Aria's pov.
“Aria, wait! Please don't go” Ryder's voice echoed through the trees as I stormed away from the pack house, my heart racing faster than my feet.
I didn't stop. I couldn't. His commanding presence made my chest ache in ways I couldn't explain, and I needed space to breathe without the weight of his guilt hanging over me.
“Please just hear me out for once,” Ryder pleaded his voice closer now.
I whirled around, my eyes narrowing. “What's it, Ryder? What excuse do you have this time? To be honest, I'm not interested”.
His expression was painful, as though my words physically hurt him. “It's not like that. There's something hidden under the sun, and you don't understand what's going on”.
“Then explain it to me! Reveal the hidden light of the sun”. I demanded. “Why are you hiding things from me? I felt like I was being caught in a nightmare I couldn't even wake up from”.
My teeth gnashing as my jaw clenched, gnashing my teeth. “That's convenient”.
I turned to leave as frustration flowed through me, but his next words stopped me cold.
“Aria, I'm trying to protect you”.
“Protect me? From what exactly?”. I challenged spinning back.
Ryder hesitated, his gaze dropping to the ground. “From myself,” he softly admitted.
His voice tugged within the sincerity of something inside me, but I wasn't ready to let go of my anger.
“I can't even understand your explanation. It isn't making any sense,” I said, my voice trembling. “If you cared, you'd tell me the truth”.
Before he could respond, a sudden sharp pain pierced my head, making me stumble.
"Aria!" Ryder caught me before I fell, his strong arms steadying me.
"I’m fine," I gasped, though the throbbing in my head said otherwise.
But then it happened—the vision.
Chains rattling, a massive black wolf bound by ancient iron shackles. Glowing its golden eyes with raw power its deep voice was commanding and echoed in my mind.
"Aria..."
My breathing ragged as I jerked away from Ryder.
"You scared me what’s wrong?" he asked, concern etched across his face.
"I... I saw something," I whispered. "A wolf. Bound in chains. It called my name."
Ryder's expression darkened. "What did you just say?"
"You heard me," I said, confusion and fear swirling inside me. "Why did it feel so... familiar?"
He shook his head, muttering something under his breath.
"What aren’t you telling me, Ryder?" I demanded.
He was torn, looking as if battling an internal war. “I need to speak to the pack elder,” he finally said.
“Why? And what does this have to do with me?”.
Ryder's jaw tightened..” Everything, it simply means everything”.
We made our way to the elder's hut in tense silence. The ancient wolf Shaman, Elder Thalos, sat by a flickering fire, his eyes clouded with wisdom and age.
“Elder Thalos,” Ryder greeted respectfully, “I need your guidance”.
The elder's gaze shifted to me, his expression unreadable. “Ah. The moon's chosen child,” he cryptically murmured.
“What does that mean?” I asked unease creeping into my voice.
Thalos didn't answer directly. Instead, he looked at Ryder. “You seek an answer, but you've to beware of the truth; it comes with a price.”
“I don't care about the price, name it. I will pay for it” Ryder firmly said.
The elder eyes gleamed. “The spell that binds you can only be broken by blood or betrayal”.
Ryder sniffed. “What do you mean by Blood or Betrayal?” He echoed, confusion clouding his features.
The elder solemnly nodded. “The past holds more secrets that must be faced, or darkness will consume you both.”
Ryder clenched his fist. “I don't understand; please explain better.”
“With time you'll understand,” Thalos said cryptically.
Ryder became frustrated as he turned to me. “We need to go”.
As we left the hut, my mind raced. "What spell was he talking about? And what does blood or betrayal have to do with us?"
Ryder's expression was grim. "I've no idea about this, but I swear I’ll find out."
As the night dragged near, I was alone in my room; as the vision kept replaying in my mind, it was about the chained wolf and its powerful voice calling my name.
Why did it feel like I knew that wolf?
And why did it sound so much like Ryder?
Ryder's voice echoed in my thoughts long after he left. The weight of Elder Thalos’ cryptic words pressed heavily on my chest: blood or betrayal.
What did that even mean? And why did I feel like the answers were hidden just out of reach?
The moon hung low over the treetops as I stood by the window staring at it, and its silver glow was casting across the pack lands.
The air was thick with the wild scent of the forest, but something else lingered—a tension that made my skin prickle.
The vision of the black wolf wouldn’t leave me. Those golden eyes burned with fury and desperation.
The chains bind their massive form. And its voice... calling my name as if it knew me like we were connected somehow.
A sudden gust of wind rattled the window, making me jump.
“You can't avoid this, Aria”.
I whipped around my heart racing. Ryder stood in the doorway with his face shadowed but unmistakably tense.
“You scared me,” I took a deep breath, pressing a hand to my chest.
“You’ve to be scared because something is coming that's tied to you” he gravely said.
My body shivers as his words send a chill down my spine. “What are you talking about?”.
He closed the distance between us, his gaze fierce. “The vision you had—it’s not just a dream. That wolf is real, and its fate is tangled with yours”.
“How do you know that?” I whispered, dread creeping into my voice.
Ryder hesitated, then sighed heavily. “That's because I've seen it too”.
My breath hitched. “What? When?”.
“I saw it a long time ago,” he admitted. “Before you ever joined the pack”.
My mind reeled. “So why did you keep this hidden?” I paused, my voice was soft and curious. “But you didn't tell me about this, why?”.
“Because I’m only trying to protect you,” he said, frustration lacing his voice. “But I can't just keep you in the dark anymore”.
“Then stop being vague and tell me the answer”. I demanded.
Ryder's jaw tightened. “The elders' warning, remember blood or betrayal was all about us. That wolf is bound by magic, and the key to set it free lies within you”.
"Me?" I whispered, disbelief washing over me.
He nodded solemnly. "But if you free it, there will be consequences."
My heart pounded as I met his intense gaze. "What kind of consequences?"
Ryder's voice dropped to a whisper. "The kind that could destroy everything we know."
I swallowed hard. "And if I don’t free it?"
Ryder's eyes darkened. "Then the wolf will come for you."
Why did it feel like the wolf had already started its hunt?
