Chapter 4: Strange Feelings
Blood dripped onto the floor as Aria clutched her hand. The knife she'd been using to chop carrots had slipped, cutting deep into her hand. Pain shot up her arm.
"Stupid girl!" Helen snapped, running over. "Don't bleed on the food!"
Aria put a dish towel against the wound. "Sorry. The knife slipped."
Three days had passed since the attack at the northern border. The rogues had disappeared as quickly as they'd appeared, leaving four pack members dead and many more hurt. And there had been no sign of the blonde woman everyone whispered about.
No one would tell Aria anything. After the attack, she had been dragged from the safe room back to her storage-room jail. The next morning, she was sent to work in the kitchen again, as if nothing had happened. When she asked about the rogues, about the woman who had called her name, everyone claimed not to hear.
Now Helen glared at Aria's bleeding hand. "Go clean up in the wash room. Can't have you contaminating lunch."
Aria nodded and hurried to the small bathroom off the kitchen. Inside, she unwrapped the towel and winced. The cut was deep, blood welling up instantly. She turned on the tap and held her hand under the cold water, watching red swirl down the drain.
Without the silver necklace, her wolf would have fixed this in minutes. But the heavy ring still hung around her neck, making her feel human and weak.
The bathroom door suddenly burst open. Alpha Callan filled the opening, his face tense.
"I smelled blood," he said. His voice was rough, almost a growl.
Aria turned, shocked. "It's nothing. Just cut my hand."
Callan stepped closer. His nostrils flared as he breathed in deeply. Something strange happened to his eyes—they seemed to glow brighter blue for a moment. He swayed slightly, like the smell made him dizzy.
"Let me see," he ordered, reaching for her hand.
Aria hesitated, then held out her injured hand. Callan took her wrist, his touch strangely gentle for such a large, powerful man. The moment his skin met hers, a jolt like lightning shot up her arm and straight to her heart.
Callan gasped. Aria's eyes widened. The strange warm feeling in her chest burst into heat.
For a heartbeat, they stood frozen, joined by more than just his hand around her wrist. Aria could almost feel his beating matching hers, speeding up together. The metal necklace seemed to grow hot against her skin.
Then Callan dropped her hand like it had burned him. He stumbled back, shaking his head as if trying to clear it.
"Wrap that up," he ordered, his voice even rougher than before. "And stay away from me."
He turned and stormed out, leaving Aria looking after him, her cut hand forgotten as she pressed her other hand to her chest where the warmth still pulsed.
What had just happened?
Aria quickly washed and wrapped her hand, then returned to the kitchen. Helen told her to peel potatoes since her cutting skills were "clearly lacking." As she worked, Aria couldn't stop thinking about Callan's response to her blood.
At noon, she was allowed to eat a small bowl of vegetable soup in a corner of the kitchen while the rest of the staff took their break in the dining room. Alone with her thoughts, Aria repeated the strange moment over and over.
"Psst! Aria!"
Aria looked up, surprised to see Mia looking around the kitchen door.
"Mia? What are you doing here?" Aria asked, looking around to make sure they were truly alone.
The girl slipped inside, holding something against her chest. "I brought you these," she whispered, setting two books on the table. "They're about pack tales and lunar magic. I thought maybe they could help you understand what's happening."
Aria looked at the books. "How did you know I needed these?"
Mia shrugged. "I heard Mom talking to Alpha Callan. He was really upset about something that happened today. Said his wolf went crazy when he smelled your blood." She leaned forward, eyes wide. "Is it true that you have the mark of the moon?"
Aria's hand automatically went to her wrist where the mark had appeared in the council meeting. "How do you know about that?"
"Everyone's talking about it," Mia said. "The elders tried to keep it secret, but secrets never stay secret in a wolf pack."
Before Aria could reply, they heard voices approaching. Mia jumped up.
"Hide the books! I'll come back later!" she whispered, then darted out a side door just as Helen and the kitchen staff returned.
Aria quickly shoved the books under her apron and returned to her potatoes, mind rushing. Her blood affected Callan's wolf. She had a moon mark. And everyone knew about it.
That night, locked once again in her storage-room cage, Aria pulled out the books. With only moonlight coming through the small high window, she began to read.
The first book told the history of the Bloodfang Pack, noting a prophecy about a marked Luna bringing either salvation or destruction. Aria looked through, finding nothing she hadn't already heard.
The second book was different—older, with worn pages and faded ink. It explained moon magic and the rare wolves who could channel it. As she flipped through, a page caught her eye: "The blood of a true Luna Queen calls to her Alpha. It triggers the primal bond between them. When an Alpha tastes the blood of his true mate, the bond cannot be refused."
Aria's heart raced. Had Callan somehow tasted her blood? Was that why he responded so strongly?
She read further: "Those with the mark of the moon can control more than just their Alpha's heart. They hold power over the spirits of the land, the changing of the seasons, and the turning of the tides. A Luna Queen's blood spilled on holy ground can open doorways between worlds."
A chill ran down Aria's spine. Doorways between worlds. Like the doorway her sister might have crossed?
She turned the page, but the next part had been torn out. Frustrated, Aria closed the book and slumped back against the wall. Was this why everyone feared her? Because of some power she didn't understand or know how to use?
A scratching sound at her door made her freeze. She quickly hid the books under an old blanket and stood up.
"Who's there?" she called softly.
The door opened a crack. Aria expected to see Mia again, but instead, a tall figure slipped inside and closed the door. In the dim starlight, she recognized Nessa, the pack healer.
"Don't be afraid," Nessa whispered. "I'm here to help you."
"How?" Aria asked carefully. No one had offered to help her since she returned.
Nessa came closer, and Aria saw she was carrying a small bag. "I need to check your hand. The cut. It's important."
"Why?"
"Because Alpha Callan is in trouble," Nessa said quickly. "He's locked himself in his room, burning with heat. He keeps saying your name."
Aria's heart skipped. "What's wrong with him?"
"The bond is trying to complete itself," Nessa explained, taking Aria's injured hand and unwrapping the bandage. "When he touched your blood, it started a response. The silver necklace is interfering with the normal process."
She checked the cut, which was red and swollen. "This should be healing, even with the silver. Something's wrong." Nessa looked up at Aria, her eyes worried. "I think you're being poisoned."
"Poisoned?" Aria repeated in shock. "By who?"
"I don't know, but someone's been adding wolfsbane to your food. It's subtle, but I can smell it on your skin." Nessa reached for the silver pendant. "This needs to come off so you can heal."
As her fingers touched the clasp, the door burst open. Beta Selene, Mia's mother, stood there with two guards.
"Step away from her, Nessa," Selene directed. "By order of Alpha Callan."
"He's not in his right mind!" Nessa complained. "The mate bond—"
"Silence!" Selene snapped. "The Alpha has made his decision." She looked at Aria with cold eyes. "Your presence is destroying this pack. Alpha Callan has ordered you to be taken to the boundary and freed."
"Released?" Aria asked. "You mean thrown out?"
"Be grateful it's not worse," Selene said. "The council wanted you executed for bringing the rogues to our door."
The guards stepped forward and grabbed Aria's arms.
"Wait!" she cried. "I didn't bring anyone! I need to see Callan!"
"The Alpha doesn't want to see you," Selene answered. "Ever again."
As they dragged her from the room, Aria got a glimpse of Nessa's face—not surprised or angry, but calculating. The doctor gave her the smallest nod, as if to say: This isn't over.
The guards took her through back halls and out a side door. Cold night air hit her face as they marched her toward the border of pack lands. Aria tried to fight, but the silver necklace made her too weak.
"Please," she begged. "Let me talk to Callan. Something's wrong with him."
"The only thing wrong is you," one guard growled. "The Alpha was fine until you came back."
They reached the edge of pack territory, where the safe, patrolled lands gave way to the dangerous wild beyond. The guard shoved Aria forward so hard she fell to her knees.
"Don't come back," he warned. "Next time, we'll kill you on sight."
The guards turned and walked away, leaving Aria alone in the darkness. She slowly stood, her cut hand hurting painfully. Nessa's words echoed in her mind. Poisoned. The bond trying to finish itself. Callan saying her name.
A twig snapped behind her. Aria whirled around, looking into the dark trees. Something moved in the dark.
"Who's there?" she called, her voice shaking.
A person stepped into a patch of moonlight. Blonde hair. Green eyes. A face Aria would know anywhere, even old and changed.
"Hello, sister," Elira said with a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "I've been waiting for you."