chapter fifteen

Liam's POV

I could feel it the power coursing through me, heavier now, like it was settling into every fiber of my being. My blood, now mingled with Ralph's, pulsed with something ancient, something that belonged to a time long before packs, long before I had any understanding of what I truly was.

The altar beneath my hand seemed to hum in response, the symbols glowing faintly, almost alive. The energy swirling around me was dizzying. My mind raced, my heart pounded in my chest as I tried to make sense of it all. I felt like I was standing at the edge of something massive, something I had no control over, and the uncertainty gnawed at me.

But then Ralph's presence anchored me. I could feel his hand on my shoulder, steady and sure, and the bond between us—it shone like a beacon in the chaos of my mind. He was here. He was with me. And I wasn't going to face this alone.

I took a deep breath, feeling the weight of Lysara's words settle heavily in my chest. "The Elders' seal is weakening. If we don't complete the ritual soon, they'll come for everything you are."

His words burned through the fog in my mind, and I nodded, locking eyes with him. For a moment, I saw something in his gaze—something deeper than just the Alpha I knew him to be. There was trust there. There was determination.

Lysara stepped back, observing the ritual's progress with quiet intensity. Her expression was unreadable, though I could sense her wariness. The energy was growing, shifting, and I could almost feel the pull of the vampires, sensing the power we had just unleashed. They were coming. I didn't know when, but I could feel their hunger, their bloodlust, like a storm on the horizon.

"The barrier will hold for a while," Lysara said, her voice cutting through my thoughts. "But the longer you stay here, the stronger they will get. You'll need to prepare yourselves. They won't be the only ones after him."

Her words sent a chill down my spine. Not the only ones. What did that mean? Who else could be hunting us? Hunting Liam?

I turned to Ralph, feeling the gravity of the situation pressing down on me. "What do we do now?"

Ralph's expression was fierce. "We move. We get Liam out of here. The vampires will be drawn to this place, but we won't give them a chance to close in on him. We fight back, and we make sure he stays safe."

I didn't question him. There was a fire in his eyes, a determination that was contagious. This was no longer about the war between packs. It was about something deeper. About Liam. About us.

I took a step forward, my pulse quickening as I looked around the clearing one last time. The energy around us still hummed, but it felt… different now. More alive. And I could tell, even from here, that we weren't alone. The feeling in the air had shifted, darkened, like something was watching us.

"We need to go," I said, my voice tight.

Lysara nodded, stepping aside. "Stay vigilant. If the vampires breach the seal, they'll come for Liam first."

Ralph's voice was low but steady. "They won't get him."

And in that moment, I believed him.

We moved quickly, the sound of our footsteps muffled by the thick underbrush as we made our way through the trees. The air was dense with tension, and I could feel it in the pit of my stomach like we were walking straight into a storm.

Lysara led the way, her eyes scanning the forest ahead, always alert. Ralph was by my side, his presence a constant reassurance. And me? I was just trying to keep it together, trying to block out the fear gnawing at the edges of my thoughts.

I wasn't sure where we were going, but I knew we couldn't stay here for much longer. Not with the power that was awakening inside me. I couldn't let it take control. I couldn't let it consume me.

I had to be strong. For him. For us.

Suddenly, Lysara stopped, her hand outstretched, signaling for us to halt. She turned toward us, her eyes cold and calculating. "They're close. We need to keep moving. Now."

My heart skipped a beat. "How close?"

She didn't answer immediately, her gaze darting to the trees behind us. I could feel it then—something was coming. Something powerful, dangerous.

"Too close," she said, her voice tight. "But you're not alone anymore, Liam. You'll be safe. You're stronger than you think."

The clearing faded behind me as I made my way back to the Stormcrest Pack, my heart heavy with uncertainty. The power inside me pulsed like an unpredictable storm, still swirling after the events that had just unfolded. Ralph didn't follow me, thankfully. I knew that if he did, I wouldn't be able to resist the bond, the pull that had snapped into place between us.

I needed space. Time to think, to breathe, away from everything. Away from him.

I didn't look back.

The walk back to the pack house felt endless. The trees blurred around me, but I barely noticed. The air seemed thicker now, weighed down by the power inside me, but I couldn't do anything about it. I wasn't sure how to control it, let alone what it meant. It was all happening too fast.

When I finally crossed the pack's border and stepped onto the familiar grounds, I let out a breath I didn't realize I'd been holding. The weight of it all of the bond, the power, the vampires was still there, but the pack was here. The Stormcrest Pack was my home, my family. They would help me figure this out.

I walked briskly toward the pack house, the place that had always been a source of comfort. Inside, the pack was going about its usual routines, but there was an edge in the air, a lingering tension from the ongoing war with the Bloodmoon Pack. I didn't want to add to it, but I knew I would have to.

Axel was in the main hall, talking with some of the warriors. He looked up as I entered, his face lighting up with concern the moment he saw me.

"Liam," he said, stepping toward me. His eyes scanned my face, but I avoided his gaze, focusing on the floor instead. "You okay?"

I nodded, though I wasn't sure if I was lying to him or to myself. "I need some time alone," I muttered, the words coming out before I could stop them.

Axel didn't push, though I could tell he wanted to. Instead, he gave me a small nod and stepped back. "If you need anything... I'm here."

I managed a tight smile, appreciative of his understanding, and headed straight for my room. The door closed behind me with a soft click, and I finally let out the breath I'd been holding. The room, with its familiar scents and quiet stillness, was the only thing that felt real right now. I sank onto the bed, my hands gripping the sides of my head.

I had no idea what to do next.

The bond with Ralph... it was there, unignorable. But everything I felt for him was tainted by the years of rivalry, by the war, by the hatred between our packs. I couldn't reconcile the two what I was supposed to feel and what I actually felt.

The power inside me, the ancient blood from the Elders, was waking up too quickly, too forcefully. Lysara had been right. It was dangerous, and I didn't know how to control it.

I lay back on the bed, staring at the ceiling, but sleep wouldn't come. My mind kept racing. I could feel the storm inside me, the power stirring, calling to me, demanding attention. But I didn't know how to answer it.

The world outside still turned, but it felt like it was all slipping out of my control.