Chapter 93 CHAPTER 93
Sarah slammed the front door so hard that the hinges rattled. Inside the dim, cramped house, Mara and Leonard jerked upright like frightened deer. They had been sitting stiffly at the edge of the old sofa, whispering about the weather simply because it was the least dangerous topic when their captor was near. The moment they heard Sarah’s footsteps, their faces emptied of colour.
Sarah stormed into the room, hair wild, cloak swinging behind her like a shadow that had grown claws. “It happened again,” she hissed, pacing the room in frantic, erratic strides. Her magic pulsed off her in waves that made the lamps flicker. “I had him. I had him, and then something changed. Something pulled him away from me.”
Neither Mara nor Leonard dared to speak. They sat frozen, hands clutched tightly together, sharing the same silent terror that had chained them to Sarah for years.
Sarah swept her arm across the small table, sending cups crashing to the floor. “Sebastian was giving in. I could feel it - his strength was almost mine, almost flowing the way it should, and then suddenly he…” She snarled in frustration. “He rejected me. Again. Something is shifting in Silverpine and I will find out what it is.”
Mara swallowed hard. “We…we haven’t heard anything,” she whispered, voice trembling. She kept her eyes lowered; looking at Sarah too long always earned punishment. “Please, don’t think we’re hiding anything.”
“See that you’re not,” Sarah snapped, stepping closer. Mara flinched and curled into Leonard’s side. “You two are here for one reason only. You will keep your eyes open. You will keep your ears open. And you will report every whisper, every strange movement, every shift of energy or behaviour in this cursed pack.”
Leonard stiffened. “We… we will do as you command.” His voice cracked under the pressure of hatred and fear tangled together.
Sarah leaned in, eyes gleaming with cold cruelty. “I don’t care how tired or sick you pretend to be. Your son’s life still hangs by a thread, and don’t you forget who is holding it.”
Mara choked on a sob, unable to hide it fast enough. Sarah rolled her eyes.
“I’ll be back later,” she said sharply, already turning toward the door. “Make yourselves useful for once.”
The door slammed behind her, and the house fell into painful silence. Mara collapsed into Leonard’s arms and wept soundlessly, praying their son would live long enough for this nightmare to end.
Sarah’s boots struck the ground with sharp, agitated steps as she walked toward the training grounds. Wolves were scattered in the clearing, sparring, stretching, and shifting under the morning sun. Trainer Allen stood shouting instructions. Sweat and dust filled the air.
Sarah waited until a break in the routine, then called out, “Lucas.”
The young warrior turned, surprised. He stopped by trainer Allen’s side and spoke to him for a bit then headed towards where Sarah was waiting “Sarah, What’s up? Trainer Allen gave me only a few minutes to speak to you.”
“Come,” Sarah said softly, placing a hand on his arm. “I only need a moment. Walk with me.”
Allen signalled him to go briefly, but to return swiftly. Lucas nodded and followed Sarah toward a quieter path that stretched into the trees.
As soon as they were out of sight of the others, Sarah slowed, turning to him with feigned worry clouding her eyes. “I wanted to ask about Sebastian. You two train together. Did he ever mention what made him suddenly recover?”
Lucas shook his head. “No. I haven’t seen him since he got sick. Allen said he was resting at home. We all thought he might… you know… lose his wolf.” Lucas sighed. “It’s good you’re checking on him. Shows you really care.”
Sarah lowered her gaze, letting the perfect blush rise to her cheeks. “He’s my boyfriend. And the future Alpha. Of course I care.”
Lucas smiled sympathetically. “Silverpine needs someone like you beside him. Strong, loyal. I’m happy for Sebastian.” He walked a few more steps with her, then stopped. “I should head back. Trainer Allen already warned me not to be long.”
He turned slightly, ready to leave.
Sarah's hand snapped around his wrist.
Lucas froze.
She stepped closer, voice dropping to a low, velvety murmur. “You’re so kind, Lucas.” Her breath brushed his skin in a way that made his heart stumble. “You’re so trusting. So… open.”
He swallowed hard. “Sarah…?”
She tilted her head, eyes narrowing in amusement. “Sebastian trusts you. That means I can trust you too… right?”
Something pulled at him - something that wasn’t fully his own mind - and Lucas nodded before he even realized he was doing it.
Sarah’s smile sharpened.
She stepped into him, slid a hand up his chest, and without warning, pressed her lips to his.
Lucas stiffened. It was instinct - surprise, confusion, shock. But then something warm and dizzying unfurled inside him, seeping into his nerves like wine. His breath hitched.
Sarah deepened the kiss.
And the magic slipped under his skin like smoke.
He wasn’t thinking anymore. Not clearly. His mind felt fogged, overheated. Her hands guided him back against a tree, her fingers teasing at the edges of his shirt. Lucas felt himself melt - not because he wanted this, but because he couldn’t think enough to stop it.
“Sarah…” he whispered, dazed, “what are we…?”
“No more questions,” she breathed against his mouth. “Just give me what I want.”
And he did.
He didn’t know why.
He didn’t even know he had a choice.
Sarah kissed him hard, hungry, forcing the rhythm until he responded without resistance. Their bodies tangled, clothes half-discarded in the quiet shade of the trees. It was frantic, disordered, driven entirely by her need - not for pleasure, but for power. Every time Lucas shivered, every time his breath faltered, Sarah fed on him.
She pressed her lips to his throat. Her magic snaked into him, invisible and burning, siphoning his strength with every touch.
Lucas moaned softly, not in pleasure, but from the dizzying drain beginning to hollow him out.
When she finished taking what she needed, she cupped his jaw, her expression colder than winter stone. Her fingers glowed faintly with dark energy.
“Somnum obscura,” she whispered, sliding a hand over his eyes.
Lucas’s body slackened instantly.
His knees buckled. She caught him just enough to lower him to the ground. His chest rose and fell in shallow breaths - alive, but ghostly pale.
Sarah brushed dirt from her clothes, already bored.
“Useless little thing,” she murmured. “But every drop counts.”
She snapped her fingers, and Lucas’s memories folded like pages of a burned book - everything from the moment he left Trainer Allen until this exact second turned to blank ash.
Sarah vanished into the trees, her magic sealing the scene behind her.
Lucas woke with a violent shiver.
The world spun for a moment, then steadied. Birds chirped. Leaves rustled overhead. He was lying on his back in the forest, staring up at branches he didn’t remember walking beneath.
“What…?” He rubbed his forehead. “How did I…?”
The last thing he recalled was telling Sarah he couldn’t walk her all the way home. After that… after that…
Nothing.
Just a vast, yawning blank.
His muscles trembled when he pushed himself upright. He must have fainted. Fatigue, maybe. He’d been training hard all week.
He stumbled back toward the training grounds, shaking his head to clear the strange fog. When he arrived, training was over. Wolves were leaving. Trainer Allen spotted him instantly.
“Lucas!” Allen barked, marching over. “What did I tell you? I said minutes, not hours!”
Lucas blinked, stunned. “Hours? No, I… I left for just a moment—”
Allen scowled. “You disappeared for nearly three hours. If you ever pull this again, I’ll suspend you.”
Lucas opened his mouth, then closed it again. The world felt like it tilted sideways.
Three hours?
He could swear he’d only blinked.
His skin prickled with unease as he silently re-joined the others, unaware of the hollow space inside him where Sarah had fed - unaware of the dark charm now tying him to her like a puppet waiting for the next pull of its strings.