Page 42 of Her Fated Alpha Prince
Her eyes locked on his, determination hardening in her chest.
“I’m not walking away.”
The chamber seemed to pulse with approval, and somewhere deep inside, something long dormant began to awaken.
Ariana’s fingers trembled as she unfolded the ancient parchment, its edges brittle beneath her touch. The faded ink was nearly illegible, but the symbols — familiar now in a way they hadn’t been before — seemed to glow faintly under the moonlight filtering through her window. Her heart hammered, not from fear, but from a fierce, aching curiosity that clawed at her very core.
She had always known she wasn’t ordinary. Not just because Kael said she was dangerous, or because the garden bloomed unnaturally beneath the moon’s gaze. There was something deeper — something waiting to be unlocked.
The words on the parchment told a story she hadn’t been ready to hear.
“Born of the silver bloodline, the flame within will awaken when the moon’s shadow falls thrice. The bearer holds the key to the balance — between creation and destruction, light and dark.”
Ariana’s breath caught. The silver bloodline. That was the phrase Elder Varos had used when he’d introduced her to Kael, when he’d hinted at things she hadn’t understood. Was this what he meant? Was this the reason she felt the fire burning just beneath her skin, the power that hummed in her veins?
Her gaze drifted to the small pendant resting on her nightstand — a delicate silver flame, the gift from Kael. She had been in her room and she realized she was just on autopilot, staring. The pendant brought her back to reality. Until now, it had been just a beautiful trinket, a symbol of something she couldn’t name. But now, it pulsed softly, in time with her heartbeat, as if it were alive.
She wanted to run from it, to shove the parchment back under the mattress and pretend she hadn’t read a single word. But the truth had its claws sunk too deep.
Outside, the garden still shimmered under the moonlight, the flowers glowing with an unnatural vibrancy. They were a mirror to the change inside her — unpredictable, wild, and beautiful.
Her thoughts spiraled. If she truly carried the legacy of the silver bloodline, what did that mean for her future? For Kael? For the people who were watching her from the shadows?
The knock on the door startled her, sharp and sudden. She didn’t want to face anyone — not tonight. Not when her world felt like it was unraveling.
But the voice that followed was soft, almost hesitant.
“Ariana… it’s me.”
Kael’s voice.
She hesitated only a moment before opening the door.
He stepped inside, his expression unreadable, but his eyes searching. There was something heavier behind them tonight, a burden she hadn’t seen before.
“Did you find it?” His voice was low, careful.
She nodded, clutching the parchment close like a lifeline.
“We don’t have much time,” he said, stepping closer. “What you carry... it changes everything. Not just for you, but for all of us.”
Her heart twisted. The weight of his words settled between them, thick and suffocating.
“I don’t know if I’m ready,” she whispered.
Kael reached out, brushing a stray lock of hair from her face. “None of us are. But running won’t keep you safe.”
Her breath caught at the tenderness in his touch. She wanted to believe him. To believe that together they could face whatever was coming.
But deep down, a fierce part of her screamed—what if this was only the beginning of the storm?
Ariana stepped back slightly, the parchment still clutched tightly in her hand. The air between them was thick with unspoken truths and simmering tension. Kael’s presence was both a comfort and a reminder of everything she was about to lose — or become.
“I need to understand this,” she said, voice barely above a whisper. “Why me? Why the silver bloodline now, after all this time?”
Kael’s eyes darkened, shadows flickering in their depths. “Because the balance is tipping. Forces long hidden are stirring. You’re the key, whether you want to be or not.”
Her pulse quickened, a mix of fear and something darker — something raw and undeniable. She remembered how his touch had ignited her skin before, how his voice had threaded through her dreams like a promise she couldn’t resist.
