LOGINZoriven's POVJust twenty yards away, near the stone foundation of the main building, Seravyn was pinned against the floor.She pushed weakly and struggled lightly as she had been pinned down. And standing over her was a large man with a scarred face and heavy build.He had on a different kind of armor, one separating him from the rest of them, his massive, scarred frame looming like a vulture as he raised a heavy, iron gauntlet high over her head, preparing to strike her.The world went dead silent. A cold, burning anger exploded behind my ribs, my legs moved before my brain could process how much space laid between us."Get away from her!" I roared.Seravyn’s POVThe heavy, iron gauntlet seemed to hang in the air above my face for a fraction too long, more like a dark, lethal pendulum that remained over me.I couldn't move. My right wrist was pinned to the mud beneath one of their men's heavy leather boots, my bones grinding together till my vision swam with white spots. I squeezed
Zoriven’s POVThe iron plate of Caelrix’s knee guard dug deeper into my chest, cracking the bone there and cutting off what little air I had left. He leaned down, his face scrunched up in a look of triumph, a look I so wished to peel right out of his face.His golden eyes went wide with the raw thrill wolves get when staring down a kill. I could feel the cold mud seeping into my hair, my wrists pinned flat against the dirt by a grip that felt more like stones on their own."A smart wolf still bleeds the same as a daft one when his throat is cut," Caelrix whispered, his voice low and vibrating through my soaked body. He released my right wrist, his hand instantly diving for the silver-tipped dagger strapped to his thigh.I bared my fangs, my muscles straining till they tore, but the leverage was entirely his. The blade came out just as quickly, the silver catching the dim morning light as he raised it high above my throat, aiming straight for the soft spot beneath my jaw.He smiled d
Zoriven's POV It was more like I couldn't escape him, almost like he had me in this perfect circle. Everything narrowed down to the figure up high.Caelrix was standing at the top of the slop, his sword shining against the brightening dawn light. He must have used the chaos happening around me to cut through the trees and take me by surprise as I didn't even sense him coming.I looked up at him, coughing as I tried to get up. That was some terrifying pace, clearly guessing my move smoothly.He didn't wait for me to recover fully though, he leaped down from the top, his heavy frame descending like a falling rock, his blade coming down with him between his both hands and aimed at me.I rolled to the right just in time. His sword sliced into the ground where my head had been, burying itself inches into the rocky soil. The sheer force of his miss sprayed dirt across my face, but I didn't let the distraction blind me. I surged upward from the ground as my energy returned, driving the sho
Zoriven’s POVThe thick column of black smoke rising from the way that led to the residential part of my Pack felt like a physical spike driven straight through my lungs. The distant, booming echo of the blast was still vibrating through the soles of my boots, kicking against the chaos breaking down here.My heart didn't just race, it slammed violently against my ribs with a cold, bone freezing dread that threatened to choke out every breath in my lungs.They weren't just hitting the gates. They were right inside.Seravyn. Her name roared through my mind, a desperate chant that completely drowned out every single plan or preparation I had done up till this point.I had spent weeks preparing. I had locked her away in her room, thinking the few guards and the senior army captains would keep her safe from any breach of the border. But from every indication, from everything I had in mind, the smoke is rising from the exact point where I remember her room to be. I have been played. I ha
Seravyn's POV "Move over," she muttered, dropping to her knees beside me and shoving her long hair into a tight, practical knot at the bottom of her neck. "I'm going first. If there's an ambush at the exit, I have a better chance at reacting quickly."I smiled and pushed out, letting her go first before joining. We wriggled through the narrow, dark metal path, the iron scraping against my shoulders as we crawled in absolute silence.Lirvae must have known the way as she navigated the short, horizontal run that led towards the outside drainage pipe at the back of the building. The air inside the pipe was suffocating, thick with old dust and the growing, heavy stench of smoke from the outside world.After what felt like an eternity, Lirvae slammed her boot against the pipe cover at the end of the line. The lid popped out with a dull thud, and she slid through the opening, dropping silently into the mud below. I followed a second later, my hands landing in the cold, damp earth as I pu
Seravyn’s POVThe shockwaves from the initial blast had barely settled before the true nightmare began. Outside, the air was suddenly ripped apart by a chorus of raw, agonizing screams.The desperate shouts of women and children crying around, screams and roars of Pack warriors, and the sharp, burning touch of follow up explosions tearing through the outer buildings. The violent, choking scent of burned iron and smoke slipped through the open spaces of the window frame, filling my lungs and turning my blood to absolute ice.My mind spun out of control, a heavy mix of panic rushing through my veins as my veins plopped wildly. They are inside now, Caelrix’s men aren't just testing the borders any longer, they are tearing through the heart of the Pack. But as the screams of terrified women and children echoed from the close by paths, the fear inside me that held me down began to shift. It twisted, hardening into a sharp, cold thought.I can't just sit here. It's enough I had to sit her
Zoriven's POV I jumped to my feet so fast my chair rattled against the stone floor, my instincts flaring instantly as my mind moved fast. "Get the men to the secondary lines! Tell Kaelen to authorize the silver traps!"Beside me, Seravyn stood up as well, her eyes wide, what had been a cold mask
Caelrix’s POVThe echoes of my final command seemed to freeze the very air in the space around us. Seravyn dead or alive,the possibility burned straight through me. I remained standing on the raised stone, my hands resting heavily on the base of my broad sword.I stood over and ran my eyes over ea
Caelrix’s POVI could only respond with a smile, keeping my eyes on hers before turning and walking out, closing the heavy iron doors of the dining hall behind me.My head was already stacked with thoughts, but the sound the door clicking shut behind me echoed down the long, marble-lined corridor.
Seravyn's POV Lirvae eyed me carefully, shifting a bit closer to where I was. “Is everything alright?” She asked.“Lirvae. Please,” I replied instead and she raised her hands to the air.“Okay, okay.”I took a steadying breath. “Did the news of my rejection, the announcement that Caelrix had broke







