Lucien left without another word.
Cain followed, eyes sharp, posture tight. The guards outside the door stood like statues as the heavy silence returned to the chamber.
I paced for exactly three minutes before making up my mind.
"To hell with staying put."
---
I pulled on the cloak Cain had left earlier, slipped past the inner guard when his back was turned, and followed the faint scent trail Lucien left behind — fresh pine, smoke, and something darker beneath it.
The corridor twisted like a cave. Cold. Ancient. And soon, it opened into a high platform facing the valley — the meeting grounds.
I ducked behind a stone pillar just in time.
---
Lucien stood at the edge of the platform, arms folded, cloak billowing in the wind.
Opposite him stood a single figure — tall, lean, with silver streaks in his hair and a cruel curl to his lips.
Damien's Beta.
The scent that hit me made my wolf snarl inside.
Not a sound. Just rage. Fire in my veins. My claws itched beneath my skin, and something hot flashed behind my eyes.
I gripped the pillar harder.
"Tell your Alpha," Lucien said coldly, "that trespassing again will be seen as a declaration of war."
The Beta didn't flinch.
"I bring a truce," he said. "And an offer."
Lucien's laugh was low. Dangerous.
"Speak before I rip your throat out."
The Beta's smile widened.
"Damien wants the girl back. Alive. And he's willing to give you two border towns in exchange."
Lucien's body tensed.
"You want me to trade land for a pregnant omega?"
"She's more than that, and we both know it," the Beta said. "He knows the child isn't his. He wants it anyway. For the prophecy."
Lucien took one slow step forward.
"And if I refuse?"
"He'll take her by force. And when he does, he'll hang your head at the next Council meeting."
---
My breath caught.
I didn't care about the threat. What chilled me was the way my wolf reacted. Not with fear… but with bloodlust.
I could feel it — her claws scraping at the inside of my chest, my heartbeat doubling, pupils dilating.
"Stay calm," I whispered to myself.
But I couldn't.
I wasn't just listening anymore. I was changing.
---
Down below, Lucien spoke again — his voice sharp as blades.
"You have thirty seconds to leave my land."
"I was told to deliver something else."
The Beta pulled a scroll from his cloak and tossed it forward. It hit the ground between them.
Lucien didn't move.
The Beta smiled.
"Open it. You'll find Damien's signature and a Council seal. A bounty notice. For the girl."
Lucien's jaw clenched. His hand flexed once at his side.
He didn't pick up the scroll.
"I'll see you at war," he said.
The Beta gave a mock bow.
"See you at the child's birth."
Then he turned and vanished into the fog.
---
I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding.
But my body was burning.
My skin felt too tight. My mouth was dry. My eyes were locked onto Lucien as he stared at the scroll.
And then… as if he sensed me, he turned.
His golden eyes met mine behind the pillar.
He didn't look surprised.
"Come out, Celia," he said.
---
I stepped forward slowly, cloak brushing the ground.
Lucien said nothing for a long moment.
"You disobeyed me."
"I know."
"You watched the whole thing?"
"Yes."
"Then you know why I told you to stay inside."
I folded my arms. "Because you think I'm weak."
"No." His voice dropped. "Because your wolf is unstable."
My heart jumped.
"What?"
Lucien stepped toward me, slowly, watching my face.
"You're not just reacting. You're bonding. Instinctively. Your wolf senses danger, and she's trying to break free. But the binding spell — the one suppressing her — is starting to crack."
I shook my head. "I didn't feel anything—"
"You growled."
"What?"
"Your wolf. She growled."
Lucien's hand lifted. Not to grab me — just to hover near my cheek.
"She wants out, Celia."
---
My chest rose and fell too fast. My head was spinning. I wanted to scream. To run. To shift. To cry.
But all I said was, "Why now?"
"Because this land is sacred," Lucien said. "The magic here is older than any pack. It feeds bloodlines. It exposes truth. And your wolf is responding."
I looked down at my hands. They were trembling.
"I'm not ready," I whispered.
"You're more ready than you think."
---
A silence stretched between us.
But it wasn't empty.
It was heavy with something I couldn't name.
And then Lucien's hand did touch me — fingers grazing my wrist, the same way he had in the library.
But this time… he didn't pull back.
"I won't let him take you," he said quietly.
"I don't belong to anyone."
His eyes burned.
"Good."
---
Before I could reply, I felt it — a sharp pain in my spine.
I gasped, stumbling back.
Lucien caught me before I fell.
"What is it?" he asked, voice tight.
"My back—" I breathed. "It burns—"
He lowered me to the stone floor gently.
"Stay with me," he said. "Don't fight it."
"What's happening?"
"The bond is unlocking," he said. "Your wolf is trying to shift."
"No— no, it's too soon—"
Lucien knelt beside me, holding my head as the fire surged through my veins.
"Breathe, Celia. Trust her. Trust yourself."
---
I screamed.
But not from pain — from awakening.
From the fire in my blood, the cracking of chains inside me, the shattering of a cage I didn't even know I'd been locked in.
I saw flashes — my past, my rejection, the dungeon, the moment Damien shoved me down, the moment I ran… and Lucien's eyes when he found me.
And then everything went white.
---
When I opened my eyes, I wasn't on the stone anymore.
I was lying on fur — soft, silver fur.
Lucien was crouched over me, breathing hard.
His hand was still holding mine.
And my heart was… calm.
My wolf had stopped fighting.
She was waiting.
And I knew: next time… she would rise.