Se connecter“Jax Thorn just challenged Rhydian to a duel.”
I stood beside Rhydian in the main hall as the messenger delivered the news. The rival alpha had sent a formal declaration after the tribunal. His words were clear. He wanted the borderlands and he would fight Rhydian for them.
Rhydian read the letter twice. “He cites internal instability. Says the pack is weak because of me. Because of us. He thinks the split loyalties make us easy targets.”
The cell was quiet at night.I slipped into the deepest dungeons alone, my footsteps barely audible on the cold stone floor. The guards were asleep in their quarters, their shift change still hours away. The torches were low, casting flickering shadows that danced across the walls. Elio sat in the cell, the silver chains still wrapped around his wrists, his posture relaxed despite his captivity. The real Elio. The traitor. The one who had chosen me as the vessel. I needed answers that had haunted me for months. Why me? Why the quiet beta who had never sought attention or power?Elio looked up as I approached, his smile slow and knowing. "The vessel comes alone in the dead of night. Seeking answers in the dark. What do you want, Soren? What truth are you desperate to hear?"I stood in front of the bars, my hands gripping the cold metal. "Why me? Why was I chosen as the vessel? The ritual. The binding. Why the low ranking beta who had never done anyt
We brought the traitor home in secret.The journey back to the Blackmoor pack house was tense, every mile filled with the weight of what we had done. Elio was bound and gagged in the covered cart, his presence hidden from the world. The pack did not know the truth about who we had captured. They thought Rhydian had brought back another rival spy from the border skirmishes. The political tension was already high. The duel with Jax was looming. The pack was on edge, ready for conflict.Rhydian rode beside me, his voice low and careful. "The deepest dungeons. No one sees him. The pack thinks he is just another spy we captured. The golden boy stays dead in their minds. The secret stays with us. No one can know the truth yet."I nodded, feeling the weight of the deception. "The pack is completely unaware. They believe the Alpha brought back a rival spy for interrogation. The tension is at a knife's edge. The duel is close. The borders are locked. The pa
The silver chains burned us both.Rhydian forced the silver chains around Elio's wrists with grim determination. The real Elio. The traitor. The one who had faked his death and manipulated everyone. The chains suppressed his magic, the silver glowing faintly as it made contact with his skin. The air smelled of burning flesh, sharp and acrid. But the pain hit me too. Phantom burn marks appeared on my wrists, identical to the ones on Elio. The binding linked us completely. The pain was shared, transferred across the connection like a living wire.I clutched my wrists, gasping. "The chains. They are burning me. The phantom marks. The binding is making his pain mine. I can feel every second of it."Rhydian looked at me, his face filled with horror and concern. "The silver is suppressing his magic. But the link is transferring the burn directly to you. Your wrists are red and raw. The marks are real, Soren. The binding is making them real."Elio
The capture happened in the chaos.We dragged Elio into the forest boundaries, our hands gripping his arms as we stumbled through the underbrush. The palace was behind us, its lights fading through the trees. The guards were still shouting in the distance, but they were far behind. The mission had succeeded against all odds. The real Elio was with us. Alive. Captured. The traitor who had faked his death and manipulated everyone was finally in our hands.Rhydian held him tight, his voice filled with grim satisfaction. "We have him. The real Elio. The one who faked his death and left a decoy in his grave. The one who has been pulling strings from the shadows. He is ours now."Elio laughed, a cruel and mocking sound despite his capture. "You think you have won? The binding is still there. The link between us is stronger than ever. You cannot stop it. You cannot undo what has been done."I stepped closer, my voice steady despite the exhaustion.
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







