Tous les chapitres de : Chapitre 41 - Chapitre 50

Zara’s P.O.V Something was wrong. Not loud, not obvious. But wrong in the way your instincts whisper before your mind catches up. I felt it before I even opened my eyes. A slow, steady burn beneath my skin right where the cursed blade had marked me. The scar pulsed faintly, like a heartbeat out of rhythm with my own. I inhaled slowly. Iron. Cold stone. Wolves. But beneath all of that, something else was watching. I sat up in the unfamiliar bed, the heavy furs sliding from my shoulders. Pale morning light filtered through the narrow window, casting long shadows across the chamber. Ironclaw Keep. For a place we had come to as allies, it felt dangerously close to a cage. I rose quietly, ignoring the dull ache in my side, and crossed to the window. Below, the courtyard was already alive. Warriors crowded the area. They were positioned too carefully. Not just guarding but containing. My fingers curled against the stone ledge. Yeah. Something was definitely wrong. ♠︎♠︎♤♤ Ryker’s

Zara’s P.O.V The silence couldn't be trusted anymore not after what had happened. Not after the way my power slipped through my fingers like something that didn’t belong to me.Ironclaw Keep felt different now. It felt sharper, like something is taking note carefully. Every glance lingered a second too long. Every guard seemed just a little more alert when I passed. They weren’t saying it but they had seen enough. They were wary of me, which seems pretty good. But that wasn’t what unsettled me. It was rather something else. Something that sits beneath the surface.The scar hadn’t stopped burning. Not fully. It pulsed now in irregular waves like something was trying to sync with it or worse, call to it.I exhaled slowly as I stepped into the outer courtyard, the cold morning air biting against my skin. It is the training grounds, with an open space to learn control.That was the plan.I needed to push my limits. To thread carefully on my terms not theirs.Ryker’s P.O.V I shouldn’t h

Ryker’s P.O.V I couldn’t sleep, not after what she had told me. Not after what I felt. Zara wasn’t just struggling with power anymore. She was carrying something that answered back and that had changed everything. I stood at the edge of the fortress wall, the wind cutting sharp against my skin, the horizon still dark with the remnants of night. Below, Ironclaw territory stretched wide and unforgiving. A perfect place for secrets. A perfect place to make decisions no one else could know about. My hands curled slightly against the stone.I had led wars, faced enemies, buried brothers but nothing had ever felt like this. Because this time, the threat wasn’t just out there, it was standing right beside me. Sleeping in the same room as me. Looking at me like I was still her safe place. The thought making my chest tightened.“She is your safe place,” my wolf growled low beneath my skin.“And what happens if she stops being?” I muttered. Silence prevailed after that because even my wolf di

Ryker’s P.O.V I didn’t confront her, not the way I wanted to, not the way my instincts demanded because anger would have been easy. And this—This wasn’t something I could afford to handle easily.So, I watched. I let the moment pass in the courtyard. Let the man walk away. Let Zara stand there, caught between explanation and defiance.Then I made a decision within me, which is to find him before he finds another way to reach her.******The scent trail wasn’t right. That was the first thing that bothered me. It was there, but faint and distorted. Like it didn’t belong fully to this place.I crouched near the edge of the courtyard, fingers brushing the stone where he had stood. Nothing. No lingering energy or clear trace just absence.“Either he’s careful,” Lucian muttered behind me, “or he doesn’t leave a trail.”“He leaves one,” I said, without looking back. “Just not one we can track.” I pressed on.“That’s worse.” Lucian uttered, stepping closer with his arms crossed. “Yes.”That

Zara's P.O.V Once you start lying, the worst part isn’t the lie, it’s how quickly it becomes a routine. How easily your mouth learns the shape of omission, how naturally guilt begins to live beside you and I hated that.I hated the fact that I could stand beside Ryker; feel the warmth of him, the certainty of him and still keep something this large buried beneath my ribs. But fear was a persuasive thing and right now, fear was winning.The truth was simple and clear: If I stopped training with Cassian, I risked losing control. If I told Ryker, I risked losing trust. Somehow, both felt like losing him.I stood in the training grounds just after sunrise, blade in hand, trying to let my movement overshadow my thought.I engaged in practice of steel clash, taking quick and controlled breaths in between, and learning the perfect footwork. I engaged in this repeatedly, and the rhythm helped until it didn’t. Until the scar pulsed once, sharp enough to break focus.My grip slipped as the bla