The first light of dawn did not bring warmth; it brought a chilling realization of the price they had paid.
Ava woke in the massive velvet bed of the master suite, the space beside her already cold. The lingering scent of cedar and a faint, metallic tang of blood reminded her that the events at the Silver Stone were no dream. She touched her abdomen instinctively. The golden sigil had faded beneath her skin, but she could feel its resonance—a warm, protective shell shielding her and the life within.
She found Silas in the en-suite bathroom, his back turned to her as he stood before the mirror.
He was shirtless, his broad shoulders braced against the marble counter. Ava gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. His back, once a canvas of powerful muscles and pack tattoos, was now webbed with pulsing, black fissures. They spiraled out from the Blood Tether at his neck like cracked obsidian, looking as though something dark and ancient was trying to claw its way out from under his skin.
"Silas!" Ava cried, rushing forward to touch him.
"Don't," Silas snapped, spinning around with a speed that made her dizzy. His eyes were bloodshot, his voice a dry rasp. "It is the mark of the Abyss. I cheated the Goddess, Ava. This is the debt being collected."
"You did this for me," she whispered, her voice trembling. "The golden fire... you used your own life force to shield us from the judgment."
Silas let out a harsh, cynical laugh, pulling a black silk shirt over his head to hide the agonizing marks. He stepped into her space, his cold fingers gripping her chin. "Don't flatter yourself. I simply didn't want my Luna turning into a pile of ash in front of the Council. It would have been bad for my reputation. Now, act like the Queen you were crowned to be."
Outside the manor, the atmosphere was electric. The "miracle" at the altar had turned the tide. To the pack, Ava was no longer a stray rogue; she was the Golden Luna, the chosen one of the Moon.
However, power never changes hands without a struggle.
The Elders sat in the grand council hall, their faces etched with unease. The High Elder looked at Silas as he entered, his voice heavy. "Silas, the light was a miracle, yes. But it has awakened something in the Forbidden Forest. The Shadow Stalkers—beings that haven't stepped out of the darkness in centuries—were seen this morning. Three of our scouts were found dead, their blood drained."
Ava sat beside Silas, feeling his body stiffen. The black fissures on his back must have been burning like acid.
"The Shadow Stalkers are the hunters of the 'Untrue,'" the Second Elder whispered, his eyes darting between Silas and Ava. "There are rumors that the golden fire was not a blessing, but a forbidden sorcery. If these shadows are here because of you... the Blackwood pack will demand an account."
"An account?" Silas's voice dropped to a lethal register. He stood up, his Alpha aura exploding through the room, suffocating the air. "My Luna passed the test before the eyes of thousands. If the shadows want blood, I will give them mine. But if anyone in this room tries to challenge my authority with ghost stories... I will paint this hall with your blood before the sun sets."
The meeting ended in a suffocating silence. As Silas led Ava back toward the private wing, she felt the cold sweat on his palm.
"Silas, they suspect us," Ava whispered. "Are the shadows real? Are they here because of the Blood Tether?"
"The shadows are here for me," Silas muttered, stopping in the deserted corridor. He turned to her, his gaze desperate and piercing. "Listen to me, Ava. For the next few days, I'm putting the manor under total lockdown. Do not leave the protection of the wards. Do not trust anyone but the guards I personally assigned."
"Where are you going?"
Silas didn't answer. He suddenly pulled her into a kiss that was brutal and desperate, tasting of copper and a terrifying finality. His hand went to the back of her head, holding her as if she were the only thing keeping him anchored to the world.
"If I don't return," Silas murmured against her lips, his voice barely audible, "take the child to the Blackwood vaults. There is a final contract there, written in my blood. It will protect you when I can't."
"No, Silas! You can't leave me!"
But he had already let go. In the bright morning sun, his form blurred and shifted. With a low, mournful howl, the massive Black Wolf leaped over the balcony, racing toward the dark pines of the forest to face the shadows he had summoned to save her.
Ava watched him disappear, a strange power stirring in her own chest. The golden light didn't feel like a lie anymore. It felt like a weapon.