Black eye.

I expected him to be furious when he saw me. The monster everyone whispered about was supposed to rise to the surface, tear through his  flesh and bone, and make an example out of me. Instead, he simply stood there and stared at me as though I were some rare artifact placed before him for careful examination.

Despite the fear coiling tightly in my chest, I found myself studying him too. This was not the first time I had seen Alpha Alexander. Years ago, when he was still praised as our savior and hero, I had watched him from a distance. I remembered that day clearly. My mother had forced me to kneel as he passed through our part of the territory. Her hand had pressed firmly against the back of my head, pushing me lower in reverence. Later that night, she had sighed wistfully and said that if only we were of higher standing, perhaps I would have been worthy enough to become his wife.

The memory felt weird now.

He was taller than I remembered. Broader. Power rolled off him in waves that were impossible to ignore. His thick brows framed eyes that were far too intense, even when silent. His dark hair fell slightly across his forehead, and there was something almost carved about his features, as if the Moon Goddess herself had taken extra care when shaping him.

What more could any woman want in a husband?

The thought startled me. What was I thinking? I was standing before a man who might order my execution at any moment.

After what felt like an eternity, I forced myself to look away. My heart was pounding so loudly I was certain he could hear it. Yet when I dared to glance back up, he was still staring, unblinking, as though trying to see past my skin and into my very soul.

That was when realization struck.

He had never seen Calista before.

He thought I was her.

“I am not Beta Calista,” I said quickly, my voice steadier than I felt.

Something shifted in his expression. It was brief... so brief I almost thought I imagined it... but there was a flicker of surprise, perhaps even irritation. Then his face returned to its unreadable calm, and the intensity of his gaze only deepened.

Discomfort slowly replaced fear.

I opened my mouth to clarify further, but the sound of approaching footsteps interrupted me.

Guards appeared first, their uniforms marking them as members of the Alpha’s personal unit. Elder Marek followed, his presence as intimidating as ever. The other elders trailed behind him, their faces already grim.

This was it.

There would be no mercy.

“Beta Sophia, have you seen Beta Calista?” one of the guards asked.

For a brief moment, I considered lying. I could say she had fled and that I had attempted to chase her just as we had planned. It would buy me time... perhaps even sympathy. But the elders were not ordinary wolves. They could sense dishonesty as easily as scenting blood in the air. If I lied, they would know. If I told the truth, I would suffer.

So I said nothing.

Silence sealed my fate.

Moments later, I was dragged toward the dungeon beneath the Alpha’s residence. No one spoke after I admitted to helping Calista escape. Not the Alpha. Not the elders. Only Marek gave orders, his voice cutting through the air as he commanded more guards to after Calista. 

The dungeon was worse than anything I had imagined. The air was damp and suffocating, heavy with the metallic scent of old blood and something far less identifiable. Dark stains covered the stone walls, some faded with time, others disturbingly fresh. Chains hung loosely from hooks, clinking faintly.

They shoved me inside and locked the door. The echo lingered.

I lowered myself onto the cold floor and pulled my knees to my chest, trying to preserve warmth. The silence down there was oppressive, broken only by distant drips of water.

All night, I clung to hope.

I was not Beta Calista. Surely that mattered.

My wolf stirred restlessly within me, pacing in agitation. She hated confined spaces, always had. Even as a child, she would grow restless if doors were closed for too long. Now she pressed against my control, urging me to break free.

I forced her back gently but firmly.

There was no escape here.

Morning came, though the dungeon barely changed. Guards returned and pulled me from the cell without explanation.

The council chamber was exactly as my mother had described... and worse. Blood stained the walls in dark streaks that seemed almost deliberate, like cruel decorations. Dried heads were mounted high, their hollow eyes staring endlessly at whoever entered. The air was thick, heavy with history and violence.

They forced me to kneel.

Elder Marek’s hatred was no longer subtle. It burned openly in his eyes. The Alpha sat nearby, composed and silent.

But his eyes were wrong.

One glowed gold. His wolf was close to the surface. That much I understood. What unsettled me was the other eye. It was pitch black.

A chill ran down my spine.

“Do you even realize the gravity of what you have done?” Elder Theron demanded.

I remained silent.

“Did Beta Calista inform you where she would seek refuge?”

I shook my head.

“I believe you are capable of speech,” Elder Corvin snapped.

“No, Elder,” I answered quietly. “She did not.”

“She should be beheaded,” Marek declared without hesitation.

The word seemed to echo inside my skull.

Beheaded.

“N-no, please,” I stammered. “I truly do not know where she is.”

“Helping her escape is reason enough,” Marek insisted.

Agreement murmured among some of the elders.

“I completely agree with Elder Marek,” Theron began, when THUD.

The Alpha slammed his hand against the table.

The sound reverberated violently through the chamber.

When I looked at him again, both eyes were black.

The elders noticed as well. Panic spread across their faces as they rushed toward the inner chamber.

“It is coming!” Corvin shouted. “Guards! Bring the ropes!”

“Now!” Theron yelled.

Within seconds, nearly ten guards rushed in, each carrying thick ropes meant to restrain even the strongest wolf.

“Tie him now!”

But fear rooted them in place.

“If Umbryth emerges fully, we are all dead!” someone cried.

Umbryth. I knew what that was.

The forbidden darkness said to dwell within Alpha Alexander.

Two guards forced themselves forward. With nothing more than a flick of his fingers, they were hurled into the wall as if they weighed nothing. 

More followed. All were thrown back with the same terrifying ease.

The Alpha began walking toward the elders, slow and deliberate, like a predator closing in. In turn, they retreated towards me until there was only a wall left to walk into.