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DARIUS' POV  

I heard the screams last night; sharp, desperate sounds that sliced through the silence like a blade. There’d been some scraping too, and low growls. Kain must’ve caught another rogue. That’s how he handles things: brutal and no room for questions.  

He and I don’t see eye to eye on… well, anything. He rules with blood and dominance, and I.. well, let’s just say I believe in leaving a little room for mercy.  

This morning, the compound is quiet again, unnervingly so. The torches outside the holding chamber are still burning low, casting flickers of orange across the stone. I should ignore it, keep my head down like always. But something pulls at me.  

A scent.  

Faint, yet impossible to miss. It lingers in the air like an unfinished song, something wild and electric. Not just wolf, not just human but like something in between.  

My pulse stutters.  Kain wouldn't have captured a half-blood. Would he?  I follow the scent, deeper into the corridor, past the guards who nod as I pass. The closer I get, the stronger it becomes. Sharp and warm.

Then I reach the door, the heavy iron barrier to the holding chamber is cracked open, just slightly. I press my palm to it, push it open with care and there she is.  Sitting against the stone wall, wrists red from the ropes, eyes burning holes into the floor.  

She looks up, startled, and for a moment I forget how to breathe. Those eyes, not broken. Not scared.  

Furious.  

“You’re not him,” she whispers, voice rasped and hoarse but laced with something dangerous. I step into the room, shutting the door behind me. The lock clicks into place.  “No,” I say quietly, meeting her gaze. “I’m not Kain.”

"My name is Darius, I'm his brother" I said, crouching to her level, careful not to make any sudden moves. Her wrists were bruised from the ropes, her lips dry, but her eyes—damn, her eyes still burned with defiance. She was hanging on, even in this hellhole.

“You’re no rogue,” I added, my voice low, steady. “And most importantly, you’re not supposed to be here.”

She narrowed her gaze like she didn’t believe me, like every man who’d ever stood above her had promised something and taken more. I couldn’t blame her. I reached into the satchel slung over my shoulder and pulled out a small parcel. A bottle of water. Bread. Dried meat. And a blanket; thin, but warm.

"I brought this. It’s not much, but... it’s something." I held it out to her, and for a moment, she just stared at it like it might bite.

“I didn’t know he took you,” I said quietly. “Kain doesn’t tell me everything. He should, but....” I cut myself off, running a hand through my hair. “I didn’t even know someone was in here until I caught your scent.” That made her flinch, just a little. “I felt you,” I said, softer now. “Not just smelled you. Something… pulled me here.”

She didn’t speak. Just watched me, curious but cautious, maybe trying to figure out if I was the kind one or just playing the part. I set the food down beside her without another word and stood slowly. I didn’t want to scare her more than she already was. “If you let me, I’ll get you out of here,” I said, eyes locked on hers. “But you have to trust me. Just a little.”

The silence stretched between us, heavy and raw. And then she said the first thing that made me believe there was still fight left in her. “What’s the catch?” 

God, she was fire. Even broken, she didn’t beg. “There’s no catch,” I said with a small smile. “Not with me.”

I could feel it; this quiet, magnetic pull between us. It wasn’t just her scent anymore. It was the way her shoulders relaxed when I spoke, the way her eyes softened for a second when our fingers brushed. She was drawn to something in me. Maybe it was the guilt in my voice, or maybe the gentleness she hadn’t been shown since she was dragged into this place.

I reached out slowly, gave her the space to decide, and when her trembling hand slid into mine, I felt the jolt of something I hadn’t felt in a long time. Realness, probably humanity most likely a connection. Her skin tingled beneath my touch as I helped her to her feet, careful not to move too fast. She swayed a little, weak from god knows how long without food or rest, but she didn’t let go of my hand. I didn’t want her to.

We made our way toward the door. I could almost taste freedom for her, feel the chill of night air waiting just beyond this suffocating dungeon with the facade of a kingdom. She hesitated at the doorway, glancing back at the room like it was a nightmare she’d barely escaped.

Then the door exploded inward with a crack like thunder. Kain stormed in, fury carved into every sharp line of his face. His eyes locked on our joined hands. And for the first time… he looked ready to kill me.