The hall emptied slowly, wolves spilling into the night, their voices carrying like echoes of the storm gathering outside. I stayed in the corner, watching Ronan as he spoke with his advisors. Every motion was sharp, efficient, like a man who carried the weight of the world and refused to falter under it.
Beside him, Liora lingered too close, her smile soft, her hand brushing his sleeve as though it belonged there. My jaw tightened. She wanted me to see, wanted to grind the salt deeper into wounds I hadn't admitted were there.
The System pulsed in my skull.
Time slipping away. Two days left.
I curled my fingers against the stone table, my nails biting grooves into its surface. If I moved now, if I ended her in front of everyone, the System would be pleased. But Ronan would kill me before my claws touched her throat.
I was trapped.
I slipped out of the hall, needing air. The corridors were dim, lit by flickering torches, shadows stretching long and sharp. I walked quickly, but not quick enough to escape the sound of footsteps trailing after me.
I turned sharply. "What do you want?"
Liora stood a few paces away, her emerald eyes gleaming. "You don't belong here."
I clenched my teeth. "Neither do you."
Her laugh was low, cold. "Oh, but I do. The Alpha sees me. He trusts me. You? You're nothing but a stray pretending to be loyal."
Opportunity detected, the System hissed. Now. End her.
My claws threatened to slip free. My heart pounded. She was alone. It would be so easy.
But then—Ronan's voice boomed down the hall. "Ayla."
I snapped back, the moment broken. Liora's smirk widened as Ronan strode toward us, his golden gaze cutting between us like a blade.
"What's happening here?" he demanded.
"Nothing," Liora said sweetly, tilting her head like an innocent. "We were just talking."
Ronan's eyes locked on mine, and for a breath, I thought he saw everything—the claws half-bared, the shadows in my gaze, the hunger of the System pressing at my mind.
But he said nothing. He only turned away, his voice hard. "Both of you. Come."
We followed him into the council chamber. The air was heavy with parchment, maps spread across the table, ink still wet from hurried notes. Ronan placed both hands on the wood, leaning forward, his presence filling the room.
"Our enemies move faster than expected," he said. "The eastern border is under threat. I need loyalty now more than ever."
Liora stepped closer, her voice soft and honeyed. "You will have it, Alpha. From me, always."
Her words dripped poison, but Ronan didn't flinch. He only looked at me.
"And you?" he asked, his voice sharp. "Where do you stand?"
The question cut deeper than any blade.
I swallowed hard. "By your side."
His eyes searched mine. I don't know what he saw—fear, truth, or desperation—but for a heartbeat, his gaze softened. Then he turned back to the maps, the moment gone.
---
Later that night, I found myself pacing my chamber, the fire burning low. The System whispered again, relentlessly.
Kill her. Kill her. Kill her.
I pressed my hands against my skull. "Shut up."
Two days left. Fail, and you die.
"I can't," I whispered. "He'll never forgive me."
Forgiveness is irrelevant. Survival is absolute.
Tears burned my eyes. I hated this voice, hated the chains it wrapped around me.
The door creaked. My heart jolted—I hadn't heard footsteps.
Ronan stepped inside, his golden eyes sharp even in the dim light.
"You're restless," he said, voice low.
I froze. "You shouldn't be here."
"Neither should you." He moved closer, his presence like fire against my skin. "You keep secrets, Ayla. I see it every time you breathe. What is it you're hiding?"
My pulse thundered. The System hissed in warning, but I forced my lips shut.
He stopped in front of me, so close I could feel the heat of him. His hand lifted—slowly, hesitantly—and brushed against my jaw. His touch was rough, calloused, but it sent a shiver racing through me.
"You confuse me," he murmured. "Part of me wants to tear you apart. Another part…" His voice trailed, his jaw tightening. "Another part remembers what it was like to trust you."
My breath caught. "And now?"
He drew back, golden eyes burning. "Now I wait to see which part is the lie."
He turned and left, leaving me shaking.
---
The next morning, whispers spread again.
This time, not about me.
About Ronan.
I caught fragments as I passed through the corridors. His name was laced with venom, rumors of betrayal in his own ranks. And always, always, Liora's voice at the center of it, fanning the flames.
By noon, I found her in the courtyard, speaking softly with the wolves who gathered around her. Her smile was sweet, her words smooth, but I saw the way their eyes sharpened, their doubt turning toward Ronan.
She was undermining him.
And the System purred in my skull.
Kill her now. Make it clean.
I clenched my fists, my claws pressing into my palms.
If I struck now, I could silence her before the lies spread further. But every eye in the courtyard would see.
And Ronan…
My chest ached.
She turned, her gaze locking on mine. That cruel smile returned. She wanted me to move. She was daring me.
I took a step forward, my body trembling with the need to act.
Then the sky split with a howl.
Every wolf froze. The sound was low, guttural, carrying across the castle like thunder.
Ronan appeared in the courtyard, his golden eyes blazing. "Raiders at the border," he barked. "Every warrior, prepare for battle."
Chaos erupted. Wolves shifted, rushing to obey. The courtyard filled with growls, claws, and the thunder of feet.
But Ronan's gaze cut to me. Sharp. Fierce.
And in that gaze, I saw it. Suspicion.
He thought I had something to do with this.
And maybe… he wasn't wrong.
Because deep in my skull, the System whispered, almost smug.
Mission altered. New Objective: Ensure Liora's death in the battle.
Failure: Ronan dies.
My knees nearly buckled.
Not just me this time. Him.
My choice was no longer between survival and betrayal.
It was between his life and hers.