Aiden’s Pov
“How dare you, Skylar?” I snarled, my wolf teetering on the edge of control. My voice echoed off the cold stone walls of the dungeon. Skylar stood behind the bars, her head bowed, silent and unflinching, with part of her face hidden in the dim light.
“Tell me who this shadow is, Skylar!” I ordered, authority lacing my voice as I stepped closer, struggling to contain my anger. But my Alpha command fell flat. Skylar remained mute. How was she managing to resist? She’s a Beta wolf, and my command should have worked on her. Then again, Skylar has always been full of surprises.
The moment I broke free from Skylar’s mind shackles, I threw her in the dungeon-not just any dungeon, but one hidden deep within the pack’s territory.
“You’re torturing a pregnant woman, Aiden,” she finally spoke, her voice trembling, eyes welling with tears. She tried to use her pregnancy as a shield, but it wasn’t going to work this time.
“Did you think of Shenaya’s pregnancy when you threw her off the cliff?” I retorted. My words left her speechless. If I hadn’t known Skylar as well as I did, I might have fallen for her act. But her tears and the sad look on her face were as fake as her love. Still, I wasn’t raised to torture anyone, let alone a pregnant woman, regardless of their evil deeds. I was simply keeping her under lock and key, hoping to bait her mysterious shadow lover.
When I told her I knew everything-the betrayal, the lies, the manipulation, and most importantly, how I found the jar she used to bind my wolf-the shock on her face was priceless. It’s been seven days since she’s been in the dungeon, and yet her shadowy knight, whom she called Mighty, hadn’t shown up to rescue her. What a lover.
“By the end of the day, if your knight in invisible armor doesn’t show up, you’ll be moved to house arrest until you give birth,” I told her. Her face fell because she knew what it meant. No one would be able to break into the dark room to save her, as it was shielded with heavy dark magic-an ancient dungeon for witches.
I headed toward the training field, where warriors were practicing vigorously. I’d been on high alert ever since I overheard the conversation between Skylar and Mighty. It turned out all the staff Skylar had replaced were trained assassins in disguise. Lucas suggested poisoning them all at once, and that’s how we wiped them out.
Despite this, I knew a great danger still loomed. The threat wasn’t over yet, and I was prepared for the shadow to make his move. But nothing had happened-yet.
The sun began to set, and the air grew thick, just as it had for the past seven days. I had informed my warriors of the looming danger, and everyone had been on edge since. We’d trained harder than ever throughout the day because we knew anything could happen at any moment.
I thought we were ready.
As night fell and everyone began to relax after the long day, I prepared to retreat to a nearby chamber close to the territory gate when I caught the faintest scent of an unfamiliar wolf.
“An intruder is in the territory!” I roared, loud enough for everyone to hear. Warriors immediately took their positions, every muscle tensed, every sense heightened. My wolf bristled inside me as I scanned the dark forest surrounding the pack territory. I hadn’t seen anyone yet, but I knew something was wrong. My wolf’s instincts were never wrong.
A distant howl shattered the silence of the night, followed by sounds of struggle. My heart sank as I realized what had just happened. We’d been ambushed by the shadow.
I raced toward the commotion, my warriors already converging on the location. As I moved closer, figures shifted through the trees-too many to count. Were these Mighty’s forces, striking under the cover of darkness?
“Defensive formation!” I barked, and my warriors immediately formed a protective barrier around the pack house. But the attack was swift and calculated. Before we could react, explosions of light and sound erupted around us, leaving my warriors disoriented.
Wolves streamed in from every direction, their eyes glowing with supernatural savagery. They tore through our defenses with terrifying precision, cutting us down before we could regroup. And in the midst of the chaos, I saw him-Mighty himself, his towering figure cloaked in darkness, moving with deadly grace.
He headed straight for the dungeon as if he knew every nook and cranny of my pack.
“Protect the Alpha!” someone shouted, but I bolted in Mighty’s direction, determined to intercept him before he could reach Skylar. By the time I got to the corner of the pack house, he was already dragging Skylar out of the dungeon. I was too late. Skylar looked at me, her face pale, and threw me a triumphant smirk. He had her, and we were losing this fight.
“Leave her alone!” I roared, launching myself at him with all my strength. Mighty responded in kind, and our wolves clashed in a flurry of fur and fangs, battling for dominance. Neither of us was willing to back down.
He was overprepared. The viciousness with which he fought made me doubt that this was just about rescuing Skylar. He fought like he had been preparing for this moment for decades. Every move was calculated, and each aimed to kill.
My warriors tried to join the fight, but Mighty’s forces held them at bay, leaving me to face him alone.
The truth was, he was stronger, faster, and more determined. I didn’t stand a chance. He punched me in the face and swiped his claws across my skin, sending me crashing into the stone wall of the dungeon. Pain shot through my body, but I forced myself to stand, trying to hide the agony.
As I struggled to maintain my balance, he grabbed Skylar and disappeared into the darkness, his wolves vanishing with him. The night fell silent again as the ambush ended as quickly as it had started. We were left with nothing but the wreckage of the attack and the bitter taste of defeat.