The morning light spilled through the narrow windows of Derek’s chamber, cutting through the smoky haze that still hung in the air from the night before. The faint scent of blood and perfume lingered, mingling with the cool breeze that drifted in. A woman lay sprawled across the Alpha’s bed, her golden hair tangled on the pillow, her soft breathing the only sound in the room. Derek sat at the edge of the bed, his hand resting lazily on his knee, his half-buttoned shirt revealing a trail of scars down his chest.

Then the door burst open.

Skylar rushed in, his face pale and his eyes frantic. His breathing was heavy as if he had run across the entire packhouse without stopping. “Derek,” he called out, ignoring the shocked woman who stirred from the bed. “We have a problem.”

Derek turned his head slowly, his deep, cold eyes locking on his beta. “This had better be worth disturbing my morning,” he said, his tone flat but dangerous.

Skylar hesitated, looking at the woman on the bed before meeting Derek’s gaze again. “It’s Elena. She’s gone.”

For a second, silence filled the room. Derek said nothing. He blinked once, twice, then leaned back against the bedpost. “Gone?”

Skylar nodded, his throat tightening. “Her room was empty when the guards checked. There was no sign of struggle, but…” He took a folded piece of parchment from his coat and placed it on the table beside Derek. “This arrived not long after we discovered she was missing. A messenger wolf dropped it at the border. It’s addressed to you.”

Derek’s expression did not change as he reached for the letter. The edges were burnt, the scent faintly metallic, like blood mixed with smoke. He unfolded it slowly, reading the words etched in dark ink.

We have the girl. Come alone to Raven Hill before sunset. The moon will bear witness to your end.

For a long time, Derek stared at the letter. His eyes flickered with something unreadable, an emotion so brief it almost did not exist. Then, to Skylar’s confusion, he began to laugh.

It was a deep, unhurried laugh, low at first, then rising until it echoed through the chamber. The sound was not one of madness but amusement. He tossed the letter back onto the table, the smirk on his lips sharp as a blade.

“Let them keep her,” he said, his voice laced with dark amusement. “If they think she matters that much, they’re fools.”

Skylar’s mouth fell open. “Derek, what are you saying? She’s your mate.”

Derek’s eyes turned cold again, like winter frost. “She’s my curse,” he replied simply. “And maybe someone’s doing me a favor by taking her away.”

“But…”

“Enough,” Derek snapped, standing to his full height. The power radiating from him made the air in the room shift, heavy and sharp. “You will not send anyone after her. You will not breathe a word of this to the others. Let her go.”

Skylar’s jaw tightened. He wanted to argue, to shake sense into him, but one look into Derek’s icy stare silenced him.

“As you wish,” Skylar said quietly, bowing his head. “But if this is a trap…”

Derek’s smirk returned. “Then they’ll regret not killing me first.”

He turned back toward the window, watching the pale sun creep higher above the trees. For a brief moment, his expression softened, almost imperceptibly, before vanishing again.

Behind him, Skylar lingered. He knew Derek too well. That laugh, that indifference, it was all a mask. Beneath it was something darker, more dangerous than rage. Something that could burn an entire pack to the ground if provoked.

And whoever had taken Elena had just lit the spark.

×

×

Elena’s wrists burned from the rough ropes that bound them. Every movement sent pain shooting up her arms. The damp air in the stone corridor pressed against her skin, heavy and cold, as two guards dragged her forward. The torches flickered along the walls, casting strange shadows that seemed to follow her every step. She had tried to count the minutes since she’d been taken, but fear had stolen her sense of time.

When the tall iron doors ahead of her creaked open, a gust of cold wind swept through the passage. The guards shoved her inside. The chamber beyond was dimly lit, the air thick with the scent of old stone and burning herbs. At the far end, a hooded figure stood with his back to her, his cloak trailing across the floor like a dark river.

Elena’s breath hitched. The room felt wrong, too quiet, too still. Even the guards hesitated before stepping back and leaving her alone with him. The door shut with a hollow clang, sealing her fate.

“Why are you doing this?” Elena’s voice trembled, echoing faintly in the silence.

The figure did not respond immediately. He remained motionless, as if lost in thought. Then, slowly, he turned. The hood fell away, revealing a face she recognized, a face she wished she could forget. She remembered the name Derek called him.

“Magnus…” she breathed, her heart skipping.

Alpha Magnus. The last time she had seen him, his hand had been wrapped around her throat, his eyes burning with the same fury that glinted in them now. Derek had stopped him that night, stepping between them with that fierce protectiveness only he could have.

And now, here he was, standing before her once again, but there was something different in his eyes. A darkness lingered there, deeper than rage, something unnatural.

“You remember me,” Magnus said, his voice low, cold.

Elena took a step back, her breath uneven. “Why are you doing this? What do you want from me?”

He let out a quiet, humorless laugh. “Want? You think I want anything from you? No, Elena. You are just… necessary.”

Her pulse raced. “Necessary for what?”

Magnus’s lips curved slightly, but there was no joy in his expression. “For balance. For retribution.” He began to pace slowly, his boots echoing against the stone. “You see, after that night, after your beloved Derek humiliated me before the entire council, I swore he would pay. I spent every waking moment searching for a way to strip him of his power. I wanted to make him feel what I felt, powerless.”

Elena’s eyes narrowed. “So you’re doing this because of pride?”

Magnus stopped walking and turned toward her. His expression hardened. “No. Because of destiny.”

“Destiny?” she repeated, disbelief lacing her tone.

“Yes.” His gaze dazzled toward the dark corners of the chamber. “After that night, I sought for power and like miracle, I found answer from that somebody.”

Elena’s stomach tightened. “Who?”

Magnus smiled faintly, though unease flickered in his eyes. “I don’t know. They never told me a name. But they offered me something no mortal Alpha could refuse, a greater power. The kind that could rival Derek’s.”

He moved closer, the light from the torches revealing faint black veins crawling along his neck, pulsing faintly beneath his skin. Elena’s heart pounded. Whatever power he had accepted, it wasn’t natural.

“In return,” Magnus continued, “they asked for you.”

Elena’s breath caught. “Me?”

He nodded. “They said you were the key. I didn’t ask questions. I didn’t care what they wanted with you. I only cared about the strength they gave me.”

Her voice shook. “And you believed them? You don’t even know who they are!”

Magnus’s jaw clenched. “You think I care about that? Derek took everything from me, my honor, my title, my clan’s respect. If this is what it takes to destroy him, then so be it.”

“You’re mad,” Elena whispered.

“Perhaps,” he said, almost calmly. “But I have never been more certain of my purpose.”

He reached out, brushing a strand of her hair aside almost tenderly, but his touch made her skin crawl. “You will come with me to Raven Hill. Once I deliver you, they will complete the pact. Then, Derek will finally know defeat.”

Elena pulled back, shaking her head violently. “You won’t win. Derek will come for me.”

Magnus’s eyes glinted with something like amusement. “I’m counting on it.”

The room fell silent again, except for the crackling of the torches. Outside, faint whispers of wind slid through the cracks in the walls. Magnus turned away, adjusting his cloak, preparing to leave.

But then it happened.

A deep, thunderous roar shattered the stillness. It rolled through the ground, shaking the chamber so violently that dust fell from the ceiling. The guards outside shouted in confusion.

Magnus froze mid-step. His head whipped toward the door.

The sound came again, louder, more primal, echoing through the very heart of the clan grounds. Elena’s eyes widened as she felt it too, not just in her ears but in her bones. A wave of energy swept through the air, dark, suffocating, yet strangely familiar.

The torches flickered, their flames sputtering as a sudden shadow swept through the chamber. The air grew heavy, pressing against her chest until she struggled to breathe. Somewhere deep within the compound, a pulse of dark power surged, radiating outward like a heartbeat.

Elena’s knees went weak. Her body trembled. “What… what is that?” she whispered.

Magnus didn’t answer. He stood perfectly still, his face drained of color, his eyes fixed on the far wall as if he could see beyond it.

The roar came again, closer now, raw and filled with fury. Every instinct in Elena screamed that something had awakened. Something that should have never been disturbed.

Magnus took a step back, his breathing unsteady. His fingers trembled at his side.

“It can’t be…” he muttered.

The torches went out all at once, plunging the room into darkness.

A final, deafening roar tore through the night.

Magnus’s voice broke through the silence, a whisper of disbelief that echoed like a curse.

“Impossible… Derek.”

And then everything went still.