Alden’s POVI continued running even as the forest blurred around me and the trees whipping past, branches clawing at my face and roots trying to trip me with every desperate stride. My lungs burned. My bitten forearm screamed with every pump of blood, the red lines of infection pulsing like fire under my skin. The silver axe bounced painfully against my back, and the new silver sword Rowan had forced into my hands felt heavier than iron. Tears streamed down my face, mixing with sweat and dirt, but I didn’t wipe them away. I couldn’t stop. I couldn’t even look back.Behind me, Rowan stayed.I heard the sounds of battle even as the distance grew,the clash of steel on claw and the wet snarls of the wolves, Rowan’s voice rising in a furious roar that cut through the night like a blade. He was buying me time. Every second he fought was another second I could put between myself and the pack.I ran harder.The ground rose beneath my feet. The path turned into a steep hill that climbed towa

Alden’s POVThe throne room felt like a tomb with Vast, cold stone walls which rose high above me, banners hanging limp and faded from the rafters like funeral shrouds. Braziers burned low along the sides, casting flickering orange light that barely reached the center of the long carpet. My footsteps echoed too loudly as I walked forward, silver sword trembling in my grip. The wolves that had flanked the stairs stayed behind, silent watchers in the shadows. Their yellow eyes followed every step, but they did not attack.At the far end, seated upon the raised dais, was the King.He sat perfectly still on the ancient throne of Highridge carved from dark oak and inlaid with gold that had lost its shine long ago. His robes were rich but stained, the crown on his head slightly askew. His eyes once human, now gleaming with an unnatural yellow tint fixed on me the moment I entered.He smiled.“So this is the young lad from the village of Greywood,” the King said, his voice smooth and culture

Alden’s POV“Fuck how many times am I gonna get knocked out” I cussed angrily as my head throbbed where the Wolf King’s fist had connected. Blood had dried on the side of my face in a stiff crust. Iron chains still bit into my wrists, holding me upright against the cold dungeon wall. My bitten arm burned with fresh fire, the infection spreading like poison through my veins.I forced my eyes open.Rowan.He lay on the stone floor a few paces away, chained at the wrists and ankles, body curled in on itself. Blood pooled beneath him in a dark, glistening lake. Fresh lash marks crisscrossed his chest, shoulders, and back deep, ragged wounds from the silver-barbed whip. He was shivering violently, teeth chattering, skin pale and slick with sweat and blood. His breathing was shallow and wet, every inhale a labored rasp.I lunged forward without thinking, chains rattling loudly.“Rowan!”The wolves holding me didn’t stop me this time. I dropped to my knees beside him, hands trembling as I re

Alden’s POVThe whip cracked again.This time the King aimed lower, the silver barbs slicing across Rowan’s already shredded thighs. The sound was wet and obscene making Rowan’s body convulsed violently against the chains, a raw, guttural scream tearing from his throat before he could bite it back. Blood sprayed in a fine mist, splattering the stone floor and the hem of the King’s robes.I was screaming too, voice hoarse and broken.“Stop! You’re killing him! Please just stop!”The King ignored me completely. He raised the whip again, breathing steady, eyes bright with cruel delight. Sweat glistened on his forehead, but his hand was perfectly controlled.“You still fight me,” the King said softly, almost conversationally. “Even now. Even when your body is nothing but meat and pain. How tiresome.”The whip came down again harder.The barbs caught Rowan across the chest, reopening the worst of the earlier gashes. Fresh blood welled up instantly, mixing with the old in thick, dark rivule

Alden’s POVThe Wolf King stepped closer but I only kept staring into space, eyes cold and empty, no longer seeing anything. Rowan’s body hung limp in the chains, the silver sword still protruding grotesquely from his mouth, blood dripping steadily onto the stone floor. The world had gone silent inside my head. No more screams. No more tears. Just a vast, numb void where everything used to be.The Wolf King’s clawed hands grabbed the front of my torn tunic. With one brutal yank, he tore the fabric away, ripping it from my body in shreds. Cold dungeon air hit my bare skin. I didn’t flinch or react. I just kept staring straight ahead, past him, past Rowan, into nothing.He leaned in.His jaws opened wide.Sharp teeth sank into the side of my neck.Pain exploded white-hot, searing, like molten iron poured into my veins. I screamed. The sound tore out of me, raw and animal, echoing off the dungeon walls. My body convulsed against the chains as the Wolf King bit deeper, tearing flesh, inje