CHAPTER 93
HOW DARE HE?
The moment I saw him, something inside me went still, or maybe it let loose instead
Luca stepped into the clearing like a shadow pulled from the deepest pit of night. His movements were smooth, too smooth—predatory. A cruel smirk twisted his lips, and his eyes—once soft with affection, once my future—gleamed with something darker now. He looked broken, only that he didn't see it.
No, not broken. Twisted.
He wore black armor streaked in crimson, a long blade strapped to his side and dried blood caking his forearms. The battlefield parted around him like they felt the wrongness.
This wasn’t the wolf I had once dreamed of building a life with. This wasn’t the boy who kissed my hand beneath the moons and promised to never hurt me.
This was a monster, or something trying to be.
 
CHAPTER 95DANGER LOOMED.There was a silence between us.Then, from far in the distance, a wolf howled. But it wasn’t a cry of mourning, it was warning.A sound of fear.Julian’s voice was steel. “We need to get everyone off this field. Now.”We all knew one thing with absolute certaintyLuca wasn’t finished. And neither was Elena.It took forever but the pack settled in. We were just a few steps away from breaking, but we refused to take those steps.Tge council reformed almost immediately, while members tried o pick up the little pieces of what was left.The war room wasn’t a room anymore—it was the courtyard of the ruined Alpha Hall, its walls cracked, its ceiling half-collapsed from the siege. But no one complained. The moon was high, blood-smeared and heavy, and it
CHAPTER 94RAVEN'S POVNO! NOT YOU TOO!I crossed the distance between us in a flicker of an eye. “Julian! JULIAN!”Tears streamed down my cheeks, my hands pressing down on his wound, trembling.“No, no, stay with me…” I sobbed. “You saved me. Don’t you dare die on me now. You can't leave me too. Please, Julian. No!”He touched my face. “I… told you I would.”“Why didn’t you let me fight him alone?” I cried.“Because…” He coughed blood. “Because I’d rather die than lose you.”My hands cupped his cheeks, my breath ragged.“I should’ve let you mark me,” I whispered. “I should’ve never doubted. I shouldn't have waited this
CHAPTER 93HOW DARE HE?The moment I saw him, something inside me went still, or maybe it let loose insteadLuca stepped into the clearing like a shadow pulled from the deepest pit of night. His movements were smooth, too smooth—predatory. A cruel smirk twisted his lips, and his eyes—once soft with affection, once my future—gleamed with something darker now. He looked broken, only that he didn't see it.No, not broken. Twisted.He wore black armor streaked in crimson, a long blade strapped to his side and dried blood caking his forearms. The battlefield parted around him like they felt the wrongness.This wasn’t the wolf I had once dreamed of building a life with. This wasn’t the boy who kissed my hand beneath the moons and promised to never hurt me.This was a monster, or something trying to be. 
CHAPTER 91BLINDING LIGHT!I woke to the sound of murmuring voices.The bag was gone. My wrists were raw but unbound. I sat in what looked like a stone bunker—dimly lit, the air cool and damp.Julian was beside me, sitting against the wall, a shallow cut on his cheek and blood on his collar. But his eyes found mine the second I stirred, and his shoulders relaxed.“You good?” he asked quietly.“Define ‘good’, ” I croaked.Before he could answer, the door creaked open. A woman entered first—tall, silver hair pulled into a braid down her back. Her eyes were sharp, but not cruel. Behind her came a large male, broad-shouldered, with an aura that screamed alpha even though he wore no mark.Neither of them looked like rogues. They looked like soldiers.&ldq
CHAPTER 90THE FOURTH KNOCK DIDN’T COME.Instead, the door handle jiggled.My breath hitched. Julian held up a hand—wait—and stepped forward soundlessly, his body blocking mine as he neared the door. The knife glinted in his hand, his stance steady, but I could feel the tension rippling off him like heat."Housekeeping," the voice said again, louder now. But there was no cheer in it, sounded more like mockery.Julian moved with purpose, pulling a heavy-looking chair from the corner and jamming it beneath the door handle in one motion. He didn’t speak—just grabbed my wrist, his grip firm but careful, and pulled me toward the bathroom."What are we…"He opened the window.We were on the second floor. Not high enough to kill us, but high enough to hurt. My stomach sank.
CHAPTER 89EDGE OF NO RETURN.That's where I was.It was just my name—but the way she said it, soft and broken open, stripped me bare.Her hand slid up my chest again, hesitant but deliberate, tracing the lines of my collarbone, my throat. Her thumb brushed my jaw, lingering at the corner of my mouth.Every instinct roared to life. Yet again!Take her.Mark her.Make her yours.I caught her wrist gently, holding her hand against my heart. "Careful," I whispered hoarsely. "You're playing with fire."She bit her bottom lip—that soft, pink mouth driving me out of my mind—but she didn’t pull away. Instead, she leaned closer, so close I could count the faint freckles across her nose."I'm not afraid of burning," she said, her voice trembling but sure.