The Alpha's call felt like a stone pressing down on my chest. Every muscle in my body clenched, but I kept a neutral expression as the guards led me out of the prison, their footsteps resounding menacingly. I couldn't afford to make a mistake. Not right now. Not with Lia—Anna—relying on me.
When we reached the council chamber, the Alpha was sitting at the head of the room, and the big oak doors creaked open. His penetrating amber eyes gleamed with an unnerving intensity as the flickering firelight formed long shadows.
"Caleb," he stated in a soft yet commanding voice. "Enter now."
I forced myself to take steady steps as I moved forward. "Alpha," I said, keeping a polite but forceful tone.
He pointed to a chair on the other side. "Take a seat."
After a short moment of hesitation, I complied and lowered myself onto the chair. The presence of the soldiers at the door acted as a silent reminder of the danger.
With his arms resting on the table and his fingers steepled, the Alpha leaned forward. "Caleb, you've put me in a challenging situation. My Beta has voiced worries regarding your sister and you. Your arrival coincides with... unsettling situations, and your stories don't line up."
I looked him in the eye evenly. "Respectfully, my sister, I, and the Alpha are just trying to make it through. If our tales don't match exactly, it's because we've experienced terrible things. We have no plan of causing trouble."
A faint smirk that didn't stretch to the Alpha's eyes flickered across his lips. "A convincing answer. However, it isn't convincing enough."
He got up and walked carefully around the table, taking his time. "Caleb, I've been in charge of this pack for years. I have observed deceit in all of its manifestations—lone wolves, spies, traitors. You and your sister don't seem like normal vagrants. I will learn the truth about your narrative, because there is more to it."
Despite my racing heart, I kept a neutral expression. "With all due respect, Alpha, I have shared all of my knowledge with you. Everything has been lost, including our family and pack. Our only goal is to live."
His voice dropped off to almost a whisper as he paused behind my chair. "Desperation is often bred by surviving. Lies are the result of despair. Tell me what you're hiding, Caleb."
I forced myself to keep my cool and tightened my hands beneath the table. "Nothing. I promise."
The Alpha laughed softly and without humor. "I'll give you that you're loyal. However, friendship can have two sides."
His eyes locked on mine as he made his way back to his seat. "Perhaps you need some motivation to tell the truth."
His tone got colder as he leaned forward, and I tensed. "I will tell every pack in the area that I have two rogue wolves in my hands if you refuse to cooperate. I'll go into great depth about you, including your looks and purported skills. Let them make the final decision about you."
My face drained of color. We would die, or worse, if we were exposed to the other packs. Anna would be followed mercilessly if anyone—no, if Oliver—found out who she really was.
The Alpha kept a careful eye on me, clearly pleased with the response he had elicited. "Caleb, think carefully. Is it worth it for you to stay silent?"
Despite the chaos erupting inside of me, I pushed myself to look him in the eye and speak calmly. "There is nothing we are hiding. However, I can't stop you if you feel compelled to spread the news."
His eyes narrowed, and I briefly feared that he would hit me. Instead, a slow, calculated grin grew across his lips as he sat back in his chair. "Excellent. Go back to your cell. Maybe after some introspection, you'll rethink."
As they led me out, the guards moved forward, holding onto my arms. Refusing to show the Alpha how much his threat had shaken me, I kept my composure.
The return trip to the basement seemed to go on forever. With every step I took, the weight of the Alpha's words seemed to grow as the chilly stone walls closed in around me. I was gasping for air by the time the cell door clanged shut behind me.
When I walked in, Anna—Lia—was pacing the tiny room, her eyes darting to mine. Her voice was harsh with worry as she screamed, "What happened?"
I ran a hand through my hair as I rested against the wall. "He is dubious. He is aware of our lies."
Her face went white. "What did he say?"
I was hesitant since I didn't want to scare her any more, but there was no use in lying. "He promised to tell the other packs. Explain who we are. Make running impossible for us."
Her face flashed with fear as her eyes widened. "If they discover who I am, Lucas... if Oliver is aware of my location—"
"They won't," I cut in, my tone serious. "We will not allow it to progress that far."
Her breathing was shallow as she gazed at me. "How do you know for sure?"
I dropped my voice and took a step closer. "Because I refuse to allow you to suffer any hurt. I'll figure something out to get us out of here. I promise."
Her hands shaking, she shook her head. "You're not getting it. It's over if they inform the other packs—if they find who I am. For us both."
I extended my arm and took a strong but gentle hold on her shoulders. "Listen to me, Anna. We have experienced worse. We'll beat it. Together."
Doubt and fear fought in her eyes as they searched mine. She nodded at last, although her body continued to tense.
I stepped back and let her go. "We'll keep to the story for the time being. We don't break under any situation. Do you agree?"
She tightened her jaw and nodded once more. "I agree."
Between us, silence fell, oppressive and thick. The chill of the dungeon crept into my bones, but I decided to ignore it and concentrate on the work at hand. We had to outmaneuver the Alpha now that he had made his move.
I felt a gloomy resolve descend upon me as I sat against the wall and watched Anna's pace. The Alpha may have thought he was in control, but he misjudged us. He misread her.
And that would be the end of him.
In the prison, the thick darkness and eerie silence made it hard to breathe. The only sounds were Anna's soft, irregular breathing and the sound of water trickling far away. Leaning against the cold stone wall, I tried to clear my mind, but the Alpha's threats kept playing over and over in my head every time I closed my eyes.With her knees close to her chest, Anna sat across from me and stared at the locked door. The flickering flashlight made the worry on her face stand out even more."They're not returning, are they?" She asked quickly in a low voice that was tinged with anger.I turned my head away. "Not unless they're trying to break us again."Her laughing was dry and devoid of humor. "They won't need to. It's over if any of our packs find us."I didn't reply right away. We both knew that she wasn't wrong. However, the weight of our situation grew heavier when she said it aloud.The quiet was broken by Anna, who spoke in a shaky, harsh voice. "Oliver will kill me if he finds whe
The hallway echoed with the sound of boots, getting louder with every step. I signaled Anna to keep quiet by putting a finger to my lips. My senses were awake, and my heart was racing. They were not here to bring good news, whatever was coming.Just outside our cell, the steps came to a stop, and the silence was broken by a voice we knew."Well, well. If it isn't our favorite rogues," Dax said condescendingly, but with a hint of laughter. "I bet you didn't think I would be here tonight."Despite the anger that was building inside of me, I kept my face neutral as I walked closer to the bars. "Dax. We owe the pleasure to what?"His face was lit by the dim glow of the candle he was holding as he leaned against the bars. "I simply couldn't help myself. You see, we don't have visitors like you two very often, especially those with a lot of secrets."Anna moved behind me, her back straight. "Dax, what do you want?"His amused eyes glinted as he grinned. "Oh, don't worry, my love. I'm not he
It was totally black, suffocating my senses and making every sound seem dangerous. Here, time seemed useless, with every second dragging on forever. I was irritated due to the burning hunger in my stomach and the dryness in my throat. Even worse, since Dax's arrival, the guards had failed to bring us food or drink. It was intentional—psychological war to destroy us.Anna leaned against the faraway wall, breathing steadily but shallowly. I couldn't stand the oppressive silence between us any longer.I remarked, keeping my voice low so it wouldn't echo too much in the small area, "They're trying to scare us."With a clipped tone, Anna replied, "They're doing a good job."I tried to distract my attention from the engulfing darkness by resting my head back on the chilly stone. "This cannot continue forever. They will finally need to take action.""What if they don't?" she asked.Her voice pierced me with its sharpness, and I was at a loss for words. To be honest, I had no idea. I didn't w
Only the creak of the dungeon walls occasionally disturbed the suffocating silence that had fallen upon us like a dense fog. Anna's breathing was faint but regular as she sat with her legs pulled up to her chest. Her eyes seemed to be burning holes in the back of my head, even though they were unseen in the darkness.We couldn't stay here. Starvation would do the job our captors had not yet chosen to complete if we waited any longer.Mostly to myself, I mumbled, "We need a way out."Anna took a while to react, and when she did, her tone was cold. "Lucas, we've already dealt with this. We're stuck unless you've instantly gained the superhuman strength to tear these bars to pieces."I was hurt by what she said, but I didn't let it stop me. "I'm not giving up," I firmly stated."Well done," she said drearily.Ignoring the sting, I moved to lean against the damp, cold wall and tried to think. A way had to exist. In the lack of brute force, trickery would have to be used.After a lengthy p
As we climbed the stairs, the dungeon's damp, cold air gave way to a little draft. Every step we took was a calculated risk, and the sound of our footsteps was so loud it made my heart race. Anna, breathing steadily but shallowly, was directly behind me."Do you believe this leads out?" Her voice was hardly heard as she whispered.I answered, "It has to," but I wasn't sure. "Stay close."A massive wooden door marked the sudden conclusion of the stairs. I strained to hear any movement on the other side as I put my ear to it."Anything?" With her hand on the dagger's hilt that we had stolen from the guard, Anna asked.I turned my head away. "It's silent."I tried moving the handle, but it stayed in place. Locked. It was, of course, locked.Anna pushed past me and said, "Step back. Let me try."She took the stolen keys out of her pocket and started testing them one by one before I could object. It seemed to take forever for the tumblers to click."Hurry up," I said, looking over my shoul
"Run, Anna!" Lucas yelled as he positioned himself between Kane and me. I was unable to move, but his voice trembled with urgency. My gaze flickered between Lucas and the towering guy in front of us."I'm not leaving you!" I shouted back, refusing to turn and face him.Kane's claws slashed through the air as he attacked with predatory speed and precision before either of us could say anything more. Lucas barely escaped the blow before retaliating with his dagger, and my heart stopped.Kane's arm was caught by the blade, but it looked to cause no harm, as though Lucas had attempted to sever stone. With his teeth bared, Kane growled and struck once more. His claws hit their target this time, ripping across Lucas's side."Lucas!" The sight of his blood made me scream, fear tearing through me."I said run!" Stunned but still in his protective position, he screamed back. His shirt was leaking blood, but he forced himself to ignore the pain.Kane's eyes glinted with vicious enjoyment as he
Before we could fully breath, the cold water sucked us under and swallowed us whole. The current was unrelenting, rushing all around me with such force that it seemed pointless to fight. The sound of the river rushing was so loud that my lungs burned as I fought to break the surface."Anna!" I yelled, but my voice was lost in the water.The world was a frantic haze of raging waves and brief flashes of the moon. I frantically searched for her, my arms flailing as I tried to keep my head above water. Her dark hair bobbed in the water just ahead, but fear gnawed at me when I couldn't see her."Anna!" My voice was hoarse as I called again.Her eyes were wide with fright but alive as she turned her head. I needed no more support than that. My muscles screamed as I paddled toward her, fighting the water.She shouted, "I'm here!" over the roar of the water, her words barely audible.We were carried more quickly than I had expected by the river's twists and turns. Like sharp fangs, rocks prot
As we made our way through the underbrush, the environment was strangely silent. We had to rely on our instincts to guide us across the uneven landscape because the sunlight hardly entered the dense canopy above. My senses were highly aware, pausing at the sound of rustling leaves or the snap of a twig."Do you believe he is still pursuing us?" Anna's question was hardly heard above a whisper.I gave her another look. Her movements were sluggish, and her face was pale, but there was a resolve in her eyes that hadn't changed since we had fled."He won't stop," I stated somberly. "Not until he gets his way.""And what is that exactly?" Her tone was tinged with anger as she pressed.I paused. "You."Her hands clenched at her sides, and I could see her breath catch. "He must first murder me."I didn't answer. I didn't have to. Both of us were aware that Kane, or worse, Oliver, would be happy to kill her to establish their authority.With each stride, the tension between us grew as we carr
With my luggage draped over my shoulder and a weary but determined heart, I stood at the edge of the woodland. Beside me were Lucas and Maia, whose faces reflected mine: a mixture of resolve and melancholy.Cain came toward us, his eyes full of resolution but his face etched with fatigue. Although he had been among Oliver's most devoted soldiers, the insurrection had altered him. We were leaving him in control after he had fought with us and put his life in danger for the pack."Are you sure about this?" he said softly.I gave a nod. "Cain, you're the greatest option. You are trusted by the pack. They will follow you."He paused, his eyes darting between Maia and Lucas. "How about the three of you? Where are you going?""Somewhere new," was all I said. "A place where we can start again."Cain's face softened as he nodded. "You've done enough for this pack. More than sufficient. Go if this is what you need. We'll be alright."I said my
In the broken remnants of Nightshade's great hall, the firelight wavered, creating unsettling shadows on the stone walls. I had nothing left to offer the pack, but they continued to hover, perhaps awaiting guidance. There was still a weight in my chest. I didn't feel like I had won, even though Oliver was defeated and his rule was overthrown by the people he used to rule.Sitting next to me on a splintered wooden bench, Maia was looking off into space as she absently traced a scar over her arm. Ever the guardian, Lucas stood a few feet away, his gaze sweeping the still audience.After a long pause, Lucas whispered, "They need a leader." He spoke in a quiet, wary tone. "Someone to rebuild what's left."Slowly, I nodded. "They need someone," I said, then looked over at Maia.She stiffened as I stared at her. "Don't even think about it."I cocked my head. "Why not?"She gave a dry laugh, but it was devoid of any humor. "Becaus
The trumpet's call echoed through the broken remains of Nightshade, a sound that once sent fear rippling through the pack but now carried a different weight. A summons. A reckoning.I stood in the heart of the pack's gathering grounds, where months ago, I had watched Leo be condemned to death. My fingers tightened into fists at my sides as I forced myself to take in every detail... the stone platform, the lofty arches, the wooden beams above that had once felt oppressive. The torches flickered, casting long shadows against the walls, just like they had that night.Only this time, it wasn't Leo standing before the pack.It was Oliver.He was on his knees in the center of the hall, bound, his body battered and broken. Blood matted his dark hair, his once-imposing body slumped forward in exhaustion. The very warriors who had formerly battled under him stood around the perimeter of the hall, their gazes flitting between me and the fall
There was silence on the battlefield.The silence was not one that resulted from relief or tranquility. It was the thick, stifling type that comes after a storm, as though the world itself was holding its breath. The ground was covered in fallen people, and the air was heavy with the smell of smoke and blood. With a mixture of amazement and incredulity, the rebels who had survived the slaughter and were still standing glanced at Anna.Oliver was lying at her feet, immobile and broken. His burnt body stood out sharply against the blood-soaked ground below, and his once-imposing figure had now collapsed into a crumpled heap. He was not yet dead, but he was very nearly so. His chest rose and fell in weak, irregular spasms, and his breaths were shallow.With her shoulders heaving and her hands still burning dimly from the last of her power, Anna stood over him. Her hair was knotted and wild, and her face was stained with blood and filth, but her ey
All I could do was observe.My entire existence begged me to step in, step in, and support Anna as she faced Oliver alone. However, I was unable to.I shouldn't.This was her fight.Standing opposite Oliver, Anna's body was bruised and covered in blood, yet her unwavering will remained burning. I had never seen the raw electricity crackle in the air around her before. It was hazardous, untamed, and wild. There was nothing weak about the dim glow that flickered from her palms, like a fading ember. The ground beneath her boots seemed to be reacting to her, quivering in expectation of what lay ahead.Oliver rolled his shoulders and grinned as though this were merely a minor annoyance. I shuddered at his self-assurance. For so long, he had ruled by terror, destroying anybody who tried to oppose him. He now considered Anna to be simply another idiot who believed they could prevail.However, she wasn't.
The battlefield was a bloody, chaotic nightmare.The night was filled with screams as the rebels gave it their all in battle, but Oliver's forces were unrelenting and mercilessly defeated us. My muscles ached from the never ending battle, and I was breathing in ragged breaths, but there was no time to pause. Another life was lost with every second that passed.Maia was down.Across the field, I saw her fall, hitting the ground with a horrible crack. As I surged at her, avoiding an enemy's claws at the last second, my stomach knotted in terror."Maia!" I fell on my knees next to her. Her breathing was shallow, and blood was leaking from a deep wound along her shoulder.Her body trembled uncontrollably as she attempted to push herself up. "I'm fine," she rasped, but I could tell she wasn't."You're not," I said as I applied pressure to the cut. My palm was stained by the warmth of her blood, and my chest developed a hollow hole.Lucas s
Every breath was tinged with the weight of what lay ahead, and the night air was heavy with stress. The rebels' bodies were tense with expectation as they stood at the forest's edge, concealed by the thick undergrowth. The clearing where Oliver's fortress stood in the distance was stricken with weird shadows as moonlight seeped through the treetops.To steady myself, I shifted my weight and clenched my fingers into fists. I thought the others could hear how loudly my heart was beating.I heard a sharp crack to my left. I snapped my head in the direction of the sound, every muscle in my body tensing up.Beside me, Lucas stiffened, his hand already reaching for his blade. Maia froze, her sharp eyes scanning the shadows.Out of the darkness came two bright golden eyes.For a painful moment, I mistakenly believed it to be one of Oliver's scouts. Then the figure moved closer, a solitary, gaunt wolf with ribs showing through its m
"It’s almost time."It wasn’t just a statement; it was a reckoning. The kind of words that carried the gravity of everything we had fought for, everything we had lost, and everything we stood to lose. Even though he was trying so hard to hide it, I could detect the slight tremor behind his firm tone. It was the shudder of a man who was preparing for what was about to happen.I let out a breath and looked out over the area of land in front of us. As though the world itself were holding its breath for what was about to happen, the night was strangely calm. Tension permeated the air, the kind that caused your chest to tighten and your skin to prickle. Long, jagged shadows were cast over the assembled rebels by the orange glare of distant fires. As though they were restless too, the flames danced madly, reflecting the uneasiness that descended upon us all.With low murmurs and deliberate movements, the rebels moved in quiet tones. Each one of
"This is a bad idea."Standing next to me and gazing at the man in front of us, Maia spoke sharply and crossed her arms. Every dissident wolf in the room was on full alert, and the tension was palpable. The stench of mistrust was nearly oppressive.Ronan, the man in question, stood still, his palms raised in a gesture of peace. He was a warrior who had assisted Oliver in enforcing his harsh reign and had previously been one of his top enforcers. He said that he had now turned against him.I did no trust him. However, I couldn't overlook what he had to offer. Ronan's voice was steady as he said, "I don't blame you for being wary. But raw power alone won't cut it if you want to defeat Oliver. You must be aware of what you're getting into.""And we’re supposed to believe you suddenly grew a conscience?" With his arms resting on his enormous chest, Cain scoffed. "You think we forgot what you did?"Ronan's mou