The forest was alive, a cage of shadows and whispered threats. Every sound, every flicker of movement set nerves on edge. Damien’s golden eyes cut through the darkness, muscles coiled, senses razor-sharp. His wolf growled low inside him, urging him to claim, protect, and fight. The bond between him and Emilia flared white-hot, twisting fear, desire, and adrenaline into a single, searing flame.Emilia clung to him, trembling. Her small hands gripped his shoulders as her body pressed tight against his back. Her heartbeat thundered in his chest, mingling with his, the bond pulling, demanding, scorching.“We can’t keep running,” she whispered, voice shaky. “He’s too strong… Marcus.”“I know,” Damien rasped, jaw tight, golden aura flaring. “But we have to survive. And I will protect you. Always.”A rustle of leaves pulled Damien’s gaze to the shadowed trees. The figure from the previous night stepped forward — tall, cloaked, presence radiating authority and danger. Eyes glinting like m
The forest seemed to close in around them. Every rustle, every whisper of wind, every glint of silver or grey in the shadows carried threat. Damien’s golden eyes burned in the darkness, scanning, calculating. Every muscle was coiled, every nerve alert. His wolf growled low inside him, demanding dominance, claiming, protecting.Emilia clung to him, trembling, her breath hitching with fear and heat. The bond pulsed between them, white-hot, drawing them together, feeding on both danger and desire.“We can’t keep running,” she whispered, her voice trembling. “He’s too strong. He’ll find us.”“Yes,” Damien admitted, jaw tight, aura flaring. “But I won’t let him take you. Not tonight. Not ever.”They stumbled into a wider clearing, but the relief was short-lived. Marcus’s silver wolf prowled the perimeter, massive and unstoppable. Loyal pack wolves flanked him, eyes glowing like molten steel. Their numbers were overwhelming.And Selene was there, storm-grey eyes glittering, a predator
The forest was alive with motion and menace. Each rustle, each whisper of wind, each shadow moving in the periphery of vision screamed danger. Damien’s golden eyes blazed in the dark, scanning every movement, every glimmer of silver or grey. His wolf howled inside him, demanding dominance, protection, and release.Emilia clung to him, her small hands gripping his shoulders, her body pressed tight against his back. The bond pulsed white-hot, dragging her heartbeat into sync with his, igniting heat and adrenaline that made it impossible to distinguish fear from desire.“Damien… I can’t—” she gasped, breath hitching, body trembling.“Yes, you can,” he snapped, voice low, primal, urgent. “The bond is ours. Always. Feel it, Emilia. Feel me. Let it guide you.”Her wolf whined inside her, trembling with the pull of his aura, desperate to sink into him, to meld. She pressed herself closer, every nerve alive, the heat between them flaring hotter with every step.They burst into a narrow c
The forest was alive with danger. Every rustle of leaves, every snap of a branch, every whisper of wind against the trees felt like a predator closing in. Damien’s golden eyes cut through the darkness, muscles coiled, senses sharp. His wolf roared inside him, demanding speed, precision, dominance. He could feel Marcus hunting them, the Alpha’s silver presence rolling over the forest like a tide of steel and ice.Emilia clung to him, trembling. Her small hands dug into his shoulders as he vaulted over fallen logs, weaving through the dense trees. Her heartbeat hammered against his back, her scent burning in his nostrils, and the bond flared, scorching both of them with heat, desire, and adrenaline.“Damien…” she whispered, fear lacing her voice. “I… I can’t—”“Yes, you can,” he snapped, voice rough, urgent, yet tender beneath the edge. He slowed only enough to press his forehead to hers for a moment, grounding her. “The bond is ours. Always. Remember that. Breathe with me.”She did
The Alpha’s decree hung in the clearing like a noose.Emilia could hardly breathe. Her chest heaved, the bond burning hot and painful, stretched taut between her and Damien like a chain being pulled apart.“You will wed Selene Stormfang,” Marcus thundered, his silver aura crushing the air, pressing Emilia flat to the ground. His gaze cut to her, sharp as knives. “And you—maid—you will forget this bond, or you will be broken beneath it.”Emilia’s wolf whimpered, belly-up, trembling under the command. Her body shook as if struck by lightning, pain spearing her chest.“Stop it!” Damien roared, his golden aura blazing against his father’s, but Marcus’s dominance was heavier, colder, drowning out the fire. Damien’s knees buckled as the weight bore down, his wolf snarling and snapping inside him, desperate to fight back.Selene stood off to the side, storm-grey eyes alight with cruel satisfaction. She smirked as she watched Emilia writhe under Marcus’s aura, then slid her gaze to Damie
The howl echoed through the trees, rolling like thunder. It vibrated through the soil, into their bones, and down the invisible cord of the bond.Damien stiffened, golden eyes blazing, every muscle coiled tight.Marcus was calling. Not just to him, but to every wolf in miles. The Alpha’s howl wasn’t just a sound. It was command, it was law. Wolves bowed under it, bodies trembling, spines bending in submission.Emilia’s knees buckled. A whimper tore from her throat as her wolf flattened inside her chest, belly-up to the sound of the Alpha’s dominance. Her vision blurred, spots of silver sparking in the dark.“No—”Damien caught her before she hit the ground. His grip was fierce, his own body trembling under the pull. Sweat slicked his temple as he gritted his teeth. “Don’t bow. Don’t you dare bow to him.”“I— I can’t—” Her body shook violently in his arms, the command sinking deeper, heavier. Her lungs burned as if crushed by invisible claws.“Look at me.”His voice snapped lik