Chapter 2

The Wolf He Caged

♠SYLVARA♠

All my life, I had imagined how I would react when I finally stood before him. I had sworn I’d bare my fangs, sink my claws into his throat, and make him bleed for every memory he’d stolen from me.

But when my gaze locked onto him, my reasoning betrayed me.

Darius Ashfang was no longer the monster of my nightmares, at least not in appearance. He stood in the shadows of the chamber, his black shirt rolled at the sleeves, revealing sinewed arms inked with scars of battles fought and won. His misty gray eyes glowed faintly with his wolf’s power, cold and predatory, and yet… arrestingly beautiful.

When had he grown even more dangerously gorgeous?

“Careful, little wolf,” his voice rasped, a dark baritone that seemed to curl into my very bones. “Keep staring at me like that, and you’ll send signals you don’t mean to.”

The mocking gleam in his eyes jolted me back to reality.

He was not just a man. He was a monster. My sworn enemy. The wolf who had torn my parents from this world and left me an orphan.

“Darius Ashfang,” I hissed, my lips trembling with fury as his name left them.

He smirked, fangs flashing in the low light. “The one and only. In flesh and blood.”

My chest rose sharply, anger burning hotter than fire. How dare he stand there, proud, breathing, unscathed, when my parents’ ashes still haunted me?

“Why bring me here?” I snarled, scanning the room for a weapon. My gaze landed on a heavy stone vase. My fingers itched.

“I heard about your little quest,” he said casually, like we were discussing the weather. “You’ve been whispering vengeance to the wind. Hunting me. Training for me.” His gray eyes glinted, amused. “I thought it would be more entertaining if we skipped the chase.”

My nose flared. “Entertaining? Do you know why I hunt you?”

“To kill me.” His grin widened, cruel and knowing. “And you truly think that’s possible? Even your uncle, with all his alliances and failing pack, wouldn’t dare raise his claws against me. What chance do you have?”

A growl ripped from my throat. “I’ll make you suffer, Darius Ashfang. I’ll make you howl in agony the way my parents did!”

I seized the vase and swung with all my strength. He dodged with infuriating ease, moving with the grace of a predator.

“Really?” His chuckle was dark, feral. “You think I'll break the pottery? You’ll have to do better than that, little wolf.”

His scent, pine, smoke, and steel flooded my senses as he blurred forward. Before I could shift, his arm locked around me, pulling me flush against the solid wall of his chest.

“Let me go, you monster!” I roared, thrashing, but his hold was unyielding, iron-hard.

“Don’t stress yourself, little wolf,” he murmured, his lips brushing my ear, his voice a dangerous purr.

He tossed me onto the bed, pinning me beneath his weight, his gray eyes burning with both amusement and warning.

“Playtime’s over,” he said, his claws lightly grazing my wrist as he held me down.

“Get off me!” I snarled, writhing, my wolf clawing at my insides to be let out. But every shift of my body only made me too aware of his, pressing down, solid and immovable.

His lips curved. “Careful. Every move has a consequence.” His voice lowered to a dangerous whisper. “And I promise, I will enjoy the consequences.”

“You bastard!” My fangs ached, snapping for his throat, but his scent, iron, pine, danger swallowed my senses until my wolf whimpered in betrayal.

He leaned close, fangs grazing the edge of my ear. “Naughty. But if you bite, little wolf, you’d better be prepared to be bitten back.”

Rage boiled in me, but before he could press further, a knock came at the door.

“Alpha, Don Fenrik has arrived,” a voice called from outside.

Darius’s gaze lingered on me a moment longer, his smirk deepening, before he released me and stood.

“Your people are here for you,” he drawled, brushing invisible dust from his shirt. As he turned to leave, he gave me one last taunting touch, a sharp smack against my hip.

I gasped, fury scorching my veins. “Motherfucker!”

He glanced back, eyes glinting with wicked humor. “Mm. I like that mouth. I’ll enjoy hearing it scream something else one day.”

With that, he was gone.

I sat up instantly, adjusting my clothes, fury and disgust clawing through me. My uncle’s presence in this place didn’t comfort me. It only reminded me how trapped I truly was.

But if I couldn’t escape… I could kill.

I touched the dagger hidden against my thigh, its silver edge burning faintly against my skin.

“If Darius Ashfang thinks he’s the hunter here, he’s dead wrong,” I whispered coldly. “This time, the wolf he caged will tear him apart.”