Chapter 9
For a moment, Kael Vaughn could not move. The clearing stood in ruins around him, broken trees scattered across scorched ground, the air still carrying the fading traces of golden light. Only seconds ago, Ariana had been there. Now there was nothing. The absence hit harder than the chaos that came before, leaving a hollow pressure in his chest that refused to settle.
His wolf reacted instantly. Find her.
The command cut through everything, sharp and absolute. Kael turned slowly, scanning the clearing again as if forcing himself to accept what his instincts already knew. Hunters were pulling themselves to their feet, shaken and disoriented, but Ariana was nowhere. The faint trace of her power still lingered in the air, just enough to confirm she had not imagined it. His chest tightened. "No," he said quietly, the word heavier than it should have been.
The winged guardian stepped forward, its gaze fixed on the empty space where Ariana had stood moments earlier. "She's not here anymore." Kael's head snapped toward it, irritation breaking through the pressure building inside him. "I can see that." Cassian brushed dust from his coat, completely composed despite the destruction around him. "Well," he said lightly, "that was dramatic." Kael ignored him. His focus remained locked on the ground, on the last place he had seen her.
"Where did they take her?" he asked.
The guardian's wings shifted slightly. "They didn't take her by force." Kael's patience snapped. "Then explain it." The guardian studied him for a moment before answering. "She was summoned." The word settled heavily over the clearing, and Kael frowned. "Summoned?" "Yes. The Fifth Blood responds to ancient calls." Cassian raised an eyebrow. "That old legend?" Kael's voice hardened. "Stop speaking in riddles."
The guardian exhaled slowly. "The ones who have her are older than the council." The High Alpha stepped forward, his expression sharpening. "That bloodline was destroyed centuries ago." The guardian shook its head. "No. They disappeared." Cassian smirked faintly. "Hiding for a few hundred years. Impressive." Kael stepped closer, his presence turning colder. "Who are they?" The guardian lowered its voice. "The First Bloodline."
The words settled into Kael's chest like something heavy. Even the High Alpha went still. "That's impossible," he said. "They were wiped out." "They allowed the council to believe that," the guardian replied. Kael felt his wolf growl deep inside him. The First Bloodline. Older than wolves. Older than vampires. And somehow, they had Ariana.
"Why take her?" Kael asked.
Cassian answered this time, his tone more serious than before. "Because she isn't just the Fifth Blood anymore." He glanced toward the sky where her power had erupted. "She awakened as the Sovereign." Kael's jaw tightened. The word meant nothing to him compared to one simple fact. She was gone. "I don't care what title she has," he said. "I'm getting her back."
The High Alpha stepped in front of him. "You're not going anywhere." Kael's eyes flashed. "Move." "You're thinking like a mate again." "And you're thinking like a coward." The tension in the clearing snapped tight. The High Alpha's expression hardened. "If you go after the First Bloodline, you will start a war." Kael didn't hesitate. "Then it's already started."
Cassian let out a quiet laugh, clearly entertained. "I admire the commitment." The guardian stepped forward again. "You don't understand what you're facing." Kael turned toward it, his patience gone. "Then explain it." The guardian's eyes darkened. "The First Bloodline were the original rulers of the supernatural world. They existed before wolves, before vampires, and before the council." Something cold settled deeper in Kael's chest. "And they want Ariana to rule?" "Yes."
The High Alpha shook his head. "If they crown her, the council will collapse." Cassian smiled faintly. "That would be interesting." Kael ignored him completely. "How do I find them?" The guardian hesitated. "You don't." Kael's voice sharpened. "Everything leaves a trail." The guardian studied him more closely. "You're serious." "Yes." "You would challenge them alone?" Kael's voice steadied. "I won't be alone."
He turned toward the forest without another word. The air still carried the faint trace of Ariana's power, and beneath it, something deeper remained. A pull. His wolf reacted immediately, locking onto it. Kael lifted his head and howled. The sound tore through the forest, carrying authority and command. Within seconds, wolves answered. One howl, then another, then dozens more as movement filled the trees and his pack emerged from the shadows.
They gathered behind him without hesitation.
Cassian raised an eyebrow. "Well, that escalated quickly." The High Alpha's expression darkened. "You're calling your entire pack into this." Kael did not look at him. "Yes." The guardian stepped closer. "You still don't know where they are." Kael stepped forward, his gaze fixed on the distant mountains. "She left a trail."
Cassian blinked. "She did?" Kael nodded once. "The bond." The guardian's eyes widened slightly. "You can track her." Kael's voice lowered, quieter now but far more certain. "I can feel her."
The High Alpha stared at him. "You're risking everything for that girl." Kael didn't hesitate.
"She's not just a girl."
His pack stood behind him, silent and ready. Kael's eyes hardened as he looked toward the distance, toward the place where Ariana had been taken. His wolf growled low, the sound carrying through his chest.
"The moment they took her…"
His voice turned cold.
"They started a war."