The silver-haired woman, whose name was Valera, led us through a hidden path behind a waterfall. Silas kept his hand on the small of my back the entire time. I could feel his protective energy, but I could also feel his exhaustion. The silver burns on his arms were weeping, and he was pale from the fight in the cave.
"We are almost there," Valera said, her eyes scanning the trees. "The King of the North's scouts are everywhere. We must be silent."
We stepped through the curtain of water and into a massive tunnel lit by those same blue crystals. But these crystals were carved into beautiful lamps. As we walked deeper, the tunnel opened up into a hidden valley tucked between three massive peaks.
It was a city made of black stone and silver. It looked like it had been grown out of the mountain itself. There were no wooden huts like the Blackwood Pack. This was a fortress. Thousands of people were moving about, and as we passed, they all stopped.
One by one, they dropped to their knees. The sound of their knees hitting the stone floor echoed like a drumbeat.
"They are looking at me like I'm a ghost," I whispered to Silas.
"To them, you are," Silas replied, his voice raspy. "You are the hope they thought was dead."
Valera led us to a tall tower in the center of the city. Inside, the rooms were filled with soft furs and the smell of jasmine. It was the most luxury I had ever seen.
"Princess, you must rest and bathe," Valera said, bowing low. "Silas, the healers are waiting for you in the lower chambers."
I reached out and grabbed Silas's sleeve before he could leave. "Will you be okay?"
Silas looked down at my hand, then into my eyes. For a moment, the "warrior" mask slipped, and I saw how much pain he was in. He leaned down and pressed a dry, quick kiss to my forehead.
"I've survived worse, Elara. Get some sleep. You'll need your strength for the Council meeting tomorrow."
The bath was hot and filled with oils that made my skin feel like silk. For the first time in my life, I didn't have to scrub floors. I sat in the water and thought about the King of the North. Valera had told me he was a "Pureblood" Alpha who believed that only his lineage should rule the world. My silver fire was a threat to his throne because it could kill even the strongest Alpha.
I stepped out of the bath and found a long, flowing dress of midnight blue waiting for me. It was simple but felt expensive. As I brushed my hair, I felt the "pull" again.
It wasn't Silas. And it wasn't the broken bond of Thorne.
It was something coming from the balcony.
I walked outside. The moon was high, and the city below was quiet. But standing on the roof of the building opposite mine was a figure. He was dressed in white armor that glowed in the dark. He wasn't a wolf. He was something else entirely.
He held up a single finger to his lips, telling me to be quiet. Then, he pointed to the mountains in the North. A single, red signal fire was burning on the highest peak.
"The King is coming, White Wolf," a voice whispered in the wind, though the man's lips didn't move. "And he is not coming for your crown. He is coming for the child."
My heart stopped. The child?
I looked down at my stomach. I hadn't felt anything. I had only been with Thorne once, a month ago, before everything went wrong. Could it be? Was I carrying the heir to the Blackwood Pack—or something even more powerful?
I turned to run back inside to find Silas, but the door to my room slammed shut and locked itself.
A dark shadow stepped out from the corner of my bedroom. It wasn't Silas.
It was a man with eyes as cold as ice and hair as white as mine. He held a silver dagger to his own palm, letting a drop of blood fall to the floor. The blood sizzled and turned into a small, red bird that flew toward me.
"Don't scream, little cousin," the man said. His voice was like breaking glass. "I'm here to take you home before the Shadow King turns you into a monster."
"Who are you?" I gasped, backing toward the balcony railing.
"I am the King of the North's son," he said, stepping into the light. "And I am the only one who can keep that baby from destroying the world."
From the hallway, I heard Silas's voice, full of panic, as he began to kick the door down.
"Elara! Get away from the window!"
The white-haired man smiled, showing sharp fangs. He lunged at me just as the door burst open