Chapter One: The Girl Beneath the Ashes
[...Chapter One remains unchanged here for bre
The following morning broke with a heavy mist clinging to the forest like an omen. Aria stirred from a restless sleep, her dreams haunted by strange visions—flashes of her father battling shadows, her stepmother's wicked grin smeared in blood, and Kael's golden eyes burning into hers.
Outside her hut, the village buzzed with tension. Warriors sharpened weapons, spellcasters murmured over enchanted stones, and the scent of iron and pine hung thick in the air.
She stepped out, adjusting the leather vest Kael had given her—a gift from the pack. The weight of it felt oddly comforting.
"Early start."
She turned to see a new face: a young man, tall and lean, with shaggy brown hair and emerald eyes that sparkled with mischief. He carried a bow and a grin that could melt ice.
"Name's Kellan," he said, offering a hand. "Scout. Former thief. Current troublemaker."
"Aria," she said cautiously. "Former outcast. Current... confused?"
He laughed. "Good. You've got humor. You'll need it."
"Why?"
"Because Kael is about to throw you into a hornet's nest."
---
Training that day was brutal. Kael pushed her harder than ever before, sparring until her muscles screamed and her breath came in ragged gasps. Kellan joined them, flitting in and out of the trees like a phantom, throwing distractions her way while Kael attacked.
"You're too predictable," Kael snapped after she fell for the fifth time.
"I'm learning!"
"You're hesitating."
"I don't want to hurt you."
His eyes burned. "Then you'll die."
The next strike came faster than thought. She ducked, rolled, and swept his legs. Kael hit the ground with a grunt.
She gasped. "Did I just—?"
"You did." He smirked, breathless. "Again."
They trained until the sun dipped low. That evening, she limped back to the stream, only to find Kellan waiting with a smuggled bottle of wildberry wine.
"To bruises and broken pride," he said, handing her a carved wooden cup.
They sat by the water, sipping and talking. Kellan spoke of lost siblings, of stolen magic, of loyalty bought and sold. Aria found herself laughing for the first time in weeks.
"You've got something fire-born in you," Kellan said, watching her. "It's dangerous. But beautiful."
She smiled. "You flirt with everyone?"
He grinned. "Only the powerful ones."
---
Later that night, Kael summoned her to the war hut. The room smelled of blood, herbs, and firewood. Maps covered the walls, and weapons lined the shelves.
"Sit," he ordered.
She obeyed.
"There's been an attack on one of our border sanctuaries. Only one survivor. They say she was dressed in royal velvet and used both magic and flame."
"Mircella," Aria whispered.
Kael nodded. "She's hunting you openly now."
Aria's chest tightened. "Because I'm a threat."
"No," Kael said. "Because you're her undoing."
He leaned in close, his voice low. "Your father wasn't just pack. He was once Alpha-blood. He gave it up to raise you hidden. Mircella hated him for it. She murdered him in secret."
Aria's breath caught. "How do you know?"
"Because I saw it. She cursed him with silver thorns. Took days for the magic to finish him."
A tear slid down her cheek.
"She stole everything," Aria whispered. "She has to pay."
Kael's hand found hers. "And she will."
For a long moment, they sat in silence. Then he touched her chin, lifting her face. "You're stronger than you know."
His lips brushed hers—tentative at first, then with rising heat.
She kissed him back fiercely, pouring in her grief, rage, and longing. His arms wrapped around her, pulling her into his warmth, his scent—earth and ash.
Clothes were forgotten. Skin met skin.
He carried her to the sleeping furs, their bodies entwined in fire and moonlight. He traced the scars on her back like runes. She kissed the mark on his chest that pulsed with alpha power. They moved as one—fierce, desperate, reverent.
When it was over, she lay curled beside him, his heartbeat steady beneath her ear.
But outside, storm clouds gathered.
---
The next day brought whispers. A betrayal. One of the scouts had gone missing. Kellan grew tense, eyes scanning the trees constantly.
Kael called an emergency gathering. "Someone's feeding her information."
Gasps rippled through the camp.
"We don't accuse without proof," the silver-haired woman—Eira, the seer—warned.
"We don't wait to be slaughtered either," Kael growled.
Aria watched everyone carefully. Daxon glared. Eira looked worried. Kellan looked... guilty?
That night, she confronted him.
"You're hiding something."
Kellan sighed. "I used to work for Mircella's spy ring. Before I ran. She doesn't let go easily."
"Did you give her anything?"
"No. But I think someone else here did."
He handed her a torn piece of parchment—coded messages about the sanctuary attack.
Aria's heart dropped. The handwriting was familiar.
Celene's.
Somehow, her stepsister had infiltrated the pack.
"She's here," Aria whispered. "In disguise. Watching us."
Kael's voice echoed behind her. "Then we hunt her down."
To be continued...