Page 26

CHAPTER 26

S ilas

The moment the King died, the Nyktos turned on each other.

There was no sound to signal it, no obvious command, just a sudden, violent shift. One second, they were standing in the shadows, watching and waiting. The next, they were tearing into one another, their long, scrawny limbs flailing, their black eyes wild with fury and madness.

I had seen pack fights before, seen dominance battles where wolves would rip each other apart for control.

This wasn’t like any of that.

This was rabid, disorganized, pure fucking mayhem.

They had no leader now and without one, they were nothing but hunger. I didn’t wait to see how long it would take before they came after us instead.

“ Move! ” I snarled, my body aching with every breath.

Rowan was already ahead of me, his giant black wolf barreling up the tunnel toward the entrance.

Lia was beside me, her wolf form smaller, but just as fierce, her breath coming in quick bursts as she kept pace with the rest of us. Varek was at the rear, his fur matted with blood, dragging one of the Nyktos corpses in his jaws.

We ran literally for our lives.

My paws pounded against the dirt, the stench of decay and death thick in my nose, my muscles screaming as I forced myself to keep moving.

The entrance was close. I could smell the fresh air, the scent of the forest beyond the cave. Behind us, though, the shrill sound of Nyktos tearing into each other still echoed, a chorus of chittering and clicking and dying things.

Good. Let them consume themselves.

We exploded from the entrance like ghosts escaping the grave, the cold night air slamming into us, sharp and biting against our bloodstained fur.

We didn’t stop running. Not until the smell of the cave was gone. Not until those ungodly sounds had faded. Not until my instincts told me we were far enough away that nothing was following us.

We ran until my body felt numb, until the only thing keeping me upright was pure fucking rage and adrenaline.

Then, finally, we stopped.

The forest was silent around us.

We had traveled far, miles away from the cave, pausing for just a minute to grab our packs from our old camp by the ridge and pushing until none of us could move anymore. The clearing we found was nestled deep between the trees, the thick brush providing cover, the air fresh and unspoiled by the scent of death.

I shifted first, my body protesting as I forced myself upright on two legs again. The pain hit immediately. I had deep cuts across my ribs, bruises formed along my arms, and my muscles screamed from the relentless strain.

Rowan was next, the shift almost violent as his huge wolf melted into his human form, his face hardened by his own pain as he wiped a streak of blood from his mouth.

Varek leaned against a tree and let the body of the Nyktos fall to the ground beside him, exhaling sharply as he forced himself to shift. His body was a mess of wounds, deep slashes across his arms and torso, but he didn’t complain.

Then there was Lia.

She was slower to shift, her breathing ragged and shallow, her body visibly trembling from exhaustion. Blood matted her hair at the temple, where I knew she’d hit the rocks during the fight, and her skin was more than just streaked with dirt—there were deep, claw-torn gashes along her shoulder and thigh, one of them still sluggishly bleeding. Dark bruises were already blossoming across her ribs, and the way she held herself—tight, careful—told me more than she would probably admit.

Broken ribs, several probably. Still, she had run. Fought. Shifted for the first time and kept up with wolves twice her size, faster, stronger, more experienced.

My chest ached.

She stood there, not asking for anything, not leaning on anyone, just… enduring. When her green eyes met mine, I saw it—the stubborn fire, yes, but something else too: quiet, courageous determination. She was that little girl, standing alone and unafraid amidst the ruins of her war-torn city all over again.

She hadn’t just survived. She had saved us.

And she looked like she was ready to do it again if I asked.

I stepped toward her without thinking, reaching out to steady her before her knees could give way. She didn’t resist, didn’t protest, just leaned into my side, letting herself rest against me for a breath, maybe two.

“Lia,” I said quietly, and my voice cracked with emotion.

I swallowed my heart, my throat tight as I looked at her.

We had gone in with seven; there were only four of us left.

Lia exhaled slowly, her voice soft. “We should set up camp.”

No one argued. We were too fucking tired to argue.

We moved like people who had seen something they shouldn’t have ever had to see, who had been to the edge of hell and barely fought our way back. Varek and Rowan cleared a space for a fire pit, their movements spare and methodical. I grabbed the nearest fallen log and dropped it near the fire pit, my hands aching as I ran them through my hair, trying to shake off the horror we’d experienced. Lia gathered fallen branches for us to burn.

Sitting down next to me, Lia pulled the blanket I had given her around her shoulders. She didn’t speak. None of us did.

The fire flickered to life, the only sound the distant rustling of the trees, the occasional snap of wood as Rowan fed another branch into the flames. Lia moved beside me, hesitating before reaching for my hand, lacing her fingers with mine.

I clenched my jaw, looking down at our joined hands, feeling the warmth of her skin, the beautiful, quiet presence of her beside me.

We had survived, but it didn’t feel like a victory right now. It felt like we had barely crawled out of a grave that had already been dug especially for us. The loss of Ryan, Hale, and Caleb was a heavy weight in my chest.

Rowan exhaled loudly, running a hand through his own matted hair, his expression mournful. “I’ll take first watch.” His voice was rough, full of the quiet grief none of us were ready to put into words.

Varek grunted, rubbing at his side where one of the Nyktos had sliced him. “Wake me in a few hours.” Without another word, he stood, stretching before disappearing into his bedroll, leaving just Lia and me by the fire.

The silence stretched between us, profound and almost palpable.

Lia sat close to me, her face turned toward the flames. The firelight flickered against her skin, catching the gentle curve of her cheekbones in the soft light. Her hair was still a mess from the fight, her lips chapped, her body covered in slashes and bruises, dirt and dried blood.

She had never looked stronger or more beautiful.

I shifted slightly, adjusting my weight as I turned toward her. “You did well today, Wildcat.”

Lia blinked, glancing up at me, uncertainty in her eyes. “I almost died,” she muttered.

“We all almost died,” I replied gently.

She huffed, shaking her head, but I saw the small, reluctant smile lift the corner of her mouth.

I exhaled slowly, reaching out, brushing my fingers over her skin, tracing the cuts and bruises that peppered her body.

“I mean it, Lia. You fought damn well.” My jaw tightened. “If you hadn’t come for us, we’d be dead.”

Her lips parted slightly, like she wasn’t sure how to respond.

I let my hand trail down her arm, just feeling the warmth of her skin, the steady beat of her pulse beneath my touch.

“You saved me,” I murmured, my voice gruff with emotion. “You saved all of us.”

Lia swallowed, her breath catching. “You told me to run. I did, a long way, but I came back. I disobeyed you.”

“I did tell you to run.” I let my hand drift higher, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, letting my fingers linger on her face. “And you didn’t listen.” I smirked. “For once, I’m glad you disobeyed me.”

She laughed softly, but the sound was thick. “I was terrified,” she admitted.

I nodded. “So was I.”

Her gaze flickered to mine, momentarily surprised by my admission.

“But we made it,” she whispered, and a little smile broke through.

I ran my thumb along the curve of her cheek, savoring the way she leaned into my touch, trusting me, needing me as much as I needed her.

“Yeah,” I murmured. “We did.”

I wanted to say more. I wanted to tell her how much I needed her, how I had spent years trying to convince myself that leaving her behind had been the right choice—only to realize that nothing had ever felt right without her. Now wasn’t the time, though.

Instead, I leaned in, pressing a slow, lingering kiss to her forehead. She relaxed a little and reached for me, running her hands over my arms as though reassuring herself I was still there, strong and solid.

I pulled her close, the firelight decorating us, as she melted into me. Her hands wrapped around my biceps, like if she let go, I might disappear.

I wrapped my arms around her in response, pulling her deeper into my chest, letting her rest against me as I ran slow, easy circles over her back with my palm.

She smelled like firewood and blood, her scent still laced with adrenaline, but underneath it was her, that wild, untamed scent that had always belonged to me.

We stayed like that for a long time, neither of us speaking, both of us simply breathing. Finally, I felt her move slightly, the tension in her muscles giving way to softness.

I pressed my lips to the top of her head. “You’re tired.”

Lia sighed, her breath warm against my chest. “Yeah, I am.”

I huffed a quiet laugh. “Me too. Come on. Time for bed.”

I moved to stand, gathering her in my arms, being careful of her injuries. She made a noise of protest, squirming slightly in my grasp.

“Silas, I can walk?—”

I gave her a look, smirking slightly. “And yet, here you are, not walking.”

She made a face. “You don’t have to carry me.”

I didn’t respond. I didn’t have to do anything, but I wanted to. I ignored her pout and stood, effortlessly lifting her against my chest.

Lia muttered a curse under her breath, wiggling half-heartedly. “I’m fine.”

I took a deep breath, and squeezed my arms around her just a little bit. “I know that, Lia.” I met her eyes, my voice lowering. “But you’re going to let me take care of you because it’s something I need to do.”

She went still and her green eyes shone with something deep and unspoken.

Then, finally, she sighed, resting her head on my shoulder. “Okay. But just this once.”

I smirked. “Sure.”

She snorted softly, but she didn’t fight me. Instead, she curled against me, her fingers brushing absently over my chest as I carried her toward our tent.

Inside, the air was warmer, the faint scent of pine and smoke clinging to the canvas. I set her down gently on the bedroll, pulling the blankets up over her before settling in beside her.

She immediately nestled into me, head on my shoulder, pressing her face into the crook of my neck, her body fitting against mine like it belonged there. I pulled her closer, wrapping an arm around her waist, letting my fingers trace draw circles along the bare skin of her hip.

“Silas?” she murmured sleepily.

“Hm?”

She sighed, her breath warm on my throat. “I meant what I said: I love you.”

My heart ached.

I pressed a kiss against her hair and pulled her closer. “I love you too, my sweet mate.”

With a hum of contentment, her body relaxed completely, and within moments, her breathing evened out as she drifted into sleep. I stayed awake for a little while longer, listening to her heartbeat, feeling the steady rise and fall of her chest.

She had saved me. She’d saved Rowan and Varek too.

I would spend the rest of my life making sure she never regretted it.