Chapter 26 Twenty six
Harper POV
I immediately took my mom’s car and drove to the Alpha’s mansion, my hands shaking so badly on the steering wheel that I almost swerved twice. The road blurred past me, streetlights stretching into long streaks of gold and white. My heart wouldn’t slow down, no matter how many times I told myself to breathe.
The fact that they weren’t using the mansion for the wedding said everything. Alpha Derek was hiding something. Hiding Koda.
I pressed harder on the accelerator.
If I was wrong—if I was just being paranoid—then fine. I’d deal with that humiliation later. But if I was right… if Koda was still chained up like an animal while his father stood at an altar pretending to be a loving man—
My jaw clenched.
I wasn’t turning back.
I pulled up in front of the mansion and parked crookedly, not even bothering to straighten the car. I jumped out, my heels clicking too loudly against the stone driveway. The place looked dead. No lights. No laughter. No maids rushing around like there usually were.
Just silence.
Cold, thick silence.
I rushed toward the entrance and froze when a guard stepped into view, his massive frame blocking the doorway.
“Why are you here?” he demanded, his eyes narrowing.
My stomach dropped, but I didn’t let it show. I lifted my chin and forced confidence into my voice. “The Alpha sent me. His suit was ruined, and I was told to come get another one from his wardrobe.”
The lie tasted bitter on my tongue.
The guard studied me for a long moment. I could practically hear my heartbeat thudding in my ears. If he asked one more question, I knew I’d crumble.
Finally, he nodded. “Be quick.”
The gate opened.
I didn’t waste a second. I slipped inside, my footsteps echoing as the doors shut behind me with a heavy thud that felt like a warning.
The mansion was dark—unnaturally so. No lamps. No candles. No staff bustling around preparing for a wedding that was supposed to start soon.
“Something is really wrong,” I muttered.
The air felt colder the deeper I went, like the walls themselves were breathing. My skin prickled, every instinct screaming at me to leave, to run, to pretend I never came here.
But then I thought of Koda.
The way he’d looked the last time I saw him. The way his father hadn’t hesitated to order him punished.
I followed memory alone, my feet carrying me down corridors I wished I’d forget. Down staircases carved from stone. Down, down, down—until the air grew damp and the smell of iron and old blood filled my nose.
The dungeon.
My chest tightened.
I slowed, my breath shallow now, and peeked through the iron bars.
And there he was.
Koda was chained to the wall, his arms stretched apart, wrists bound in thick, glowing restraints that hummed faintly with power. His head hung forward, dark hair falling into his face. His chest rose and fell slowly, too slowly.
“Oh God,” I whispered. “This is terrible.”
My hands trembled as I reached for the door. It creaked open softly—too softly—and I slipped inside, my heart pounding so loudly I was sure he’d hear it.
“Koda,” I said, stepping closer. “Koda?”
No response.
I swallowed hard and moved closer, the chains looming above me. “Koda,” I tried again, louder now. “It’s me.”
Still nothing.
Relief and terror tangled in my chest. Was he unconscious? Or worse?
I reached out, my fingers hovering just inches from his arm.
Then his head lifted.
His eyes opened.
They weren’t brown.
They were glowing red.
I gasped and stumbled backward, a scream tearing from my throat as my foot caught on the uneven floor. I nearly fell.
“Koda isn’t here,” a voice said calmly. Too calmly. “But I am.”
My blood turned to ice.
The One.
“No—” I shook my head frantically. “No, where is he? Where’s Koda?”
A smile slowly stretched across his face—wrong, twisted, ancient. It didn’t belong on Koda’s features.
“So you didn’t come for me,” he said softly, disappointment laced with mockery. “How sad.”
My legs felt weak, but I forced myself to stand my ground. “Where is Koda?” I demanded, my voice shaking despite my effort. “What did you do to him?”
A laugh echoed through the dungeon, low and hollow. “He’s here,” the One replied. “Watching. Suffering. Every second you look at me instead of him hurts him more.”
“Stop it,” I whispered, tears stinging my eyes. “Let him go.”
His voice slid into my mind then, smooth and invasive.
Did you come for me, my darling?
I clutched my head, stumbling back another step. “Get out of my head!”
He sighed theatrically. “You always say the sweetest things.”
I shook my head over and over. “I didn’t come for you. I came to free him.”
The chains rattled as he tugged against them, muscles straining. The restraints flared, forcing him back with a violent jolt. He groaned, pain flickering across his face for just a second.
Then the smile returned.
“My darling,” he said, his voice suddenly sharp. “You see me suffering. Why not help me?”
“I won’t,” I said immediately. “I won’t help you.”
His eyes darkened. “Break the chains.”
“No.”
“Break them,” he snapped, pulling again. The magic crackled, burning into his skin. He hissed in pain, but his gaze never left mine. “Or I’ll kill you.”
Fear wrapped around my throat like a hand.
“I—I can’t,” I stammered. “I don’t even know how.”
“You’re lying,” he growled. “You’re more than you pretend to be.”
“I’m not,” I cried. “I’m wolfless. I’m nothing!”
He laughed, loud and cruel. “That’s what they told you. Not what you are.”
I backed toward the door, panic overwhelming me. “Please… just let me go.”
“Harper.”
The voice wasn’t his.
It was faint. Strained. Familiar.
My heart nearly stopped.
“Harper,” the voice whispered again, weak but real.
“Koda?” I breathed, tears spilling over.
The One snarled, his head jerking back as if someone had yanked him by the spine. “Stay quiet!” he roared—to himself.
“Harper,” Koda’s voice came again, stronger this time, breaking through the darkness. “Don’t listen to him.”
My knees almost gave out. “Koda, I’m here. I came for you.”
“I know,” he said softly. “And I’m sorry.”
“For what?” I sobbed.
“For dragging you into this,” he replied. “For not being strong enough.”
The One laughed bitterly. “Touching. Truly.”
I clenched my fists. “You’re not winning,” I told him, my voice shaking but firm. “He’s still here. You haven’t broken him.”
Something ugly flickered across the One’s face.
“You think chains can hold me forever?” he hissed. “You think love can cage a god?”
“I think you’re afraid,” I shot back. “Afraid because you need him. And you need me.”
Silence fell.
His smile returned—slow, deliberate. “Run while you can, little girl,” he said softly. “Because when I break free…”
The chains rattled violently.
“…you won’t be able to save him again.”
I was about to leave when something in me snapped taut, like a string pulled too tight.
My feet stopped moving.
Behind me, the chains rattled violently. “Why aren’t you running?” he roared, his voice echoing off the stone walls as he strained against his restraints. The magic flared again, biting into his skin, filling the dungeon with the sharp scent of burning power. “Run, you stupid girl!”
“Be quiet!” I yelled back—louder than I meant to, bolder than I ever thought I could be.
The words rang through the dungeon.
He froze.
Actually froze.
The One stared at me like he couldn’t quite believe what he was seeing. His red eyes narrowed, studying me with a new kind of interest, something darker and sharper than before.
I swallowed but didn’t back down.
If I ran now, nothing would change.
If I left without proof, without evidence, the wedding would still happen. My mother would still walk down that aisle. Alpha Derek would still smile like a saint while chaining his own son in a dungeon.
And Koda… Koda would still be trapped in his own body.
If Koda can’t help me right now, I thought, my hands curling into fists, then I’ll find another way.
“I can help you destroy the wedding,” the One said suddenly.
I stiffened.
“What did you just say?”
“I said,” he repeated smoothly, leaning back against the chains like he wasn’t bound at all, “I can help you destroy the wedding.”
I spun around to face him fully. “Will you stop reading my mind?” I snapped.
He chuckled, low and amused. “Not my fault your mind is an open book to me, little Harper. You think loudly.”
I glared at him. “Stay out of my head.”
“Mm,” he hummed. “No promises.”
My jaw clenched. “You said you could help.”
“Yes,” he said, eyes gleaming. “I know things. Secrets. Rituals. Truths Alpha Derek has buried so deep even his precious pack doesn’t know them.”
My heart skipped despite myself.
He watched the reaction carefully, like a predator sensing weakness.
“All you have to do,” he continued softly, “is release me.”
I laughed—short, sharp, and humorless. “You think I’m stupid?”
His lips curved into a slow smile. “I think you’re desperate.”
Silence stretched between us.
I pretended to consider it, tilting my head, tapping a finger against my arm like I was weighing my options. Inside, my heart was racing.
“Let me guess,” I said. “You get free, you kill everyone, you take over Koda completely, and somehow I’m supposed to believe you won’t touch my mother?”
His smile faltered.
“Not even a chance,” I finished flatly.
The air around him shifted.
His eyes burned brighter. “Oh, I swear,” he snarled, yanking against the chains again, “when I get out of these restraints, I’m smashing your head against the wall until there’s nothing left but silence.”
His voice was demonic now—layered, distorted, ancient. The walls trembled slightly, dust falling from the ceiling.
And yet…
I wasn’t scared.
Not like before.
“Spare me the details, okay?” I muttered.
Then I reached into my pocket and pulled out my phone.
His expression changed instantly. “What are you doing?” he barked.
I raised the phone, the camera already rolling. “Smile.”
“How dare you—” He lunged forward as far as the chains allowed, roaring as he struggled. “You think this is funny? I will kill you! I will kill all of you!”
Perfect.
I stepped closer, making sure the camera caught everything—the glowing red eyes, the chains etched with symbols, the way his voice wasn’t Koda’s at all.
“Say that again,” I said calmly.
“You insolent little—” he snarled, yanking harder. “I am older than this kingdom! I will burn it to the ground! Alpha Derek is nothing but a coward who couldn’t destroy me, so he buried me instead!”
My breath caught.
Got you.
I zoomed in slightly, my hands steady despite the pounding of my heart. “And Koda?”
His lips twisted cruelly. “A vessel. A weak one, but useful.”
The words felt like knives, but I didn’t stop recording.
“I will break him,” the One continued, his rage spilling freely now. “Just like I will break you.”
I ended the video and hit save.
The silence that followed was thick.
Then he realized.
His eyes widened, fury twisting his features into something monstrous. “You little witch,” he hissed. “How dare you make a mockery of me.”
I slipped my phone back into my pocket and smiled—really smiled this time.
“Thanks for the confession,” I said lightly. “This is exactly what I needed to ruin a wedding.”
“You think a video will stop Alpha Derek?” he scoffed. “He’ll kill you before it ever reaches daylight.”
“Maybe,” I admitted, backing toward the door. “But now I have leverage.”
I paused at the threshold and looked back at him one last time.
“And for the record,” I added, “you talk too much.”
I blew him a kiss.
“Thanks, love.”
Then I turned and walked away, my footsteps echoing as I shut the dungeon door behind me—leaving the One roaring in rage and knowing, deep in my bones, that for the first time since this nightmare began…
I finally had a weapon.