LOGINThe disguise felt strange but necessary.
I adjusted the merchant robes as we approached Jax Thorn's outer rings, the rough fabric scratchy against my skin. The low ranking omega merchant look was simple and unassuming. Plain clothes. A small cart of goods filled with spices and cloth. Nothing that would draw attention. Rhydian walked beside me under a powerful glamour spell, his appearance shifted to that of a simple guard. No alpha presence. No power signature. Just two
The chase began the second the guards spotted us.I ran beside Rhydian through the subterranean tunnels of Jax's palace, my lungs burning with each breath. The alarm was loud, echoing off the stone walls. Footsteps pounded behind us, the enforcers closing in with every second. The narrow tunnels were dark and damp, the air thick with the smell of mold and rusted metal. Torches flickered at intervals, casting dancing shadows that made it hard to see.Rhydian shouted over his shoulder, his voice urgent. "The ventilation shafts. You can fit through them. I will hold them off here. Unlock the gates from inside and let me through. It is our only chance."I nodded, already scanning for the shaft entrance. "My build is small. Agile enough to move through tight spaces. I can do it. The shafts are narrow but I can crawl through. The gates are heavy but I can unlock them from the other side."We reached a junction where the tunnel split into three dir
Rhydian's grief turned to ice in that moment.I crouched beside him in the shadows of the crowded courtyard, my body pressed against the cold stone wall. The palace was alive with music and laughter, torches flickering against the night sky. Elio stood in the center of it all, smiling, laughing with Jax Thorn. The real Elio. Alive. Thriving. The illusion of the tragic dead mate was gone forever, shattered by the sight of him living in luxury.Rhydian's hand tightened on my arm, his grip almost crushing. "The grief is gone. The illusion is shattered completely. He never loved me. He never cared about anything but himself. The past is dead. The real Elio is a stranger now. A monster wearing a familiar face."I whispered, my voice barely carrying over the music. "He is laughing. About the manipulation. About the grief you felt. About how he fooled everyone. The pack mourned a lie for months. They held funerals and lit candles for a man who was drinkin
The real Elio is not a prisoner.I crouched beside Rhydian in the shadows of Jax Thorn's fortress, my heart pounding against my ribs. The connection had led us here through the outer rings, past the checkpoints, through the winding streets. The disguise had worked perfectly. But what we saw through a cracked window changed everything we thought we knew.Elio sat in luxury. Fine clothes of silk and velvet draped his frame. Rich food and wine covered the table before him. He was laughing with Jax Thorn, their bodies close, their hands intertwined. Not a prisoner. A secret lover. A strategist. The man we thought was dead was alive and thriving in the heart of enemy territory.Rhydian's breath caught in his throat, his face pale with shock. "He is not suffering. He is living in luxury. With Jax. As his lover. As his advisor. All this time, we thought he was being tortured."I felt the connection flare with intensity, Elio's emotions bleeding thr
The disguise felt strange but necessary.I adjusted the merchant robes as we approached Jax Thorn's outer rings, the rough fabric scratchy against my skin. The low ranking omega merchant look was simple and unassuming. Plain clothes. A small cart of goods filled with spices and cloth. Nothing that would draw attention. Rhydian walked beside me under a powerful glamour spell, his appearance shifted to that of a simple guard. No alpha presence. No power signature. Just two travelers passing through on ordinary business.Rhydian spoke quietly, his voice barely audible over the noise of the city. "The glamour is holding perfectly. No one sees the alpha in me. You look the part completely. The merchant from the neutral lands with his loyal guard. How are you feeling? The binding is not acting up?"I kept my head down, my eyes scanning the ground ahead. "The binding is quiet for now. The pains are less intense than they have been. The connection is helpi
As long as Elio suffers, I will die piece by piece.The words came out in the mixed voice as I sat with Rhydian in the private study, the fire crackling softly in the hearth. The phantom pains were constant now, a relentless barrage of agony that never fully faded. Every injury on Elio crossed the mountains to me. Every cut, every bruise, every wound manifested on my own flesh. The binding was draining me faster than ever. I could feel my life slipping away with his suffering, each new pain carving another piece from my soul.Rhydian held my hand, his thumb tracing soothing circles on my skin. "The pains are getting worse. The black blood. The necrosis. We need to stop this before it kills you. Tell me what you are thinking. What is going through that mind of yours?"I looked at him, seeing the worry etched into his features. "Elio is suffering. Someone is hurting him in Jax's fortress. Every cut on him appears on me. Every scar drains my life forc
The emissary brought a finger.I stood in the main hall as the messenger from Jax Thorn arrived, flanked by two guards. The pack was gathered in tense silence, every eye fixed on the newcomer. Rhydian stood tall beside me, his hand resting protectively on my shoulder. The emissary carried a small wooden box, ornate and polished, the kind used for sending messages of great significance. He opened it in front of everyone with a theatrical flourish.Elio's severed finger lay inside. The original Blackmoor mate ring was still on it, the gold glinting in the torchlight.The hall went deathly silent. Rhydian's face hardened into stone, his jaw clenched with barely contained fury. "Jax sends this as a message. The real Elio is alive. And he is sending pieces of himself to terrorize us."I felt the connection hit me like a physical blow. My own corresponding finger burned with searing agony. Pain shot through my hand, radiating up my arm. The skin o







