Chapter 7: Fire in Their Blood

The silver light that had burst from Liam's body slowly faded. He opened his eyes to find himself in Elijah's arms again, but this time they were in Elijah's bedroom. The Alpha's smell was everywhere – pine, rain, and something wild that made Liam's heart race.

"You need to stop scaring me like that," Elijah said, his voice rough with fear. His fingers gently brushed Liam's silver-white hair from his face.

"What happened to Thorne?" Liam asked, trying to sit up.

"Gone. When that light burst from you, it knocked everyone back. The Shadow wolves ran." Elijah's gray eyes watched Liam's face. "How do you feel?"

"Like I got hit by a truck," Liam revealed. The silver marks on his skin had faded to faint lines. "Did you carry me here?"

A hint of color touched Elijah's face. "The pack needed to see I was protecting you."

"Is that the only reason?" Liam asked softly.

Before Elijah could answer, the door burst open. Aria rushed in, her face tight with anger.

"While you two were busy with your light show, Marcus has been turning the pack against us," she snapped.

"My father?" Elijah stood, instantly alert. "What's he done?"

"He's telling everyone that Liam and I are dangerous, that we're going to destroy pack law." Aria's green eyes flashed. "He's afraid of what I've been teaching the young ones."

"The elemental training," Liam said, remembering his sister's special gift.

For weeks, Aria had been quietly teaching the youngest pack members how to connect with earth, water, fire, and air – ancient Omega skills their pack had lost. Skills that had been hidden, according to Sage's scrolls.

"I need to see this for myself," Elijah said, his face serious. "Both of you, come with me."

They found a small crowd gathered at the training grounds. About a dozen young wolves, none older than sixteen, stood in a circle. In the middle, a young girl held her palms up, a small flame dancing above her hands.

"She's controlling it," a boy whispered in awe.

At the edge of the crowd stood Marcus Blackwood, Elijah's father. His face was a mask of displeasure, his gray eyes – so like his son's – cold with anger.

When he spotted them coming, Marcus stepped forward. "This ends now," he demanded. "These... tricks go against everything we've built."

"They're not tricks," Aria answered calmly. "They're birthright skills that were taken from us."

The light in the young girl's hands flickered higher. Other young wolves had small whirlwinds spinning above their fingers or pebbles floating in their hands.

"Look at them," Liam said. "They're naturals."

Marcus turned to his son. "Elijah, you must stop this. These Omegas are filling the children's heads with dangerous ideas."

"What ideas?" Elijah asked, his voice carefully bland.

"That Omegas have power!" Marcus hissed. "That the hierarchy is wrong!"

A hush fell over the group. Even the youngest wolves knew the weight of those words.

"Is it wrong?" Liam asked quietly. The markings on his skin tingled, as if responding to his feelings. "Sage showed me the old scrolls. Omegas and Alphas used to be equals, each with different gifts."

Marcus's face paled. "Those scrolls were supposed to be destroyed."

The admission hung in the air. Elijah stared at his father, shock clear on his face.

"You knew?" Elijah's voice was barely a whisper.

Marcus straightened his shoulders. "I did what was necessary to protect our way of life. To protect you."

"How is hiding the truth protection?" Aria asked.

Before Marcus could answer, one of the young dogs – a boy about twelve – let out a gasp. The small rock he'd been levitating suddenly shot upward, then burst in a shower of pebbles.

"I didn't mean to!" the boy cried, looking frightened.

"Control," Aria said kindly, moving to his side. "Remember what I taught you. Feel the connection, don't force it."

"This is exactly what I feared," Marcus growled. "These powers are too dangerous."

"Only because they haven't been taught properly," Aria replied. "For generations."

The stress in the air was thick enough to cut. Liam moved closer to Elijah, drawn to him almost without thinking. When their shoulders touched, a small spark of electricity jumped between them.

Elijah looked down at Liam, something soft and confused in his eyes. Without a word, he reached out and took Liam's hand. The moment their fingers intertwined, warmth rushed through Liam's body. The silver marks on his skin glowed faintly beneath his sleeve.

Marcus saw the light and took a step back. "No," he whispered. "The prophecy..."

"What do you know about the prophecy?" Elijah asked, not letting go of Liam's hand.

Marcus looked around at the young dogs watching with wide eyes, at Aria standing protectively near them, and finally at his son's hand linked with Liam's.

"We should talk privately," he said. "There are things you don't understand, son."

"I'm starting to think there are a lot of things I don't understand," Elijah answered coldly.

"Aria can continue teaching," Liam suggested softly. "While we talk."

Elijah nodded. "The lessons will continue," he revealed to the group. The young wolves broke into excited whispers.

"You're making a mistake," Marcus warned.

"Maybe," Elijah said. "But it's my mistake to make. I'm the Alpha now."

In Elijah's office, Marcus paced like a caged animal. "You have no idea what forces you're playing with," he said.

"Then explain it to me," Elijah ordered. "Why did you lie about Omega powers? About the prophecy?"

Marcus stopped, looking suddenly older. "To protect our bloodline," he said softly. "Our secret."

"What secret?" Liam asked.

Marcus's eyes locked on him. "The Blackwood line carries Omega blood."

The information hung in the air. Elijah stood frozen, his face a mask of shock.

"That's impossible," he finally said. "I'm an Alpha."

"On the surface," Marcus sighed. "But the Omega traits are there, recessive, hidden. It's why our family has always been so strict about pack law – to hide our own vulnerability."

"So the 'Hidden Alpha' in the prophecy..." Liam looked at Elijah with new understanding.

"Is him," Marcus confirmed. "That's why I tried to keep you two apart. The prophecy says when True Omega and Hidden Alpha unite, the old ways return." His fist hit the desk. "Chaos returns!"

"Or balance," Liam replied. "The scrolls Sage showed me speak of harmony, not chaos."

"Naive boy," Marcus mocked. "Power sharing leads to bloodshed. Always has."

A loud crash from outside stopped them. They rushed to the window to see dark clouds gathering strangely fast above the training ground. Wind whipped through the trees, and at the center stood Aria, her hands raised, her face stressed.

"She's losing control," Liam whispered, fear dawning.

They ran outside just as lightning cracked from the sky. The young dogs scattered, screaming. Aria stood stiff, the wind whipping her silver-white hair around her face.

"Aria!" Liam called. "Stop!"

"I can't!" she cried. Her eyes had turned completely white. "Something's wrong! Something's in my head!"

Liam pushed through the wind toward his sister. The marks on his skin burned, glowing brighter with each step.

"If you use your power, it might kill you," Elijah yelled, grabbing his arm. "Remember what Sage said!"

"I have to help her," Liam pulled away.

As he reached Aria, a figure emerged from the trees. The woman with stars in her hair – Kaida.

"The test begins," Kaida said, her voice somehow clear despite the howling wind. "Choose, Silver Wolf. Your power or your heart."

The wind increased, lifting smaller wolves off their feet. Lightning hit a nearby tree, setting it ablaze.

"What are you doing to my sister?" Liam asked.

"Teaching a lesson," Kaida smiled. "About control."

Aria fell to her knees, blood trickling from her nose. The storm grew more intense.

"Stop this!" Elijah roared, his Alpha power filling the space.

Kaida merely laughed. "Only he can stop it," she pointed to Liam. "By embracing what he is."

The marks on Liam's skin burned like fire. He felt power building inside him, threatening to burst.

"Or," Kaida continued, "by denying himself and accepting help." She looked pointedly at Elijah.

"What does that mean?" Liam cried as the wind nearly knocked him over.

Behind him, Elijah moved closer. "Take my hand," he said.

Their eyes met in the chaos. In that moment, Liam knew – this wasn't just about power. It was about relationship. About trust.

He reached for Elijah just as lightning hit the ground between them. The last thing he saw was Kaida's pleased smile as the world turned white.