Chapter 197 197

Chapter 197 197

Alyna had never felt this helpless before.

The silver chains around her wrists continued to burn relentlessly, leaving angry red marks across her skin. Every movement hurt. Every attempt to break free drained what little strength she had left.

But the worst part wasn't the pain.

It was the silence.

"Vivi?" she whispered once again.

Nothing.

For days she had been trying to reach her wolf.

Not a single response.

Not a growl.

Not a comforting presence.

Not even a faint emotion.

It felt as though Vivi had disappeared completely.

Alyna's chest tightened.

Since childhood, her wolf had always been there. Even when she lost her memories. Even when she feared the future. Even when she felt alone.

Now there was nothing.

An empty void.

Sarmon had done something.

She didn't know what.

Perhaps it was the silver.

Perhaps some dark magic.

Whatever it was, it had severed her connection to Vivi almost entirely.

And that terrified her more than the chains.

The only people she saw were the servants who entered the tent every day.

Most ignored her.

One older maid brought her fresh clothes and food.

The woman cleaned her wounds and changed the bandages around her wrists but refused to answer any questions.

"Why am I here?" Alyna would ask.

Silence.

"What does Sarmon want?"

Silence again.

The woman always lowered her head and hurried away.

It was enough to drive Alyna mad.

She spent her days studying the tent, looking for weaknesses.

A loose knot.

An unguarded entrance.

A hidden weapon.

Anything.

But Sarmon wasn't careless.

The guards outside never left.

The chains remained secure.

Even her visions had become weaker.

The silver interfered with everything.

Still, she refused to lose hope.

Because she knew someone was coming.

Asher.

The certainty lived deep inside her heart.

He would come.

No matter how impossible the situation looked.

No matter how many enemies stood between them.

Asher would come.

The thought became the only thing keeping her sane.

One evening, while she sat against the wooden post, lost in her thoughts, the tent flap opened.

Alyna immediately looked up.

Sarmon entered carrying a tray himself.

She frowned.

Unlike the servants, he never avoided her.

He seemed strangely interested in speaking with her.

The tray contained bread, roasted meat, and water.

He placed it on the table nearby.

"I don't want it," Alyna said immediately.

Sarmon glanced at her.

Then calmly sat down beside her.

A little too close.

Alyna turned her face away.

She hated being near him.

Everything about him unsettled her.

His size. His authority. His unreadable eyes.

Even his silence felt dangerous.

For several moments, neither spoke.

Then Sarmon broke the silence.

"You keep asking why you're here."

Alyna looked at him.

"Because nobody answers me."

A faint smile appeared on his face.

Not a pleasant one.

"I suppose you deserve an explanation."

Alyna remained silent.

For the first time, Sarmon looked away from her and toward the tent entrance.

As though recalling something from long ago.

"I wasn't always searching for you."

That surprised her.

Sarmon continued.

"For years, I searched for a way to extend my life."

Alyna frowned.

"What?"

He nodded.

"Power comes with enemies. The stronger I became, the more I realized that death waits for everyone."

His voice remained calm.

Too calm.

As though discussing the weather.

"I conquered packs. Destroyed kingdoms. Built armies."

His gaze darkened.

"But none of it mattered if I eventually died."

Alyna felt uncomfortable listening to him.

The obsession in his voice was unsettling.

"So I searched."

His eyes slowly returned to hers.

"And then I saw you."

Alyna stiffened.

"In a vision."

For the first time since entering the tent, genuine interest appeared in her eyes.

"A vision?"

Sarmon nodded.

"Those eyes."

His gaze focused on her mismatched eyes.

"One blue. One green."

Alyna felt cold.

"I saw them repeatedly."

His voice lowered.

"At first I thought it was a dream."

Then his expression hardened.

"But the visions continued."

He leaned back slightly.

"I searched every territory. Every kingdom. Every pack."

Alyna listened despite herself.

"Eventually my men found clues."

A dark smile appeared.

"And those clues led me here."

His eyes narrowed slightly.

"To this land."

Alyna suddenly understood.

He had never come for Xander's territory.

Not originally.

He came for her.

The realization made her stomach twist.

Sarmon continued.

"When I found this place, I discovered something else."

"What?"

"A beautiful territory."

His smile widened slightly.

"A powerful Alpha."

His gaze grew colder.

"And a woman worth taking."

Alyna immediately looked away in disgust.

"I am not something you can claim."

Sarmon chuckled softly.

"No."

His eyes lingered on her.

"You are something far more valuable."

Alyna hated the way he looked at her.

Like a puzzle.

Like a weapon.

Like something he needed to possess.

"What power do you hold?" he asked suddenly.

The familiar question again.

Alyna sighed.

"You never stop asking."

"No."

His voice became firm.

"Because you're hiding something."

Alyna stared at him.

Then finally answered.

"I see the future."

The tent fell silent.

Sarmon watched her carefully.

Alyna continued.

"And the future I see is your death."

His expression didn't change.

"You need to leave."

Nothing.

"You need to stop this war."

Still nothing.

"If you want to survive, walk away now."

Several moments passed.

Then unexpectedly—

Sarmon smiled.

Not mockingly.

Not angrily.

Almost knowingly.

Alyna frowned.

"Why are you smiling?"

Sarmon slowly stood.

His towering figure cast a shadow over her.

Then he said quietly,

"Because I've already accepted death."

Alyna's eyes widened slightly.

"If death comes for me, then so be it."

His gaze intensified.

"But before that happens..."

He stepped closer.

"...I'm taking you with me."

A chill ran through Alyna's entire body.

"What does that mean?"

But Sarmon simply smiled again.

That same unsettling smile.

The kind that revealed absolutely nothing.

Then he turned and walked toward the tent entrance.

Leaving Alyna staring after him.

More frightened than before.

Because for the first time, she realized that Sarmon wasn't afraid of dying.

And a man who feared nothing was far more dangerous than any army.