Rune’s POV The days stretched on, each one more agonising than the last. I paced the length of my office, my mind racing with a thousand thoughts. My fists clenched and unclenched, the tension in my body coiled tight like a spring ready to snap. The constant thrum of worry and anger pounded in my head, and the gnawing fear that I might never find her clawed at my insides. How dare she run away? Who gave her the audacity to think she could escape me? The guards had been out searching for her for days now, scouring every inch of the territory and beyond, yet every time they returned, it was with the same disheartening news. Nothing. No trace of Alora. Each failure only stoked the flames of my fury, and I found myself growing more unhinged with each passing hour. One evening, as the sun dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows across the grounds, the guards returned once more. I could see the defeat in their eyes even before they spoke, and it made my blood boil. "Wha
Alora’s POV As we drove down the winding road towards Sienna’s pack, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of cautious relief. I cast a sideways glance at Sienna, who was humming softly to the music playing in the background. Her warmth and easygoing nature were comforting, especially after the whirlwind of chaos I’d been through. I knew trusting her so quickly might not be the wisest decision, but I was running out of options, and every instinct in me screamed that I needed to get as far away from Arctic Canines and Rune as possible. I forced myself to relax into the seat, trying to savor this fleeting sense of safety.I had taken a huge risk by dropping the magical concealment on my car. The spell had been my shield, my one assurance that I could escape without leaving a trace. But now, with Sienna beside me and the promise of sanctuary at her pack, I decided to let go of that last bit of protection. If Rune did find my car, it wouldn’t matter. I was moving under the jurisdiction of
Alora’s POV As the car rolled to a stop, I felt an icy dread settle deep in my gut. The engine cut off, and the man in the front seat shifted in his seat, but I didn’t move. I couldn’t. The air felt thick, suffocating, as if the very atmosphere had turned against me. I knew this place, even in the dim light of the early morning. The stone walls, the iron gates—it was unmistakable. My heart hammered in my chest as I stared out the window at the entrance to a place I had never thought I would see again. The Arctic Canines dungeon.My breath caught in my throat, and I felt a cold sweat break out across my skin. This wasn’t just a nightmare; it was a well-orchestrated trap, one that I had walked into willingly, naively, with Sienna by my side. I had been so desperate to escape, to find safety, that I had let my guard down. And now, all that trust I’d placed in Sienna, in this stranger who had offered us a ride, felt like poison coursing through my veins.I felt the panic rise within m
Alora’s POVThe cold, damp air of the dungeon clung to my skin as we were dragged further into its depths, the iron chains around our wrists rattling with each reluctant step. Sienna walked beside me, her eyes vacant, like she hadn’t fully processed what was happening. I wanted to say something, anything, to comfort her, but the words stuck in my throat, choked by the rising panic and guilt that threatened to overwhelm me.The guards were silent, their faces expressionless as they led us down a narrow corridor, the dim light barely illuminating the jagged stone walls. Each footfall echoed ominously, amplifying the terror that gripped my heart. The dungeon was not what I had imagined. It wasn’t the hellhole of torturous screams and rusted chains I had pictured in my darkest nightmares, but it was still a place of despair, a place where hope came to die. And now, we were prisoners here, victims of my own desperation and Rune’s unforgiving wrath.We were shoved into a small, cramped r
Rune’s POVNight after night, I found myself pacing my room, the weight of my own thoughts pressing down on me like a suffocating shroud. Alora, so close yet maddeningly out of reach, haunted my every waking moment. The knowledge that she was in the dungeon, just beneath my feet, filled me with a twisted mix of rage and longing. I wanted to storm down there, drag her out of that cell, and fuck her into submission until she begged for mercy, until she remembered who she belonged to. But every time I considered it, another, darker part of me held back.She needed to be punished. She needed to understand that her actions had consequences. How dare she think she could run away from me? Who gave her the right? The very thought of her escaping my grasp, even for a moment, was intolerable. It was an affront, a blatant disrespect that I couldn’t ignore.But the punishment had to come first. I couldn’t let her think she could defy me, leave whenever she pleased, and expect to be welcomed ba
Rune’s POV As I approached the heavy iron door that separated the dungeon from the rest of the world, I caught it, her scent. Sweet honey and pure innocence, just as intoxicating as the first time I’d sensed it. It hit me like a wave, pulling me in, reminding me of everything I wanted to take from her, everything I had yet to corrupt. Perhaps that’s why she dared run away, because I hadn’t twisted her to my will as thoroughly as I should have. The thought made me smile. Oh, Alora. She would learn. I would make sure of that. The guards standing outside the door stiffened at my approach, their eyes widening with fear or respect, I wasn’t sure which. It didn’t matter. I was only here for her. The iron hinges groaned as the door swung open, and the scent intensified, filling my lungs, flooding my senses. I felt a dark satisfaction at the thought of what was to come. I had let her sit with her fear long enough. Now it was time to bring it all crashing down. As I stepped inside, my
Alora’s POV The moment Rune left the cell, the door slamming shut with a finality that echoed through the cold, damp space, I felt the tears I had been holding back start to spill over. I had been strong in front of him, refusing to give him the satisfaction of seeing me break, but now that he was gone, the weight of everything crashed down on me. I crumpled to the floor, the cold stone biting into my knees as I pressed my hands to my face, trying to stifle the sobs that tore from my throat. My whole body shook with the force of it, anger and fear and frustration all mixing together in a whirlwind of emotion that I could no longer control. How could he do this to me? How could he stand there and look at me with such coldness, such disdain, after everything we’d been through? Did he really hate me that much? Wasn’t he my brother? The one that loved me? The tears wouldn’t stop. No matter how much I tried to calm myself, to remind myself that I had to stay strong, they kept
Rune’s POV My hand gripped the glass tightly, the coolness of the liquor doing little to temper the heat of my rage. I tossed back another shot, the burn sliding down my throat, but it wasn’t enough. It wasn’t enough to drown the thoughts of her—Alora. One of the maids stood trembling by the bar inside my study, her hands shaking as she hurried to refill my glass the moment I emptied it. I didn’t have to look at her to know she was terrified, her fear radiating off her in waves. But I didn’t care. Alora. She hadn’t broken down. Despite everything, despite the dungeon, the cold, the humiliation… she was still defiant, still stubborn, still that infuriating little shit. My skin itches with the need to break her, to finally see her crumble before me.I was so lost in the imagery that I didn’t hear them enter at first. My father’s deep voice cut through the haze in my mind, pulling me back to the present.My father’s deep voice cut through the haze in my mind, pulling me back