The battlefield trembled beneath their clash. Every strike between Kael and Malrick split the air like a thunderclap, golden light colliding against writhing shadows. Wolves across the clearing fought in silence now, every eye fixed on the duel that determined their fate.Kael’s chest heaved, sweat and blood mingling as his aura flared brighter. Each heartbeat echoed with the weight of his pack, with Elara’s unwavering voice threading through the chaos. She anchored him yet he knew one falter, one slip, would cost them all.Malrick’s crimson eyes gleamed with unholy fire as his blade spun arcs of shadow across the air. “You fight well, pup,” he hissed, his words dripping with venom. “But light always burns itself out. Shadows endure.”Kael snarled, claws glowing molten gold. “Then I’ll burn until there’s nothing left of you.”Their bodies collided mid leap, the impact blasting wolves backward like leaves in a storm. Sparks of light and veins of shadow snaked outward, searing the battl

The cave was suffocating with silence. Firelight flickered against the damp stone walls, casting restless shadows across the weary faces of wolves who had given everything to survive. The scent of blood still lingered, mixing with the faint copper tang of the curse clinging to Elara’s body.Kael hadn’t moved from her side. His golden eyes were fixed on her shallow breaths, counting each one as though they were fragile treasures slipping through his fingers. His hand rested over hers, willing warmth into her cold skin.When dawn broke, he rose to his feet.“Gather the council,” he ordered, his voice a low growl that carried across the cave.Lysandra and Darius moved quickly, calling the wolves who had enough strength left to stand. Within moments, the cave filled with murmurs and shifting bodies, every gaze fixed on their Alpha.Kael stood tall, though exhaustion lined his face. His aura pressed down on them, not crushing but commanding reminding them that even in their weakest hour, h

The ridge stretched before them like the edge of a blade, sharp and merciless. One wrong step and it was a plunge into darkness so deep the eye could not follow. On the other side, jagged spears of ice jutted upward like the teeth of a predator waiting for its prey. The storm that howled around them was more than mere weather; it carried voices, whispers, and illusions that clawed at the mind.Kael walked in front, his golden aura glowing faintly through the snow as though he was the only light left in the world. Elara was clutched against his chest, her body limp yet trembling with every gust of icy wind. Behind him, the pack moved cautiously in single file, tails low, ears pinned back, each wolf careful not to let their paws slip.They had come so far, yet the mountain was only growing crueler. Each step tested not just their strength but their will to keep going.The first whisper came soft as silk.“Darius,” it hissed, curling like smoke in the warrior’s ear. “Your brother waits f

The mountain groaned like a living beast, the sound rolling through the peaks in a rumble that seemed to crawl beneath the skin. The pack tightened their circle, eyes darting to the jagged cliffs above them as stones dislodged and crashed down the slope. It wasn’t only the rocks that threatened them now. A deeper presence stirred, something that had been waiting for centuries for fools brave or desperate enough to step into its dominion.Kael held his stance in the center of the group, every muscle tense, every nerve sparking. The curse of Mount Draven was no longer an echo in Elara’s blood or a legend in the wind. It was here, coiling into their reality, warping it.The fog thickened until the world outside the circle was nothing but gray swallowing gray. Within it, shapes flickered sometimes wolves, sometimes grotesque shadows with fangs far too long and claws that curved like sickles. Kael’s instincts told him to attack, but his heart reminded him of the warning Elara had whispered

The air was thick with power, sharp enough to sting Elara’s lungs as she struggled to steady herself on trembling legs. The clearing was alive with shadows, writhing like serpents in the moonlight, feeding off her pain and fear. Kael stood in front of her, his wolf straining for dominance, golden eyes blazing with a fury that dared anything in the dark to come closer“Elara, stay behind me,” he growled, his voice layered with the guttural edge of his wolfBut Elara shook her head violently. Her hair clung damp to her face, her chest rising and falling as if each breath cost her a piece of her soul. “If I stay back, they’ll keep pulling at me. The bond is theirs. I have to fight it. If I don’t break it here, Kael, I’ll be lost forever”Her words were a dagger in his heart, but he saw the truth in her eyes. There was no running anymore. No waiting for another night. It was now or neverThe shadows surged, shrieking like a thousand broken voices. They rushed at Kael with sharp edges of d