77

77
Thalia’s POV

I woke to the echo of a scream that wasn’t mine.

For a heartbeat, I didn’t know where I was—the room blurred around me, sunlight bleeding pale gold across the floorboards. My pulse was wild, my skin burning. The bond thrummed beneath my ribs, sharp and wrong.

Jaden.

I sat up so fast the blankets tangled around my legs. The connection between us pulsed again, but this time it wasn’t the warm, steady hum I’d grown used to. It was fractured, raw. Pain laced through it like lightning.

He was hurt.

“Jaden,” I whispered, pressing my palm to my chest. No response—only the faintest echo of his heartbeat, distant and fading.

I stumbled out of bed, the chill air biting against my bare feet as I crossed the room. Beyond the heavy curtains, the sky was already streaked with light. Morning had come, but the pack grounds were far too quiet.

Something had happened.

The air itself felt different—charged, brittle, carrying the scent of smoke and fear.

I grabbed the nearest cloak and flung open the door. The hallway beyond was deserted, the torches burning low, flickering like nervous eyes. As I started down the steps, a sound reached me—footsteps, shouts, the distant clash of metal.

I froze halfway down.

Then came the smell—iron and blood.

“No…” I whispered, heart pounding as I broke into a run.

By the time I reached the courtyard, the world was chaos. Guards hurried in all directions, voices rising in confusion. The great gates stood open, one hinge torn clean from the stone. Ash scattered across the ground like black snow.

And near the steps leading to the council hall, Elder Coran stood surrounded by guards. His silver robes were streaked with dust, but his expression was calm—too calm.

“What happened?” I demanded, striding toward him.

He turned, his gaze flicking over me as though I were an inconvenience. “Lady Thalia. You should not be here.”

“Where’s Jaden?” My voice cracked slightly on his name. “I felt him—something’s wrong. Where is he?”

Coran’s mouth tightened. “The Alpha is being… contained. For his own safety and that of the pack.”

Contained. The same word Jaden had used. My stomach turned cold.

“What did you do?” I whispered.

He sighed, as though explaining to a stubborn child. “The council decided this morning to act. The curse has grown unstable, and last night’s fire proved he cannot control it. The pack will not survive under a leader ruled by madness.”

“He’s not mad!” The words came out sharper than I intended, my voice carrying across the courtyard. Heads turned. “You provoked him, Coran. You’ve been waiting for him to fail.”

His eyes glinted. “If failure was inevitable, I only hastened what must be.”

Rage surged in my chest, too fast, too strong. The air around me seemed to thicken. For a heartbeat, the torches lining the courtyard flickered higher, reacting to something I didn’t understand.

Coran’s gaze sharpened. “Careful, girl. You forget your place.”

“No,” I said, taking a step closer, my hands trembling. “You forget yours.”

A hum filled the air, low and pulsing, as though the earth itself held its breath. Somewhere behind me, a guard murmured a prayer.

And then, just as quickly, the power ebbed.

The light faded, the air cooled. I swallowed hard, shaking, the realization of what almost happened crashing over me. Whatever that was—it came from me.

Coran tilted his head slightly, his expression unreadable. “Interesting,” he murmured, as if filing the moment away for later. Then, louder, “The Alpha fled into the woods before the council could contain him. He will be found.”

“He left?” My voice broke.

“To protect us, perhaps. Or because he feared himself.” Coran’s eyes lingered on me a little too long. “Either way, he cannot escape what he is.”

I barely heard the rest. My mind had already gone elsewhere—to the bond still faintly pulsing under my skin. It was weak, but alive. He was alive.

And he was alone.

I turned on my heel and ran.

Voices shouted after me, but I didn’t stop. I darted through the side passage leading toward the eastern gate, heart hammering. The guards there hesitated when they saw me, unsure whether to stop me or bow. I didn’t give them time to decide.

“Open it,” I ordered.

“Lady Thalia—”

“I said open it!”

The force in my voice startled even me. The nearest guard fumbled with the latch, the gate groaning open just enough for me to slip through. The forest loomed ahead, shrouded in early mist.

As soon as I crossed the threshold, the sounds of the castle dimmed behind me. Only the wind remained—cold and carrying the scent of pine and blood.

“Jaden,” I whispered into the silence. “I’m coming.”

The bond pulsed once, faint and aching, like a heartbeat reaching for me through the dark.

I followed it.

Branches clawed at my cloak as I moved deeper, the ground soft with fallen leaves. The further I went, the heavier the air became, thick with the residue of his power. It clung to everything—bark, air, even light.

He’d fought here. I could feel it.

At the base of a fallen tree, I found the first sign—a smear of dark blood across the roots. Fresh. Still warm.

I pressed my fingers to it, closing my eyes. The bond stirred, answering weakly.

“Don’t you dare die on me,” I murmured, forcing the fear down.

Somewhere ahead, a branch snapped. I spun, heart leaping—but it wasn’t Jaden. A wolf, dark-furred and limping, stepped out from the shadows. It lowered its head when it saw me.

One of his scouts. Still loyal.

I took a step forward. “Show me where he went.”

The wolf turned silently and began to move through the trees. I followed, my pulse steady now, my fear replaced by something else—resolve.

Whatever Coran had done, whatever curse hunted Jaden, I wasn’t going to let it take him.

Not again.