Chapter 12 I will protect you

Chapter 12 I will protect you


Chapter Twelve

Tiara’s POV

The passage behind the sanctuary sealed with a soft thud, plunging us into dim silver light that pulsed gently through the stone walls. The air smelled ancient, thick with dust and forgotten power. My heartbeat echoed in the narrow corridor, loud enough that I feared Cameron might hear it through solid rock.

But Maxie kept moving, carrying me deeper into the hidden path as if my weight meant nothing. His arms were tense beneath me, every muscle coiled tight with fear and determination. Leo walked ahead, scanning every turn with sharp eyes, alert to every whisper of sound.

My fingers curled into Maxie’s shirt, gripping the fabric as if letting go would drop me into darkness.

“Slow your breathing,” Maxie murmured, voice low and steady. “You are safe here.”

I swallowed, drawing a shaky breath. “I can feel him. Even now. It feels like his presence is crawling across my skin.”

“That is because he is searching for you,” Maxie said, his jaw tightening. “He feels the Mark awakening. He has hunted it for years. He will not give up easily.”

I pressed my forehead to his chest. “Why? Why does he want something that should belong to my mate?”

Maxie stiffened slightly. “Because the Moon Mark has power the throne cannot control. To a King who fears being challenged, the Mark is dangerous.”

“But you said I was not dangerous,” I whispered.

“You are not,” he said firmly. “But the power in you is not loyal to any King. Only to the Moon. Only to the bond.”

My pulse skipped. “The bond with you?”

His silence was heavy, painful, and full of everything he wasn’t saying.

Finally, he answered. “Yes.”

Leo glanced back over his shoulder, voice hushed. “We need to move faster. His aura is pressing against the sanctuary walls. The magic is holding, but it will not last if he senses the passage.”

Maxie nodded and shifted me in his arms. “Tiara. Are you able to walk?”

I wanted to say yes. I wanted to look strong, fearless, unshaken. But my legs felt like water, trembling from the vision, the awakening mark, the terror of hearing Cameron’s voice echo through the trees.

“I… think so,” I said.

Maxie lowered me gently, his hands lingering on my waist as I steadied myself. His touch sent warmth traveling through me, grounding me in a way words never could.

“Lean on me,” he said softly.

I did.

His hand slid to the small of my back, steady and sure. Leo resumed leading us down the path, slower now that I was walking, but still urgent.

The corridor sloped downward, the air growing cooler. The faint glow along the walls pulsed rhythmically, almost like a heartbeat responding to mine.

“Maxie,” I said quietly, “what did I remember earlier?”

His eyes softened without losing their alertness. “Tell me.”

I inhaled, the memory flickering painfully at the edges of my mind. “Snow. Blood. Someone behind me. A voice whispering in my ear before everything went dark.”

Leo slowed. “A voice?” he asked. “Whose?”

“I do not know,” I whispered. “But it was someone familiar. Someone from the pack. A voice that should not have frightened me.”

Maxie’s hand tightened on my back. “Try,” he said gently. “Try to remember.”

I closed my eyes, letting the memory swirl, letting it settle enough for images to sharpen.

“I was arguing with someone,” I whispered. “I cannot see their face. Only a coat. Dark. The sound of their boots crunching in snow.” I swallowed. “They said something. Something like…” My throat tightened.

Maxie brushed his fingers along my arm. “It is alright.”

“No,” I said, shaking my head. “I need to remember. They said…” I forced the words out. “‘You should not have loved him.’”

Leo stopped walking entirely.

Maxie froze beside me.

The silence felt suffocating.

I opened my eyes, breath trembling. “I think the person who killed me was jealous. Angry. And they knew about us.”

Maxie exhaled slowly, his expression darkening with memory and regret. “Many knew,” he said. “But none should have had enough hatred to touch you.”

Leo’s voice came low and carefully controlled. “There were wolves who disliked her. Especially after the bond became obvious.”

Maxie’s jaw flexed. “Dislike is not murder.”

“No,” Leo said quietly. “But obsession is.”

I shivered. “Who was obsessed?”

Leo exchanged a heavy look with Maxie, something unspoken passing between them.

I grabbed Maxie’s sleeve. “Who?”

He hesitated only a moment, then answered.

“Alpha Marcus.”

My breath stopped.

“The former Alpha of Red Night Pack?” I whispered.

“Yes,” Maxie said.

“I thought he died during the war.”

“He did,” Maxie said. “But before that… before everything fell apart… he was here. Visiting. Seeking alliances. He saw you with me.”

Leo’s voice was grim. “He saw the Mark too. And he wanted its power for himself.”

My heart thudded painfully. “So he…?”

“He confronted you the night you died,” Maxie said, voice tight with grief he had buried for years. “I arrived too late.”

My hand flew to my chest. “And you never told anyone.”

Maxie’s gaze dropped. “It was your final wish.”

I swallowed hard. “My what?”

“You told me,” he whispered, “with your last breath, not to start a war. You told me to protect the pack. To protect your memory. You made me promise not to chase vengeance.”

My vision wavered with tears. “And you honored that?”

“I did,” he said. “Even though it destroyed me.”

I stepped closer, my fingers trembling as I touched his jaw. “How could you bear that alone?”

He didn’t move. “I deserved the pain.”

Leo cleared his throat. “We should move. The passage will close soon.”

We continued deeper. My wolf pressed against my mind, restless, whispering fragments I could not yet piece together.

As we approached the end of the corridor, a faint silver glow appeared ahead, marking the sanctuary’s secondary exit.

But before we reached it, a sudden vibration surged through the stone beneath our feet.

Maxie stiffened. “He sensed the passage.”

Leo cursed. “He is forcing his aura against the magic. I can feel the pressure.”

“We are out of time,” Maxie said. “Tiara, stay behind me.”

The ground trembled again.

The temperature dropped as if someone had opened a door to winter.

Then, faint but unmistakable, Cameron’s voice seeped through the stone.

“You cannot run from me forever, girl. I will tear the truth from your bones if I must.”

My blood turned cold.

Maxie grabbed my hand, pulling me forward with urgency that bordered on panic.

“Move,” he commanded. “Move now.”

We ran, our footsteps echoing down the corridor, the silver exit growing brighter with every second.

But just as we reached the opening, a shadow flickered behind the veil of light.

A silhouette.

A figure.

Standing directly in our path.

Leo stopped short. “What is that?”

Maxie pushed me behind him, muscles tensing.

The figure stepped forward into the silver glow.

A man.

Tall. Familiar.

His voice carried through the light.

“…Tiara?”

My breath caught in my chest.

I knew that voice.

Somewhere deep inside my mind, my wolf opened her eyes fully, growling a single word.