Chapter Thirty-seven

The Price of Mercy

Dawn came quietly, painting the horizon in strokes of gray and gold.

I woke to the sound of shallow breathing. Louis lay beside me, his skin pale, his body trembling with fever. The scent of blood and wolfsbane still lingered around his wounds, thick and bitter. His heartbeat was faint but steady — for now.

My muscles screamed when I tried to move. Every inch of me ached, but I ignored it, crawling closer to him. I brushed damp hair from his forehead. His skin burned under my palm.

“Louis…” I whispered. “Stay with me.”

He stirred, eyelids fluttering. “Kim…” His voice cracked. “We… made it?”

A small smile tugged at my lips. “Barely.”

He tried to laugh, but it came out a broken gasp. “You shouldn’t have come for me.”

“I told you,” I said softly, “I don’t abandon family.”

The wind stirred through the trees, carrying the faint hum of power. Lucien was nearby — I could feel him, though unseen. Watching. Waiting.

I turned to the edge of the ridge where the shadows thickened. “You said he’d live,” I called quietly.

Lucien emerged slowly from the dark, his eyes gleaming in the dim light. “If the fever doesn’t spread,” he replied. “The wolfsbane in his blood runs deep. My shadows can’t purge it without… consequence.”

My stomach twisted. “Consequence?”

Lucien’s expression didn’t change. “I can draw out the poison. But it will burn his mind. He might never wake the same again.”

I looked down at Louis — my friend, my brother in all but blood. He had carried my father’s last words. He had risked his life for mine.

“And if we do nothing?” I asked, my voice small.

Lucien’s silence was answer enough.

I swallowed hard, tears burning behind my eyes. “There has to be another way.”

Lucien stepped closer, his tone softer now. “There is always a way. But every path demands a sacrifice. You can’t save everyone, Kimberly.”

I clenched my fists. “Then I’ll save him anyway.”

Lucien’s eyes darkened. “Even if it costs you your strength?”

“Yes.”

The word left my mouth before I could stop it.

Something flickered across his face — frustration, maybe something else. “You would give away what I’ve built in you for a single human?”

“He’s not just human,” I snapped. “He’s my friend. He believed in me when no one else did. I won’t let him die because of your cold logic.”

The silence between us cracked like ice. Then, without another word, Lucien extended his hand. “Then take it from me. But if you drain me, your own strength will falter. Choose carefully, little wolf.”

I hesitated for a heartbeat, staring at his outstretched palm — dark energy swirling faintly across his skin. His offer wasn’t kindness. It was a test. Another one.

But I didn’t care.

I pressed my hand to his.

The shadows leapt between us, violent and alive. My body convulsed as Lucien’s power surged through me, a storm of darkness and fire. The ground trembled. My vision blurred with pain as the energy poured into Louis, searing through his veins.

He arched suddenly, gasping, a raw scream tearing through the air. The poison burned black from his wounds, evaporating into smoke. His body fell limp again — but his breathing steadied.

Then everything went silent.

The connection broke. I stumbled back, choking, my body weak and trembling. My vision dimmed at the edges, spots of black swimming before my eyes.

Lucien caught me before I hit the ground, his grip firm, his expression unreadable.

“You fool,” he whispered, though his voice lacked anger. “You’ve drained yourself again.”

I managed a faint, breathless laugh. “He’s alive, isn’t he?”

Lucien’s gaze softened — a rare crack in his stone mask. “Barely. But yes.”

My body felt like lead, exhaustion crushing every nerve. “Then it’s worth it.”

Lucien looked at me for a long moment, the night wind stirring his hair. His thumb brushed lightly against my cheek, a touch so fleeting it almost didn’t happen. “You’re going to destroy yourself saving people who would die for you anyway.”

“Maybe,” I murmured, closing my eyes. “But at least I’ll be the kind of Alpha who deserves loyalty.”

Lucien’s hand froze midair, his jaw tightening. “You’re not Alpha yet.”

I smiled weakly. “Not yet.”

He didn’t reply. The shadows around him stirred restlessly, wrapping him in their dark embrace. Then, quietly, he turned away.

“Rest,” he said. “Derrick won’t stay humiliated for long. When he strikes again, you’ll need more than mercy to survive.”

As the darkness swallowed him, I lay beside Louis, listening to his steady breaths.

My body trembled with exhaustion, but my mind burned with new fire.

Because I finally understood what kind of leader I wanted to be.

Not one forged in fear or vengeance.

But one who bled for her people — and made that sacrifice mean something.

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