Chapter 15: Rebuild and Retaliate
Chapter 15: Rebuild and Retaliate
Lucien’s POV
Her scent clung to me like smoke, wild, earthy, sharp, searing my lungs from that moment on the stairs, her body brushing mine, her breath hot, her green eyes cutting through me. My boots pounded the den’s stone floor, chest heaving, scars stretching under my open shirt, blood flaking off my arm where it had dried, her defiance a live coal smoldering in my gut. She’d nearly slipped free, bare feet silent, green eyes blazing, almost gone until I’d caught her, too close, her heat sinking into me, stirring me, twisting me. I’d hauled her back, locked her in, but those eyes stayed, slashing me, daring me, and I hated it, hated her, hated how she’d burrowed under my skin.
I stormed into the main hall, torchlight flickering, orange glow dancing on the walls, Vira and Ragnar slumped by the fire, fur matted, blood crusting, my last wolves, my only fangs. Vira’s brown eyes lifted, cautious, bruised, her arm bandaged where Selene had taken her down, mossy scent thick, her growl faint, strained. Ragnar sat solid, scars glinting, breathing slow, his bulk a fortress, his loyalty steel, but his gaze was heavy, worn, doubting. My chest tightened, ice-blue narrowing, fury simmering, hot, raw, relentless. Dax had carved us open, his trap a knife in my spine, and she’d nearly danced away, leaving me bleeding, broken, exposed. My fists balled, scars pulling tight, rage surging, fierce, alive—I’d rebuild, strike back, tear him apart, and she’d be my blade, willing or not.
“On your feet,” I snarled, voice rough, boots scraping stone, ice-blue slicing through the dim, locking on them, commanding, unyielding. Vira rose, slow, favoring her leg, brown eyes glinting, Ragnar standing, heavy, steady, fur bristling, my wolves, my pack, my blood. “He’s gloating,” I said, voice gravelly, pacing, chest rising, scars flexing, torchlight catching the blood streaked across my skin. “Dax thinks he’s finished us, thinks we’re beaten—thinks I’ll slink off, nurse my wounds, let him take her, take everything.” My lip curled, teeth baring, ice-blue blazing, fury coiling, tight, hot, burning. “He’s mistaken.”
Vira growled, soft, low, brown eyes flicking to the stairs, Selene’s cell, her scent lingering, wild, earthy, sharp. “She’s a risk,” she muttered, voice gruff, rubbing her arm, mossy scent sharp, her limp a fresh wound, a jab. “Tried to bolt, floored me—why keep her alive?” My growl rumbled, deep, harsh, stepping close, ice-blue locking on her, chest brushing her shadow, fury simmering, steely, alive. “Because she’s his,” I said, voice low, cutting, scars flexing, heat rolling off me, thick, heavy. “Dax craves her, bleeds for her—I’ll wield her, turn her, make him choke on her.”
Ragnar huffed, fur bristling, scars shining, voice low, firm. “She’ll betray us,” he said, paws sinking into the stone, brown eyes hard, weary, true. “She’s Ironclaw, not ours—fights like it, runs like it.” My chest heaved, ice-blue tightening, pacing again, boots thudding, mind racing, cold, quick, plotting. He wasn’t wrong, she was a viper, sharp, slippery, but I’d harness her, bend her, break her if I had to. My lips twitched, faint, bitter, green eyes flashing in my skull, her body close, her heat, her fight, stirring me, twisting me, alive.
I halted, boots scuffing, ice-blue sweeping the hall, torchlight wavering, my wolves waiting, tense, loyal, mine. “We hit him,” I growled, voice gravelly, chest rising, scars flexing, plan locking, fierce, real. “Quick, brutal—track his scouts, blind him, bleed him slow, then finish him.” Vira nodded, brown eyes glinting, mossy scent sharp, Ragnar growling low, steady, my pack, my claws, my strike. My pulse hammered, ice-blue blazing, fury surging, hot, raw, relentless—I’d take it back, take him down, take her with me, her scent my lure, her fight my edge.
I turned, stalking to her cell, boots heavy, stone cold under my soles, chest tight, scars pulling, her scent hitting me, wild, earthy, pulling me in, making my blood sing. The door rose, wood scarred, steel bolts glinting, my hand seizing the latch, knuckles white, blood flaking off my arm, torchlight spilling as I ripped it open, loud, sharp. She stood, bare feet silent, jeans torn, sweater clinging tight, green eyes snapping to me, wide, then narrow, fierce, alive. “Back for round two?” she said, voice low, steady, stepping forward, chin high, green eyes glinting, slicing me, daring me, heat rolling off her, thick, steamy, real.
I stepped in, boots thudding, ice-blue locking on her, chest heaving, scars flexing under my open shirt, blood and sweat streaking my skin, her scent drowning me, wild, earthy, sharp. “You’re coming with me,” I growled, voice rough, closing in, towering, heat coiling low, fierce, alive. She smirked, faint, bitter, green eyes blazing, stepping closer, too close, her breath brushing my chest, hot, quick, stirring me, making my skin tighten. “What, so you can lose again?” she said, voice sharp, cutting, green eyes locked on mine, defiant, burning, her body inches away, heat crackling, steamy, electric.
My hand shot out, grabbing her arm, fingers rough, scars flexing, yanking her in, close, her chest pressing mine, soft, firm, her breath hitching, green eyes flaring, then narrowing, fierce, alive. “You’re my weapon,” I rasped, voice low, gravelly, ice-blue piercing, her scent flooding me, wild, earthy, her heat seeping into me, thick, heavy, pulling me in, damn it, pulling me in. “Dax wants you—I’ll ram you down his throat, make him bleed for it.” My grip tightened, her pulse racing under my fingers, fast, hot, her skin warm, alive, her lips parting, breath short, steamy air mixing, my chest pressing closer, scars glinting, heat surging, low, sharp, wild.
She leaned in, faint, deliberate, green eyes glinting, body molding to mine, her voice dropping, husky, lethal. “You think I’ll play along?” she murmured, breath grazing my jaw, hot, ragged, her chest brushing mine again, soft, electric, my pulse spiking, ice-blue blazing, scars flexing, her heat twisting me, damn it, twisting me. I tilted my head, lips hovering near her ear, voice rough, steamy, alive. “You don’t need to play,” I growled, breath hot on her skin, her scent drowning me, wild, earthy, pulling me deeper. “You just need to stand there—his blood’s yours either way.”
Her head tilted back, green eyes locking on mine, inches apart, her breath tangling with mine, warm, uneven, her body pressed tighter, hips grazing mine, faint, daring, heat flaring, steamy, wild, alive. “You’re blind,” she whispered, voice low, slicing, green eyes burning, fierce, her lips so close, her scent thick, earthy, pulling me in, making my blood roar. My hand slid up her arm, slow, rough, scars flexing, curling around her neck, fingers brushing her pulse, fast, hot, her skin prickling under me, my chest tight, ice-blue glinting, heat coiling, low, sharp, relentless. “Maybe,” I rasped, voice gravelly, lips brushing her jaw, faint, steamy air crackling, her heat sinking into me, wild, alive, “but you’re stuck with me now.”
She tensed, green eyes flashing, pulling back, just a hair, breath quick, chest rising fast, sweater clinging, torn, her scent still thick, pulling me, twisting me. “Until I’m not,” she said, voice steady, cutting, green eyes glinting, fierce, defiant, stepping back, breaking the heat, the steam, the pull, leaving me raw, taut, alive. My growl rumbled, low, rough, ice-blue narrowing, chest heaving, scars flexing, fury surging, hot, steamy, endless—she’d resist me, fight me, but I’d use her, wield her, win with her.
I turned, boots thudding, stalking out, ice-blue flicking back, catching her shadow, green eyes watching, fierce, alive. “Get ready,” I snarled, voice gravelly, pausing at the door, chest rising, scars flexing, plan locked, fury burning. “We make our move soon—Dax bleeds, and you’re the bait.” I left, door slamming, steel bolts clanging, her scent lingering, wild, earthy, pulling me, damn it, pulling me. My pulse thundered, ice-blue blazing, Vira and Ragnar falling in, my wolves, my strike, my plan—but her words echoed, “until I’m not,” a
nd doubt crept in, cold, sharp, alive.