Chapter Twenty Three

The tunnel opened into a dimly lit cavern, and there, in the centre, knelt Ryder - his imposing figure looming over Lucia. She lay crumpled on the ground, her silver-white hair matted with dirt and blood. Ryder's clawed hand wrapped around her throat, his grey eyes burning with a possessive hunger.

Declan and Aiden tensed, their gazes locked on the scene unfolding before them. Lucia's pained expression stirred a fierce protectiveness within them, but they knew they had to tread carefully. Ryder was a formidable opponent, and underestimating him could be disastrous.

The air crackled with unspoken threats, the wolves sizing each other up, a deadly dance of power and dominance. Declan and Aiden held their ground, waiting for the opportune moment to strike, their senses heightened, and their minds racing with possible strategies.

Aiden's hackles rose, a deep rumbling growl erupting from his chest as he laid eyes on the sight before him. Ryder, that despicable excuse for an alpha, hovered