LOGINThe ritual could kill me either way.
We stood in the sealed chamber beneath the pack house, the air cold and still around us. The harvested midnight lilies lay on the stone table, their white petals with black edges still fresh from the Fens. A small vial of Elio's living blood sat beside them, dark and thick. Mira prepared the mixture with careful hands, her movements precise and deliberate. The soul severing ritual was finally ready to begin after everything we had endu
The ritual could kill me either way.We stood in the sealed chamber beneath the pack house, the air cold and still around us. The harvested midnight lilies lay on the stone table, their white petals with black edges still fresh from the Fens. A small vial of Elio's living blood sat beside them, dark and thick. Mira prepared the mixture with careful hands, her movements precise and deliberate. The soul severing ritual was finally ready to begin after everything we had endured.Rhydian watched every movement, his eyes never leaving the table. "The lilies and the blood. This is the reverse formula we have been working toward. Once it is mixed correctly, we start. No more delays. No more waiting."I stayed close to the table, my body aching but my mind clear. "My body is ready. The binding is still draining me with every passing moment. The phantom burns on my wrists. The black blood I keep coughing up. We do this now before I lose any more of myself."
The shadows are where rebellions grow.I stood with Rhydian in the private study after the last of the captured rebels had been dealt with. The pack was still tense, the air heavy with the aftermath of violence. Lorne was free in the mountains, gathering who knew what forces. The mid ranks had spoken openly about their resentment, their words still echoing in my mind. The rigid class structure was no longer a quiet problem that could be ignored. It was a wound that had been exposed for everyone to see.Rhydian leaned against the desk, his face drawn with exhaustion. "We stopped the uprising. The immediate threat is contained. But the crack is still there beneath the surface. If we only punish the ones who followed Lorne, another group will rise later. The same resentment will find a new voice. What do you see when you look at it?"I did not hesitate. "Elevate low ranking betas and omegas to council positions. Give them real seats with real power. G
Lorne is gone again.The corridor fight ended in the early hours, the last rebel wolves either down on the stone floor or in chains. The cell door remained locked, Elio still inside, his body curled on the floor from the weight I had pushed through the link. But Lorne had slipped away during the final push, using the chaos to escape. Guards reported seeing him run for the outer walls and disappear into the mountain paths, his dark figure swallowed by the predawn mist.Rhydian stood in the main hall with blood still on his sleeve, his face drawn with exhaustion and frustration. "The uprising is suppressed for now. The ones we caught will answer for their crimes. But Lorne escaped into the mountains. He always finds a way out, always slips through the cracks."I stood beside him, my body aching but my mind sharp. "He will try again. He wants Elio free. He wants a puppet in charge of this pack. This is not over. It will never be over until we address
Elio tried to take my will the same way he took my life.The corridor fight still raged around us, steel clashing against steel, shouts echoing off the damp stone walls. Rebel wolves pushed hard toward the cell, their eyes wild with desperation. Rhydian held the main line, his presence a wall of strength against the tide of attackers. I stood near the heavy door with the silver blade ready, my body aching from exhaustion but my resolve unbroken. Then the mental link flared open without warning, a sharp intrusion that made me stagger.Elio's voice slid into my head, smooth and cold and dripping with false sympathy. "Drop the weapon, Soren. You do not need it. Let them free me. You have suffered enough already. Open the door and step aside. I will make it quick."I gripped the blade tighter, my knuckles white. "Get out of my head. You do not give me orders anymore. You do not control me."The pressure increased, his will pushing against mine t
The dungeons are compromised.We reached the pack house just after dawn, the midnight lilies safe in the waterproof bag, our bodies still heavy with exhaustion from the journey through the Weeping Fens. The return should have been quiet. Instead the lower levels were full of shouting and the unmistakable sound of fighting. Guards ran past us toward the subterranean corridors, their faces tight with alarm.Rhydian grabbed a passing wolf by the arm. "What is happening? Report now. Who is attacking?"The guard was breathing hard, his eyes wide. "Lorne Voss is back. He brought rebel wolves with him, at least a dozen. They broke into the deepest dungeons. They are trying to free the prisoner. The one we thought was just a spy. They are heading straight for the deepest cell."I felt the cold hit my chest like a physical blow. "They know. Or they suspect the truth. Lorne wants Elio free. He wants to put him in power as a puppet they can control fro
This is the first time I feel like myself with him.The mist still clung to the Weeping Fens after the fight, swirling slowly around the stone markers like a living thing. We had made a small camp near the old stones, a low fire burning between us to push back the damp chill. The midnight lilies rested carefully in a waterproof bag, their fragile petals protected from the lingering moisture. My body felt heavy from the exhaustion of the day, the old illness and the binding both pulling at me with equal force. Every muscle ached. Every breath took effort.Rhydian sat close, his presence steady and warm. He checked the cut on my arm from the earlier struggle, his hands careful and deliberate as he cleaned the wound. "You are exhausted. The fight took more than you want to admit. Sit still. Let me finish this before you collapse."I watched his face in the firelight, the shadows dancing across his features. "I am fine. Just tired. The swamp toxins and







