Chapter 43: The Breaking Point

The heat seared my skin. I bit down on my lip hard enough to taste blood, but I didn’t pull away. I couldn’t.

The fire licked at the metal, heating it slowly, the links of the cuffs glowing dull red in the dim light. The pain was unbearable, a sharp, burning agony that crawled up my arms, but I forced myself to stay still.

Just a little more.

The silver was still sapping my strength, making it harder to breathe, harder to stay conscious. But I had no choice. If I passed out here, if I lost my focus for even a second, I wouldn’t get another chance.

I pressed the metal closer to the flames, my body trembling with effort. My vision blurred. I barely felt the skin on my wrists blistering.

Focus. Breathe. Keep going.

The seconds stretched into eternity. Then, with a sharp crack, the metal gave.

Relief and pain hit me in the same wave.

The broken cuff fell away, clattering onto the stone floor. My wrist throbbed, the raw skin blistered and burned, but I barely felt it over the rush of adrenaline.

I was free.

Not completely—the chains on my ankles still bound me, but my hands were free. And that was all I needed.

I wasted no time.

Moving as quickly as my weakened body allowed, I reached down, ignoring the sting in my fingers as I worked at the iron bindings around my ankles. They weren’t silver, which meant I still had a little strength left. Not much, but enough.

The lock was old. Rusted.

I wedged my fingers between the chains, twisting, pulling—

Come on. Come on.

Another sharp tug, and the metal groaned, loosening just enough for me to slip my foot free.

I swallowed a breath, pressing a hand against the cold stone as I steadied myself. My body felt heavier than it should, sluggish from exhaustion, but I forced myself to move. I didn’t have time to rest. Kael would come back. And when he did, I wouldn’t be here.

I pushed myself up onto unsteady feet, swallowing a hiss as my wrists throbbed at the movement. My legs felt weak, but I ignored it, staggering toward the far wall where I had felt the air shift earlier.

The vent was small—barely noticeable in the darkness. But the air was cooler here, drifting in from somewhere beyond.

I traced my fingers along the stone, searching for an edge, a gap big enough to pry loose.

Nothing.

My chest tightened.

No. I didn’t come this far just to be trapped again.

I pressed harder, feeling for any weakness in the rock. My fingers brushed against a section that felt different—smoother than the rest.

I sucked in a sharp breath.

A stone block. Loose.

I wedged my fingers beneath the edge, ignoring the sting of peeling skin as I dug my nails in and pulled.

At first, nothing happened. Then, slowly, the stone shifted.

I gritted my teeth, using every ounce of strength left in my battered body. The block groaned against the pressure, dust and dirt crumbling onto my hands as it scraped free.

I staggered back, coughing against the sudden rush of stale air.

A tunnel. Small, narrow—but just big enough for me to squeeze through.

I didn’t waste a second. Dropping to my hands and knees, I crawled forward, wincing as the rough stone scraped against my already raw wrists. The tunnel was tight, pressing in from all sides, but I forced myself forward.

Every muscle in my body screamed in protest, but I didn’t stop. Not until the cold night air hit my face. I dragged myself forward, gasping as I tumbled onto damp earth. The scent of the forest wrapped around me, crisp and fresh compared to the stagnant air inside the cell.

I was out.

I pushed myself up, blinking against the darkness. The trees stretched high above, their branches swaying in the wind. But I wasn’t safe yet. I needed to move.

I forced my legs into motion, stumbling forward. The ground was uneven beneath my bare feet, but I didn’t care. The only thing that mattered now was putting as much distance between me and that dungeon as possible.

I didn’t know how long I ran. Minutes? Hours?

It didn’t matter. All that mattered was survival.

Eventually, exhaustion won. My legs gave out beneath me, and I collapsed against the base of a thick tree, my breath coming in ragged gasps.

I was weak. Barely able to move. But I was free.

I let my head rest against the bark, staring up at the stars through the gaps in the branches. I knew Dax was coming for me, but I wouldn’t wait for him. I would find my way back. On my own.

The forest swallowed me whole.

I forced my aching limbs to move once more, one foot in front of the other, ignoring the fire burning in my muscles. The cold night air bit at my exposed skin, sending shivers racing down my spine. My body was battered, bruised, and drained from the silver that had leeched my strength, but I refused to stop.

Not until I was far, far away from Kael.

Not until I was home.

I pressed a hand against the rough bark of a tree, steadying myself as dizziness washed over me. My stomach twisted painfully, reminding me that I hadn’t eaten in—goddess, how long had it been?

I had no idea where I was. Kael’s dungeon had been underground, which meant I could be anywhere beyond the southern border. And if that was the case…

A sharp rustle in the underbrush snapped my attention back into focus.

I stilled, barely breathing, my heart hammering in my chest. Something moved in the darkness. A low growl rumbled from the shadows.

I clenched my fists, gritting my teeth. If it was one of Kael’s men, I’d fight. I had no weapon, no strength left, but I wouldn’t let them take me again.

A pair of glowing blue eyes locked onto me from the undergrowth.

Not Kael’s men.

Wolves.

Shit.

One wolf stepped into the moonlight, its black fur rippling over lean muscle. Its ears flattened, its lip curling to reveal sharp canines. Another appeared beside it, gray and mottled, its eyes locked onto me with unsettling hunger.

Rogues.

I swallowed hard. There were only two of them that I could see, but that didn’t mean there weren’t more lurking in the shadows.

If they attacked, I was dead.

I tensed, standing my ground. Running would be useless—I had no energy left to shift, and even if I did, I wouldn’t be fast enough to escape.

I took a slow, measured step backward, keeping my eyes on them.

The black wolf snarled, lowering itself into a crouch.

Damn it.

I needed a weapon. A rock, a branch—anything. My fingers brushed against the trunk of a tree, and I fought to keep my breathing steady.

The rogues were waiting, watching.

Hunting.

Then, just as the black wolf bunched its muscles to lunge—

A deafening snarl tore through the night.

The wolves froze.

My heart leapt into my throat.

A blur of motion crashed into the black rogue, sending it sprawling. A massive form followed, muscles rippling beneath golden fur.

Not a rogue.

Not Kael’s men.

Dax.

Relief flooded through me so fast it nearly knocked me off my feet.

The second rogue let out a sharp yelp, turning tail and disappearing into the undergrowth. Dax didn’t follow. He turned toward me instead, eyes blazing in the darkness.

His massive wolf towered over me, fur bristling.

I tried to take a step forward, but the exhaustion hit me all at once. My legs buckled, and before I could hit the ground, Dax was there.

His shift was seamless—one second, a wolf, the next, a man.

Warm, strong arms caught me, pulling me against his chest.

"Alina." His voice was rough, strained.

I pressed my face into his shoulder, letting myself breathe him in. The scent of pine and smoke and something unmistakably him filled my lungs.

I was safe.

His grip tightened around me. "You're hurt." I let out a weak laugh. "You should see the other guy." He pulled back just enough to cup my face, his fingers brushing over my raw wrists. His jaw clenched, fury darkening his gaze. "Kael—"

"Let’s not talk about him right now."

Dax exhaled slowly, forcing himself to calm. His hands didn’t leave my skin, as if reassuring himself that I was real, that I was here. "Can you walk?"

I grimaced. "I’ll manage."

His eyes flashed with something unreadable before he scooped me into his arms like I weighed nothing.

I barely had the strength to protest. His warmth seeped into my frozen skin, his heartbeat a steady, grounding rhythm against my ear. "You're safe now," he murmured.

I closed my eyes, letting myself believe it.

By the time we reached the camp, the exhaustion had sunk into my bones.

Dax carried me past the perimeter guards without a word, his grip firm but careful. I was vaguely aware of the murmurs that followed us, of the way warriors straightened at the sight of me—bloodied, weak, but alive.

Then we were inside.

The tent was warm, the air thick with the scent of firewood and herbs. Dax set me down on a cot, his touch lingering for just a second longer than necessary before he pulled away.

"Stay here," he ordered. "I'll get Valen."

I reached out, catching his wrist before he could leave. "Dax."

He stilled.

I swallowed hard. There were a million things I wanted to say. A thousand questions, confessions, fears tangled up in my mind.

But only two words made it past my lips.

"Thank you."

His expression softened, just slightly. He turned his hand, his fingers brushing against mine before he pulled away.

"Rest," he said. "We’ll talk later."

Then he was gone, leaving me alone with nothing but the sound of my own heartbeat pounding in my ears.

I let out a slow breath, staring up at the canvas ceiling.

Kael thought he had won.

He thought I’d break.

But I was still here.

And I wasn’t done fighting.