Chapter 4: Let’s Get Married

Valeria’s POV 

The air rushed past my ears as I fell, the wind tearing at my clothes while the roaring ocean below rushed up to swallow me whole. I closed my eyes, waiting for the cold embrace of death.

Then, a sudden, blinding heat exploded inside my chest.

It was like a dormant volcano erupting deep within my soul. 

Bones cracked, rearranged, and expanded in a matter of seconds. My senses sharpened to a heightened degree—I could smell the pine needles, hear every crash of the waves, and feel a wild, untamed power coursing through my veins.

I wasn't wolfless.

A deafening, triumphant howl tore from my throat as my silver wolf emerged mid-air. My massive paws slammed onto a sharp rock ledge jutting out from the cliff side, landing with perfect grace.

I turned my head and looked up. High above, Lucien and his guards were staring down at me, their mouths agape in shock. 

Pure, intoxicating joy flooded through me. I let out another fierce growl, turned on my heels, and bolted into the forest.

I ran as fast as my four legs could carry me, the wind whipping through my thick silver fur. Every muscle in my body flexed with new, incredible strength. I wanted to laugh, to cry, to scream. I was fast. I was free.

The farther I ran, the more the air changed. The familiar scent of the Sovereign Conclave Pack began to fade. 

Up ahead, a massive chasm split the earth, with a broken, decaying wooden bridge dangling uselessly over a steep gorge.

I didn't even slow down. I pushed off the damp earth with all my power, leaping straight across the gaping abyss. I soared through the air and landed on the other side, scrambling up the dirt bank before continuing my sprint.

I kept running until my lungs burned and my legs felt like lead. Slowly, the overwhelming rush of energy began to fade. 

My wolf whined in my mind, and the transformation reversed, and with a soft gasp, I tumbled onto the forest floor in my human form, panting heavily against the cold dirt.

I sat up, shivering, and looked around.

The trees here were twisted and black, the sky covered by a thick, unnatural fog. My heart sank into my stomach.

I was in the Rogue Territory.

Crossing this line meant instant death for any pack member. It was a lawless, bloodthirsty wasteland where only the banished, the killers, and the exiled survived.

"Well, well, well... what do we have here?" a rough, mocking voice growled from the shadows.

My head snapped up. Three large, filth-covered men stepped out from behind the trees, their eyes glowing with hunger as their gazes dragged slowly over my exposed skin.

"Look at this pretty little thing," another rogue sneered, licking his dry lips as he stepped closer. "How did a delicate thing like you cross the gorge?"

"Who are you?" the leader demanded, his voice dropping into a dangerous rumble. "

Fear spiked through my blood. "Stay back!" I gasped, scrambling backward on my hands and knees until my back hit a rough tree trunk. "Don't you dare touch me!"

"Or what?" the leader laughed, taking another step. "Nobody is coming to save you out here, sweetheart. You belong to us now."

Panicking, I closed my eyes and reached deep inside myself, desperately calling out to my wolf. Please! Wake up! Help me!

Nothing. My wolf was silent in the depths of my mind, refusing to answer.

The leader lunged at me, his dirty hands reaching for my dress. I pulled back my leg and kicked him square in the chest, making him stumble back with a dark growl.

"Feisty bitch!" he snarled, wiping his chin. "Hold her down!"

The other two rogues lunged forward, pinning my arms against the dirt. I screamed, fighting wildly, kicking and thrashing as the leader towered over me, a filthy grin spreading across his face as he reached for his belt.

"No! Get off me! GET OFF!" I screamed, tears spilling down my face.

Thwip.

A sickening CRACK echoed through the forest.

The leader’s filthy grin froze. His eyes rolled back into his head, and before he could even process what was happening, his body crumpled sideways, hitting the dirt with a lifeless thud. His head was turned completely backward.

The two rogues pinning me gasped, instantly letting me go as they scrambled to their feet, pulling out their claws.

"Who's there?!" one of them yelled, his voice cracking with terror.

Out from the thick, swirling fog, a towering figure slowly stepped into the faint moonlight.

He moved with absolute, silent lethargy—like a god of death walking among mortals. He was massive, his broad shoulders blocking out the faint light, a coat wrapped around his intimidating frame. 

Dark power rolled off him in suffocating waves, making the very air around us feel thick and heavy.

Before the remaining two rogues could even draw a breath to scream, the man moved like a shadow.

SNAP. CRACK.

In a fraction of a second, he snapped the neck of the second rogue and drove his bare hand straight through the chest of the third, ripping his heart out without breaking a sweat. He tossed the blood-dripping organ onto the leaves like it was garbage.

I shrank back against the tree, my heart hammering against my ribs, unable to take my eyes off him.

He slowly turned toward me, wiping the blood off his thick knuckles with a black cloth. As the moonlight finally caught his face, my breath caught in my throat.

I recognized those harsh, razor-sharp jawlines. Those piercing eyes that burned.

It was Cassian Lonax.

Lucien’s uncle. The former Crown Alpha of the Sovereign Conclave Pack, who had been wrongfully framed, betrayed, and banished years ago by Lucien and his father. I knew how deeply he loathed his nephew. I knew the blood feud that existed between them.

Cassian’s eyes dragged slowly down my trembling body, scanning the rips in my dress, the dirt on my skin, and the mark on my neck. 

Without uttering a single word, he turned his back on me and began walking away into the shadows.

He was going to leave me here to die.

Panicking, a sudden realization flashed through my mind. He hated Lucien. I hated Lucien. He wanted power back. I wanted blood.

"Wait!" I scrambled up from the dirt, my voice ringing out loud and clear through the forest, stopping him dead in his tracks.

Cassian paused, but he didn't turn around.

I took a deep, shaky breath, digging my nails into my palms as I threw my most dangerous card onto the table.

"Help me get my revenge..." I said, my voice cold, and dripping with venom. "...and I’ll help you reclaim everything they took from you."