Chapter 9
For a moment, Kael Vaughn could not move.
The clearing was in ruins. The golden light had disappeared as suddenly as it came, leaving only broken trees and scorched ground behind.
Ariana Sinclair was gone. His wolf reacted instantly. Find her.
The command hit him hard, pushing through every instinct he had.
Kael turned sharply, scanning the clearing. Broken branches and splintered wood covered the ground. The air still carried traces of Ariana's power, faint but lingering.
Hunters were slowly getting back to their feet. Some looked shaken. Others looked afraid. But Ariana was nowhere.His chest tightened.
"No," he said under his breath.
The winged guardian stepped forward, studying the empty space where Ariana had been moments earlier. "She's not here anymore."
Kael's gaze snapped toward it. "I can see that."
Cassian brushed dust from his coat, looking completely calm. "Well," he said, glancing around at the destruction, "that was dramatic."
Kael ignored him. His focus stayed on the exact spot where Ariana had vanished.
"Where did they take her?"
The guardian's wings shifted slightly. "They didn't take her by force."
Kael's patience broke. "Then explain it."
The guardian watched him for a moment before answering. "She was summoned."
The word settled over the clearing.Kael frowned. "Summoned?"
"Yes."
The guardian gestured toward the cracked ground. "The Fifth Blood responds to ancient calls."
Cassian raised an eyebrow. "That old legend?"
Kael's voice hardened. "Stop speaking in riddles."
The guardian let out a slow breath. "The ones who took her are older than the council."
The High Alpha stepped forward, his expression sharp. "That bloodline was destroyed centuries ago."
The guardian shook its head. "No. They disappeared."
Cassian smirked. "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 hung in the air. 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.
They were older than the council, older than wolves, and even older than vampires. And somehow, they had taken Ariana.
"Why take her?" he asked.
Cassian answered this time. "Because she isn't just the Fifth Blood anymore."
He gestured toward the sky where her power had exploded earlier. "She awakened as the Sovereign."
Kael's jaw tightened.
"I don't care what title she has."
He turned toward the forest without hesitation.
"I'm getting her back."
The High Alpha moved 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."
Tension spread across the clearing.
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. "I admire the commitment."
The guardian stepped forward again. "You don't understand what you're facing."
Kael turned toward it. "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 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. "How do I find them?"
The guardian hesitated. "You don't."
"That's not an answer."
"Their territory is hidden."
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 turned steady. "I won't be alone."
The High Alpha frowned. "What does that mean?"
Kael didn't answer. Instead, he turned toward the forest. The air still carried traces of Ariana's power, and beneath that, something else remained. A scent. Faint, but clear enough. His wolf reacted immediately. Kael lifted his head and howled.
The sound echoed through the forest, carrying far beyond the clearing. It was a call, and it carried authority. Within seconds, wolves began to answer.
One howl. Then another. Then more.
The forest filled with movement as members of his pack emerged from the shadows, their eyes glowing and their bodies tense.
They gathered behind him without hesitation. They stood ready.
Cassian raised an eyebrow. "Well," he said, "that escalated quickly."
The High Alpha looked furious. "You're calling your entire pack into this."
Kael's gaze didn't waver. "Yes."
The guardian stepped closer. "You still don't know where they are."
Kael stepped forward. His instincts had already locked onto the faint trace Ariana had left behind.
"She left a trail," he said.
Cassian blinked. "She did?"
Kael nodded once. "The bond."
The guardian's eyes widened slightly. "You can track her."
Kael's voice lowered.
"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 now, silent and waiting. Kael looked toward the distant mountains. Somewhere out there, Ariana was still alive. And whoever had taken her had made a mistake. His wolf growled low.
"The moment they took her…"
His eyes hardened.
"They started a war."