I stumbled through the chaos of the forest, my breath ragged and my legs screaming with every step.
The undergrowth clawed at me, branches scraping my arms, but I didn't stop. I couldn't. Every snap of a branch behind me sent a fresh wave of panic coursing through my veins.
Liam's growls echoed through the trees, each one closer than the last. My heart hammered against my ribs, desperation driving me forward. If I slowed, even for a second, he'd catch me.
But then, just as I thought I might have a chance—just as the shadows of the forest seemed to part for my escape—a figure stepped into my path.
Calder.
He appeared out of nowhere, his towering frame cutting through the dim light like an immovable wall. My feet skidded to a halt, my chest heaving as I stared up at him.
Before I could even think to turn and run, his hand shot out, grabbing my arm. His grip was unyielding, cold, and impossibly strong.
"No!" I shouted, twisting, thrashing, doing everything I could to break free. His hold didn't falter, not even for a moment.
He yanked me back as if I weighed nothing, pulling me so close that I could feel the heat radiating off him. My struggle only seemed to amuse him—or maybe infuriate him more.
"Let me go!" I gasped, my voice breaking as I fought against his iron grip.
"Enough," he growled, his tone cutting through my panic like a blade.
I froze, my chest heaving as his piercing gaze locked onto mine. His eyes were like fire, burning with anger—and something darker, something that made my blood run cold.
"You don't know what you've brought here, human," he said, his voice low and deadly calm. "So stay close to me if you want to live."
His words sent a chill down my spine, but it wasn't fear that rooted me in place—it was the weight of his presence, the unrelenting authority in his tone. My breathing hitched, and for a moment, I couldn't move.
What choice did I have?
Liam was still out there, and the forest itself felt like it was closing in on me. But Calder…
Calder was no safer. His strength, his cold, calculated control—it terrified me in a way I couldn't explain.
And yet, I stopped resisting.
My body betrayed me, frozen by the gravity of his words, by the sharp edge of something in his expression that I couldn't name.
For the first time, I realized that I might have traded one danger for another.
=
The light in the underground room flickered. My wrists were bound once again, the ropes biting into my skin, but that was the least of my concerns.
The room smelled of damp earth and rust. The faint sounds of movement above me the only sign that life continued outside these walls.
My mind raced with a thousand questions, each one more urgent than the last.
What kind of war was happening outside?
Why did Calder care whether I lived or died?
Hours seemed to stretch into eternity, each minute dragging like an age. I couldn't stop thinking about what I'd just learned, but nothing made sense.
The sound of footsteps broke through my thoughts, growing louder as they neared. The door opened, and Maeve appeared, carrying a small tray of food.
Her expression was calm, almost too calm, but there was something guarded in her eyes.
"You're lucky Calder stopped Liam," she said, her voice steady. She set the tray down in front of me. "If it had been anyone else, you wouldn't still be breathing."
I couldn't even look at the food. My stomach twisted, not with hunger, but with the weight of everything pressing down on me.
"Why does he care?" I asked, my voice trembling despite myself. "Why am I still alive?"
Maeve paused for a long moment, her gaze studying me as if trying to decide whether or not to share more. "Because Calder sees things others don't. He's trying to figure out what you are."
I blinked, confused. "What I am?" The words felt foreign, like she was talking about someone else. "I'm just a person. I don't even know what any of this is!"
Maeve's lips tightened, and she took a step closer, lowering her voice. "This isn't just a village, Selene. This is a pack. A werewolf pack."
I stared at her, disbelief flooding my body. My heart skipped a beat as I whispered, "Werewolves?"
Saying it aloud made the words sound even more ridiculous.
Maeve nodded, her expression serious. "You're in the middle of a centuries-old conflict, one that doesn't tolerate outsiders. Especially humans."
A cold shiver ran down my spine.
Werewolves? A centuries-old conflict? None of it made sense.
I opened my mouth to ask more, but Maeve didn't give me the chance. Her face hardened, her posture shifting with authority.
"You'll get no more answers until Calder decides what to do with you," she said, her tone leaving no room for argument. "And trust me, he won't tolerate another stunt like your escape attempt."
I swallowed hard, the questions still burning in my mind, but they died on my lips.
Maeve turned on her heel and left, locking the door behind her with a finality that made my chest tighten.
Alone again, I sat in the silence, the weight of everything crashing down on me.
Werewolves, packs, Alpha Calder—what had I gotten myself into?
I could hear the muffled voices above me, but the stone walls of my prison only made the words feel distant, like they were being spoken in another world entirely.
I strained to listen, but it was hard to make sense of any of it. The faint echoes of their voices were drowned out by the pounding of my heart, the weight of everything pressing in on me.
I had no idea what they were planning, what would happen next.
But I knew one thing for sure—I was at the mercy of someone far more dangerous than I had realized.
From where I sat, I could almost picture the scene unfolding in the meeting hall above.
Calder's voice would be calm, authoritative, cutting through the tension like a knife.
Liam would be pacing, hot-headed as usual, and Maeve would be stepping forward with that quiet strength she carried so effortlessly.
It was strange—how little I knew about any of them. And yet, my life was in their hands.
A faint shiver ran down my spine at the mention of Asher Draven.
The name hit me like a blow to the chest, cold and familiar. Was it possible? Was I somehow caught in the middle of something from my past?
I shut my eyes for a moment, wishing I could block out the thoughts.
What did they want with me?
Why had Calder stopped Liam from finishing me off?
I didn't know.
But I felt it—the weight of Calder's unyielding presence, the control he held over everyone in the room. His voice, even through the stone and distance, was like iron.
And when he spoke next, I knew he was talking about me.
"Bring her to me," he said, his voice deep and commanding. "I'll get my own answers."
My stomach churned.
What did he mean by that? What kind of answers was he looking for?
=