As the drums of wat beat through the castle, the soft words of a detestable guard ring far louder in my ears.
"My name is not Riann, (Y/N). And I am not the Queen's guard."
His grip on me intensifies.
"My name is I.N. I've been stationed here as a spy. And now, I've come to take you home."
"H-home? Home to…"
"Home to your parents. Bang Chan and Morgan. True mates and Alphas of the Far West."
My parents' names thrum in my heart, shocking me into complete stillness.
"Are you being serious?"
"Yes. A day hasn't gone by that our pack hasn't suffered without you. That's why I'm here playing this God forsaken role. Everything I've done…everything your parents have done…has been to get you back."
I take a step back, blood pounding in my ears.
"So they–they're really alive? And they've been looking for me?"
"They never stopped looking, (Y/N)."
I.N's grip on me softens.
"Hyunjin used every black market tool and resource to keep you hidden. He even raised you underground. It was torture for your parents. Not knowing where you were. For a long time they feared…"
His words trail off and my heart twists.
"They thought I was dead?"
I.N nods.
"They were close to finding you once. Had a lead in the criminal network in New York City. Hyunjin staged a murder scene. Used your blood on another girl's body and everything. He spared no expense in keeping you from them."
"That's totally something he would do."
"Your parents thought so, too. That's why they never gave up. And when they got this lead…I can't tell you what it meant to them."
What I.N's saying sounds unbelievable. But his steady, kind eyes–eyes so different from the cold guard's–ring true."
"Why now? Why ask me to leave now?"
"I was waiting for the right moment, but look around. A shifter war a size and scale we've never before seen is at our door. And you are at the center of it."
My heart rises in my throat. I look out at the panicked shifters running past me, arming themselves and silently praying.
All of this…is because of me. I should want to go. But abandoning these people…abandoning San…
"We have to go before it's too–"
Suddenly, the wall before us detonates, engulfing us in rubble and ruin. My ears ring and I choke, blinking through the thick haze unable to see anyone, let alone I.N.
"I.N!"
"H-here."
I.N's pained voice comes from below me…directly below me.
Oh my God.
When the smoke clears, I find I.N crushed by a huge slab of cement. He strains beneath its weight.
"I.N!"
"Don't say my real name."
"I'm sorry. It's just you're…"
He coughs, and blood stains the corner of his mouth.
"Help me."
I stare down at him, at the massive stone crushing his body.
"Please, (Y/N). I know you don't know me, but if you hadn't been taken…you would have been like my little sister. We're packmates. You…you are my family."
He reaches for me with a bloody, shaking hand.
"Help me. Please."
"Just stay still. I'll get you out."
Bending down, I take the massive slab of stone in my hands and try to lift it.
It's so heavy. I don't have my usual strength.
Breathing deep, I call upon my wolf. My eyes flash gold as a newfound, lycan strength surges through me.
"Move–!"
The stone is heavy, but not too heavy. I lift it slowly, and move it off of I.N. Clutching a wound on his stomach, he drags himself to safety. I drop the stone with a bang.
"I.N, are you all right?"
"Gold."
Exhausted, I.N stares at my golden eyes, his jaw slack in awe.
"You look exactly like your father. My Alpha."
"I do?"
"And you're strong like him, too. Thank you. If you hadn't found the strength to do that, I don't know what I would have done."
At the mention of my father, a million new questions surface. I open my mouth to ask until my name is called.
"(Y/N)!"
San's tall, athletic silhouette appears out of the chaos. He rushes to me, taking my face in his hands.
"Are you all right? You're not hurt are you?"
I look from him to I.N, suddenly feeling the pull of two very different destinies.
"I just had my world turned upside down."
I.N's eyes widen a fraction.
"By the bomb blast, I mean. I was talking to Riann and then it hit us out of nowhere."
San shoots I.N a dirty look.
"What were you thinking pulling her right into the line of fire like that?!"
I.N's eyes flick to me. I can tell he's grateful I've maintained his cover.
"Sorry, My Lord. I'll take her to safety."
"There's no time and you're injured. We have to–"
But San is suddenly cut off by a harsh, low laugh that boils out of the destruction. A laugh that rattles my bones.
"Do you like these grenades, (Y/N)? I got them from your dear father Hyunjin."
As the last of the dust settles, Dimitri comes into view. He stands a good distance away, his deadly army at his back.
"There's more where that came from, too. Much bigger, and far more destructive."
His words strike a fear in me. I can feel San stiffen beside me as well. But I keep my face straight.
"Dimitri…your threats mean nothing."
"I prefer to refer to them as 'negotiations'. This can all end with us walking away. As long as you give me Yeosang's crown, and your body."
San and I.N bristle at his words. My glare sharpens.
"Do I need to remind you what happens when you cross us, Dimitri? You can try to fake it all day long but I know the truth. I took your sight. You're blind."
His army murmurs at his back. His teeth grit as everyone begins to notice his unfocused gaze.
"All the more reason to win you, my dear. I have to thank you properly for this. Like I did you false King."
With a snap of his fingers, his pack brings forward something limp and heavy. My heart nearly stops beating.
No. He wouldn't.
With a barbaric sneer, Dimitri lifts Yeosang's body high over his head for all to see. Everyone in the ruined castle gasps and cries at Yeosang's mangled, lifeless form. I hear Jongho fall to his knees and the Queen shrieks.
"No!"
"My son!"
But San is completely still at my side.
"You will burn for this, you fucking traitor."
His words are like magma from the pits of hell, threatening to destroy anything they touch. But Dimitri's smile widens.
"Burning is a good idea. I suppose we could light a pyre for your pathetic excuse for a brother. But I think it might be best if I nail him to a post. Let the crows peel the flesh from his bones while I slowly kill everyone you love."
"You son of a–!"
San bellows and rushes blindly at Dimitri, his claws outstretched.
Oh my God. He has no weapon. He's completely outnumbered.
Dimitri licks his lips, his smile spreading. A deadly barrage of silver arrows suddenly rains down from overhead, aimed directly at San.
"Come here, boy."
"San!"
I rush in alongside him and shove him out of the way right before the arrows make contact.
"What the–!"
But San doesn't have time to react. Dimitri pulls his sword free and swings it at us both.
"You won't touch him." I growl.
Bending back, I dodge the swing and shift. As I do, San catches Dimitri's sword arm, fighting him for the weapon.
My bites don't heal quickly. Let's see him handle this.
I leap for Dimitri and bite down on his thigh until I reach the bone. The pain makes him let go of the sword. San gets hold of it and swings hard, removing three fingers from Dimitri's hand.
"DAMN YOU!!!"
I shift back, standing tall next to San. He flashes a smile, some of the light returning to his eyes.
"What's the matter? Did that hurt?" I grin.
"New negotiation: Give us Yeosang. If you do, (Y/N) and I won't make your death slow."
Through a bloody, rage-filled snarl, Dimitri lifts his hand. His army pulls Yeosang's body back and aims thousands of weapons at us.
We have no choice. We have to back off.
San knows it, too. We both begrudgingly back away from Dimitri in a tense stand-off.
"I'll give you until tomorrow morning to consider my offer. After that, I slaughter anyone loyal to you, bastard."
With that, Dimitri and his army turn and walk away, leaving my brethren shaken and wounded in their wake.
"You. This is all your fault."
The Queen rounds on me with loathing, clutching the necklace to her chest.
"You had to go and make a scene with the most volatile wolf on this continent, and now–"
"This is my fault. I'll take responsibility."
My ice-cold, calm words make the Queen stop.
"I won't deny I had a part to play in this. But blame isn't important right now. What's important is finding a way to defend ourselves."
"You expect me to–"
"(Y/N) is right."
San cuts the Queen off with a deadly cadence, rising to stare her down.
"And you may not respect me but I am responsible for everyone here in Yeosang's absence. I am Alpha."
The churning, potent power I first felt from San rises once more, making the Queen shrink.
"Everyone will prepare for war. And I do mean everyone."
Shifters all around whisper at San's formidable presence. No one moves.
"NOW."
With a startle, everyone scatters. San shoves past the Queen and I follow him down the hall, into Yeosang's old room.
"San, that was–"
"What are we going to do?"
Finally alone, San lets his guard down. His body shakes, an aura of anxiety and grief enveloping him.
"We're going to take this on together."
"Our powers combined still won't be enough for an army that size. We're not immortal."
San walks to the window, gripping the sill so hard I think it will snap.
"We can act strong for our people. But following it up and actually saving them is something else entirely." He informs.
He's right. We're completely outnumbered. And Dimitri's blood lust…
I look in the direction of Yeosang's shower, remembering just how diabolical Dimitri's attack was. Then, an idea strikes me.
"San. I know how we can win."
"What?"
"Wolfsbane. Dimitri made a poisoned gas by mixing it with steam. We could knock his entire army out in one fell swoop."
"That's…that's brilliant."
"I have my moments. We're going to need fresh wolfsbane though. And lots of it."
"I know where we can find that."
"Really?"
"There's a field, out past the nearest village. We can sneak in under cover of darkness, past Dimitri's army."
"The sun is setting. We should go now."
I turn to leave, but San grabs my arm.
"What's wrong?"
"You can't fight a war in those clothes."
I look down, realizing what I have on. Without another word, San crosses to Yeosang's dresser and pulls out a leather-clad piece.
"Yeosang had this made for you. In case something like this ever came to pass."
He molds the fabric beneath his hands, his eyes growing distant once more.
"He really was prepared for anything. I hope I can live up to his memory."
"San–"
He holds the garments out to me.
"Here. Change. We don't have much time."
"I take the clothes from San."
An outfit fit for war. From Yeosang.
I pull on the form-fitting leather, feeling it cling to me like a second skin.
I can really move in this. I'll be unstoppable.
"Are you ready?"
Without waiting to ask, San turns to look at me. All of his hardness dissipates as his eyes rove over my body.
"You tell me. Am I ready?"
"Y-yes. I think you are."
San crosses to me, sliding his hands around my tight leather waist.
"But I might not be ready. To let you go, that is."
"What do you mean?"
"What if…something happens to you?"
San's fingers twitch, as though fighting back from pulling me in.
"I don't think I'd ever forgive myself."
"San, I'm worried about you, too. But we have to do this."
San sighs heavily against me, pressing his forehead to my shoulder.
"You're right. Just…just be careful."
Does he…care about me more than I think he does?
There's a clipped knock at the door. Growling, San round on it.
"What?"
I.N enters, giving me a long, knowing look before addressing San.
"The Queen requests your presence, My Lord."
"Of course, she does. Tell her not now."
San storms past I.N, waving for me to follow him. I cross slowly, coming up next to I.N. He whispers.
"We have to go, (Y/N). Right now."
The weight of my impossible decision bears down on me, threatening to crush me completely.
"I.N, I can't…these people need me. I can't leave them."
"Your own people need you, too. You should forget this and come–"
"(Y/N). Let's go."
San calls for me down the hall. I move to catch up with him, but I.N grabs my arm.
"I can at least get a message to your mother and father. If you want."
A message? Really?
"Is there anything you'd like me to tell them?"
My heart pounds in my chest. For the first time in my life, I have a chance to say something to the people I lost.
"Please. Please tell them I love them and we will be together soon."
I.N's eyes glint with my message.
"Is that…okay, do you think?"
"Yes. I think it will mean more to them than you know. And I can tell you right now, without a shadow of a doubt, they love you, too."
My chest grows warm and tight at his words. Biting back a wave of tears, I nod my thanks to I.N.
"I'll be back."
"I hope that's true."
Turning away from I.N, I run to catch up to San.
"Ready?"
"Yes. Let's go."
A firm resolve washes over me as I make my way down innumerable flights of stairs, further and further from I.N.
I have to make it back. For the family I've never known.
"We're going to go through the catacombs. It's the safest route."
"Okay."
Finding a loose stone in the floorboards, San moves it aside and I drop down into the tunnel below. Following San through the catacombs, I remember what he said about them. How this was the only place he could see his mother.
"San, can I ask how old you were when your mother was…"
"When she was murdered? I was twelve."
So young.
"She lived like a slave here. Just a toy for my fucking father to play with."
"I am so sorry. I wish she'd known freedom."
"Me too."
San bows his head. A lump rises in my throat at the thought of him, orphaned so young.
The only people he had left were Yeosang and Jongho. And the Queen destroyed that bond.
Suddenly, we come upon an expansive cavern. Tombs line its walls, with one particular statue lying in the middle.
"What's this?"
"I…I actually don't know. I've come down here for as long as I can remember, but I've never figured out whose tomb this is."
It feels as though a breeze brushes against my back, urging me forward. I step in close to the stone statue. It is of a young woman, looking down with a sad smile at me.
"(Y/N)? Are you okay?"
"Y-yeah, I just feel…drawn to this. Like I had to look at it…"
Looking down, I spot a dark stone inlaid in the tomb's surface. Wiping it away with my hand, I see that it is a cracked ruby-like gem. It is so faint I question whether or not it's real, but in looking at the gem, I think I hear the smallest whisper.
"…(Y/N)…"
What?
"(Y/N)."
San's words make me jump. I turn back to him.
"We have to go."
"R-right."
Tearing myself away from the tomb, we hike through the winding tunnels until San leads me expertly to the surface. We rise out of a grate into a village back alley. It is completely quiet.
"Perfect. Follow me."
Watching my back, I follow San down sleepy streets, past dark houses, until we reach what we're looking for. Just past a small, ramshackle cabin, lies a field filled with untouched wolfsbane.
"Jackpot. Let's work quickly but quietly."
"Agreed."
San and I get to work, amassing as much wolfsbane as we can in the dead of the night.
"Careful not to touch your face or breathe it too deeply. It's still–"
San's words are suddenly cut off by the sharp cock of a rifle, right behind his head.
"Dangerous?"
We both freeze at the voice behind us. It sounds like that of an older woman. But her tone is deadly.
"Ma'am, we're just–" San begins to explain.
"Tresspassing. And stealing enough poison to kill an army."
Exactly.
The woman shoves the barrel of the gun up against San's head, pushing him into the ground.
"Don't."
"I don't why I shouldn't."
Out of the corner of my eye, I see the woman's finger move to the trigger.
"(Y/N). Run."
No. She could kill San. And even if she doesn't, the gunshot will give us away.
With a ferocious snarl, I leap at the woman's gun.
"Don't touch him!"
With a surge of my uncontrollable strength, I bend the barrel of the rifle into a 90 degree angle, sending the old woman staggering back.
"(Y/N)."
His voice is soft with the shock of my move. I practically growl as I put my whole body in front of his.
"I see you're quite protective of your mate. But I don't mind killing you both."
"Fucking try it, hag." I growl.
She takes out a dagger. I can see on its tip that it's laced with wolfsbane.
Shit. Who is this woman.
I expect her to lunge, but she throws the dagger. It sails through the air, straight for my heart.
"No!"
San catches the knife, his eyes flashing silver.
"San. Thank God."
Then, the woman stops.
"San?"
We all freeze. The woman steps out into the light, her eyes glinting the same silver as San's.
"You…know me?"
"I know of you. You're Namji's son, are you not?"
"She was my mother. Yes."
The old woman claps a hand over her mouth, her eyes shining with tears.
"Who are you?"
The woman looks around, then beckons us towards her home.
"Not out here. Come inside."
Shocked into a stupor, San moves to sand. I stop him.
"San…Can we trust her?"
"I think we can. But just in case–"
San picks up the fallen dagger.
"I'm holding onto this. Okay?"
"Fine by me." The old woman answers.
Warrying with myself over how smart this is, I force myself to stand and follow San inside the old woman's home. As soon as she shuts the door, San rounds on her.
"Answer our question. Who are you?"
"I was a member of a pack that has grown smaller with each passing generation. A pack of silver-eyed wolves practically gone extinct. And I raised your mother."
The dagger in San's hand falls to his side as he stares at the woman in shock.
"You…what?"
"I raised her. After she was orphaned by the red-eyed wolves that now dominate the world. Before she was kidnapped and sold to the Alpha King you called father."
San bows his head, the information leaving him stunned.
"So, there were more of us? Who could use healing magic and–"
"'Healing magic'? My boy, you don't know the half of what we're capable of."
The woman smirks, her gunmetal eyes dancing in the moonlight.
"Why do you think they tried so hard to kill us all, hmm? We had the power to harness the moon. To use the world around us to shape our will. We could do far more than heal."
"That's incredible." I say in awe.
"Incredible. Yes. Hundreds of years ago, an Alpha King said those words, too. And his kind has slaughtered us for it ever since. Until your father found one he thought too beautiful to destroy. Instead he trapped her like a bird in his gilded cage."
The woman walks to San. He stiffens as he approaches, not daring to move as she runs her hand over his jaw.
"You look so much like her. I'm sorry I couldn't rescue your mother on my own. So you could grow up here."
Her hand travels to the mark on his neck.
"Away from their cruelty."
"It's…It's all right."
"No, it isn't. I was a coward. I thought it would mean certain death. But look at you both now."
She turns to look at me.
"Protecting one another with your lives. Risking everything to gain a weapon that can bring down the eastern horde."
"How did you–"
"I know about it all, (Y/N). All it took was one look in your eye."
My mouth falls open.
This woman looks fragile but…her power…
"Perhaps I can make it up to you, my boy. Tell me…"
The woman looks up at the moon, then turns to face me.
"Would you like your brother back?"