
Each beat seemed to shake the walls.
Aria placed a hand against her chest.
“It’s getting louder.”
Kael looked at her.
“What?”
“The heartbeat.”
His expression changed.
“You can hear it?”
“Yes.”
“Stay close.”
They continued deeper.
The walls were covered with paintings.
Aria stopped.
One showed the first Lycan Queen standing before an enormous black creature.
Another showed warriors kneeling before her.
Another showed the Queen holding a newborn child.
Aria stared.
The baby had silver eyes.
Her eyes.
“Kael.”
He turned.
“What?”
“Look.”
He approached.
His face went pale.
“That’s impossible.”
“Why?”
“Because that child shouldn’t exist.”
Aria touched the painting.
A strange warmth traveled through her fingers.
The wall suddenly changed.
The image moved.
It became a memory.
The Queen stood beneath a blood-red moon.
A man stood before her.
Aria recognized him.
The same man who had attacked her at the estate.
He was younger.
He held a sword.
The Queen was holding the baby.
Aria’s mother.
No.
Not her mother.
The woman looked exactly like her.
The Queen handed the baby to the man.
“Protect her.”
The man bowed.
“I swear.”
The vision shifted.
Kael appeared.
He was younger too.
He stood beside the Queen.
The Queen looked at him.
“You must protect both of them.”
Kael nodded.
“I will.”
Then another figure appeared.
A man stepped from the shadows.
Aria couldn’t see his face.
He raised his hand.
Black flames erupted.
The Queen screamed.
The vision shattered.
Aria stumbled backward.
Kael caught her.
“My mother.”
“Your mother?”
“And you.”
Kael froze.
“You saw me?”
“You promised to protect her.”
Kael looked away.
Aria’s eyes narrowed.
“You were there.”
“Yes.”
“That was my mother?”
“No.”
Aria stared.
“Then who was she?”
Kael didn’t answer.
The heartbeat became louder.
BOOM.
BOOM.
BOOM.
The floor cracked.
Kael pulled Aria backward.
“Run.”
“What?”
“Now!”
They sprinted through the corridor.
Behind them, the stone walls collapsed.
Something enormous moved beneath the ground.
Aria screamed as a giant claw broke through the floor.
Kael pushed her aside.
The claw struck him.
He was thrown against the wall.
“Kael!”
Aria ran toward him.
“Stay back!”
He struggled to stand.
Blood ran from his mouth.
The creature emerged.
It was enormous.
Bigger than any wolf Aria had ever seen.
Its body was covered in black scales.
Two massive horns curved from its head.
Its eyes burned crimson.
But its face…
Its face looked almost human.
Aria’s wolf growled.
Father.
Aria froze.
“What?”
The creature stared directly at her.
Then it spoke.
“Finally.”
Its voice shook the mountain.
“My daughter has returned.”
Aria couldn’t breathe.
Kael went completely still.
“No…”
The creature smiled.
“Hello, Aria.”
She stared at it.
“You know my name.”
“I have known your name since the night you were born.”
Kael stepped in front of her.
“Stay away from her.”
The creature laughed.
“You still protect her?”
Kael tightened his grip on his sword.
“I made a promise.”
“You broke it.”
Kael’s face hardened.
The creature’s gaze shifted toward Aria.
“You want to know who killed your mother?”
Aria’s heart stopped.
“Yes.”
The creature smiled.
“Ask your King.”
Aria turned toward Kael.
His face was pale.
“Kael?”
He said nothing.
The creature continued.
“Ask him who held the sword when your mother died.”
Aria’s eyes widened.
The vision.
The sword.
The blood.
Kael.
She looked at him.
“Was it you?”
Kael closed his eyes.
For several seconds, there was only silence.
Then he whispered:
“Yes.”
Aria’s heart shattered.
Kael opened his eyes.
“But I didn’t kill her.”
The creature roared.
“LIAR!”
The mountain shook.
Aria stumbled.
The creature lunged toward Kael.
Kael raised his sword.
The impact sent both of them crashing through the stone wall.
Aria screamed.
“Kael!”
She ran after them.
But the wall collapsed between them.
Dust filled the air.
“Kael!”
No answer.
Aria’s breathing became frantic.
Then the silver mark on her wrist began burning.
Her wolf spoke.
Let me out.
Aria froze.
“What?”
Let me out.
Her body began changing.
Bones shifted.
Silver light erupted around her.
Aria screamed as something ancient awakened inside her.
Her fingers became claws.
Her eyes turned completely silver.
Her hair lifted in the invisible wind.
And behind her…
A gigantic silver wolf emerged from the light.
The creature stared.
For the first time, its smile disappeared.
“No…”
The wolf growled.
The mountain shook.
Aria looked at her reflection in the glowing stone.
She wasn’t human anymore.
She wasn’t the weak, wolfless girl Damon had rejected.
She was something else.
Something ancient.
Something powerful.
And somewhere beyond the collapsing wall, Kael whispered in disbelief:
“The Queen has awakened.”
Then a second voice echoed through the darkness.
Damon.
“Aria!”
She turned.
Damon stood at the entrance, staring at her transformed body.
His face was filled with shock.
But before he could speak, the creature behind him smiled.
“Perfect.”
Aria’s silver wolf growled.
The creature lifted its enormous hand.
“Now…”
Its crimson eyes burned brighter.
“…let the war for the Queen begin.”