LOGINThe first light of dawn was staining the sky a pale gray when Kael was finally led down into the dungeon. The King's signed order, still damp from the royal seal, felt like a death warrant in his hand rather than a pardon. Each step downward into the bowels of the palace felt like descending into a grave. The stones wept with moisture, and the air grew thick with the stench of rust, stagnant water, and human misery. The guard, a young man whose face Kael recognized from the training yards, could not meet his eyes as he unlocked the heavy iron door and stepped back, granting him entry.The sight in the cell stole the air from his lungs and the strength from his legs.Elira was curled on the bare, damp stone floor, a small, broken thing in the tattered remains of her once-beautiful gown. The heavy silver ma
Finn and Borin were speechless. There was no answer that would not invite violence. Thane’s control snapped. With a sudden, explosive motion, he kicked a nearby wooden chair, sending it splintering against the wall.“He is taking too long!” he snarled, not at them, but at the world. Without another word, he stormed out into the gardens, a caged animal with nowhere to run.In the ringing silence he left behind, Finn looked at the only other person who remained.“You… you are not leaving?” Borin did not look away from the empty doorway. His face was grim, but resolved.“I swore my life to the lady,” he said simply.
The morning after the banquet, the palace was no longer a place of celebration. It was a nest of buzzing, outraged hornets. The news did not simply spread; it exploded, flying from noble to servant, from guard to merchant, until it seemed the very stones of the city whispered it.“A werewolf! She lived among us!”“The Duchess is a monster!”“She deceived the Wolf Hunter himself!Shared his bed! What dark magic did she use?”In the grand houses of the nobles, the reaction was not just fear, but a deep, insulted fury. They felt personally betrayed. That a creature they had been forced to toast, a woman from a traitorous bloodline they had reluctantl
The massive palace gates slammed shut behind Kael with a final, heavy thud that shook the ground beneath his feet. The sound was an ending. One moment, he was Duke Kael of Cinderfell, a war hero standing in the heart of power. The next, he was a man standing alone in the cold night air, the King's last words still ringing in his ears."You are a hero of this kingdom, Kael. But until you renounce that... that creature, you are no longer welcome within these walls. Do not attempt to return."The stone walls, once a symbol of his duty and home, were now a prison wall separating him from his wife. He could still see her eyes, those wild, golden eyes, meeting his just before they dragged her away. He had not seen a monster. He had seen Elira. Terrified. In pain. His Elira.
The silence shattered as the main doors burst open. Royal Guards flooded into the hall, but these were not the ceremonial sentries from outside. These were the King's Hunters, clad in reinforced leather, their faces set in grim masks. They moved with terrible, practiced efficiency, and in their hands were not standard spears, but cruel-looking manacles and chains, all forged from the same cursed silver as the necklace.Elira was still reeling, her body caught between human form and wolfish instinct, the broken necklace a fading brand on her throat. She had no time to react before the first weighted net, woven with fine silver thread, was thrown over her. The moment it touched her skin, a fresh wave of agony ripped through her. It was a thousand times worse than the necklace - a smothering, all-encompassing burn that stole her breath.
"Your Highness," Elira replied, her tone equally polite, her back straight as a rod. She would not give an inch."The King's generosity is indeed overwhelming. We are both deeply grateful.""It is no more than you both deserve," Ilyana said, her eyes glinting with a challenge disguised as warmth."Kael has always been destined for greatness. Everyone at court knew it. It is a pleasure to see him finally receive his due, and with a woman of such… unique talents by his side." She let the pause hang in the air, the insult sharp beneath the pleasant words.The barb was subtle but its point was needle-sharp. Elira simply inclined her head, refusing to take the bait. As she did, h







