All Chapters of The Wolf's Game: Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

AriaBy nightfall, the greenhouse has turned against us.The vines no longer wait for movement; they are hunting us. They whisper through the dark, brushing against the glass walls. It sounds like nails on a chalkboard, and it sends a shiver up my spine. The air tastes of rot and honey. Every breath I take burns from the pollen in the air.We’ve barricaded ourselves near the central fountain, the only spot not yet overrun. Elyra’s runes flicker weakly along the edges of the pool. She said they would save us from the horrors of the greenhouse, but I doubt they will be enough. Dax leans against the wall, sword ready. Therin’s hands shake as he grips his spear.Kael stands at the edge of the light, eyes scanning the shifting foliage. His presence steadies me more than the runes ever could. I shouldn’t depend on that. But I do.The vines rustle again, closer this time.“They’re learning,” Kael murmurs.“Plants don’t learn.”He gives me a grim smile. “These do.”A scream cuts through the

AriaThe morning smells like rain and regret. The castle’s corridors are too bright, the air too still. Everything feels normal again, which, of course, means it isn’t.I keep my head down as I walk into the dining hall. The other players are already gathered: Elyra shuffling her cards, Dax brooding over coffee, Renna whispering something to Therin that makes him grin. No one looks up when I enter. Good.Then Kael walks in.He looks unfairly alive for someone who was nearly strangled by vines twelve hours ago, clean shirt, damp hair, a smirk that says he knows exactly how last night ended. The memory flashes through me, his hand in my hair, his mouth against mine, the glow of our marks, and I suddenly wish the castle would swallow me whole.I sit beside Renna before he can reach me. “Morning.”She beams, forgetting I am the enemy for a moment. “Morning! You look … flushed.”“Long night.”“Same.” She yawns. “Therin snores like he’s trying to summon thunder gods.”I cock my head to the

Kael I spent the day wandering the castle, trying to forget what it showed me, what it showed Aria. The story painted on the walls seemed simple, but it never is the way it seems. It didn’t show the centuries I have spent bending to Nyxara’s whim, and how each life she has taken has strengthened the bond between us. It is so strong now that I fear not even true love could break it. I belong to her, and that thought alone makes my stomach turn. By the time night falls, the castle feels too quiet. Even its normal hum is subdued, as if it is waiting for something to happen. For a moment, I pause outside of Aria’s room, daring myself to knock, but I can’t face her not yet. She will have questions that I am not ready to answer. Instead, I return to my room and wait for the Herald to summon us for the next trial. But I can’t sleep. Not after the mural. Not after seeing her standing beneath that painted ceiling, the candlelight catching the gold in her hair, the look in her eyes when sh

AriaThe scream cuts through the Maze like a blade through flesh.It echoes down every corridor, twisting on itself until I can’t tell where it’s coming from. Dax and Elyra have already disappeared toward the pulsing light ahead, the heart, but the sound snaps something inside me.“That was Renna,” I whisper.Kael’s expression hardens. “We can’t help her if we die trying.”“Then stay here.”He exhales through his nose, the ghost of a growl beneath it. “You don’t take orders well, do you?”“Only from people worth listening to.”That earns a grim smile. “Then I guess I’m coming.”Maeven wipes blood from her face with trembling hands. “If she’s hurt, she’ll need me.”The Maze groans around us, walls slick, pulsing faster. The air stinks of copper and rot. I push forward, forcing a path through the living corridors, Kael and Maeven close behind.The tunnels narrow until we’re crawling on hands and knees. Blood seeps from the walls, warm against my skin. Every breath tastes metallic. The w

AriaWhen I wake, everything smells like cinnamon and vanilla. The scent makes my mouth water and my stomach growl. For a moment, I don’t know where I am. The sheets beneath me are soft and unfamiliar; the air hums faintly with magic. Then I shift, and Kael’s arm wraps around me, tugging me closer to his chest. “Five more minutes,” he mumbles under his breath. My eyes fly open, and I take in my surroundings. I am not in my room. I am in Kael’s room. My heart thuds once, sharp and unsteady.Bubbles sits on the nightstand, her fur gleaming faintly gold in the early morning light. Her eyes are half-lidded as if she’s been watching me sleep.I push myself up slowly. Every muscle aches, but I’m alive. That’s more than I expected.I attempt to unwrap myself from Kael’s arm, but he is relentless, tugging me back onto the bed.“Kael,” I hiss his name. “You have to let me get up.” He pouts, unwrapping his arm from around my waist and turning his back to me. My eyes scan his shirtles