The room erupted into chaos.
Sienna barely had time to register Kael's voice before a silver blade flew past her, embedding itself into the stone wall inches from her captor's head.
The imposter moved fast, too fast, dodging the attack with unnatural grace. His golden eyes flickered with something close to annoyance as he turned to face Kael.
"You always were predictable," he mused.
Kael didn't reply. He was already moving.
Another blade. A blur of motion.
The imposter leaped back, but this time, Kael was ready. He lunged, closing the gap between them in a heartbeat, his blade slicing through the air.
Sienna strained against her chains, her wrists burning.
A second figure appeared in the doorway, Aldric. His face was set in grim determination as he stepped forward, his presence commanding.
"Kael," Aldric barked.
Kael hesitated for half a second.
It was all the imposter needed.
With a sharp twist, he grabbed Kael's wrist, flipping him onto the cold stone floor in one fluid motion. Kael hit the ground hard, his blade clattering away.
Sienna's stomach twisted.
No.
The imposter turned back to her, eyes gleaming with something dark. "We're out of time, little wolf."
A sharp pain burned through Sienna's chest, like something inside her was shifting, stretching, trying to break free.
Aldric moved.
Fast.
A silver chain wrapped around the imposter's throat from behind, yanking him back. His body convulsed as the silver burned his skin, but he didn't scream.
He just laughed.
"You still don't get it, do you?" he rasped. "This isn't about me."
Then, to Sienna's horror, his form flickered, his entire body like a shadow caught between dimensions.
And in the blink of an eye he was gone.
The silver chain clattered to the floor, empty.
Silence rang in the room.
Sienna's breath came in quick, panicked gasps. Her heart pounded against her ribs.
Kael was already back on his feet, cursing under his breath. Aldric stood frozen, his jaw clenched tight.
Sienna's chains rattled as she jerked against them. "Get me out of these."
Kael didn't hesitate. He grabbed the keys from a nearby hook and unlocked her restraints. The second the cuffs fell away, Sienna collapsed into his arms.
The scent of him grounded her, but only for a second.
"We have to go," Aldric said, his voice tight.
Sienna barely had time to nod before a deep, guttural howl echoed through the corridors.
It wasn't from the imposter.
This was something else.
Something worse.
Kael cursed again, gripping Sienna's arm. "Can you run?"
Adrenaline surged through her. Whatever exhaustion she had felt moments ago was gone.
"Yes."
"Then move."
They didn't waste another second.
Aldric took the lead, navigating the dark corridors with precision. The stone walls vibrated with distant howls, growing closer.
The scent of blood filled the air.
They weren't the only ones in this place.
Sienna's stomach twisted. "Where are we?"
"A stronghold," Kael answered grimly. "A place meant to hold things too dangerous to be free."
Her breath hitched. "And I was in it?"
Kael didn't answer.
She didn't need him to.
Aldric stopped abruptly at a fork in the corridor. He turned to them, his expression unreadable. "We split here."
Sienna's eyes widened. "What?"
Aldric's gaze flickered past her, down the hall they had just come from. The howls were louder now. Closer.
"We need a distraction," he said. "Kael, take her and go. I'll draw them away."
Kael tensed. "Aldric..."
"No time to argue." Aldric met Sienna's gaze, his expression softer than she had ever seen. "You need to live."
A lump formed in her throat.
This was wrong.
She couldn't just leave him.
But before she could protest, Aldric was already moving, vanishing down the opposite corridor without looking back.
Kael grabbed her wrist. "Come on."
Sienna hesitated, just for a second, before forcing her legs to move.
She had no choice.
They ran.
The corridor twisted and turned, leading them deeper into the stronghold. Sienna's pulse thundered in her ears, her legs burning with every step.
Then..
A door. Heavy. Steel-reinforced.
Kael shoved against it, throwing his full weight into the movement. The door groaned open, revealing the outside world.
But before they could step through, a figure dropped from above, landing in front of them with a bone-cracking thud.
Sienna skidded to a halt, her breath catching in her throat.
Not a wolf.
Not a man.
But something in between.
The creature straightened, its limbs unnaturally long, its eyes hollow pits of darkness.
And when it grinned, its teeth were jagged. Wrong.
Kael pulled her behind him, his muscles tensing.
"Run," he murmured.
Sienna swallowed hard. "Not without you."
The creature's grin widened.
Then it moved.
Faster than anything she had ever seen.
Straight for her.
And in that moment, something inside Sienna snapped.
Heat surged through her veins.
Her vision darkened at the edges.
And for the first time in her life.
She let go.
The last thing she heard was Kael shouting her name.
Then everything exploded into darkness.