CHAPTER SEVEN

The cold had teeth.

It sank into my bones, gnawed at my will, and coiled around the last remnants of strength I had. The cell was stone, no window, no light—just rusted chains carved with runes that sapped the fire out of my veins.

I’d stopped screaming after the first few hours. Not because I stopped hurting. But because screaming meant someone might answer.

And I didn’t want to give them that pleasure.

My wolf—silent at first—began to stir again, weak and restless. I whispered to her in the dark, not knowing if she could hear me through the haze of silver and spellwork.

Hold on, I told her. We’re not dying in a damn cage.

But gods, it was hard.

KAEL P.O.V

There were no rogues.”

Markus’s voice rang like a gunshot through the meeting room. I froze.

“What do you mean there were no rogues?” I demanded.

“We scouted the entire western range—no scent, no tracks, no signs of any attack. It was a false alarm.”

I stared at the map, the symbol marking Serena’s last known location burning into my vision like a brand.

“Where is she?” My voice came out low, cold.

Nyra stepped forward, her voice sweetened like poison. “Maybe she ran. Serena’s not exactly the stable type.”

I turned slowly. “Don’t.”

She tilted her head. “You saw her power, Kael. Maybe she snapped. Maybe she turned rogue.”

“Or maybe,” I growled, stepping toward her, “someone made sure she’d disappear.”

Her smile faltered—but only for a second.

“Send a search party,” I told Markus. “North, east, every direction. Find her.”

Please, I added silently. Before it’s too late.

She had been missing for the past few hours, Blaire mind linked me that she couldn’t find her in her room when she brought food to her and she had search the whole house and she is no where to be found, making me leave Markus behind to deal with the rouges, and now there is no rouges and also no Serena. Something is just not right I can feel.

I couldn’t sleep.

Couldn’t eat. Couldn’t think of anything but her face—the way she’d looked the last time I saw her. She was angry, but not weak. Hurt, but still standing.

She wouldn’t have run. Not like this.

Nyra sat across from me in the lounge, pretending to grieve. Her hands trembled as she passed me tea, eyes wide and watery.

“She probably hated being here,” she said gently. “Maybe she just left.”

I stared at her. For a second, I saw it. The edge beneath her calm. The tremble that wasn’t fear—it was guilt.

It has been two days of Serena's disappearance and two days of searching every single place for her all to no avail. Whoever did these had a helping hand from my pack. The fact that there is a mole under my nose disturbs me

My beta Markus burst through the door.

“Alpha,” he panted, “we found blood. Scent trails. She was taken. Not by rogues—by the Alpha King’s army.”

Rage. Cold, brutal rage.

Nyra’s teacup shattered in her grip.

SERENA P. O. V

There was no window or any form of light to differentiate day or night, I have seen Ronan and Nyra once since I have been locked up in here. And it has been three days chained to this dungeon.

They thought the chains would break me. They didn’t know they were only buying time.

The pain was there—steady, biting—but the more it came, the more I got used to it. The more it pushed me inward, toward the spark buried deep beneath the silence. The magic that once scared me began to whisper again.

I couldn’t reach it fully. Not yet.

But it was there. Growing. Like fire under ice.

The door opened and one of the guards brought a piece of bread throwing it to the floor “Enjoy your last supper” he said locking the door behind him.

Something cracked.

I felt it first in the chains—one of the runes flickered, like a candle in a storm. My wolf surged up inside me, stronger than before.

She wasn’t weak anymore.

Neither was I.

The magic inside me roared to life—uncontrolled, ancient, furious. The chains burned and snapped. My scream wasn’t painful this time.

One of the guards opened the door to check what was happening

“What the hell__”

I tore through the first soldier like he was paper. The second one begged before I silenced him. The rest ran, but my power chased them—burning hot, feral, merciless. I lunged onto the third one snapping his neck and flicking his body.

Three guards are dead. Two others fled.

I was no longer the girl they tried to cage.

I was the Luna they feared.

They wanted a demon? They got one.

The mountains were just ahead.

I walked through the wild like a phantom, barefoot, blood-streaked, burning from the inside out.

I was tired. But I wasn’t broken.

They thought I’d vanish.

They forgot: I’m the one fated to rewrite the damn prophecy. And I’m coming home

KAEL P.O.V

escaped.”

Those two words changed everything.

The Beta barely got them out before I was already moving. Our warrior mindlinked me she is at the western border

“She killed five of the king’s guards,” Markus added. “They’re calling her cursed. A threat.”

I didn’t care. I’d never been more proud of her.

Nyra sat frozen, white as bone. I turned to her.

“You knew,” I said.

“No—Kael—I was just—”

“Guards,” I snapped. “Hold her. Don’t let her leave this pack.”

Before I could turn, Nyra was already gone. She flew out through the window. I will deal with that later but right now I have to meet my mate, I left my office and moved with Markus to the western border to meet her. One thing I know for sure whoever kidnapped her called for war.