4

Elara's POV

The only thing I could do was go back. Back to Darius… maybe even Kain. As much as I hated the idea, I needed help. Real help. Someone who knew the kind of darkness that might’ve taken Maya. I made up my mind, I’d retrace my steps. Go back to the woods, to where I escaped. Look for signs or left trails or anything that could tell me if they came after her too.

There was no way in hell I was sitting still while my sister was out there; somewhere. I’d be out there too, hunting for answers, tearing through the trees if I had to. But I knew one thing for sure: I couldn’t do it alone. I remembered the old stories. Whispers in hushed voices. Silver, they said. Silver or holy water. They fend off wolves. Demons. Whatever the hell those creatures are.

I grabbed a small bottle of holy water from the drawer where I kept my old church stuff. Just in case. And then, I reached for the silver cross necklace on the floor, the one I gave maya. The second my fingers closed around it, pain exploded through my palm. I gasped, dropping the necklace like it was a piece of molten iron. My skin sizzled, a red burn etched into my flesh. What the hell?

I stood there, cradling my hand, heart thundering in my chest. Silver burns werewolves but I’m not a werewolf… Am I?

There was no time to waste. My hand throbbed, but I shoved the pain aside and grabbed one of Maya’s hoodies off the floor. Wrapping the silver necklace in the cloth, I stuffed it into my backpack, careful not to let it touch my skin again. My head was spinning, my heart in my throat, but I couldn’t afford to fall apart now.

I ran.

Barefoot again, sprinting through the backwoods like a madwoman, branches slicing at my legs and the cold air biting my lungs. I didn’t stop to think or breathe, i just moved. The only place I knew to go, the only ones who might understand whatever the hell was happening to me, were the monsters I’d just escaped from.

Kain’s castle loomed in the distance like something out of a nightmare. Jagged and dark, tucked deep into the hills where normal people didn’t go or survive.

When I got to the gate, my heart nearly stopped.

There was already an army lined up, armored and snarling, like they were about to lunge into the woods on a warpath. Their faces twisted with something between disgust and disdain the second they caught my scent, like I was the filth beneath their boots. A few growls broke out from the back, and one of them even stepped forward, baring his teeth.

I didn’t flinch.

Instead, I raised my voice over the tension, shouting, “I need to see Kain! It’s urgent. I think something’s happened to my sister!”

Silence dropped heavy over the gathering, like even the wind stopped to listen. Kain stepped out of the shadows, shirtless again, muscles taut, and jaw clenched like he was already pissed off. ''This guy doesn't even have clothes?'' i muttered to myself.

I didn’t wait. I pulled the bundled hoodie from my bag and held it out. “This is Maya’s. And this—” I unwrapped the silver necklace, careful not to touch it again. “I found it in her room. There was blood, a weapon. She’s gone and Rusty’s still missing too.”

Kain didn’t say a word. He just took the hoodie from my hands, brought it to his nose, and inhaled deeply. Something in his face changed, not just anger but recognition. The hoodie slipped from his fingers like it had burned him. He knew. He knew exactly who did it.

“It’s the Blackthorne's Pack,” his voice thundered, rough and low like distant thunder rolling in. “They killed my mother over some damn debt, and now they dare kidnap the sister of my mat—” He paused, jaw tightening. “—my friend.”

He didn’t give me time to question that slip. With a sharp whistle, he signaled to the waiting army. “We ride now. Gather your weapons. We’re going to rain on them with our fangs and fury.” “But Kain,” I stepped forward, ignoring the way the soldiers stiffened at my voice. “Going to war without a strategy is a death trap. You can’t just throw yourself into this....”

“I must go with you,” I added, more desperate now. “Maya’s my sister. I need to be there.”

His head snapped in my direction, golden eyes blazing. “You’re going nowhere with me,” he growled. “You shall be kept in the castle until I return… when I’ll decide your punishment.”

I blinked. “Punishment?”. “For escaping,” he said, turning his back on me. “And for spitting in an Alpha’s face.”

My chest heaved, anger and confusion bubbling inside me. “And Darius?” I shouted after him.

He paused at the edge of the courtyard, his voice flat. “Locked up. In a holding cell. For disobedience.” Then he was gone, swallowed by the shadows of his army, leaving me standing in the growing silence with the weight of a thousand questions pressing on my chest.

I searched every inch of the cell block. The air reeked of damp stone and blood, and somewhere down the hall, I heard chains dragging. That’s when I saw Darius. Slumped against the wall, his skin pale, wrists raw from the restraints. He looked like he was halfway to the grave.

“Darius,” I breathed, rushing to him.

He didn’t even stir. His eyes fluttered but didn’t focus. He was too weak to see me, smell me, even feel me. I dropped to my knees and unclasped the shackles with trembling fingers. He slumped forward, and I caught him my arms wrapping around his weightless frame. I didn’t think. There wasn’t time to weigh the consequences.

I raised my wrist to my mouth, bit down, and tore through skin. Warm blood welled up fast, I pressed it to his lips. At first, nothing. But then his instincts kicked in. He latched on with surprising force, sucking down my blood like his life depended on it, actually it does. My head spun, and my vision blurred as I felt the strength leaving my body and flowing into his.

“Darius,” I whispered, voice thin. “Come back to me.” And then he blinked. Color flushed into his cheeks, and his hand caught my arm before I slumped over completely. “Elara?” His voice cracked. “What the hell did you do?”

“You could’ve died,” he snapped, pulling my bleeding wrist away. “You don’t just feed a dying wolf your blood! Do you know what that does to you? What it does to me?” I was too lightheaded to argue. “It saved your life, didn’t it?” He pulled me into his chest, gripping me like he’d almost lost me. “You’re reckless,” he muttered. “But gods help me, I’d rather face Kain than lose you.” And for the first time in what felt like forever, I let myself breathe.

“Kain is walking into danger,” Darius said, his voice suddenly sharp, urgent. “It wasn’t the Blackthorns,” he said, trying to stand despite his body still trembling with exhaustion. “They didn’t take Maya. This is a setup, a damn trap.”

My breath caught. “But he’s already on his way and he took the entire army''. 

''He’s going straight into a crossfire. his fury clouds everything. He’ll get them all killed.”