The cage of shadows

Darkness.

That was the first thing Raven noticed when she woke.

A thick, suffocating kind of darkness, pressing against her from all sides. Her head throbbed, her limbs ached, and when she tried to move, something cold and unyielding dug into her wrists. Metal.

Her instincts kicked in before her thoughts could catch up. She yanked her arms, twisting her body, but the sharp clink of chains sent a jolt of panic through her.

No.

Panic would get her nowhere.

She forced her breathing to steady, swallowing the lump rising in her throat. The air smelled damp, musty, with a faint metallic tang of blood lingering beneath the surface. It wasn’t hers— at least, not all of it.

Memories flooded back in jagged flashes.

The hunt. The pack surrounding her. The raw, burning energy that had surged through her veins. The way the wolves had looked at her— not like prey, but like something else. Something unnatural.

And then— golden eyes.

A shiver ran down her spine.

Where am I?

A faint glow flickered in the distance, casting shadows against the stone walls. The faintest sliver of moonlight seeped through iron bars ahead of her, illuminating the crude, reinforced door sealing her in.

A cell.

Raven shifted, testing the restraints. The chains looped tightly around her wrists, connected to a heavy iron shackle bolted to the stone behind her. Another cuff bit into her ankle, preventing her from standing.

They weren’t taking any chances.

She let her head rest against the cold wall, closing her eyes for a brief moment. How long had she been unconscious? Hours? A day? The wolves that had captured her… were they the ones keeping her locked up? Or—

A sound cut through the silence.

Boots. Slow, deliberate footsteps, growing closer.

Raven’s muscles tensed, her senses sharpening.

Then— his scent reached her.

It was unlike the others. The wolves that had hunted her smelled of sweat, of damp fur and the wild, untamed rot of the forest. But this scent was different. Dark, rich, laced with something sharp— like embers smoldering beneath cold steel.

A predator’s scent.

The lock groaned. Metal scraped against metal, and the heavy door swung open.

Light flooded in, momentarily blinding her.

And then— him.

He stepped forward, his broad frame blocking out the light behind him. He moved with a calm authority, like a king surveying his captured enemy. His golden eyes gleamed under the flickering torchlight, sharp and unreadable.

Luca.

She had never met him before, but she knew who he was. Everyone did.

The Alpha of the Blackmoor Pack. Ruthless. Unforgiving. A wolf feared even by his own kind.

And now, he was standing before her, watching her like she was some kind of puzzle he couldn’t quite solve.

For a long moment, he said nothing. Neither did she.

Then, finally—

“You’re awake.”

His voice was smooth, deep, but there was no warmth to it. No emotion. Just cold, measured control.

Raven forced herself to meet his gaze, despite the heavy weight pressing down on her chest. “Brilliant observation.”

A flicker of something— maybe amusement, maybe irritation— passed through his expression before disappearing just as quickly.

“You crossed into my territory.”

“You had men hunting me.”

“They weren’t mine,” he corrected, tilting his head slightly. “But you knew that already, didn’t you?”

Raven’s jaw clenched. She refused to give him the satisfaction of a response.

Luca took another step forward. The door creaked as it shut behind him, sealing them both inside.

“You’re an interesting creature,” he mused, eyes scanning her like she was something to be studied. “My wolves said you did something to them.”

Her fingers curled into fists.

“You tell me,” she shot back. “Since you seem to think you know everything.”

She didn’t exactly know where that was coming from.

Silence.

Then, Luca crouched down, resting his forearms on his knees as he looked at her— really looked at her. Up close, she could see the faint scar running along his jaw, the way his golden eyes gleamed with something almost dangerous.

Raven refused to flinch.

After a long pause, he finally spoke again.

“You should be long gone.”

The words were simple, almost casual. But there was something in the way he said them— like a fact he didn’t quite understand.

Raven’s throat tightened.

“Then kill me,” she whispered. “If that’s what you want.”

Luca’s lips twitched. Not a smile. Something colder.

“If I wanted you dead,” he murmured, “I wouldn’t have had you chained up.”

Her stomach turned.

So he was keeping her alive— for now. But why?

Luca studied her for a moment longer, then exhaled softly, as if reaching a decision. He stood to his full height, towering over her.

“You should rest,” he said. “You’ll need your strength.”

For what?

The words burned on the tip of her tongue, but she didn’t ask.

He turned to leave, his hand resting on the door.

And then—

“Do you remember what happened?”

Raven froze.

His voice was different this time. Less detached. More… curious.

She swallowed.

“Yes.”

A lie.

Luca’s head tilted slightly, like he could hear the untruth in her voice. But he didn’t push.

Not yet.

“Good,” he said simply. Then, with a final glance over his shoulder, he stepped out of the cell.

The door slammed shut behind him, leaving Raven alone with the darkness once more, hearing his steady footsteps drift away.

She exhaled shakily, her mind racing. She needed to find a way out, to figure out why he was keeping her alive.

But then—

A whisper.

Soft. Barely there.

Not from the hallway.

Not from outside.

From inside the cell.

Raven’s blood ran cold.

Slowly— so slowly— she turned her head, her breath caught in her throat.

The darkness shifted.

A figure stood in the farthest corner of the cell, shrouded in shadows.

Watching her.

Waiting.

And then—

It smiled.