The Door of Forgotten Bloodlines

The mansion loomed over them as they stepped inside, its grand structure bathed in cold moonlight filtering through the towering windows. Shadows stretched along the walls, flickering with the movement of the torches that lined the long corridors. The air was thick with an eerie silence, broken only by the soft creak of the wooden floor beneath their boots.

Kael's mind was a whirlwind. The vision at the cave had ignited something deep inside him, an ache that refused to be ignored. The truth—the lost history of the Alpha and Omega bond—was unraveling before him, and it was no myth. It was real. It was a part of him.

Yet, duty clawed at his conscience. Ally was right. They couldn't linger. Not when Garrick was out there, waiting, watching, planning. The thought of his mother, vulnerable and at the mercy of that monster, sent a fresh wave of rage coursing through his veins. He clenched his fists, breathing deeply to suppress it.

"We should split up for now," Ally said, her voice measured but firm. "We can't afford to be seen together too often, not after what happened at the cave. We don't know who might be watching."

Kael barely nodded, his thoughts too tangled to argue. His body still tingled from the force of the door's energy, his mind replaying the moment over and over—the way the symbols had glowed, the way the door had reacted to him and no one else.

Aira hesitated beside him. Her golden eyes lingered on his, concern flickering behind them. "If you start feeling worse, you need to tell me," she said quietly.

"I'll be fine," he muttered, but even he wasn't sure if it was true.

She studied him for a moment longer before finally nodding. Then, without another word, she turned and disappeared down the hall, her silhouette vanishing behind the stone archway.

Ally lingered. Unlike Aira's soft concern, her gaze was piercing, assessing. "Get some rest," she ordered. "Tomorrow, we figure out what the hell happened back there."

Kael gave a slow nod, watching as she, too, slipped away into the mansion's labyrinth of halls.

Now alone, he exhaled sharply and turned toward his own quarters.

---

The room was dark when he entered, the air cool against his skin. A single candle flickered on the nightstand, its small flame barely illuminating the edges of the space.

Kael closed the door behind him, leaning against it for a moment. His muscles ached, his mind a storm of questions that refused to quiet. He pulled off his cloak, tossing it onto the chair before collapsing onto the bed, staring up at the ceiling.

His father had never spoken of their past—at least, not the truth. All Kael had ever known was that his family had been hunted, his pack torn apart, his people forced to scatter or perish. But now, after what he'd seen, the war between the Alpha and Omega packs wasn't just a story. It had been something greater. Something deeper.

And he was at the center of it.

His fingers unconsciously moved to his chest, pressing against the spot where the energy had hit him. The sensation had been more than pain. It had been recognition. The door had known him. It had rejected him—or tested him.

Was he meant to open it? Or was he meant to stay away?

His thoughts were interrupted by a soft knock on the door.

His body tensed instantly, but he relaxed when he caught Aira's scent—wildflowers and something deeper, something uniquely her.

He hesitated, then moved to the door, cracking it open.

She stood there, barefoot, wrapped in a loose shawl over her nightgown. Her golden eyes searched his face before flickering down to his bare chest. She quickly averted her gaze.

"You should be resting," she murmured.

"So should you," he countered.

Aira bit her lip before stepping inside, closing the door behind her. "I couldn't sleep," she admitted. "Not after what we saw."

Kael exhaled and motioned for her to sit. She perched on the edge of his bed, her fingers twisting the fabric of her shawl.

"You recognized that story," he said, watching her carefully. "What do you know about it?"

Aira hesitated before answering. "Only fragments," she admitted. "My grandmother used to tell me about a time when Alphas and Omegas weren't enemies, but… allies. She said there was a bond that connected them, something sacred. But then, betrayal shattered it, and the war began."

Kael frowned. "Did she ever say what caused the betrayal?"

Aira shook her head. "No. Only that the betrayal came from within. That someone close to the Alpha and Omega leaders broke their trust, and from that moment, everything was lost."

Kael's jaw tightened. His ancestors had been at the heart of this war. His bloodline had been cursed because of it. But why?

And what did that make him?

He ran a hand through his hair, frustration growing. "That door wasn't just showing us history," he muttered. "It was trying to tell us something. There's more to this."

Aira watched him closely, her expression unreadable. Then, slowly, she reached out, her fingers grazing his. "We'll figure it out," she whispered.

Kael's breath hitched at the warmth of her touch. For a moment, the weight of everything lifted, just a fraction.

But then—

A sharp crash shattered the silence.

Both of them jerked to their feet as the sound of shattering glass echoed through the halls.

Kael was at the door in seconds, wrenching it open. Aira followed close behind as they hurried toward the source of the noise.

They weren't alone. Down the corridor, other members of the household stirred, voices rising in alarm.

Kael's stomach twisted when he saw where the commotion led.

The great hall.

The massive windows that lined the room had been shattered, shards of glass glinting like fallen stars across the marble floor. The wind howled through the openings, whipping the curtains into frenzied spirals.

And at the center of it all, standing amidst the destruction, was a figure cloaked in black.

A figure Kael recognized instantly.

Garrick's enforcer.

A deadly silence fell over the room as the man lifted his head, his eyes locking onto Kael's.

A slow, menacing smile curled his lips. "You should have stayed hidden, boy."

Kael's heart pounded.

They had been found.