CHAPTER 190: THE BLOOD KNOWS HER NAME

Kiel

Varen’s voice snapped me out of the trance like a whip. "Kiel! Why did you stop?"

The world around me was a blur — the forest dim under the weight of twilight, the warriors shifting uneasily as the scent of blood lingered in the air. I stared down at the rope in my hand, my knuckles white around it. Josie’s scent was fading, but the memory it carried burned through me like fire.

I swallowed hard, my throat dry. "Because..." I breathed, staring at the dark stains seeping into my palm. "This blood — it’s hers."

Varen frowned, his voice sharp with disbelief. "You can’t possibly know that. It could belong to anyone. You’re exhausted, Kiel, you—"

I cut him off, my voice shaking with anger. "Don’t tell me I don’t know her blood, Varen! I saw her. I saw what happened. She was here!"

His expression faltered, uncertainty creeping into his features. "Saw her? What do you mean?"

"When I touched the blood," I said hoarsely, "it wasn’t just scent. I saw her memories — flashes of her fear, the moment she was taken. She fought. Gods, she fought." My voice cracked, and I clenched my jaw to keep it from trembling. "And now she’s gone."

Varen ran a hand through his hair, pacing. "Kiel, listen to yourself. You’re letting grief twist your head. Blood visions aren’t reliable. They’re fragments, illusions. You could be confusing—"

"I’m not confused!" I snapped, spinning toward him. My wolf was pacing just beneath the surface, restless, furious. "I know what I saw, and if you’d just shut up for one second and let me focus—"

Varen groaned, pressing his fingers to his temples. "Gods, you’re impossible."

"What’s that supposed to mean?"

"It means you don’t know when to stop!" he barked, his composure breaking for the first time that night. His face had gone pale, a sheen of sweat forming at his brow. "You think you’re the only one who cares about her? About Thorne? You act like you’re carrying the world alone!"

I froze, my anger faltering as I finally noticed the tremor in his hands. "Varen?"

He exhaled sharply, stumbling a little. "It’s nothing. Just... dizzy."

Before I could respond, a voice echoed from behind us — soft, feminine, and all too familiar. "I can help with that."

We turned, and there she was — the seer. She looked battered, her robes torn, eyes dull with exhaustion. But she held a small pouch of herbs and a wooden bowl filled with some shimmering liquid.

Varen stiffened. "You," he hissed. "You should be dead."

She shook her head. "Your Luna spared me. That’s the only reason I’m standing here." Her voice wavered, but her gaze was steady. "And because of that, I owe you both an explanation."

I motioned for the warriors to stay back, my tone sharp. "Speak. Now."

The seer knelt beside Varen, pulling out crushed herbs from the pouch. The scent of lavender and ash filled the air as she mixed them into the water and pressed the bowl into his hands. "Drink. It’ll stop the poison spreading."

Varen blinked. "Poison?"

Her voice dropped low. "When the witch’s fingers sank into Thorne’s chest, her curse spread through him. But it didn’t stop there. The bond between you three — it connected all of you. That’s why your strength is fading."

My blood ran cold. "You’re saying we’re all cursed?"

She nodded slowly. "The witch’s death didn’t end it. Josie’s power — her light — was the only thing keeping it contained."

I stepped closer, my fists trembling. "Then where is she now?"

The seer looked away. "I don’t know."

My patience snapped. "Don’t lie to me!"

"I’m not!" she cried, voice breaking. "I told you the truth. Josie saved my life. I saw her unleash something inside her I didn’t think was possible — something wild and ancient. But when the witch’s power struck her mate, she lost focus. I ran before the house collapsed. I thought she’d followed me..." Her lips quivered. "She didn’t."

The world tilted. For a moment, I couldn’t breathe. The idea of her lying somewhere, broken and alone, made every nerve in my body scream. I turned away, my chest burning.

"I wish I hadn’t killed Michelle," I muttered. "She was the only one who might’ve known where Josie went."

Varen shot me a glare, the bitter edge of his tone slicing through the air. "Oh, now you regret it? How convenient."

I turned on him, fury igniting again. "You think this is a joke?"

"No," he snapped back. "I think it’s tragic. Josie needed a mate who didn’t solve every problem with blood on his hands!"

His words hit like a physical blow. I took a step forward, growling, "Say that again."

Varen didn’t back down. "You heard me. You think strength comes from killing, from tearing apart anyone who threatens what’s yours. But Josie needed peace, Kiel. She needed someone who’d choose her over revenge."

"Don’t you dare act like you understand her better than I do," I hissed. "You don’t even know what she’s—"

"Enough!" the seer shouted. Her voice cut through the tension like lightning. "If you two keep tearing into each other, there won’t be anyone left to save!"

We both froze. She was trembling, her eyes wet with frustration. "You want to help her? Then listen to me. Thorne’s dying. His pulse is fading fast. If you bring Josie back, she can stop it. Her power is linked to his. But if you waste time fighting, you’ll lose them both."

Silence.

Varen’s shoulders slumped. He ran a shaky hand down his face. "Then we find her," he said quietly. "I promise you, seer, we’ll bring her home."

But I barely heard him. My gaze had drifted back to the blood on the ground — dark, drying fast. Every drop felt like a piece of her, a heartbeat I couldn’t reach.

Guilt crushed me like a weight I couldn’t lift. "This is my fault," I whispered. "All of it."

Varen rolled his eyes. "Not now, Kiel. Save the self-pity for later. We’ve got a long road ahead." His tone was sharp, dismissive — but I could hear the strain beneath it.

I wanted to fight back, to shout, to tell him he didn’t understand what it felt like to lose everything over and over again. But before I could speak, a young voice broke through the night.

"Alpha! Alpha Kiel!"

A boy no older than sixteen stumbled into the clearing, his clothes torn, his face pale. He was shaking, barely able to stand.

I turned sharply. "What is it?"

He gulped, his eyes wide with fear. "It’s... it’s the Luna. Someone hit her. She’s—she’s unconscious. They—they vanished together."

The words didn’t make sense at first. My brain refused to process them. Then they sank in like a blade to the chest.

"What?" I roared. "Where did they take her?"

"I—I don’t know!" the boy stammered. "It happened fast. I was near the border and I saw her in a chariot with a man. When she realized it wasn’t who she thought it was, she tried to jump, but he—he hit her and—"

"Who was it?!"

"I couldn’t see his face! Please, Alpha, I swear I’m not lying!"

I lunged forward, grabbing him by the collar. "You expect me to believe that? You saw her being taken and you did nothing?"

Tears welled in his eyes. "I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I tried—he used magic! He was gone before I could scream!"

Varen pulled me back, his voice sharp. "Kiel, enough! You’re scaring him!"

"He could be lying!" I snarled, my wolf thrashing inside me. "What if they sent him to throw us off?"

The boy’s lower lip quivered. "I’m not lying," he whispered. "I was born in this pack. I’d never betray it. Never betray her."

Varen crouched beside him, his voice gentler now. "Did you notice anything else? A scent, a mark—anything?"

The boy shook his head. "Only... darkness. Like smoke. And chanting."

My stomach twisted. Chanting.

That could only mean one thing — witchcraft.

I didn’t wait for Varen’s next question. I turned away, dropping to one knee beside the bloodstained rope again. I ignored their voices as I pressed my fingers to the earth, closing my eyes.

Show me, I whispered silently. Show me where she is.

The world blurred. My heartbeat slowed. The air around me grew cold.

And then, faintly — a vision. Josie, bound by shadows, struggling against something unseen. The walls around her were stone, carved with ancient runes. The air thick with the stench of smoke and decay.

The moment I recognized it, my eyes snapped open. My heart pounded so loud I thought it would burst.

"She’s in the Shadow Pack," I breathed. "Middle of their territory."

Varen’s head jerked toward me. "What?"

"She’s alive," I said, my voice trembling but certain. "But they’ve taken her there. We need to move. Now."

I didn’t wait for his response. I was already on my feet, the blood still wet on my hands. My wolf howled in agreement, echoing through the night.

Josie was out there — and whoever dared to take her was about to learn that nothing burns hotter than an Alpha’s wrath.