Silas's point of view
The message came through as a single line from the patrol guard near the southern woods:
“We’ve found a scent trail. Blood. Small footprints. You need to come.”
I didn’t hesitate. I was halfway out of the corridor when I called Dalton through the comm link embedded in my watch.
“Southern woods,” I said tersely. “Bring three of your fastest and meet me there in ten.”
“On it.”
My wolf surged beneath my skin, claws scraping just under the surface, demanding to be set loose. I let him edge closer than usual, knowing I’d need his instincts if we were going to track her. My daughter. My blood.
The wind shifted as I reached the tree l
Aurelia's point of viewThe moment we crossed the threshold of the Blackfang border, the air felt heavier like the forest itself held its breath. My arms were wrapped tightly around Sara as Dalton, still in his wolf form, slowed down near the pack’s gates. Lara ran beside us, her breathing ragged, her clothes torn, but her eyes were locked on my daughter.Sara hadn’t stirred once since we took her from the rogue. Her small body, usually buzzing with energy, now felt frighteningly light and still in my arms. I kept whispering to her, brushing her hair back, but nothing seemed to reach her.As we approached the main grounds, I saw Silas standing on the packhouse steps. He had changed into fresh clothes, probably unaware that his daughter had just been nearly taken from him forever. The calm on his face lasted exactly one second.Then he saw Sara. And he saw me.He was already walking before we reached him, but it wasn’t relief that radiated off him. It was fury. Dalton shifted mid-step,
Aurelia's point of viewThe forest had always felt like a quiet refuge once upon a time, but tonight it felt like a breathing beast. Twisted limbs of trees reached out like skeletal arms, the fog curling along the ground like hungry smoke. I tightened the cloak around myself, heart pounding against my ribs as I stepped through the underbrush. Each snap of a twig beneath my boot felt like a warning.Dalton led ahead, scanning the woods with sharp eyes. Lara trailed beside me, her expression tense. The only sound apart from our footsteps was the wind whistling through the branches, whispering secrets I couldn’t decipher.Kael was back in the care of a trusted healer, and I had no choice but to leave him behind. It tore me in half. One child safe, one stolen."Are you sure thi
Silas's point of viewI stood by the long window of the war room, hands clasped behind my back, watching the wind stir the trees just outside the Blackfang compound. The scars from the recent attack still lingered burnt edges of the east wall, the faint scent of smoke in the wood but the real damage wasn't to the stone or soil.It was to the trust.There was a knock at the door.Dalton stepped in, his tone clipped. “He’s here.”I nodded once. “Let him in.”The door swung open, and in walked Roderick Vale, the one man who managed to make my blood simmer just by breathing the same air as me.He came dressed to impress. Charcoal suit. Shined shoes. Slicked-back salt-an
Silas's point of viewThe rogue coughed blood onto the floor of the dungeon, his body slumped against the chains, bones broken and face unrecognizable. He was still breathing, stubborn bastard. He hadn’t given me a damn word. Not a name. Not a reason. Not even a spit of warning.But I saw it in his eyes. He knew something.I grabbed him by the collar and slammed his head back against the wall, my voice low and cold. “Who sent you? Who were you after?”He just smiled, his teeth red with blood. He was going to die here, and he knew it. But he’d die proud, carrying the secrets that had torn my pack apart.I was about to try again, fists curled, when the door creaked open. Footsteps approached fast.“Alpha,” Dalton’s voice echoed, calm but clipped. “I ne
Aurelia's point of viewThe corridor was quieter than usual. The smell of smoke still clung to the air, faint but lingering, as if the very walls hadn’t yet recovered from the night of chaos.I walked slowly toward my chamber, feet dragging. Every muscle in my body ached, but none of it compared to the hollow gnawing in my chest. Every second that passed without Sara felt like another stone added to the weight pressing down on me. I didn’t know how I was still standing.As I neared the door, I noticed someone standing by it. Arms folded, spine stiff, mouth tight in a practiced expression of sympathy.Alisha.Of course.She was leaning against the door like she owned the whole damn wing. Her eyes landed on me, and she pushed herself off the wall w
Aurelia's point of viewI stared at the window, the early morning light slicing through the thin curtains like quiet judgment. My room still smelled faintly of smoke from the fire. The scent clung to everything including my clothes, my hair, my thoughts.Sara was gone. My little girl, my light. Even now, I couldn’t believe it. My chest was tight, like someone had wrapped steel bands around my ribs and refused to let me breathe.Kael slept soundly in the bed beside me, his tiny hand clutched around the hem of my tunic. I ran my fingers through his hair. It was soft and familiar, the same dark strands as his father’s. A constant, aching reminder.I wanted to scream. To cry. But I had done enough of both. Instead, I rose. I wouldn’t be useless anymore. The walls of this place had watched me crawl in like a shado