The forest was still trembling from the echoes of battle. Smoke curled faintly from charred branches where Kael’s claws had struck sparks against stone, and the copper tang of blood clung to the cool night air. Elara clutched Kael’s arm, her breath uneven as if her lungs refused to believe they still drew air. The sight of him bruised, blood streaking his cheek, his chest rising and falling like a storm barely contained both terrified and anchored her.“Kael…” Her voice was a broken whisper.He turned toward her slowly, his amber eyes still burning with the remnants of his wolf’s fury. For a heartbeat she wasn’t sure if it was Kael she looked at, or the beast that had nearly ripped apart the rogue who dared touch her. His jaw was clenched, his fists tight, but when his gaze softened at the sight of her trembling form, she knew her Kael was still there.“You’re safe,” he said, low and guttural. He said it like a promise, like a vow carved into stone. His hand rose, hesitant, before he

The fabric from the intruder’s cloak still clung to Kael’s claws like the remnants of a nightmare that refused to fade. His chest heaved as he stared at Elara, his fury a wildfire barely leashed. Every instinct in him screamed to hunt, to tear apart the wolf who dared step into his territory and speak poison into Elara’s ears. But the sight of her shaken, pale, yet unbrokenanchored him.Kael forced his claws to retract, the jagged shreds falling from his hands. He cupped Elara’s face, his thumb brushing her cheek as if to reassure himself she was real. “You’re safe,” he said, his voice low and hoarse. “You’re safe because I got here in time.”Elara’s lips parted, words trembling on her tongue, but before she could speak, Dorian burst through the door, sword in hand, followed by two warriors. Their nostrils flared at the stench of foreign wolf still lingering in the room.“Alpha,” Dorian said sharply, his gaze darting between Kael, Elara, and the balcony. “What happened?”“An intruder,

The carriage rattled violently as it tore through the forest, every jolt slamming Elara against the iron walls. Her wrists burned from the manacles clasped tight around them, the silver biting into her skin, searing her flesh with every movement. She tried to channel her wolf, to call upon the bond that tethered her to Kael, but the herbs in the air smothered her strength, choking her spirit and leaving her trembling and weak.Her chest rose and fell in shallow breaths. The more she struggled, the heavier the air became, as if it sought to suffocate her will. Panic clawed at her chest, but she forced it down, clinging to the one thread that had carried her through every storm: Kael.She pressed her forehead to the cold iron, whispering his name as if the sound alone could cross the night and reach him.“Kael…”The word left her cracked lips like a prayer, but only the clatter of hooves and the groan of wheels answered.Her captor sat across from her, his hood shadowing his face, yet h

The night before battle stretched long and heavy, the forest breathing with a tense silence that even the wind seemed unwilling to disturb. Wolves from every corner of the territory had gathered, their camps spilling across the meadow in a sea of firelight and steel. Tents dotted the field, weapons gleamed under torchlight, and warriors moved with hushed purpose as if the weight of what was to come pressed against their very bones.Kael stood apart from them all, high on a ridge overlooking the camp. His golden eyes swept across the restless sea of his people. Every soul here had answered his call, leaving homes, families, and safety behind to stand with him. He felt the bond of his pack stretching wide, a chain that pulsed with their loyalty, their fear, their hunger for vengeance.But his chest burned with a different fire. His people did not know the truth that the fortress they would storm was commanded by Malrick, the brother Kael had once sworn never to speak of again. They did

The march toward Blackwood was relentless. Dust rose beneath pounding paws, the steady rhythm of warriors moving as one echoing like a heartbeat through the forest. By the time the fortress loomed on the horizon, the sun was sinking, its dying light spilling fire across the jagged stone walls. Blackwood Fortress was as grim as its name, a monstrous citadel carved into the cliffs, its walls bristling with spikes and banners stitched in blood red.Kael slowed his mount, raising a hand. The Crescent Moon Pack came to a halt, the air vibrating with low growls as hundreds of wolves crouched, ready. Ahead, at the base of the fortress, the gates creaked open. Shadows spilled forth an army of wolves unlike any Kael’s pack had ever seen.Malrick’s shadow pack.They were twisted, their fur darker than night, their eyes burning with crimson fire. Chains dangled from their bodies, etched with runes that pulsed faintly. Some bore jagged scars, others had grotesque horns curling from their heads, t