Chapter 14

Delilah’s Pov

It’s been days.

Days since that night. Days since Malric’s cold hands touched my skin, days since his voice wrapped around me like smoke, dark and consuming.

And yet, I could still feel him. I hated it.

I hated that I touched myself every night thinking of him. Hated that the memory of him lingered on me like a curse. It scared me, how much control he had over me without even being here. He said he would come back for me, that this time, he’d take me with him… but he hasn’t.

Maybe he changed his mind.

Maybe I’m nothing more than a passing distraction to the Lycan King.

I shook the thought away and focused on the man sitting across from me, an old villager I was treating.

“Take this two times a day,” I said, handing him a small vial of pale-blue liquid. “Exactly eight hours apart. Three days, no more. You’ll be fine after that.”

The man nodded, clutching the vial like it was made of gold. “Thank you, Miss Delilah. You’re a blessing.”

I smiled faintly and began to pack up my tools, but as I turned to leave, his voice stopped me.

“Miss.”

I paused and glanced back. “Yes?”

His gaze was sharp — too sharp for someone with clouded gray eyes. “Fate,” he rasped, “isn’t going to change anything. What’s meant to happen will happen. You cannot outrun it.”

I stared at him, frozen. “What are you talking about?”

He said nothing. Just tucked the vial into his coat, gave me a strange, knowing look, and left.

I stood there for a long moment, unsettled, before shaking it off. People said strange things all the time. That didn’t mean it meant anything.

Except… somehow, it felt like it did.

****

Later that evening, I trudged back home, only to find Reyna standing by the door, practically glowing with excitement.

“You’re late!” she exclaimed, hands on her hips, tapping her foot like a scolding mother. “Do you realize we have a ceremony to attend? Dancing, food, free wine, and you’re dragging your feet like a corpse!”

I sighed. “I know, I know. I just… I’m not excited about this.”

Reyna narrowed her eyes instantly, as if she’d caught me committing some unspeakable crime. “Don’t. Don’t tell me this is about Brian again.”

“Obviously,” I muttered, kicking off my boots. “I don’t know what he sees in me.”

“Oh, for the love of the goddess.” Reyna groaned so loudly I was certain the moon itself heard her. “You don’t know what he sees in you? Do you want me to list it out? Fine, I’ll list it out.”

I blinked, already regretting opening my mouth.

“You,” Reyna declared dramatically, pointing at me like she was accusing me of treason, “are breathtaking. Majestic. Like a storm trapped in a mortal body. Your hair? Chestnut silk touched by starlight. Your skin? Dew-kissed velvet. Your eyes? Pools of molten honey blessed by the goddess herself. Your mind? Sharp enough to slit throats if words could kill. You walk into a room, Delilah, and flowers bloom, birds sing, and men…men forget how to breathe!”

I blinked at her, unimpressed. “Are you done?”

“No.” She lifted a finger. “Brian sees you as a miracle, Delilah. A once-in-a-lifetime goddess among mortals. And here you are, whining.”

I rolled my eyes and headed toward my room. “Fine, fine. I’ll get ready.”

“You have five minutes,” she called after me. “I told you not to work today, but no, you had to play little miss healer instead of focusing on our party. Now look, the sun is already going down, the moon’s halfway up, and we are going to be late if you don’t move your ass!”

“Alright, alright!” I yelled back, half laughing despite myself.

****

Inside my room, I finally exhaled, running my fingers through my hair. That’s when a voice, quiet and sharp, cut through my thoughts.

‘I don’t feel good about this party’.

I froze. “Well, look who finally decided to talk,” I muttered.

Neriah, my wolf, had been silent for days, ever since that night with Malric.

‘There was nothing worth saying before,’ she replied simply. But this… this doesn’t feel right.

I hesitated. “Me neither,” I admitted softly.

There was a pause, then Neriah’s voice deepened, colder now. And you. ‘You’re playing with fire, Delilah. I see what you’re doing with the Lycan King. You’re walking down a dangerous path.’

“Mind your business,” I snapped under my breath, rifling through my wardrobe.

‘I can’t. We are one,’ she growled, sharp enough to send a shiver down my spine. ‘Whether you like it or not.’

I clenched my jaw. “Just… shut up. I have a party to get ready for.”

Neriah went silent again, but I could still feel her watching me from the inside, her unease thrumming beneath my skin.

By the time I finished getting ready, the moon had climbed high, silvering the edges of the window.

I took one last glance in the mirror and exhaled slowly. The dress clung to me like a second skin, dark and threaded with fine beaded embroidery, catching the faintest light like captured stars. It looked magical.

When I stepped out, Reyna’s jaw practically hit the floor.

“Oh. My. Goddess.” She clutched her chest like she might faint. “Delilah, you’re so beautiful I could die. No, scratch that — I want to be buried alive under the weight of your beauty. Forget Brian, I’m going to mark you, claim you, make you mine—”

“Reyna.” I shot her a warning look, trying not to laugh. “Stop being dramatic.”

She opened her mouth to respond, but another voice beat her to it.

“My lady.”

I turned and found Brian standing a few feet away. And gods, he looked… majestic. Midnight-blue formal wear hugged his broad frame, his blond hair perfectly combed, and his deep-set blue eyes softened the moment they met mine.

He approached slowly, as if reverence alone carried him, and when he reached me, he bowed slightly and took my hand. His lips brushed the back of my palm, warm against cool skin.

“You look… breathtaking,” he said softly, almost reverently.

I felt my cheeks warm. “When did you get here?”

“Not too long ago,” he replied with a faint smile.

Behind him, I caught sight of Reyna, grinning like an overexcited child. I still couldn’t believe this was the same person who trained me for years. Three years older than me and yet somehow perpetually stuck in her dramatic teenage phase.

We didn’t linger. A carriage was already waiting outside, elegant and dark, its crest gleaming under moonlight. Brian offered his hand again, helping me climb inside. Reyna followed, still muttering under her breath about my “unfair levels of gorgeousness.”

****

The ceremony was being held in a neighboring town — Tavareth — a small but thriving settlement known for its hunting grounds and sprawling forests. Tonight, it belonged entirely to celebration.

Tavareth’s central courtyard was transformed into a living sea of light and sound. Lanterns floated overhead, their warm glow spilling across cobblestone paths. Music thrummed through the air, a wild symphony of drums, flutes, and strings that made the ground itself seem to pulse.

It was the Ascension of a new Alpha.

The old Alpha of Tavareth had stepped down, and his successor was being introduced tonight. Wolves from every nearby territory had been invited, including ours, to witness and honor the change in leadership.

Long tables lined the edges of the courtyard, laden with platters of roasted meats, sweet wines, and golden loaves of bread. The scent was intoxicating. Wolves laughed, danced, and toasted freely beneath the glittering lanterns.

For a brief moment, I allowed myself to relax.

Brian stayed close, ever the gentleman, his hand brushing mine lightly now and then. At one point, he leaned closer. “I need to step out for a moment,” he murmured. “Won’t be long. Don’t wander too far.”

I nodded. “Go on. I’ll be fine.”

But as he slipped away into the shadows, I couldn’t shake a strange twist in my gut.

I sat quietly for a while, nursing a glass of wine. That’s when I noticed it — the stares. Men, from across the courtyard, their gazes lingering far too long. Some whispered. Some smiled in ways that made my skin crawl. Wolves could be pathetic sometimes, shameless even, when their instincts overruled decency.

I tried to ignore it, sipping slowly, until a sharp, unexpected voice echoed in my head.

‘Run, Delilah.’

Brian’s voice.

He mind-linked me

I blinked, startled. What?

‘Run.’ His tone was sharp and urgent.

My heart began to race. I rose quickly, scanning the courtyard, but couldn’t see him anywhere. Something wasn’t right.

Without thinking, I headed toward the edge of the celebration. My claws slid free instinctively, tips glowing faintly under the lantern light. I wasn’t trained to fight — not properly — but I was still a wolf.

“Brian?” I called softly, my voice lost beneath the distant music.

I kept moving, eyes darting into the darkness, every sense straining. The air shifted. The scent around me changed.

Then suddenly i felt a light tap on my shoulder.

I spun instantly, hand reaching for my dress where my concealed blade was, but before I could even react, a rough hand clamped over my mouth.

A strip of black cloth descended, smothering my vision.

Panic surged. I thrashed, claws slashing wildly, but another hand grabbed my wrists and wrenched them behind me with unnatural strength.

And then…

Darkness swallowed everything.