The manor seemed to shudder with the force of Lucien's roar. The sound ripped through the corridors, rattling windowpanes and sending flocks of birds scattering into the night. Zaria clutched at the doorframe, her body trembling. She had never heard anything so primal, so animal, yet beneath it she heard his voice—Lucien's voice—threaded through the sound like a command meant for her alone.
Stay.
But every instinct inside her revolted. The pulse at her throat, the mark he had given her, throbbed in sync with the chaos unfolding outside. She could feel him through it, the heat and strain of his body, the clash of power colliding with power. She could not stay.
Ignoring the voice in her head, she pulled her shawl tighter around her shoulders and bolted from the room.
The manor's grand hall stretched before her like the ribcage of some great beast, shadows shifting across the vaulted ceilings. She could smell smoke—no, not smoke. Something acrid. Burning magic. Her feet pounded against the marble, carrying her toward the eastern doors where moonlight spilled through broken glass.
The night air hit her like a slap, sharp and cold.
Lucien stood at the edge of the courtyard, golden eyes blazing, every muscle coiled with feral grace. His dark coat whipped around him like living shadow, and before him—the intruder. A figure draped in rags, their face hidden beneath a hood. Black tendrils of energy seeped from the stranger's body, curling over the stones like snakes.
Zaria froze. The sight was wrong. Not merely frightening, but wrong, as though her eyes weren't meant to witness it. Her stomach lurched.
Lucien's voice cracked through the night, low and thunderous. "You dare step onto my lands. Into my house. With her here?"
The intruder tilted their head, the hood shifting just enough for a flash of pallid, corpse-like skin to catch the moonlight. When they spoke, their voice was distorted, layered—male and female at once.
"She is ours, wolf. The marked one belongs to the Shadow Court."
Zaria's lungs seized. Ours?
Lucien launched forward before the word finished echoing. His body blurred, faster than she thought possible, a beast unleashed. Claws burst from his hands, his teeth bared in a snarl, his golden eyes igniting like molten suns. He collided with the intruder with such force the stones cracked beneath them.
The shockwave sent Zaria stumbling backward, her hands clutching at the courtyard wall.
She should run. She knew it. But her feet refused. Every fiber of her being was tethered to Lucien in that moment. She could feel the ripple of his rage, the strain of his body, the feral exhilaration as his claws raked against the intruder's shield of black energy.
Sparks exploded where golden light met shadow, filling the air with a metallic tang.
The hooded figure screeched, a sound so piercing Zaria pressed her palms over her ears. It wasn't human. It wasn't even alive.
"You cannot keep her!" the voice shrieked. "She is bound! Her blood sings to us!"
Zaria's breath caught. The mark at her throat burned hotter, reacting to the words. She stumbled forward, heart hammering, her voice breaking free without thought.
"Lucien!"
Both combatants froze for a fraction of a second—just long enough for the intruder to twist, shadows lashing out in whips of black fire. One struck Lucien across the chest, sending him sprawling against the courtyard wall. Stone shattered.
"NO!" Zaria screamed, and before she could think better of it, she was running toward him.
Lucien's head snapped up. His golden eyes locked on her, blazing with fury—not at the intruder, but at her.
"Zaria!" His voice cracked like a whip. "Get back inside. NOW."
But she couldn't. The pull in her chest, the heat of the mark, the sheer terror of watching him fall—it was stronger than any command.
The intruder turned, shadows coiling, and lunged for her.
Time slowed. Zaria's body seized, every instinct screaming she was about to die. She could see the tendrils reaching for her face, hear the hiss of shadow magic slicing the air.
And then—
A blur of golden light intercepted. Lucien slammed into the intruder, claws sinking deep into the shadowy flesh beneath the rags. He snarled, his teeth flashing inches from the hooded figure's throat. "You will not touch her."
Zaria staggered, her chest heaving. She should retreat. She should listen. But her legs betrayed her again, carrying her closer, until she stood only a few feet from the clash. She couldn't leave him.
The air thickened, vibrating with energy. Lucien's golden aura flared brighter, forcing the shadows back, while the intruder writhed and screeched.
Zaria pressed her hand against her throat where the mark seared like fire. She realized something—her fear wasn't consuming her. It was fueling him. Every beat of her terrified heart, every tremor in her body—it poured into him through the bond. His power surged.
The intruder's form cracked, tendrils splintering like glass.
"You… cannot… stop what is coming…" the distorted voice rasped.
With a final roar, Lucien drove his claws through the shadow's chest. Golden light erupted, consuming the intruder in a blaze so bright Zaria shielded her eyes.
When the light faded, nothing remained but ashes scattering in the night wind.
Silence crashed down.
Lucien stood panting, chest heaving, blood staining his shirt where the lash had struck him. His golden eyes flicked to Zaria, wild and furious.
"You disobeyed me," he growled.
Zaria's lips parted, but no words came. The mark burned so hot she swore it might scar her skin from the inside.
"I told you to stay inside!" Lucien snarled, striding toward her. His presence was overwhelming, larger than life, every step radiating raw, dangerous power. "You could have been killed!"
"I couldn't—" Her voice cracked. She tried again. "I couldn't let you face it alone."
His golden gaze locked on hers, and for a moment his fury faltered. Something softer flickered there—something perilously close to vulnerability.
But it vanished as quickly as it came. He gripped her shoulders, his claws retracting, his touch almost bruising. "Do you understand what you are to them now? They will keep coming. That thing was only the beginning."
Zaria trembled beneath his hold, her breath catching. "Then… then teach me how to fight."
The words left her mouth before she realized she'd spoken them.
Lucien froze.
His golden eyes searched hers, blazing with conflict, rage, something darker… and something that looked almost like fear.
The courtyard was silent save for their breathing. The ashes of the intruder swirled between them like black snow.
And then Lucien leaned in, his voice a whisper edged with both fury and desperation.
"You have no idea what you're asking for, Zaria."
His grip tightened. The mark between them pulsed. The air around them seemed to shiver.
Her heart pounded, but she held his gaze. "Then show me."
Lucien's eyes flared brighter, molten gold searing through the darkness. His breath was hot against her face, his jaw clenched as though battling an urge he couldn't control.
"You'll regret this," he whispered.
Before she could answer, a howl split the night—low, guttural, and not Lucien's. It came from the woods beyond the manor.
Both their heads snapped toward the trees.
More were coming.