LOGINI 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
I couldn’t breathe. Everything around me disappeared. The mountains. The wind. Even Thorne. There was only him. Lucian stood a few paces away, his sword still raised where it had stopped Thorne’s strike. His hand trembled so badly I wondered how he was still holding it. He looked nothing like the man who had ridden away from Blackstone. His face had become painfully thin, his cheekbones sharp beneath pale skin. An uneven beard covered his jaw, and dark circles hollowed his eyes. His clothes were torn and stiff with dried blood while fresh crimson stained the front of his shirt. He looked exhausted. Older. As though the last few days had stolen years from him. His chest rose and fell unevenly, every breath sounding painful. For several heartbeats, neither of us moved. Neither of us spoke. His eyes never left mine. I searched them desperately, almost afraid he would disappear if I blinked. He was here. Alive. The realization struck so hard my knees nearly gave way. “Luci
The Guardian Wolf had vanished, but his words still echoed inside my head. If you leave now, you may still reach him before sunset. I didn’t dare think about what would happen if we failed. Tomorrow night. Not the thirtieth day. Tomorrow night. The thought pounded inside my skull with every step I took. Thorne kept pace beside me. His breathing stayed steady despite the difficult climb. Neither of us spoke. There was nothing left to say. Every second we wasted brought Lucian closer to death. The mountain grew steeper the higher we climbed. Loose stones rolled beneath our boots. Sharp cliffs surrounded us on both sides while the wind howled through the narrow pass. Then Thorne suddenly slowed. “Cressida.” I stopped immediately. He was staring at the ground. Fresh hoofprints. My heart leaped. “Shadow.” Thorne nodded. “He passed here recently.” I dropped to one knee. The tracks were sharp, their edges untouched by wind or snow. “He can’t be far.” Hope
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
The days began to blur inside the stone fortress. After the first brutal night, the routine shifted in small, almost imperceptible ways. The guards no longer dragged me through the halls like a prisoner. Instead, they escorted me with detached politeness. My meals improved. I started eating more
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!







