Chapter 82

**ARIA**

I stared at Ambrose, my heartbeat picking up speed.

He’d said it so casually, like it was obvious. Like I was supposed to just accept that I was part of a prophecy buried for centuries.
Adam was watching him too, his jaw tight. He hated surprises.

"You were there," I repeated slowly.

Ambrose smiled. "Oh, my dear, I was not just there. I was one of the ones who voted to bury the truth."

My stomach dropped.

"Why?" Adam asked, his voice dangerously calm.

Ambrose tilted his head, studying us like we were pieces of a puzzle he’d finally found after centuries of searching.

"Because, my dear boy, we were terrified."

I swallowed. "Of what?"

"Of you," he said simply, looking at Adam first, then letting his gaze land directly on me.

A shiver crawled down my spine.

I tried to keep my voice steady. "You mean hybrids."

"No, I mean you."

Silence.

The vampires lounging in the room, who had seemed amused by us before, were suddenly watching closely.
Ambrose’s voice softened, but his eyes burned with something that looked an awful lot like awe.

"The prophecy didn’t speak of a hybrid bringing unity, Aria. It spoke of a woman. A human girl who would break the cycle of violence between species. Who would be at the center of it all."

I felt the blood drain from my face.

"But I’m not human anymore."

Ambrose gave me a slow, knowing smile. "No, but you were. And that, my dear, is what makes all the difference."

I felt Adam shift beside me, his warmth brushing against my arm. A silent reassurance.

"But if you knew this," he said, "why bury it?"

Ambrose let out a sigh, moving toward a cabinet in the corner of the room. With an elegant flick of his wrist, he pulled out a dusty old leather-bound book, its pages yellowed with age.

He set it down in front of us with a thud.

"Because history has taught us one thing, my darlings," he murmured. "When something—or someone—threatens the power balance, those in control will do anything to keep it from tipping."

My chest tightened.

Adam reached forward, flipping the book open, his fingers moving carefully over the fragile pages.

The words were written in flourishing ink, but even with its age, the message was crystal clear.

A prophecy. My prophecy.

My breath caught.

Ambrose watched me with something almost like sympathy. "We thought that by destroying it, by pretending it never existed, we could stop the future from happening. But fate has a funny way of ignoring the will of old men in dark rooms."

His lips curled slightly. "And now, here you are."

The weight of his words settled over me like a heavy cloak. I had spent so much time trying to understand my place in this new world, trying to make sense of what had happened to me. But this? This changed everything. I wasn’t just a girl who got caught in the chaos of werewolves and vampires. I was the reason for the chaos. And now, someone—somewhere—knew I existed.

And if history had taught me anything, it was that they would stop at nothing to make sure this prophecy never came true.

Adam’s fingers found mine under the table, squeezing just enough to bring me back.

I looked at him, my chest tight.

"What the hell do we do now?"

Ambrose grinned, reaching for a goblet of what I really hoped was wine.

"Now, my dear, you decide how much of history you’re willing to burn."

I was still trying to process what Lord Ambrose had just said when one of his men entered the study, his normally impassive face twisted with urgency. He bent down, whispering something in the vampire lord’s ear, and for the first time since we arrived, Ambrose’s playful demeanor hardened.

He turned to Adam and me, his pale eyes sharp as glass.

“It appears we are no longer the only ones aware of your existence, my dear.”

A strange chill crept up my spine. Adam stiffened at my side, his protective instincts kicking in immediately.

“What does that mean?” I asked, though I had a terrible feeling I already knew the answer.

Ambrose didn’t reply. Instead, he strode toward the massive windows that overlooked the forest surrounding his castle. With a flick of his wrist, the heavy velvet curtains pulled back, allowing the moonlight to cast silver streaks across the polished floors.

“See for yourself,” he said, his voice losing its usual amusement.

Adam and I followed his gaze. At first, I couldn’t see anything beyond the dense trees, but then I noticed them—figures, moving swiftly through the darkness.

Their movements were coordinated, precise, nothing like the fluid grace of a vampire or the raw power of a werewolf.

Adam inhaled sharply beside me.

“Military formation,” he muttered.

I clenched my fists, forcing my breath to remain steady.

“Who are they?”

Ambrose let out a low, knowing chuckle.

“Hunters,” he said simply.

My stomach twisted. I had heard the stories—humans who had dedicated their lives to eradicating supernatural creatures, ruthless and relentless. But the
hunters hadn’t been an active threat for years. What were they doing here now?

Adam growled, the sound low and warning.

“They must have known we’d come here.”

I turned to Ambrose.

“Can you fight them off?”

He smirked, but there was an edge of irritation behind it.

“Of course, my dear. But that isn’t the point. The question is—why now? And who sent them?”

I didn’t have an answer. I only knew one thing—I was tired of being chased, tired of hiding, tired of being a target.

I took a step forward, my jaw tightening.

“Then let’s find out.”

Adam cursed under his breath, grabbing my wrist.

“Aria, no. We need to get out of here before it’s too late.”

I yanked my hand free.

“And do what? Keep running? No, Adam. This is bigger than us, and if we keep pretending otherwise, we’re going to lose.”

Ambrose clapped his hands together, looking far too delighted for a man about to be attacked in his own home.

“Ah, I do love a woman with spirit! Very well, my dear. Let’s give them the welcome they deserve, shall we?”

The sound of a single gunshot echoed through the night.

The fight had begun.