remonial grounds were ancient, a place where the blood of generations had been spilled to seal pacts and ensure the strength of the pack. T

father, the Alpha, had made sure she understood that. But nothing had prepared her for this moment. The ritual that had been set in motion

eath her feet. Her father, the Alpha, watched her from the shades, his eyes betraying no emotion. She could feel his gaze, heavy with expectation, but she dare

sharp waves around his face, his piercing eyes filled with the weight of centuries. Mateo. The vampire whom her father h

was something in his eyes something that spoke of a pain she couldn't quite understand. It

xpression that had become synonymous with the vampire race, his face a mask of unreadable emotions. Hi

would not only affect her, but it would shape the fate of both werewolves and vampires. The union between the

e through the silence, his tone smo

But she couldn't. She was bound by her bloodline, by her father's wishe

ords felt like stones in

er skin as he took her hand. The touch sent a shiver down her spine, and she fought the urge to pull awa

uld feel it pulsing around her, as if the earth itself was alive with energy. The bond that would tie her to Mateo, and to the vampire ki

ords were spoken, someth

ing for Mateo's. But before she could make contact, the ground beneath them trembled, sending cracks running through the stone. T

father stepped forward, his face a mask of disbeli

g?" Lia asked, h

is eyes, Lia saw something that startled her. Fear. Fo

heir feet. And then, as suddenly as it had started, the tre

t had just happened. But before she coul

oug

man, his features sharp and angular, his eyes a piercing shade of gold. His aura was one of power un

ped a beat. "Who

in his eyes. "I am the one who has watched over your bloodline for centuries," he said, his

was no ordinary werewolf. He was something much older, mu

s at play that neither of you understand. The war between vampires and werewolves is only the beginning. There

his jaw clenched. "What

ith your union, vampire. It will only mark the beginning of a new con

his wasn't the future she had imagined.

ega. Your bloodline is more powerful than you realize. And you, Mateo, are the key t

the union between Lia and Mateo, with hints of darker forces at play. This chapter sets the stage f