LOGINThe scout’s words stole the air from my lungs.“Princess Elara collapsed this morning, Your Majesty. The healers fear she may not survive the night.”For a heartbeat, I couldn’t move.My mind refused to understand what I had just heard.Elara. No.Without thinking, I crossed the clearing and took the scout’s horse.I barely noticed how badly my hands were shaking.The curse was gone, but my body was still recovering.Every muscle screamed in protest but I ignored it.A hand caught my arm.“Lucian,” Cressida pleaded. “You’re still recovering.. Please… take it easy.”I turned to her. Pain filled her beautiful eyes.She wasn’t trying to stop me because she doubted me.She was afraid of losing me again.“My sister,” I said quietly. The words were enough.Nothing else needed to be explained.I climbed into the saddle.Behind me, Thorne muttered a curse before mounting another horse.A second later, Cressida followed.Then we rode. Cold wind tore through my hair.Every breath burned inside
Catching the first light of dawn, we stepped out of the cave together. The cold mountain air rushed over my face, carrying the scent of pine, damp stone, and melting snow. For a moment I simply stood there, letting the warmth of the rising sun touch my skin. It felt unreal. Just yesterday I had been begging the Moon Goddess not to take Lucian away from me. Now he was beside me. Alive. He took the first step down the mountain without saying anything. I noticed the slight stiffness in his movements and instinctively reached for his arm. “You don’t have to prove anything,” I said quietly. “We can take it slow.” He looked at my hand where it rested against his sleeve. Weeks ago he would have brushed it away, insisting he could manage on his own. This time he simply nodded. “I know.” The words were simple, but they settled warmly inside my chest. We walked in comfortable silence while Thorne led the way. Something about Lucian had changed beyond the silver in his
I couldn’t stop looking at him. Not because of the silver in his eyes. Because he was alive. Every few seconds, my hand moved on its own, brushing his arm or fingers. The touch grounded me, reminding my heart that this wasn’t a dream. Each time, Lucian met my gaze with quiet disbelief, as if he still wondered why fate had granted him one more breath. The Guardian watched us in silence for a long moment. His ancient presence filled the cave with quiet wisdom. “There is one lesson left,” he said at last. Lucian lifted his head, attentive. “I’m listening.” “The curse is gone.” The Guardian’s voice echoed softly through the stone walls. “But being a Silver Wolf is not merely a gift. It is a responsibility.” Lucian frowned, his brow creasing with concern. “What responsibility?” The ancient wolf turned slowly toward the cave entrance. Golden sunlight painted the distant mountains in warm hues, casting long shadows inside. “The strength you possess now does not
~Cressida I felt his chest rise beneath my hands. A sharp gasp tore through the silence, stealing the air from my lungs. For one frozen heartbeat, I couldn’t move. I couldn’t even think. Lucian’s fingers twitched against the rocky ground. Then his eyes opened. I stared into them and forgot how to breathe. They weren’t the familiar crimson that had haunted my dreams. They weren’t the molten gold of his wolf either. They were silver—pure, luminous silver. They glowed softly beneath the fading light, bright enough to make me wonder if I was imagining them. “Lucian?” My voice came out as little more than a whisper. He blinked once, as though waking from a long sleep. His breathing was uneven but stronger now. Color slowly returned to his face, chasing away the deathly pallor that had terrified me moments before. His gaze searched the dim cave before settling on me. “Cressida.” He sounded confused, as though he didn’t understand why tears streamed down my cheek
~Lucian~ You’re killing us both. I heard the words long after everyone else had gone quiet. They echoed through me until the cold mountain disappeared. The wind faded. The ache in my body vanished. Even the weight of my own breathing was gone. I opened my eyes to silence. Mist stretched in every direction, silver and endless. It curled around my feet and drifted through a forest that looked familiar without belonging to any place I had ever walked. A soft whine drew my attention. He stood a few paces away. My wolf. For a heartbeat I almost failed to recognize him. The powerful creature who had once towered over everything now struggled to remain standing. His black coat had turned dull, with streaks of gray running through it. His ribs showed beneath thinning fur. His breathing came in shallow, painful gasps. His silver eyes still held mine, but even they had begun to lose their light. Pain tightened my chest. “What happened to you?” He let out a tired breath
Night settled over the mountains far faster than I wanted. One moment there had still been enough light to see the narrow trail winding between the rocks. The next, shadows swallowed everything beyond a few paces. A cold wind swept down from the peaks, carrying the scent of pine and snow. Lucian stumbled again. He would have fallen if Thorne hadn’t caught his arm. “That’s enough,” Thorne said firmly. “We’re stopping.” Lucian tried to pull away, but there wasn’t any strength behind the movement. “We have to keep going.” “No,” Thorne answered. “You’ll collapse before we make another mile.” I watched Lucian’s shoulders rise with a slow, painful breath. Even standing seemed to cost him more than he could afford. At last he gave the smallest nod. Thorne led us toward a shallow cave tucked beneath a rocky overhang. It wasn’t much, but it sheltered us from the wind. He quickly cleared away loose stones while I spread my cloak across the driest patch of ground. Lucian
Cressida’s POV I lay on my narrow bed staring at the stone ceiling. Two whole nights had passed and Lucian had not sent for me. The silence felt heavy and suffocating. My wolf paced inside my chest, restless and jealous. What was he doing? Was he with another woman? The thought made my stomach
Lucian’ POV The door slammed behind Cressida with a finality that echoed through my chambers longer than it should have. How dare she? The words still burned on my tongue. She had slept in my bed, curled against me like she belonged there, and the very next morning she asked for a favor as if
Before I could utter a single word, the stranger turned and gave a sharp nod. “Take her.” Rough hands dragged me forward. I twisted and struggled, but it was useless against their iron grips. “No—please! Let me go!” I was completely ignored and dragged through the dark woods back toward my pack.
Cressida’s POV I stood frozen outside the door, the thin crack revealing a scene that shattered my world. Alpha Kael’s deep, guttural moans filled the room as he thrust into her with raw, punishing force. My best friend Zara clawed at his back, her legs wrapped tightly around his waist. “Yes!







