Chapter 3

Silas’s POV

Dammit.

I didn’t think she’d wake up so soon.

"I'm just drawing out the silver poison," I said, pulling away from her instantly. I forced my voice to stay calm.

The excuse tasted like ash in my mouth. A blatant lie.

An antidote potion would have worked just fine. There was no need for this.

It was embarrassing that she’d caught me.

I don't know what came over me. When Ember went down, poisoned, the mate bond sent a searing pain through my own heart. It nearly tore me apart.

I only came to check on her after the healer said the poison was gone and she was about to wake.

It was the first time I’d ever seen her look so fragile.

Ember, who was usually as strong as an Alpha, looked like a wounded pup.

I had an overwhelming urge to pull her into my arms.

I’d sworn to myself I wouldn't touch her after the alliance was set. But when her shirt slipped, I couldn’t stop myself from kissing her.

"Ravenna didn't mean to hurt you at the hunt," I said, trying to defend her. "It was an Alpha's instinct. You should understand that."

Ember just looked at me. There was no anger in her eyes, just a heart-wrenching obedience.

"I am not afraid of pain, Alpha," she said, her voice hollow. "You gave me this life. It has always been yours to take."

"What are you talking about?" I snapped, my face hardening.

But when I met her eyes, my heart started to race again. Her shirt was loose, her skin glowing faintly in the moonlight. My wolf stirred inside me, howling for its mate.

"Just rest. Take some more healing potions," I said, standing up abruptly. "I have... matters to attend to."

I practically fled the room.

—

Ember’s POV

That evening, I was summoned to serve Ravenna at dinner.

"Come here. Pour my wine," she said, lounging in her chair. "If you're going to be a servant, you might as well learn how to serve your master."

I walked over silently and filled her glass.

"Slower!" she snapped. "Are you trying to burn me?"

Not a single drop had splashed on her.

"I'm sorry," I said, lowering my head.

She smiled, satisfied, and continued to torment me.

She forced me to my knees to smooth the hem of her gown. Then, she made me crawl on the floor and polish her shoes with my sleeve, like a dog.

I endured it all.

Just a few more days, and I would be free.

Late that night, I took out the jewels Silas had given me over the years and snuck out to find the pack's money changer.

"How many silver coins can I get for these?"

"My lady, you have fine taste. These are worth a fortune," the merchant said. "I can give you five thousand silver coins."

It was more than enough to live on after I left.

I had just gotten back to my room when Marcus pounded on the door.

"Ember! Lady Ravenna has collapsed! They need you!"

I rushed to Ravenna's room to find her pale and convulsing on the bed.

"It's a bloodline curse," her personal healer said. "She needs a blood transfusion from a powerful Beta. Someone with strong healing abilities."

Silas stood by the bed, his brow furrowed.

"Use Ember's blood," he said without a second's hesitation.

I was forced into a chair. A thick needle pierced my vein.

My red blood flowed into a bag, then into Ravenna's body.

One bag. Two bags. Three…

I started to feel dizzy, but no one told them to stop.

"It's not enough," the healer said, shaking his head. "To break a bloodline curse, we need heart's blood."

Heart's blood?

That was blood drawn directly from the heart, containing a wolf's purest life force. Taking it was incredibly dangerous.

"That will kill her," Marcus protested.

"For the alliance, it’s a risk worth taking," Silas said. He picked up a silver needle and walked towards me. "Ember," he said, his voice a low command. "Do this for the pack. Once the alliance is secure, I will grant you anything you desire."

I looked at the silver needle in his hand and nodded.

"I understand, Alpha."

The moment the needle pierced my chest, the agony almost made me pass out.

As the blood was drawn from my heart, I felt my life force draining away. I was utterly hopeless.

I watched as Silas injected every last drop of my heart's blood into Ravenna.

Color immediately returned to her face. Her weak breathing steadied.

"It's working!" the healer exclaimed. "She'll make a full recovery!"

Silas let out a breath of relief and gently took Ravenna's hand.

"As long as you're okay," he whispered.

I sat in the corner, feeling my life slip away. No one even glanced my way. To them, I was already dead.

Darkness began to creep into the edges of my vision.

I couldn't hold on any longer. The darkness finally took me.