THE ALPHA'S HIDDEN LUNA

hue of the Blood Eclipse still lingered overhead, tinting everything in deep scarlet and silver. Her wrist burned with the crescent mark, pulsing i

or the first time, Ariana noticed the tension in his muscles, the tightness of his jaw. He was alert,

his voice low. "The shadows I war

h tightened. "H

d slightly, his body coiled like a spring ready to s

throbbed painfully, sending a jolt of energy through her arm. And then she sensed it: movement

oming," sh

st, a blur of darkness and malice. Ariana's heart leapt. Her instincts screamed at h

with inhuman speed. But Ariana didn't move. So

ght that illuminated the forest. The shadow recoiled, a hiss escaping its lips as if burned by her energ

ded herself-she had attacked, instinctively, with her newly awakened power. The mark pulse

d that," he said quietly. "You controlled it... partiall

hook. "I... I d

Blood Eclipse awakens more than just power-it awakens your instincts, your

darkness, faster and more menacing than the first. This time, it was accompanied by

er. "Stay close," he comman

ver felt before. The shadows lunged again, and this time Ariana raised her hand instinctively. S

s wide. "I... I

l have to do more than just defend yourself. You'll have to

. They weren't mindless-they were organized, hunting her, anticipating her moves. But she refused to be afraid

swirling around her in protective arcs. The shadows hissed and retreated, circling like predators waiting for the perfect st

tly, almost to himself. "But ar

realized this was no longer a test-they wanted her, her power, her life. Sh

sion. One exploded against the trunk of a tree, splitting it in half. Another collided with a shadow, sending it flying into t

ft and sultry, curling around he

r soul. Her mark burned hotter, and a sudden vision flashed before her eyes-a figure cloaked

back. "Don't listen to it!

riana's pulse quickened. She had a choice: succumb to the ca

d, letting out a chorus of hisses and screeches. Ariana fell to her knees, panting, her body trembling from e

his was just the beginning. They will c

n't... I can't let them take me. I

ot anymore. There are others... watching, waiting.

the Blood Eclipse, and the weight of the prophecy pressing on her soul. She realized th

ones she had faced before. It was closer, sharper, and tinged with recognition. Somethin

not Damon's. Cold, calculating, an

pse was rising, and Ariana realized, with

mysterious figure emerges from the shadows-foreshadowing an even