The forest breathed around her, a living thing of shadows and whispers. Dawn light scattered through the canopy, painting shards of gold across the moss and bark. Sapphire inhaled deeply, grounding herself in the scent of pine and river and the faint trace of Dominic that still lingered in the air. It had been three days since the storm, three days since he'd gone to reinforce the border, and though he'd sent word through the link that he was alive, the absence of his presence gnawed at her like hunger.
She'd risen early to hunt, to quiet the restless pulse beneath her skin. Her wolf prowled just beneath the surface, impatient for movement, for release.
You miss him, the wolf murmured inside her mind.
"I do," she admitted softly. "But he'll be back soon."
Something feels wrong.
Sapphire paused mid-step, her senses flaring. The woods were too quiet. Even the songbirds had fallen silent.
A low growl rolled from her throat. "Show yourself."
Nothing answered—only the faint rustle of leaves, the trickle of water downstream. She crouched low, scanning the treeline, every instinct screaming that she wasn't alone.
Then she caught the scent—metal, sweat, blood. Rogues.
Her muscles tensed as three figures stepped from the underbrush, eyes gleaming yellow in the half-light. Their scents hit her all at once—foreign, savage, and threaded with something darker.
One of them grinned, baring cracked teeth. "Little royal wolf all alone. Didn't your mate teach you not to wander?"
Sapphire straightened slowly, keeping her expression cool despite the rapid beat of her heart. "If you think I'm helpless, you've made your first mistake."
"Oh, we know exactly what you are," the leader said, voice oily with amusement. "The Alpha's lost daughter. The one our master wants back."
Fredrick.
Her blood ran cold.
"Tell your master," she said, her voice low and dangerous, "that he'll never have me."
The wolf lunged.
She sidestepped, faster than he anticipated, her body moving with the fluid precision of a born fighter. Her hand shot out, slamming into his chest, and power flared through her palm—royal energy, raw and luminous. The impact hurled him backward into a tree.
The others hesitated, their grins faltering.
"Still want to try?" she taunted.
They attacked anyway.
The next moments blurred into motion—claws, teeth, adrenaline. Sapphire ducked under a swing, caught a wrist, twisted until bone snapped, then pivoted to drive her knee into another's gut. She was outnumbered but not outmatched, her wolf lending her strength that glowed in her veins like fire.
A claw raked across her shoulder, hot pain searing through muscle. She snarled, grabbed the offender by the throat, and threw him hard enough that the ground shuddered on impact.
For a breath, the clearing went still. Her chest heaved, her knuckles dripped crimson.
Then a slow clap broke the silence.
"Well done, little Alpha," came a voice from the trees. Smooth, dark, mocking. "I was hoping you'd make this entertaining."
Sapphire's head snapped toward the sound.
Fredrick stepped into the light.
He looked almost human—tall, handsome in a cruel sort of way, his hair dark as ash, his eyes a chilling gray that mirrored the color of storms. But the air around him was wrong. Corrupted. It crawled along her skin like oil.
Her wolf bristled. He reeks of death.
"Fredrick." The name left her lips like venom. "I should have known you'd send cowards to do your work."
He smiled. "Cowards? No. I sent them to see how strong my future queen has become."
"I will never be your queen."
He sighed dramatically. "You say that now, but time changes everything. Even loyalty."
"Not mine."
Fredrick's smile widened, though his eyes remained flat, cold. "Your mate can't protect you forever, little wolf. He's half a world away, bound by chains he doesn't even see. Peace Fighters—such obedient creatures. Did you really think they'd let him keep something as precious as you?"
A chill gripped her spine. "You're lying."
"Am I?" He tilted his head. "He's a soldier, Sapphire. Programmed to kill, not love. He'll never defy them for you."
"You don't know him."
"Oh, I know exactly what he is. And I know what you are—the last piece of a dying line. When I take you, I take his will to fight. It's poetic, really."
Sapphire's body trembled—not with fear, but fury. Her wolf surged forward, merging with her in a rush of energy that made the air shimmer around her. Her eyes flared silver.
"I'll die before I let you touch me."
Fredrick's grin twisted into something feral. "That can be arranged."
He snapped his fingers.
A dozen shadows erupted from the trees.
Sapphire spun, claws slashing, catching two before they reached her. But there were too many. One grabbed her from behind; she drove an elbow into his ribs and broke free, only for another to seize her hair and yank her backward. She bit down, tasting blood, and kicked, sending him reeling.
She was fire and fury and desperation—but exhaustion crept in fast. They weren't ordinary rogues; they moved in perfect coordination, like soldiers. Fredrick's soldiers.
Dominic's voice echoed faintly through their bond, distant and strained. Sapphire?
She gasped, half in relief, half in panic. Dom—help—
The link faltered, static and pain shredding the connection. She cried out as claws raked her back, her strength waning.
Fredrick watched with detached amusement. "You're magnificent," he said. "But it's time to stop fighting."
He lunged forward himself this time, faster than she expected. His hand clamped around her throat, squeezing until her vision blurred. Power surged from her instinctively, a blast of silver light that sent him stumbling back, smoke rising from his arm.
Fredrick laughed, low and dangerous. "Ah, there it is. The royal gift."
Sapphire's knees buckled. "You'll never win."
He caught her as she fell, one hand gripping her jaw. "I already have."
She tried to fight, but something cold slid over her senses, a darkness creeping through her bloodstream. The last thing she saw before the world dissolved was his eyes—those gray, empty eyes—and the faint shimmer of chains wrapping around her wrists.
⸻
Chapter 3 – The Attack (Part 2)
When Sapphire awoke, everything hurt.
Her head pounded, her throat was raw, and her body felt heavy, sluggish. She blinked slowly, the world swimming into focus. Iron bars, stone walls, the scent of damp earth. A cage.
She tried to move, but her wrists burned where the shackles touched her skin—silver-infused, designed to weaken shifters.
Panic clawed at her chest. "No..."
A familiar voice drifted from the shadows. "You shouldn't struggle. It only makes it worse."
Fredrick stepped forward, unscathed, looking almost serene. "You'll heal in time. Royals always do."
"Why?" she rasped. "Why go through all this?"
He crouched beside the bars, his gaze roaming over her face with unsettling affection. "Because you belong to me."
"I belong to no one."
He chuckled softly. "You say that now. But you'll see. In time, you'll understand that what binds us is deeper than blood. You're the only one who can bear my mark."
Sapphire's stomach twisted. "I'd rather die."
His expression softened with mock sympathy. "Death is a mercy I don't intend to give you."
Her wolf stirred weakly, snarling in defiance. We'll never bow.
Fredrick tilted his head, as if listening. "Ah, the royal wolf. Strong, but fading. Silver works quickly, doesn't it?"
"You'll regret this," she whispered, trembling with fury. "He'll find me. Dominic will come for me."
Fredrick's smile faltered just slightly, then returned sharper than before. "Let him try. The Peace Fighters may think themselves untouchable, but I've seen the cracks. When he feels you break, when he realizes he couldn't save you, he'll crumble. And when he does, I'll tear him apart myself."
He rose, brushing invisible dust from his sleeve. "Rest, little wolf. You'll need your strength for what's coming."
When he was gone, Sapphire sagged against the cold stone, tears stinging her eyes. The chains bit into her wrists, but she barely felt it over the ache in her chest.
She closed her eyes, reaching inward, desperate to find the thread that connected her to Dominic. The bond was faint now, muted beneath layers of pain and metal.
Please, she whispered into the void. Find me.
For a moment, there was nothing. Then, faintly—like a whisper carried through a storm—his voice answered.
I'm coming.
Her breath caught. Hope flickered, fragile but alive.
She pressed her forehead against the bars, whispering into the darkness. "Hurry."
Outside, the night howled, and somewhere far beyond the horizon, a wolf screamed his fury to the stars.
The night stretched endless and merciless across the ridge. Rain had stopped hours ago, but mist still clung to the pines like the breath of ghosts. Dominic ran until his lungs burned, until the scent of her fear carved a path through the dark.
Every step felt too slow.
Her scream had torn through the bond like lightning—then vanished. The silence afterward was worse than pain. It was absence. It was the echo of something he refused to believe was gone.
He shifted mid-stride, bones reshaping, armor dissolving into the shadows of his wolf form. The world sharpened instantly—colors brighter, scents deeper, the earth alive beneath his paws. Her trail was faint but there, silver-sweet beneath the iron stink of blood and rogues.
Hold on, he thought, his wolf answering with a low, savage snarl.
Branches whipped his flanks as he tore through the forest. He leapt fallen logs, crossed rivers, scaled slopes slick with moss. Every instinct screamed danger, but another voice—quieter, human—whispered guilt.
He should never have left her.
When the first body appeared, sprawled in the mud, he skidded to a halt. One of Fredrick's men. The chest was crushed inward, ribs splintered like twigs. Her work. Pride flickered through his rage.
Then the second body—then the third. The trail ended in a scorched patch of earth where the air hummed faintly with residual magic. Silver residue gleamed like frost across the leaves.
A trap.
Dominic shifted back, crouching low, fingers brushing the soil. The signature of the energy was unmistakable—royal bloodline, Sapphire's flare, then corruption layered over it. Fredrick's corruption.
He looked toward the mountains. The scent carried that way—old tunnels from the wars, places even the Peace Fighters avoided. Perfect for hiding something precious.
He closed his eyes, forcing the rage to still. Logic would find her faster than fury.
From the ridge behind him came footsteps—light, hesitant. Cain.
"Dominic!" The younger wolf's voice broke with fear. "Where is she?"
Dominic turned slowly. His eyes, still half-shifted, gleamed silver. "Taken."
Cain went pale. "No. No, that's impossible. You were—"
"Too far," Dominic bit out. "He drew me away. A diversion."
Cain's fists clenched. "Fredrick."
Dominic nodded once. "He wants her alive. That's the only reason she still is."
Cain swallowed hard, eyes bright with unshed tears. "Then we go now. We find her."
Dominic's gaze softened briefly. "You'll come, but you follow my lead. Whatever you see, whatever he says—don't listen. He'll twist your mind if you let him."
Cain nodded grimly. "You don't have to tell me twice."
They moved out together, shadows among shadows. The path wound upward, the forest thinning until jagged rock rose ahead. The entrance to the old mines yawned black before them. Dominic inhaled—there, faint and breaking—Sapphire's scent. Alive, but weakening.
"Stay close," he murmured.
Inside, the tunnels stank of damp and silver. Torchlight flickered along rough walls, throwing broken shapes that seemed to move on their own. Cain's breathing quickened behind him.
A distant sound reached them—a voice, low and pleading. Hers.
Dominic's control shattered. He surged forward, silent fury made flesh. The tunnel opened into a vast chamber lit by pale fire. At its center knelt Sapphire, chained, her wrists raw, her hair tangled with blood. Fredrick stood before her, one hand pressed against the invisible barrier that separated them, his expression one of perverse tenderness.
"Do you see now?" Fredrick murmured. "Even your power bends to mine."
Dominic's snarl ripped through the air. "Step away from her."
Fredrick's smile bloomed slow and poisonous. "Ah. The soldier arrives. I wondered how long your leash would stretch."
Dominic didn't answer. He moved like a storm—fast, precise, deadly. But Fredrick was ready. With a flick of his wrist, the barrier flared, hurling Dominic backward. He hit the ground hard, silver pain radiating through his chest.
"Peace Fighters," Fredrick said, circling him. "All steel and obedience. Tell me, does it hurt, loving something you were never meant to touch?"
Dominic pushed to his knees, blood running from his mouth. "You wouldn't understand."
Fredrick crouched beside him, voice silk-soft. "Oh, but I do. I lost my mate. You'll lose yours. Balance restored."
Cain leapt from the shadows, tackling him with a roar. They crashed against the stones, claws flashing. Fredrick's laughter echoed even as Cain's teeth found his shoulder. Then Fredrick flung him off effortlessly with a burst of energy that cracked the floor.
"Children," he hissed. "You never learn."
Dominic staggered up, half-shifted now, eyes glowing with light that seared the darkness. The bond flared between him and Sapphire, bright and desperate. She felt it too—her pulse syncing to his, her power sparking despite the silver draining her veins.
"Dom," she whispered. "Don't—he's too strong—"
"I don't care."
He lunged again. The world became a blur of motion—fire and claws and silver light colliding. Fredrick fought like something ancient, drawing strength from the corruption that coiled around him. But Dominic's strength wasn't rage—it was purpose. Every strike, every block was fueled by her.
The ground trembled. Chains snapped. Sapphire gasped as energy surged through her body. Her wolf rose, screaming to protect her mate. The shackles cracked, spilling molten silver to the ground. She fell forward, free but shaking.
Fredrick saw the movement and snarled. "No!"
Dominic was faster. He caught her as she collapsed, pulling her close. Their foreheads touched, power weaving between them like light spun into silk.
"Can you run?" he murmured.
Her voice was a breath. "If you lead."
He turned to Cain. "Get her out. I'll hold him."
"No!" Sapphire clutched his shirt, panic flooding her eyes. "You'll die!"
He kissed her—quick, fierce, tasting of blood and storm. "I promised I'd find you. I didn't promise to let go."
Fredrick's roar shook the chamber. "You think love will save you?"
Dominic smiled, baring his fangs. "It already has."
He launched himself at Fredrick, colliding mid-air as the cave erupted in blinding light.
Cain dragged Sapphire toward the tunnel. Behind them, the explosion of power howled through stone, chasing them like a second heartbeat. She looked back once, tears burning her eyes, and saw nothing but white.
Outside, the sky bled with dawn. The mountain shuddered, dust raining down like ash. Cain caught her before she fell.
"He's gone," she whispered, broken.
But even as she said it, the bond pulsed—faint, steady. Alive.
Her tears fell freely now. "Come back to me, Dominic. Please."
From somewhere beneath the mountain, a wolf's howl answered, fierce and unbroken. And Sapphire knew: this was not the end. It was only the beginning of the war for their souls.