Page 24 of A Reign of Malice (Wolves of Lunara #3)

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

JULIAN

I ’ve been staring into the darkness ever since Sloane left, solely focused on a singular spot. One that I’m certain is real and can no longer deny that something has changed.

When Sloane first found the runes, when I first sensed her close, there was a change in the air. I’d attributed it to my hope of finally being free and nothing more, but with this third visit, there’s no denying that all is not as it has been for the last couple centuries.

The crack is so faint, I nearly think I’ve imagined it, but combined with the fact that the once-suffocating magic wrapped around this prison seems to be loosening, like a hand unclenching after years of gripping too tightly… I can’t deny what’s right in front of me.

My wolf stirs. His presence is fragile, far too weak for what he once was, but no longer fading either.

The crack is real. And however it formed, it’s changed everything.

Sloane doesn’t have to be the one to save me. She doesn’t have to risk herself for me .

The runes carved into the cave walls pulse—a slow, flickering glow that falters every so often.

Something I might not notice if I tore my gaze away for even a second.

They’ve been unwavering since the day I awoke in this darkness, humming with the sinister magic that’s kept me caged, siphoning my strength drop by agonizing drop.

But now they stutter, as though whatever holds them together is struggling to breathe.

It has to be Sloane’s presence, her ability to bring her astral form to me. The memory of her drunken smile makes my chest ache, but the fact that even in that state, she called herself mine keeps me standing.

My mate is doing what no one else has been able to do in centuries.

She’s cracking the spell from the outside.

Water moves around my body as I allow myself to float in place, relaxing my muscles.

I don’t know how long it’s going to take, but I’m going to get out of here, and when I do, I’m going to be ready.

The chains may hold me now, rattling with every little movement as a reminder of my fate, but they’ll break eventually.

I feel the truth of it in my soul. In this new tremor in the walls.

Because if there’s a crack, there’s a way out.

The triumphant thought is almost eclipsed by the fire in my gut that won’t be quenched.

Fury at Aeson.

Every time I think his name, my wolf stirs. My beast’s presence might be a ghost of the strength I used to have, but he’s still here, trying to claw his way back to the surface.

My brother did this to me. My blood. He took my life, my kingdom, my future. But this time, he made a mistake.

He lured my mate here, allowing her to find me .

And the moment I’m out of these chains, I’m going to tear him apart with my bare hands.

I don’t care what it takes. I’ll rip his throne out from under him and burn down everything he’s built from the ashes of my suffering. I’ll end him for what he did to Lira, for what he’s done to Sloane, and for everything he’s taken from me.

Another pulse shudders through the cave, this one significant enough that I jerk up out of the water, gripping my shackles as I search for any changes.

The runes above me flicker again, their glow dimming for a breath before they return to life.

My prison hums, charged with something unfamiliar—not dark magic, but something older, heavier.

Someone else is coming.

I don’t know how I know, only that I do.

And it’s not Sloane. Not this time.

This power is celestial, but not gentle. This is something with sharper edges, all radiant beauty wrapped around lethal intent.

Aurora.

I’ve never met her, only heard the stories of the creator goddess, the mother of wolves, the one who long ago abandoned us. When Sloane mentioned she was calling for her, I tried to caution her, but she either didn’t remember or chose to ignore my warning.

Either way, it’s too late.

The cave shudders again, a thin crack spiderwebbing through the stone beneath the runes. It’s not enough to break them, but I feel the fracture like a heartbeat beneath my feet, the faintest tremor echoing through my bones.

The water around my waist ripples, shifting in subtle currents that have nothing to do with me. The shackles at my wrists hum, vibrating with the sheer force of what’s coming. And then, light explodes into the cavern.

It’s not warmth. Not hope. Not salvation.

This light burns. It cuts through the darkness like a blade honed too well, slicing through every shadow, swallowing what’s left of the cave’s silence until there’s nothing left but blinding, merciless radiance.

A figure emerges at the edge of the cave, forged from that brilliance itself—a woman draped in liquid gold, her very skin gleaming like fiery sunlight.

Aurora’s presence hums with divinity, and the air is so thick with her power it’s suffocating. Her crimson hair flows like a river of flames, licking at the edges of her body without ever touching her. Her violet eyes glow with something ancient, both beautiful and terrifying.

She isn’t just powerful. She is power.

Aurora tilts her head, those otherworldly eyes burning through me, dissecting me piece by piece, as if seeing not only my broken body, but everything that led me here.

“So, this is the lost prince,” she says, her voice smooth, almost lazy, yet edged with something dangerous. “The wolf the world forgot.”

Her ruby lips curve just enough to show amusement, like I’m something both fascinating and pathetic.

My instincts scream to kneel, to lower my gaze, to offer the deference the gods once commanded from our kind.

I refuse.

Instead, I straighten my spine, squaring my shoulders despite the ache, and meet her gaze head-on. “And you’re the goddess who abandoned us.”

Her laugh is soft, a melodic hum that shouldn’t be terrifying but is.

“Ah, you know not what you speak of, but I’m glad to see you still have a spine, even after all these years.

” She takes a slow step forward, each movement effortless, as if she glides instead of walks.

“I see now why the others risked calling me on Sloane’s behalf. ”

At the mention of my mate, my hands curl into fists at my sides. My wolf snarls within me, not yet whole, but stronger than before. “This is on me,” I growl. “Not Sloane. She should be left?—”

“Careful, little wolf.” Aurora lifts a single finger, her expression cooling. “Before you say something I can’t ignore, know this. Your mate is safe. For now.”

My jaw clenches. “ For now ?”

She comes closer, her feet never quite touching the stone, her radiance bending the air around her like a living thing.

“Your mate is clever, but she’s reckless.

” Her gaze glides over the chains around my wrists, the spell-crafted metal glowing faintly beneath her scrutiny.

“Though, she did ask for my help. I can’t fault her for that when we all know it comes at a price. ”

The words hang between us dangerously.

I exhale slowly, carefully. “What do you want?”

Her smile tightens, the barest curl of her mouth, enough to feel like a dagger at my throat. “That’s for me to know and you to find out, but only when I’m ready.”

My stomach churns, but I don’t back down. Aeson took everything from me once. I won’t trade one prison for another. “You can’t expect me to agree to a debt without knowing its cost.”

Her eyes darken, the violet edges pulsing faintly.

“Oh, but I can.” The goddess’s power hums through the cave, the very walls shuddering in response.

“But that’s not the point, prince. This deal isn’t for you.

Sloane called for me. She’ll be the one to make the deal.

I only came to decide if you’re worth it. ”

I hate that my hands vibrate at my sides. Hate that I know the truth of this moment.

I don’t get a choice here.

“And if you think you can talk her out of this, just know she won’t be visiting today. She’s busy preparing for her bonding ceremony to your brother.” As my chest rumbles, she adds, “One that takes place tomorrow.”

The world around me slams to a halt.

At first, I can’t breathe. My lungs constrict as if someone’s reached inside me and squeezed. The air feels too thin, too sharp. My wolf howls in agony deep within my mind, a sound that tears through my bones and leaves behind only rage and disbelief.

Sloane. My mate. Being bound to Aeson tomorrow ?

I taste blood—real or imagined, I can’t tell—as my jaw locks, grinding with such force I nearly shatter teeth. I thought I had more time.

My hands curl into fists, nails biting into skin, trying to keep myself present, to stop myself from shifting right here and now.

The image of her in a gown, standing beside him , promising herself to that monster, burns into my skull.

And the worst part is the fear. The sickening realization that I might be too late.

Though, Aurora is right about one thing. This isn’t about me. It’s about my mate.

If I don’t convince this goddess I’m worthy, if I hesitate in accepting her help, I could lose everything.

My mate. My kingdom. My vengeance.

“What do I need to do to prove my worth?” I finally say, voice raw, low, and deadly calm because beneath the chaos brewing inside me, I know one truth:

I will not let her belong to him. Not now. Not ever.

Aurora watches me with patient, knowing eyes as she stays perched at the edge of the water. “You already did. By surviving this hell that was meant to kill you long ago. You’ll fit right in with Asher and Theo, but not yet. I have a few more things to do before I free you.”

“What?” My snarl echoes around us. “You can get me out of here now, but you’re refusing?”

“Patience, wolf.” She flicks her long hair over her shoulder. “Be a good boy, and I’ll be back before you know it.”

“Don’t do this, Aurora.”

But she’s already gone, vanishing in a burst of golden light, leaving only the scent of rain and scorched earth in her wake.

The silence that follows feels heavier than the chains on my wrists.

My chest heaves, rage boiling under my skin until it’s all I can feel. My roar shatters the stillness, a sound so raw my throat burns with it, but I’m not alone.

My wolf howls inside me, his presence no longer faint or fading. He’s back. Stronger, aware, and ready for battle.

I don’t question whether this was Aurora’s gift or my own fury reviving him. Though, I do test this new feeling.

His essence expands through my chest, up my arms, and down my legs. I tighten my fingers into fists and without thinking of the potential consequences, I call my wolf to the surface and pull on my chains.

Once, twice, and then… freedom .

My shackles break, and I stumble forward. The water pricks at my skin, angry that I’ve summoned my wolf’s power, but there’s no stopping me.

I trudge forward, hauling myself onto the rocks, then have to yank my legs up the rest of the way as my pants get snagged. My chest heaves once I’m out of the harrowing trench, but there’s a smile on my face.

Aurora might’ve left me here, but for the first time in centuries, I can breathe.

And when I do, I taste vengeance in the air.

Tomorrow, Aeson’s reign ends.