Chapter 3 Blood and Oaths

Three days passed.

Aria remained in the lavish prison Kael called her quarters, pacing like a caged wolf, restless and calculating. Though the room was filled with silks, polished wood, and warm furs, she found no comfort. Luxury meant nothing without freedom.

She stood at the window every morning and night, memorizing the routines of the guards, the changing of patrols, and the comings and goings of Darkfang warriors. She knew how many steps it took to reach the north wall. She counted how long the lanterns stayed lit before extinguishing.

She was no longer the broken girl they thought she'd be. She was biding her time.

Waiting to strike.

A knock at the door pulled her from her thoughts.

"Come in," she said sharply, expecting another servant.

But it wasn't a servant.

It was a woman.

Tall, sharp-eyed, with silver-blonde hair braided down her back and a blade strapped across her chest. She moved like a warrior. Her aura was strong-dominant. A beta, maybe even stronger.

"You're her," the woman said, stepping in without asking. "The Mooncrest girl."

"And you are?"

"General Elara. Kael's second-in-command. Also his cousin."

Aria tensed. Another enemy.

Elara tilted her head. "I expected someone... taller."

Aria gave a cold smile. "Sorry to disappoint."

Elara studied her for a long moment. "You're not what I thought you'd be. Most wolves would be begging for mercy after what happened to their pack. But you're not broken."

"I don't break," Aria said.

Elara smirked. "Good. Because if you're going to survive what's coming, you'll need that fire."

"What's coming?"

"The Council."

Aria's pulse quickened. She'd heard whispers of the High Council of Alphas-ancient, brutal, and power-hungry. They didn't like change, didn't like weakness. If they learned Kael had mated with the daughter of a rival Alpha, they'd see it as a threat.

"They know?"

"They will soon," Elara said. "Kael's summoned them. He plans to make your bond public."

Aria staggered back. "He's mad."

"Maybe. Or maybe he's just done hiding."

"I'm not his queen," Aria hissed.

Elara's eyes glinted. "You don't have a choice. None of us do when it comes to the bond."

Aria looked away, jaw clenched. "Why are you telling me this?"

"Because I don't want a war in these halls. If you're going to stand by Kael's side, you need to know how to survive among monsters."

Aria met her gaze. "I've lived among monsters before."

Elara's lips curled. "Then maybe you'll fit in just fine."

---

Later that night, Kael summoned her.

Aria was escorted by two guards through the torchlit corridors to the throne room-a massive, vaulted space carved from black stone and bone. At its center stood Kael, cloaked in obsidian, his silver eyes unreadable.

Flanking him were warriors. Elders. Nobles of the Darkfang bloodline.

And at the far end, near the dais, were seven empty chairs.

The Council was coming.

"You called for me?" she said, keeping her voice steady.

Kael turned. "I wanted you to see it. What's at stake."

She stepped closer, defiant. "What's at stake is my life, my future-my freedom. You took it all."

"I took nothing the war didn't already destroy."

She wanted to slap him. "So you justify your sins by hiding behind battle lines?"

Kael's jaw tightened. "I justify nothing. I've done what I had to do. And I'll keep doing it to protect my people."

"And what am I? A prisoner? A pawn?"

"You're my mate."

Aria laughed bitterly. "You don't get to say that like it means something pure."

"It does," he said, voice low. "Even if you hate me. Even if you fight me. That bond between us-it's real. And I'm not letting the Council tear it apart."

She stepped up onto the dais, eyes level with his. "Then let them come. Let them see me. I won't bow. I won't smile. And I won't pretend to love a man who butchered my people."

Kael stared at her, something unreadable flickering across his features.

Then he did something she didn't expect.

He bowed his head.

"To love me would be a mistake," he said quietly. "But to stand beside me? That's survival."

Aria swallowed the lump in her throat.

"I want something in return," she said.

Kael lifted his eyes.

"If I'm going to play the Luna, I want access to the fortress. I want to train. I want to be more than a puppet in a pretty dress."

A pause.

"Done," he said.

"And I want information," she added. "About the Council. About your plans. About what you did to Mooncrest. All of it."

Another pause. Then: "Agreed."

Aria took a breath. "Then let the games begin."

---

The next morning, the fortress awoke under the weight of impending judgment.

Flags were raised. Soldiers stood in formation. The gates opened to seven black carriages bearing the sigils of the High Council.

Aria stood beside Kael at the gates, dressed in deep crimson, her hair braided with silver threads. She looked every inch the Luna he claimed she would become.

But inside, her heart burned.

The carriages stopped. Out stepped seven figures cloaked in fur and gold, old as war and twice as cruel.

The first to speak was an Alpha with eyes like stone. "So it's true," he said. "The Darkfang heir has mated with Mooncrest's last breath."

Aria didn't flinch. "I am Aria of Mooncrest. And I bow to no one."

A silence fell.

Then the councilman laughed. "She has fire, Kael. But fire can burn both ways."

Kael placed a hand on Aria's back. "Let them try."

And with that, the doors of the fortress closed behind them, sealing fate inside.