Eight days had just become seven.
And my father wasn't waiting for the witch to finish us first.
The scout stood there panting, torchlight flickering across his face. "Gamma Voss himself, my kings. Five hundred wolves. Silver chains on every saddle. He says he's coming to collect his daughter and burn the rest."
My stomach dropped so hard I felt the flutter inside me kick in protest. The witch's mark on my chest flared hot, like it knew the clock had just sped up. Darius's arm tightened around my waist until I could barely breathe. Kane's knife was already out. Rylan's grin turned ugly.
"Seven days," I said, voice flat. "He's giving us seven days to hand me over or he'll try to drag me back in those chains himself."
Darius didn't waste breath. He turned to the scout. "Sound the horns. Every able wolf on the walls by dawn. Bar the gates. Double the silver stores." Then he looked at me, eyes hard. "You stay inside the keep."
