Chapter 15: Chapter Fifteen: Truth in the Blood

The firelight flickered across the walls of the Hollow as Sera sat alone, Kael’s words echoing in her mind.

You might not be as human as you think.

Her hands trembled as she stared at the dagger resting on her lap, its blade catching the light. Could it be true? Was there something inside her—something the Council wanted?

“Get it together,” she whispered to herself, forcing her hands to still. But the questions wouldn’t stop.

What if Kael was right?

Ember’s Wisdom

The sound of soft footsteps broke Sera’s reverie, and she looked up to see Ember approaching.

“Mind if I sit?” Ember asked.

Sera nodded, and Ember lowered herself onto the stone beside her, her sharp eyes studying Sera’s face.

“You’ve got that look,” Ember said, her tone light.

“What look?”

“The one that says, ‘I’m spiraling, and I don’t know how to stop.’”

Sera managed a weak smile. “That obvious?”

Ember smirked. “A little. What’s going on?”

Sera hesitated, then sighed. “Kael thinks I might be... different. That the Council wants me because of something in my blood.”

Ember’s smirk faded, her expression growing serious. “And how do you feel about that?”

“I don’t know,” Sera admitted. “It doesn’t make sense. I’m just me.”

Ember leaned back, her gaze thoughtful. “You’ve been through a lot, Sera. More than most humans ever could handle. And you’re still standing. That says something.”

Sera frowned. “You think Kael’s right?”

“I think,” Ember said carefully, “that it doesn’t matter what you are. What matters is what you do with it.”

Kael’s Fear

Kael paced in his chamber, his storm-gray eyes flicking to the journal on his desk. His gut told him the truth about Sera was bigger than either of them realized, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that he was leading her into a fire she wasn’t prepared for.

“You’re brooding again,” Marcus said, stepping into the room uninvited.

Kael didn’t bother hiding his irritation. “What do you want?”

“To talk sense into you,” Marcus said, crossing his arms. “You’re putting too much on her. She’s not one of us, and you know it.”

Kael stopped pacing, his gaze snapping to Marcus. “She’s proven herself more than once. And she’s done more for this pack than you have lately.”

Marcus growled low in his throat. “She’s a liability, Kael. You’re letting your feelings cloud your judgment.”

Kael’s jaw tightened. “My only concern is keeping this pack alive.”

Marcus snorted. “Keep telling yourself that.”

As Marcus left, Kael turned back to the journal, his hands clenching into fists. He hated that Marcus’s words struck a nerve.

A Shocking Discovery

Sera couldn’t shake her curiosity about what Kael had said, and it drove her to action. She found herself standing outside the small alcove where Ember kept the pack’s medical supplies, her heart pounding.

Inside, Ember was organizing herbs and vials. She looked up as Sera entered, raising an eyebrow. “What’s up?”

“I need your help,” Sera said, her voice firm.

Ember tilted her head. “With what?”

“I want to know if Kael’s right,” Sera said. “I want to know if there’s something different about me.”

Ember hesitated, then nodded. “All right. Let’s see what we can find.”

She motioned for Sera to sit, then pulled out a small knife and a vial.

“This is going to sting,” Ember said, slicing a shallow cut across Sera’s palm. She collected a few drops of blood in the vial, then began mixing it with a clear liquid.

Sera watched, her stomach twisting with nerves as the mixture turned a faint shade of gold.

Ember’s eyes widened. “Well, that’s interesting.”

“What?” Sera demanded.

“Your blood,” Ember said, holding up the vial. “It’s not normal. There’s... something else in it.”

Sera’s chest tightened. “What does that mean?”

Ember shook her head. “I don’t know. But whatever it is, it’s powerful.”

The Pack’s Setback

Before Sera could process what Ember had said, a howl echoed through the Hollow, sharp and urgent.

Kael appeared in the doorway, his expression grim. “We’ve got a problem.”

Sera followed him to the main chamber, where the pack was gathering. Marcus stood near the entrance, his golden eyes blazing.

“They’ve breached the southern border,” Marcus said. “A small group, but they’re moving fast.”

Kael growled low in his throat. “They’re testing us again.”

“They won’t stop until they find this place,” Marcus said. “We need to hit them first.”

Kael shook his head. “No. We hold our ground and make them come to us.”

Marcus growled, but he didn’t argue further.

Kael turned to the pack. “Ember, take a team and reinforce the southern border. Marcus, cover the eastern ridge. Everyone else, stay on high alert.”

His storm-gray eyes met Sera’s. “You’re with me.”

The Chase

Kael and Sera moved quickly through the forest, their steps silent as they followed the faint scent trail left by the intruders.

“They’re close,” Kael said, his voice low.

Sera tightened her grip on her dagger, her pulse quickening. “What do we do when we find them?”

Kael glanced at her, his expression serious. “We stop them. Whatever it takes.”

The scent grew stronger, and soon they spotted the group—three enforcers moving stealthily through the trees.

Kael motioned for Sera to stay back as he shifted into his wolf form. He lunged at the closest enforcer, his massive frame slamming into the man and sending him crashing into the ground.

The other two turned, their eyes narrowing as they spotted Sera.

She raised her dagger, her body tense as they advanced on her. “Come on,” she muttered, her voice steady despite her racing heart.

One of the enforcers lunged, and Sera dodged, slashing her dagger across his arm. The other grabbed her from behind, his grip like iron as he dragged her backward.

Sera struggled, her mind racing. Then she remembered Ember’s words: You’re stronger than you think.

With a surge of adrenaline, she drove her elbow into the enforcer’s stomach, then spun and plunged her dagger into his side.

He fell with a grunt, and Sera turned to see Kael standing over the third enforcer, his wolf form towering and bloodied.

“You okay?” Kael asked, shifting back to human form.

“Yeah,” Sera said, her chest heaving. “I’m fine.”

Kael studied her for a moment, then nodded. “Let’s get back to the Hollow.”

The Weight of the Truth

As they returned, Sera couldn’t stop thinking about the golden tint of her blood and what it might mean.

She glanced at Kael, his expression unreadable as they walked in silence. “Do you think we can win this?”

Kael hesitated, then sighed. “I think we don’t have a choice.”

Sera nodded, her resolve hardening. Whatever the Council wanted, whatever secrets her blood held, she wasn’t going to let them define her.

She was going to fight.