Chapter 14: Eclipse of Blood

The howl tore through the night like a blade, sharp and guttural, reverberating off the cedar trunks and sending a shiver down Elara's spine. The rogue camp erupted into motion, the fire's embers scattering as boots thudded against the earth, weapons clanking in the hands of the thirty-two outcasts who'd sworn to fight. Kael's arm tightened around her, his claws glinting in the dim light, his body a shield as he pulled her back from the campfire's fading glow. The air was thick with frost and tension, the moon overhead beginning to darken—March 31, 2025, the lunar eclipse creeping in, its shadow a slow bleed across the silver disc."They're coming," Kael growled, his voice low and fierce, his golden eyes scanning the trees beyond the camp's edge. His shirt clung to his sweat-damp skin, the bandages on his chest and thigh dark with fresh blood, but his stance was unyielding, the alpha in him roaring to life. "Stay close.""Always," Elara said, her voice steadier than she felt, her hand clutching the Lunar Covenant against her chest. The text's weight was a comfort, its runes a lifeline she'd barely begun to unravel, but her blood—glowing faintly under her sleeve—promised more, a power she didn't understand but couldn't deny. The bond with Kael pulsed between them, a thread of heat and strength, anchoring her as the camp braced for war.Lira darted past, her spear raised, barking orders to the rogues. "Gav, Ryn—flanks! Hold the line!" Her auburn braid whipped as she spun, green eyes locking on Kael. "They'll hit hard—Darius won't play.""He never does," Kael replied, his claws flexing, his gaze flicking to Elara. "Get her to the cliff—high ground.""No," Elara cut in, stepping forward, her boots crunching on the frozen ground. "I'm not hiding. If my blood's the key, I need to be here.""She's right," Gav rumbled, joining them, his hatchet gleaming in the firelight, his bearded face set in a grim line. "That glow's our edge—let's use it."Kael's jaw tightened, conflict storming in his eyes, but he nodded, a reluctant surrender. "Fine. But you don't leave my sight.""Deal," she said, squeezing his hand, the bond flaring—a spark of warmth in the cold. She turned to the text, flipping it open, her pencil trembling as she traced the runes under the flickering light. " 'The darkened moon wakes the starborn's will—break or bind.' It's now, Kael. The eclipse."Before he could respond, the trees exploded with motion—wolves bursting through, gray and silver, their snarls a wall of sound that shook the camp. Darius led them, a towering silver beast, his ice-blue eyes glinting with malice, his pack fanning out—twenty, maybe more, their claws tearing the earth. The rogues met them, steel clashing against fur, blood spraying as Gav's hatchet sank into a wolf's flank, Ryn's arrows whistling through the air to pierce another's throat.Kael roared, shifting mid-step, his black-furred form a whirlwind as he charged Darius, claws slashing, teeth snapping. The silver alpha met him, their collision a thunderclap, fur flying, blood painting the ground. Elara's heart lurched, but she held her ground, the Lunar Covenant open in her hands, her blood pulsing silver as the moon darkened further, its edge now a thin crescent.A wolf lunged at her—lean, gray, its jaws wide—and she swung the text, hitting its snout, the glow from her arm flaring bright. It yelped, recoiling, and she stumbled back, her breath hitching as another charged. Lira's spear impaled it mid-air, the rogue woman yanking it free with a grunt. "Focus!" she shouted, spinning to fend off a third. "Do your thing!"Elara nodded, dropping to her knees, slicing her arm with the knife from her bag. Blood welled, glowing brighter, a radiant silver that lit the chaos around her—rogues falling, wolves snarling, Kael and Darius locked in a brutal dance. She smeared it on the ground, willing it to work, to wake whatever power the text promised. The air shimmered, a pulse rippling out, stronger than before, knocking wolves back, giving the rogues a breath to rally."It's something," she muttered, smearing more, the glow intensifying as the eclipse deepened, the moon now half-shadowed. The bond with Kael surged, a heat in her chest, and she felt him—his rage, his strength—as he tore at Darius, claws raking the silver wolf's side.But Darius was relentless, hurling Kael against a tree, the crack of wood echoing as he shifted back, towering over him in human form—scarred, bloodied, his smirk cold. "Your starborn's weak," he sneered, kicking Kael's ribs, drawing a pained growl. "She'll break before I do."Elara's blood boiled, the bond flaring with his pain, and she stood, knife in hand, slicing deeper. The glow erupted—a blinding wave, silver and searing, that swept the camp, throwing Darius back, his wolves staggering. Kael surged up, shifting again, tackling him, claws sinking into his chest as the rogues pressed their advantage, Ryn's arrows finding throats, Gav's hatchet cleaving skulls.The moon darkened fully, a black disc ringed with fire, and Elara's blood ignited—literally, a flame of silver light dancing on her arm, painless but alive. She gasped, dropping the knife, the Lunar Covenant falling open beside her, its pages fluttering as if caught in a wind. The runes glowed, matching her blood, and she felt it—a power waking, surging through her, through the bond, a tidal wave she couldn't contain."Kael!" she shouted, her voice echoing, amplified by the light. He turned, golden eyes meeting hers, and the bond snapped taut, a conduit between them. The silver flame leapt from her arm to his claws, wreathing him in light, and he roared, slashing Darius with a force that sent the silver wolf crashing through a tent, blood streaming from his flank.The camp froze, wolves and rogues alike staring as the flame faded, the eclipse holding its peak. Darius staggered up, shifting back, his chest heaving, his ice-blue eyes wild with fury and fear. "You can't stop me," he snarled, but his voice cracked, his pack faltering as the rogues rallied, weapons raised."Yes, we can," Elara said, stepping forward, her blood dripping, glowing, the power still humming in her veins. She felt Kael beside her, his hand finding hers, the bond a fortress against Darius's rage. "This ends now."Darius laughed, a wet, desperate sound, and shifted again, charging—not at Kael, but at her. Kael intercepted, their bodies colliding, but a second wolf leapt from the shadows—Sylva, silver-furred, her blue eyes glinting as she tackled Elara, claws raking her shoulder. Pain seared, blood welled, and the glow flared brighter, a shield of light that threw Sylva back, her yelp echoing as she hit the cliff.Kael pinned Darius, claws at his throat, but the silver alpha twisted free, retreating with a snarl, his pack following—battered, bloodied, their numbers halved. Sylva lingered, glaring, then bolted, the Silver Claws vanishing into the trees. The camp stood silent, the eclipse waning, the moon's edge rekindling with light.Kael shifted back, staggering to Elara, his hands cupping her face, his breath ragged. "You're hurt," he rasped, fingers brushing the claw marks on her shoulder, blood mixing with the silver glow."I'm okay," she said, clinging to him, her legs shaky but her voice firm. "You?""Alive," he murmured, pulling her close, his lips pressing to her forehead, then her mouth—a fierce, desperate kiss that tasted of blood and victory. She melted into him, the bond pulsing, a lifeline in the wreckage.Lira approached, spear dripping red, her grin sharp. "Hell of a show. They're running—for now.""For now," Kael agreed, his arm around Elara, steadying her as she retrieved the Lunar Covenant. The glow in her blood faded, the power receding, but she felt it—dormant, waiting, tied to the bond, to him."We broke something," she said, flipping the text open, the runes still faintly lit. "Or started to. The Covenant's shifting.""Good," he growled, his hand on her hip, possessive, warm. "Let it break."The rogues cheered, a ragged, triumphant sound, but the night wasn't done—howls lingered, a promise of return. Elara leaned into Kael, the eclipse fading, the war far from over, but their bond stronger than ever—forged in blood, light, and fire.