Chapter 20: The Bond of Blood

Liora pov

The doors opened before I was ready.

Kael’s arm was still warm beneath my hand, the promise he made lingering between us.

The sounds of the ceremony grounds reached us first, low murmurs, the scrape of boots against stone, the rustle of robes, then silence as we stepped into the amphitheater.

Every head turned. Every eye measured us. For a heartbeat, walking beside Kael with his arm brushing the small of my back, I forgot where I was.

I forgot the whispers in the halls.

The stories of women who never even reached this platform., and the blood spilled on this very stone.

I forgot that Blackmoor did not forgive weakness, that it devoured mistakes, and that every breath I took would be weighed, tested, and found lacking if I faltered.

Kael’s presence grounded me. Solid. Warm. Certain.

But reality crashed back, sharp and unrelenting.

The amphitheater stretched beneath the open sky. Stone tiers rose around the platform like a cage built for intimidation.

Lords, elders, warriors, visiting Alphas—they all watched. Every eye glimmered with curiosity, fear, suspicion. Hundreds of predators, each waiting to see if I belonged.

I was here. Wolf less. Barely human.

Ivy rushed to my side, her face filled with questions I’m not ready to entertain

"You didn’t wear the dress I gave you. It would’ve looked beautiful on you... but this works too."

" Thank you "

I walked past her as if she didn’t matter

Of course she didn’t, not when a big event is right Infront of me

Kael stepped onto the platform first, deliberate. I followed, half a step behind. Our synchronized movement drew every eye. Some looked impressed. Some skeptical. Some calculating.

The elder at the center, tall, gaunt, staff in hand stepped forward. His robes whispered against stone. His voice carried, rich and sharp:

"We gather under the authority of Blackmoor to witness the claiming of a Luna. Alpha Kael cinderclaw of Blackmoor, do you present this woman as your chosen Luna before the pack?"

"I do."

Calm. Certain. Controlled. No hesitation.

The elder’s eyes shifted to me. "Do you accept the authority and burden of Luna over Blackmoor?"

"I do," I said, louder than I felt.

A subtle nod. Ritual acknowledgment.

The elder’s voice carried again: "Then let the pack bear witness. By tradition, the Alpha will now shift and demonstrate his strength. The Luna will follow, and the pack will recognize their bond." 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

My stomach flipped.

Kael did not move. Not a muscle.

The crowd’s murmurs thickened into low hums of anticipation. Some wolves flexed claws, teeth bared instinctively.

"There won’t be shifting of Alpha and Luna tonight " kael said nonchalant

Then the elder spoke again. "The ceremony requires it. The Luna must demonstrate her power."

Kael’s head tilted slightly. "I said there will be no shift."

The amphitheater tensed. Murmurs spread. Tradition and instinct warred.

Lord Valerius stepped forward. "Alpha, you are wrong. The pack must see. Tradition—"

"Tradition is not law," Kael interrupted, his voice calm, but every word sharpened with authority.

Marius, another elder, interjected, robes brushing stone: "Without the shift, the Luna is untested. She cannot be accepted fully. The pack must see her strength, or they will not follow."

I felt my pulse tighten. The weight of hundreds of eyes pressed against me. Every whisper of tradition felt like a noose.

Isolade’s hand brushed mine intentionally. "Liora... what did I tell you? Being wolfless means you’re useless, where is that confidence of yours? "

"My lady.... You don’t have to..." Elara said rushing to my side

I shook my head slightly, gripping her fingers for courage. My heart hammered. "I’m fine Elara"

Lord Valerius’s eyes flicked to me, disdain curling his lips. "And you," he said, voice sharp, "do you truly accept this, Luna? Do you think mere words suffice where the bond must be proven in wolf and blood?"

"I..." My throat closed. I tried to speak, but the words stuck, swallowed by the tension. I felt Kael’s gaze, steady, unwavering. A tether. A warning. Don’t speak. Don’t move.

Lord Valerius sneered. "You are weak, human flesh alone. The pack cannot follow one who cannot fight, cannot shift, cannot lead in the wild’s way."

I swallowed. My fingers dug into Elaras . My stomach roiled. Every instinct screamed: Run. Hide. Flee.

Kael’s voice cut through the murmurs, low and deliberate: "She will lead. In ways none of you can yet see. Your doubt is yours alone."

Lord Valerius laughed, sharp and bitter.

"Your Alpha’s judgment will not save you from scrutiny, Luna. Or from consequences for defying law!"

Then Kael stepped forward. Slow. Calculated. Every step a warning.

Seraphina’s voice rang out. "Kael! Don’t—"

He didn’t even glance at her. Not once.

"I’m the Alpha!!. My word is law. "

kael roar angrily

Lord Valerius lifted a hand, a final plea. "Alpha! You cannot, tradition demands it! The pack must witness—"

"This is my decision. Challenge it if you dare."

Another elder stepped forward, emboldened. "The lord speaks truth. Without proof—"

Kael’s hand shot out. Not toward Valerius.

Toward the elder.

The old man’s eyes widened, mouth opening in protest that never came.

Snap.

His body crumpled beside lord Valerius’s feet.

I moved instinctively, trying to pull him back. "Kael!" The thought pierced the bond like a dagger. "Stop!"

His gaze flicked to me. Half a heartbeat. Then back to lord Valerius.

Lord Valerius stumbled back, face pale, hand pressed to his chest.

He’d been standing beside the elder. Blood splattered his robes.

His mouth opened. Closed. No words came.

For once, the sharp-tongued lord was silent.

My chest pounded. My legs trembled. I couldn’t move.

My voice refused to work.

Even breathing felt impossible.

Marius gripped his staff, voice trembling: "This... this is—"

"Final," Kael interrupted, lethal and low.

Seraphina’s face paled, fingers twitching uselessly. She said nothing but if anger had a name,then it’s will be her face

Isolade’s hand clutched mine tighter. Her breath hitched. Her eyes, wide and unblinking, reflected horror so pure I wanted to look away but couldn’t.

Then something broke inside him.

It started in his shoulders a ripple, subtle at first, then violent. His breath deepened, harsh and ragged.

The bond flared. Not gentle. Not warning. A scream through my chest: Run.

I couldn’t. My legs refused. My heart thumped against my ribs.

Bones cracked. Muscles shifted beneath skin. Fur erupted across his body, black as midnight, thick and wild. His jaw elongated. Teeth pushed through gums into deadly fangs.

"No," I whispered.

The transformation finished in seconds that felt like hours. Where Kael had stood, a wolf now loomed. Massive. Golden eyes burning. Claws, still wet with the elders blood, dripped on stone.

This is the very first time I’m seeing him in his wolf form

The amphitheater froze. No one moved. No one dared.

The wolf circled. Deliberate. Dominant. Every eye in the crowd followed its movement. Then it found me.

I stopped breathing. The bond roared—MINE—pulsing with every beat of its massive heart.

My knees almost buckled.

It moved toward me. Not fast. Deliberate. Claiming.

Head level with my chest, heat radiating from its fur, muzzle pressing against me. I stumbled half a step but forced myself to stand.

Still aware. Still dangerous. Still him.

He turned toward the amphitheater. Toward Seraphina, pale and powerless. Toward the pack, frozen in terror and submission.

The growl rolled through stone, through air, through bone. When it spoke, the words weren’t human but clear, crashing into my mind like thunder:

"No one touches what belongs to me."

Absolute. Final.

And in that moment, every wolf in Blackmoor understood something I hadn’t yet dared to admit.

I was no longer just Kael’s Luna.

I was his weakness.