Chapter 3

Scarlett’s POV

“Love is a chain—break it, and you bleed; forge it, and you burn.”

The cave’s runes pulsed like heartbeats, their eerie glow casting shadows that danced across the stone walls. The dagger in my hand hummed, its blade warm against my palm, as Lira’s words echoed: *“The ritual will break the moonbane’s spell, but you’ll face your heart’s every wound.”* Outside, Everleigh’s warriors snarled, their claws scraping the cave’s entrance. My wolf thrashed, hungry for blood, but the altar’s magic held me—demanding I confront the truth before I fought.

Lira battled a warrior near the entrance, her silver wolf form a blur of ferocity. Blood sprayed as she tore into his flank, but more shadows loomed—Everleigh among them. Her amber eyes locked onto me through the chaos, her smirk a silent taunt. She thought she’d won. She thought I’d break.

She was wrong.

“Scarlett, now!” Lira’s human voice cut through the snarls, her form shifting back as she kicked a warrior into the wall. “The ritual—do it!”

My heart pounded, torn between the fight and the altar’s pull. The dagger’s hum grew louder, urging me forward. I stepped to the altar, its runes flaring brighter. The air thickened, heavy with old magic—wild, untamed, forbidden. My wolf whimpered, sensing the cost Lira had warned of. But there was no turning back. Nathan was poisoned by moonbane, his bond to Everleigh a lie. My pup’s life hung in the balance. I’d face any pain to save them.

I sliced my palm, blood welling instantly. The runes drank it, glowing crimson, and a jolt shot through me—electric, searing. My vision blurred, and the cave vanished, replaced by a void of swirling mist. Memories flooded in, sharp as claws: Nathan’s mark on my throat, his whispered promises, Everleigh’s betrayal, Camila’s threat. Each one stabbed deeper, reopening wounds I’d buried.

A figure emerged from the mist—me, but not me. My eyes, my scars, but her smile was cruel, her claws dripping with shadow. “You’re weak,” she hissed, her voice my own, twisted with venom. “You loved him, and he threw you away. You trusted her, and she stole him. Why fight for a pack that scorns you?”

My wolf growled, but doubt crept in. “I fight for my pup,” I said, gripping the dagger tighter. “For Nathan’s truth.”

She laughed, circling me. “Truth? He chose Everleigh. Your pup’s a threat, nothing more. Let go, Scarlett. Run. Be free.”

Her words were poison, sinking into my cracks. I faltered, the dagger trembling. Then, a faint pulse—my pup’s heartbeat, steady and strong. It anchored me, pulling me back. “No,” I snarled. “I’m not you. I don’t run.”

The shadow lunged, claws slashing. I dodged, swinging the dagger. It bit into her arm, and she screeched, her form flickering. The void shook, memories swirling faster—Nathan’s guilt, Everleigh’s smirk, Lira’s defiance. I struck again, each blow fueled by rage and love. The shadow weakened, her eyes dimming. “You’ll lose him,” she whispered, fading. “You’ll lose them all.”

“Then I’ll die trying,” I spat, driving the dagger into her chest. She dissolved, and the void collapsed, spitting me back to the cave. The runes blazed, the altar’s magic surging through me. My mate bond flared—raw, alive, untainted. The moonbane was gone.

But the fight wasn’t.

Everleigh stood at the cave’s center, her warriors circling Lira, who bled from a gash on her shoulder. “You’re too late,” Everleigh said, her voice cold. “Nathan’s mine. The pack’s mine. You’re nothing.”

I stepped forward, the dagger still dripping with my blood. “Then why do you look scared?”

Her eyes narrowed, but I saw it—fear, flickering beneath her bravado. The ritual had shifted something. My bond with Nathan pulsed stronger, a beacon she couldn’t ignore. She lunged, claws extended, and I met her head-on. Our collision was brutal—claws tearing, fangs snapping. I slammed her into the wall, but she twisted, raking my side. Pain flared, but I didn’t stop. I couldn’t.

Lira’s shout broke through. “Scarlett, the altar! Finish it!”

I dodged Everleigh’s next strike, sprinting to the altar. The runes burned, demanding more. I slashed my other palm, blood pooling on the stone. The magic roared, a wind whipping through the cave. Everleigh screamed, her bond to Nathan fraying—I could feel it like threads snapping. But something was wrong. The magic turned inward, clawing at *my* bond.

Lira grabbed my arm, her eyes wide. “It’s Camila. She’s tied the moonbane to you both. If you break Everleigh’s bond, you’ll sever yours too.”

My heart stopped. Lose Nathan forever? Or let Everleigh keep him, poisoned and chained? The choice was a blade, slicing through me. My pup’s heartbeat thrummed, a plea to fight. But love—love demanded sacrifice.

Before I could decide, a new scent hit me—Nathan. He burst into the cave, his golden eyes wild, his wolf half-shifted. “Scarlett!” he roared, tackling a warrior who lunged for me. His presence electrified the air, our bond flaring despite the moonbane’s lingering shadow.

Everleigh froze, her face twisting with rage. “You shouldn’t be here!”

Nathan’s gaze locked onto mine, raw with guilt and desperation. “I felt you,” he said, his voice breaking. “The bond—it’s alive.”

Tears burned my eyes, but I couldn’t falter. The altar’s magic pulsed, demanding an end. Everleigh charged towards Nathan, her claws aimed for his throat. I acted on instinct, throwing myself between them. Her claws sank into my shoulder, and I screamed, the pain blinding. But I swung the dagger, catching her arm. She staggered back, blood dripping.

“Scarlett, don’t!” Nathan grabbed me, his hands warm against my skin. “I can’t lose you.”

“You already did,” I whispered, my voice cracking. The altar’s magic surged, the runes glowing white-hot. I had seconds to choose—break the bonds and lose Nathan, or let Everleigh’s claim stand, dooming us all.

Then, a new voice—Camila’s, cold and commanding. She stepped into the cave, her wheelchair flanked by elite guards. “Enough,” she said, her eyes glinting with triumph. “You’ve played your part, Scarlett. Now, you die.”

My blood ran cold. Lira’s warning flashed—Camila’s secrets, her control. But her guards didn’t move for me. They turned on Nathan, their claws gleaming. Everleigh’s smirk returned, chilling in its clarity. “You thought I was the enemy?” she purred. “Camila’s been pulling the strings all along.”

The betrayal hit like a tidal wave. Camila hadn’t just poisoned the bond—she’d orchestrated everything, using Everleigh as a pawn to break Nathan’s will. And me? I was the sacrifice to secure her power.

Nathan growled, shielding me, but the guards closed in. The altar’s magic flickered, unstable, as my blood drained onto the stone. Lira fought two guards, her strength waning. I clutched the dagger, my vision swimming. One chance. One choice.

I lunged for the altar, slamming the dagger into its center. The runes exploded, magic tearing through the cave. Everleigh screamed, her bond shattering. Nathan roared his bond with me burning bright—then fading, the moonbane’s cost exacted. The guards froze, their loyalty wavering as Camila’s control cracked.

But Camila laughed, low and dangerous. “You’ve freed him,” she said, her eyes locked on me. “But you’ve also unleashed *her*.”

A shadow moved at the cave’s edge—a woman, her scent ancient, her eyes glowing red. The true power behind Camila’s schemes. My heart stopped as she stepped forward, her voice a whisper that shook the earth.

“Welcome to the real war, Scarlett.”

The cave trembled, runes fading, as her power surged. Nathan grabbed my hand, but the world tilted, darkness swallowing us.