Chapter 4 A Kingdom Of Ghosts

It wasn’t until the third night that Aria realized the mansion was more than a home—it was a prison of history, buried in silence. She wandered the eastern wing alone, barefoot on marble floors, the air colder here. The portraits on the walls stared down at her, faded eyes tracking her every step. Dominic’s ancestors. Alphas before him. Warriors, tyrants, visionaries—depending on which version of the stories you believed. She paused before a massive oil painting of a young woman in a crimson dress, her dark eyes sharp as blades. No name plate. No title. Just a smear of old blood across the corner. “You found her,” said Dominic behind her, voice low. Aria didn’t startle this time. She simply turned. “Who is she?” He stared at the painting for a long moment before replying. “My mother.” That stunned her. “She was beautiful.” “She was brutal,” he corrected. “And loyal to no one.” Aria’s gaze lingered on the woman’s clenched fists in the painting. “What happened to her?” Dominic’s jaw worked once. “She died protecting the very Council that later condemned her.” Aria saw something crack in his mask. Not much. Just enough. “She wasn’t Moon Blessed,” he said. “But she tried to help one. A girl born to one of the border packs. When the Council found out, they declared my mother a traitor.” He stepped closer, and now his voice lowered into something darker. “They didn’t kill her cleanly. They made me watch.” A silence stretched between them. It wasn’t pity Aria felt. It was understanding. She looked back at the woman in the portrait. The bloodstain wasn’t an accident. It was a warning. “Why are you telling me this?” she asked quietly. “Because if you are what they fear, Aria… then you’re already marked for death. Just like she was. And unlike her, I don’t plan on letting them take you.” She held his stare. “You keep acting like I’m yours to protect.” “You are.” “No,” she said firmly. “I didn’t choose this.” “I didn’t either,” he said. Then he walked away. --- In the days that followed, something changed. Dominic stopped pushing. There were no sly comments. No subtle intimidation. He didn’t try to seduce her, didn’t invade her space. He left her alone. Too alone. And it unnerved her more than his presence ever had. Aria tried to distract herself. She trained in the hidden courtyard, pushing her body beyond exhaustion. She studied the archives. She memorized escape routes through the forest. But she couldn’t stop wondering why he was holding back now. Until one morning, Mira entered her chamber with grim eyes. “They’ve summoned him,” she said. Aria’s heart slowed. “Who?” “The High Council. They’ve called Dominic to stand before them in the capital.” “Why?” Mira hesitated. “There’s rumor of rebellion in the south. They want to test his loyalty.” Aria crossed her arms. “And what does that have to do with me?” Mira bit her lip. “You’re the reason they’re watching him. They think he’s hiding something… or someone.” Aria’s blood went cold. “They know about me?” “They suspect,” Mira whispered. “And if Dominic leaves… you’ll be alone here. If they come, I can’t stop them.” Aria didn’t ask what “come” meant. She already knew. She remembered the ripped pages in the book. The prophecy. The girl who’d died for reading it. The Council would never allow her to survive if they confirmed she was Moon Blessed. --- That night, she waited. Dominic returned late, his boots caked with dirt, a strange expression on his face. She didn’t wait for permission. She stormed into his study, slammed the door behind her, and faced him. “You’re leaving?” He looked up slowly, as if he’d expected this confrontation. “Yes.” “And you weren’t going to tell me?” “I was.” “When?” she snapped. “After they dragged me off in chains?” His expression hardened. “No one’s dragging you anywhere.” “You don’t know that,” she said. “You think they won’t send spies here while you’re gone? You think they won’t use my blood as evidence?” He approached her now, slow and controlled. “If they do, they won’t leave this mountain alive.” Her heart pounded, but she refused to step back. “Why are you risking your throne for me?” Dominic studied her, then said quietly, “Because I’ve waited my whole life to find someone they couldn’t break. And now that I have… I won’t let them destroy you.” Aria’s breath hitched. For the first time, she saw it. Not just power. Not just control. But fear. He was afraid. Not of the Council. Not of losing his title. But of losing her. She didn’t understand it. Didn’t trust it. But it was there. And it changed everything. --- The next morning, Dominic left. His parting words were simple: “Trust no one. Not even Mira. There are eyes everywhere.” Then he was gone, swallowed by the forest, taking a piece of her calm with him. The mansion felt colder. More dangerous. And when the first knock echoed at the front gate that night, Aria already knew. The Council had arrived. ---