LEAHThe scrape of the iron door pulls me out of a half-sleep. My head jerks up, the sound already familiar. My body aches everywhere, wrists raw from silver cuffs, skin lined with burns that haven’t healed.Evelyn steps in, her hair smooth, lips painted a dark red that makes her fangs gleam sharper. Behind her, two black-eyed wolves drag chains across the floor. The sound grates against my ears, setting my nerves on fire.“Good morning, sunshine,” Evelyn sings, tilting her head as if she’s greeting an old friend. “Sleep well? Oh wait…” her smirk spreads, “...you don’t, do you?”I clench my jaw. I won’t give her the satisfaction.She tuts and circles my cage, her heels clicking. “Still stubborn. I admire it, really. But it’s getting boring.” She snaps her fingers, and the wolves unlock the cage. The cuffs bite deeper as they yank me out, dragging me across the stone floor.“Get up,” Evelyn orders.When I don’t move fast enough, one of the wolves jerks the chain and I stumble to my kne
LAEH My body aches in ways I didn’t even know were possible. The burns on my wrists from the silver cuffs sting every time I move, and the dull throb in my ribs reminds me of the last “session” with Evelyn. Time has lost all meaning in this place, there’s no sun, no moon, just the endless dark stone walls and the smell of blood and damp.When the heavy doors creak open this time, I expect her again. Evelyn. Her laughter, her twisted games. I brace myself for it, sucking in a breath and forcing my shoulders back even though every nerve screams at me to just collapse.But it isn’t her.A man who walks in, tall, broad, dressed in deep black that makes his pale skin look almost ghostly. His eyes are sharp, and there’s a calmness in his movements that feels worse than Evelyn’s cruelty. She enjoys hurting me. He… feels like someone who doesn’t even need to.Two black-eyed wolves flank him, dragging their paws like puppets on strings. He doesn’t glance at them once. His focus is entirely on
LUCIANThe healer’s office smells like herbs and smoke. I sit on the stone bench with my shirt off, my skin marked with scratches and bruises from losing control earlier. The old healer, Maren, works in silence, her hands moving steady as she spreads ointment across the cuts on my shoulder.“You’ve been pushing yourself too hard again, Alpha” she mutters, not looking up. “Your body can only take so much before it breaks down.”“I don’t have time to take it easy,” I answer flatly. “I don’t care if it breaks down. I just need it to hold together long enough to tear my enemies apart.”Maren’s hands still for a second. “And the Luna? You want to find her half-dead? What good will you be to her then?”I clench my jaw, staring at the wall, refusing to give her the satisfaction of an answer. She’s still fussing over my bandaged side when the door bursts open. Hayes steps in, his face stiff.“Alpha,” he says, bowing his head quickly. “A royal from Thornveil has arrived. He’s brought an envoy,
LUCIANThe sound of fists slamming against padded shields echoes through the training yard. Warriors grunt and groan, their bodies moving in rhythm. It should be a normal session, drills, and sparring. But nothing about me feels normal anymore.Fenrir is restless, more restless than he’s ever been. He claws at me from the inside, pushing against my control, demanding blood, demanding release.“Again,” I bark, tossing a sparring partner to the ground. My chest heaves, sweat dripping down my face. The warrior scrambles up, eyes wide, but I don’t give him time. I launch at him, and throwing a punch. The hit lands too hard, the crack of his bone sharp in the air. He cries out, clutching his arm, and I don’t stop.“Alpha…!” someone yells, but it’s distant, drowned out by Fenrir’s roar inside me.More, Fenrir snarls. Faster. Break them. Tear them all apart.My claws rip through my fingers before I can stop them. One swing sends the warrior flying into the dirt, coughing blood. Shouts erupt
LEAHEvelyn’s dagger slides free from my thigh with a sickening sound. Blood spills fast, mixing with the old stains on the stone, fuck! She wipes the blade clean on my torn clothes like I’m nothing more than a rag.She tilts her head slightly, watching me shake as the pain cuts to my core. A sick cackle breaks from her mouth, making my ears hurt. “Still not shifting? Impressive. Stupid, but impressive.”I bite down hard, tasting iron in my mouth. My body screams, but I don’t move. If I do, she wins.She pouts suddenly, lips pushing out like a spoiled child. “You’re no fun, Leah. All this silence. Don’t you want to scream? Uhmm? Try crying, or even begging?” She lowers her voice to a mocking whisper. “That’s what your precious packmates did before they died. And guess what? It didn’t help them either.”Anger surges hot through me. She’s lying, she has to be. The pack is fine, Lucian’s got them. Lucian’s got everything under control. He has to…Evelyn straightens, strolling toward a w
LUCIAN“Queen Reyna is dead?”The news hits like a punch to the chest as the messenger from Thornveil delivers. Queen Reyna is dead. Sasha too. And Leah… my Leah, has been captured. The words spread through my mind like wildfire. By the time the messenger finishes, the entire room feels like it’s turning. My head pounds, Fenrir howling inside me so loud I can barely breathe.“No,” I mutter, shaking my head. “That can’t be right. She can’t be gone. Queen Reyna can’t be gone like that. And Sasha, she’s a good one. She’s a loyal warrior and an even better friend to Leah. Fuck! And Leah. My chest tightens just thinking about her. It’s a relief that she’s alive, but she’s not safe, and every part of me is screaming to go after her. I slam my fists onto the table, rattling the maps and scrolls. “We’re not sitting here and waiting. I want every warrior, every scout, every damn resource we have sent out to find her. Now!”The war room goes quiet. Nobody moves.Finally, Theron clears his thro