Page 18 of Her Fated Alpha Prince
A flicker of light signaled an incoming message.
“You’re close. Be careful. They’re watching more than you think.”
No signature. Just a warning.
Kael’s grip tightened around the device. Someone was on his side, but trust was a luxury he couldn’t afford.
He tucked the device away and headed toward the eastern district—the last place Ariana had been seen. The streets here were quieter, lined with tall stone buildings and narrow courtyards. Perfect for hiding, perfect for ambush.
As he moved, his mind flicked back to the silver-haired man—the one who had signed his warning with a simple“V.”Elder Varos. What did he know? And what was he really after?
Kael clenched his fists. The pieces were falling into place, but the picture was still blurry.
He needed answers. And he needed Ariana safe.
Because if the darkness creeping over the city reached her first, nothing would stop the fire she carried inside from burning everything down.
Kael paused at the edge of a narrow courtyard, the moonlight casting long shadows between the stone columns. The air was thick with the scent of damp earth and jasmine—an odd combination that made his skin crawl. He pressed his back against the cold wall and scanned the shadows, senses sharpened by years of training.
A soft rustle—just beyond the fountain at the courtyard’s center—made him tense. Slowly, he crept forward, muscles coiled like a spring.
“Ariana?” His voice was barely a whisper, but it carried the weight of his worry.
No answer. Just the soft flicker of silver light, like a flame dancing on the breeze.
He moved toward it, every step careful, every breath measured. Then he saw her—standing still, eyes closed, bathed in that eerie glow. The garden flowers from her dream bloomed around her now, petals pulsating gently with the same silver fire.
Kael’s heart clenched at the sight. She looked fragile, a delicate thread stretched taut between worlds.
“Ariana,” he said again, stepping into the light. “You need to come with me.”
Her eyes opened slowly, and for a moment, he saw the ancient flicker—the power she hadn’t yet claimed—shine behind them. The same power that had drawn him in, the same power others feared.
She took a hesitant step toward him, then stopped. “I don’t understand,” she whispered. “What is happening to me?”
Kael lowered his voice. “You’re caught between something old and something new. Between who you are—and who you’re meant to be.”
Her gaze searched his face, searching for answers he didn’t have. “And if I don’t want to be ‘me’?”
A shadow flickered at the edge of the courtyard. Kael’s instincts screamed. He moved, stepping in front of Ariana, ready to fight.
But the figure hesitated, then melted back into the darkness.
Kael’s jaw tightened. “They’re here,” he said. “Watching. Waiting.”
Ariana’s breath hitched, but something in her straightened, fierce and unyielding.
“Then let them watch,” she said quietly. “I’m not afraid.”
Kael felt a rare smile tug at his lips. “You should be. But I’ll be here.”
He reached out, brushing a stray lock of hair from her face. The warmth of his touch seem to ground her. Together, they stepped back into the shadows, two figures bound by fate and fire.
The city was watching. But so was the night.
And the war for Ariana’s soul was only just beginning.
CHAPTER 7
