The silver cage groaned softly every time the wagon wheels slammed over the uneven cobblestone road. Inside, Kael Lenoch leaned back against the cold bars, his wrists shackled tight in iron laced with pure silver—hand-forged by master smiths, heavy enough to bleed the strength right out of an Alpha of the silver wolf bloodline.
A thick black cloth draped over the entire cage, smothering the world outside into nothing but pitch-dark silence. He had no idea where they were taking him, only the steady rhythm of hooves and the occasional hiss of wind slipping through the seams told him the world was still moving.
"You sure those chains are strong enough to hold him?" a deep male voice rumbled from somewhere near the left wheel.
"If they're not, nothing will," came a younger voice, tinged with doubt.
The horses slowed for a beat. A light crack of the whip, then the wagon lurched forward again. In the dark, Kael drew in a long breath.
