Chapter 9: The Elder's Warning
Liana ducked as another rock flew through the window, barely missing her head.
"Get down!" Kael yelled, pulling her to the floor. Glass crunched under their knees.
Jace was already at the window, looking into the darkness. "I don't see anyone," he said, his voice tight with anger.
Three loud knocks at the kitchen door made them all freeze. Kael motioned for them to stay quiet as he crept toward it, his body tense like a coiled spring.
He flung the door open, ready to attack—and found Elder Mira standing there, her silver hair gleaming in the moonlight.
"Move aside, boy," she said, pushing past him. "We don't have much time."
Elder Mira's eyes found Liana instantly. She rushed to her, grabbing her by the shoulders with surprising strength for such an old woman.
"Have you been dreaming of eyes like blood? Of shadows that move when they shouldn't?" she asked anxiously.
Liana's throat went dry. "Yes. How did you—"
"I felt the dark magic enter our territory," Elder Mira said. "Come with me. Now. It's not safe here."
"She's not going anywhere without protection," Kael argued.
"She already has protection," Elder Mira snapped, pointing at Liana's arm where the black lines had faded from Jace's touch. "More than you understand."
Before anyone could argue, another rock crashed through the window. This time, it was wrapped in burning cloth that sent flames spreading across the kitchen floor.
"Move!" Jace yelled, taking Liana's hand and pulling her toward the door.
The four of them ran into the night. Behind them, shouts of fear rose as others in the house woke to the commotion.
"This way," Elder Mira hissed, leading them not toward the main part of the pack's area, but toward the forest edge where her cottage stood alone.
Liana stumbled along, her head spinning with fear and confusion. The cold night air made her shiver in her thin sleep clothes.
"What's happening?" she gasped as they reached the house. "Who's attacking us?"
"Not us," Elder Mira said, leading them inside. "You."
The house was small but warm, filled with strange smells—herbs and smoke and something sweet like honey. Elder Mira bolted the door behind them and quickly moved around the room, lighting candles and mumbling words Liana couldn't understand.
"Sit," she ordered, pointing to the wooden chairs around her table.
Both Kael and Jace stayed standing, positioning themselves on either side of Liana like guards.
Elder Mira sighed. "So protective already. Good. She'll need that."
"Need what?" Kael asked. "What aren't you telling us, Elder?"
"Everything," the old woman answered simply. "I haven't told you everything because I didn't know everything. Until tonight." She looked at Liana's arm. "Show me."
Liana rolled up her sleeve. The black lines had spread again, but were lighter where Jace had touched them.
Elder Mira nodded as if confirming something. "Your mother had the same marks."
Liana's heart skipped a beat. "My mother? But she died when I was a baby. I never knew her."
"She didn't die in childbirth as you were told," Elder Mira said softly. "She died protecting you."
The room went quiet. Liana felt as if the floor had dropped away beneath her.
"Protecting me from what?" she whispered.
Elder Mira went to a small wooden box and took out something that glinted in the candlelight—a necklace with a small moon-shaped pendant.
"This was hers," Elder Mira said, placing it in Liana's hand. "She asked me to give it to you when the marks appeared."
The ring was warm to the touch, almost vibrating against Liana's skin. As she held it, the black veins on her arm pulsed in reaction.
"What was she?" Liana asked. "Who was she?"
"She was like you," Elder Mira responded. "Special. Born with the blood of the ancient ones. The first werewolves."
"That's just a legend," Jace said. "Stories for pups."
"All legends begin as truth," Elder Mira snapped. She turned back to Liana. "Your mother came to our pack seeking sanctuary. She was running from someone—a wolf who wanted to use her power for himself."
"Darius," Kael guessed.
Elder Mira nodded. "He found her anyway. On the night of a blood moon, he came for her. She knew he would kill anyone who stood in his way." The old woman's voice trembled. "Your father died trying to save her."
Tears filled Liana's eyes. All her life, she'd thought her parents had died together—a tragic accident, nothing more.
"Why does Darius want me now?" she asked. "What power do I have?"
"The power to control wolves," Elder Mira said. "Not just your own, but others too. The bloodline of the Moon Priestess runs in your veins. In the old days, they could command entire packs."
Jace let out a low whistle. "No wonder he wants her."
"It's not just wanting," Kael said sadly. "He threatened to kill her by moonrise tomorrow."
"Unless you surrender yourself," Elder Mira finished for him. She didn't look shocked. "He knows the bond is forming. He's trying to break it before it's complete."
"What bond?" Liana and Jace asked at the same time.
The Elder stared at them both, then at Kael, whose face had gone carefully blank.
"You haven't told them?" she asked him.
"I was waiting for proof," Kael responded stiffly.
Elder Mira shook her head. "The proof is right there," she said, referring to Liana's arm. "When he touches you, the marks fade, don't they?"
Liana frowned. "Yes, but—"
"And when Kael is near, they burn hotter."
Liana's eyes widened. It was true. When Kael had entered the kitchen, her arm had started aching again.
"And Rowan?" Elder Mira asked. "What happens when he's close?"
"I—I don't know," Liana admitted.
"The triplet bond," Jace said, understanding dawning on his face. "The legend of three wolves sharing one mate. It's real?"
"Real, but rare," Elder Mira confirmed. "Each brother affects her differently because each represents a different aspect of the bond. Mind, body, and spirit. But only one is her true mate."
"Which one?" Kael asked, his voice tight.
Elder Mira smiled sadly. "That's for her wolf to decide. But I warn you—not all bonds are what they seem."
She turned back to Liana. "Put on the necklace. It will help control the marks."
Liana slipped the chain over her head. The moment the moon charm touched her skin, warmth spread through her body. The burning in her arm eased.
"There's more you need to know," Elder Mira began, but was stopped by a loud howl from outside—a signal of danger.
Kael was at the window instantly. "Rogues," he growled. "At least a dozen."
"They found us," Jace said, moving to Liana's side.
"Elder, is there another way out?" Kael asked.
But Elder Mira wasn't listening. She was looking at Liana with wide, frightened eyes.
"Your eyes," she gasped. "They're changing."
Liana caught her image in a small mirror on the wall. Her normal golden-brown eyes now shimmered with silver bits that seemed to glow in the dim light.
"What's happening to me?" she whispered.
Outside, more screams joined the first. The cottage walls seemed to shake with their power.
"Liana," Elder Mira said quickly, gripping her hands. "Listen carefully. When the time comes, you must choose with your heart, not your wolf. The prophecy speaks of three, but warns of four."
"Four what?" Liana asked, confused and scared.
Before Elder Mira could answer, the cottage door split open. A huge black wolf with eyes like burning coals stood in the doorway, its teeth bared in what almost looked like a smile.
Behind Liana, Elder Mira whispered a single word that made her blood run cold.
"Darius."