The Alpha’s sword hit the Wyvern’s claws with a sharp, metallic screech, throwing bright sparks into the dark cavern.
The heavy weight of the beast drove Kaelen’s boots inches into the soft mud at the edge of the lake, but the Alpha didn’t give up an inch of ground.
Dark veins stood out along his neck as he pushed the massive winged monster backward with sheer, terrifying strength.
“Soren!
The lotus—now!” Kaelen barked, his golden eyes burning through the dim purple gloom as the Wyvern let out a deafening roar, flapping its heavy leathery wings.
“Don’t tell me what to do!” Soren yelled back, though his hands were already moving with fast, practiced skill carrying out what kaelen had ordered.
He didn’t waste time running around the water and pulling a long silver needle from his sleeve, Soren sliced his left palm open, letting his blood coat the thin steel.
He channeled a quick burst of blood-magic straight into the needle, making the metal glow with a bright red light while targeting the stone mound where the flower rooted, in the middle of the lake, Soren threw the needle.
The silver pin pierced the center of the dark rock.
The blood-threads attached to it exploded outward, forming an inverted web of light.
Instead of trapping the rock, the glowing red threads wrapped gently around the stem of the blooming Blood-Moon Lotus, slicing the dark flower clean from its roots without damaging a single petal and with a sharp pull of his wrist, Soren pulled his magic back.
The glowing lotus flew across the still water, landing perfectly inside the pouch at Soren’s hip.
The scent of pure lunar energy hit the air—and the Wyvern above lost its mind.
Driven wild by the sudden surge of power, the beast abandoned Kaelen, then it spun violently in mid-air and dove straight toward Soren, while baring its dark, venomous teeth
“Soren!”
The crimson chain between their wrists snapped tight with a loud crack.
Kaelen didn’t just pull the chain—he used the bond as an anchor, lunging forward and tackling Soren completely out of the dive path.
They hit the cavern floor together, rolling across the cold stone just as the Wyvern’s massive claws tore through the ground where Soren had been kneeling a second before.
The beast then slammed into the cliffside, breaking off some formed particles from the ceiling.
“There’s no time.
We harvest it at the mouth of the cave, not inside a collapsing den!” Soren gasped, his chest heaving as he found himself completely pinned beneath Kaelen’s heavy, armored body.
The Alpha’s broad arm was wrapped tight around his neck, shielding Soren’s head from falling rocks.
“Then we run,” Kaelen growled against Soren’s ear, his voice low and heavy.
Kaelen lifted Soren up by the waist in one effortless motion.
Holding their hands tightly woven together so the red chain wouldn’t trip them, they sprinted back up the path toward the exit.
Behind them, the enraged Wyvern shrieked, its heavy wings blowing cold air as it chased them, smashing through narrow rock walls.
They burst out of the Sunken Caverns into the misty night air just as the entrance collapsed inward with a loud roar, burying the cave—and the beast—under tons of solid stone.
Panting heavily, Soren dropped to his knees on the damp grass, immediately pulling the pouch from his belt.
“Three hours starts now.
And I need to process the petals into an essence before the lunar magic of the flower dies.”
His breathing was heavy, his golden wolf eyes scanning the surrounding trees to make sure no more rogues were hidden in the fog.
But his gaze kept sliding back down to Soren—to the way the pale spell-cutter’s fingers were trembling slightly from exhaustion, and how his fur cloak was slipping off his narrow shoulders.
Kaelen knelt beside him, pulling the heavy cloak back over Soren’s shoulders and lingering there, his broad chest giving off that intense, furnace-like heat.
“Work,” Kaelen murmured softly.
“I’ll keep watch.”
For the next forty minutes, Soren worked in complete, concentrated silence.
Using his small silver bowl, clear water, and precise drops of his own blood, he dissolved the dark red petals of the lotus one by one.
The liquid turned into a thick, shimmering crimson elixir that hummed with a quiet power.
“It’s ready,” Soren whispered, holding up a small glass vial containing the glowing essence.
“This will temporarily stop the curse’s venom and weaken the soul-knot enough for us to start the severing ritual.”
“Temporarily?” Kaelen asked, raising a dark eyebrow.
“It buys us time,” Soren said, looking up into Kaelen’s golden eyes.
“It stops the ninety-day timer from ticking down for a few weeks.
But to break the bond permanently…
we need the second half of the Priestess’s scroll.”
Soren carefully pulled the glass stopper off the vial.
“We both have to drink it.
Together.”
Soren tipped the vial, taking a small swallow of the metallic liquid, then handed the glass to Kaelen.
Kaelen didn’t hesitate; he drank the rest of the potion in a single gulp.
The effect was instant.
The dark black lines crawling up Soren’s collarbone vanished completely, the freezing ache in his chest melting into a soft, gentle warmth.
But as the curse’s poison faded, the true nature of their connection flared to the surface.
Without the dark curse suppressing it, the true mate-bond exploded with crystal-clear intensity.
Soren let out a soft breath as a wave of pure desire hit his soul.
He could feel Kaelen’s heartbeat in his own chest; he could feel the Alpha’s fierce, protective wolf raging just beneath the surface, wanting to pull Soren close and claim him completely.
Kaelen stepped closer, his massive shadow completely covering Soren while the Alpha reached out, his long, calloused fingers gently cupping Soren’s jaw.
This time, Soren didn’t pull away.
He couldn’t.
His body was frozen, his bright blue eyes wide as he looked up at Kaelen’s dark pupils.
“The curse isn’t forcing this part…
is it, little spell-cutter?” Kaelen whispered, his deep voice sending a liquid heat straight down Soren’s spine.
Kaelen’s thumb brushed slowly across Soren’s lower lip, testing, teasing.
“No,” Soren rasped, his breath hitching as he felt the strong magnetic pull drawing them together.
“It isn’t.”
Kaelen leaned down, his lips a millimeter from Soren’s—
CRACK.
A loud, sharp sound echoed through the foggy clearing—the clear ringing of an enchanted signaling stone.
Kaelen froze, his jaw tightening as he pulled back just enough to reach into his leather belt, pulling out a small, glowing black rune-stone pulsing with dark purple light.
It was the Blackthorn emergency signal.
Kaelen tapped the stone with a drop of his Alpha magic.
The panicked voice of his Chief Commander echoed out of the stone for only them to hear.
“Alpha!
You must return to the Citadel immediately!
The High Council of Alphas has arrived with a full group of Enforcers…
and someone leaked that you are holding an illegal spell-cutter by your side.
They’ve placed the fortress under siege and are demanding Soren’s execution by morning!”
The quiet tension between them shattered instantly when the glowing stone died.
Soren’s blood ran ice-cold.
He looked down at his wrist, then up at Kaelen, whose golden eyes had turned deadly, cold, and dangerous.
Someone inside the Blackthorn pack had betrayed them.
Things are heating up fast between Soren and Kaelen, but that emergency signal just blew their quiet moment to pieces.
Who do you think betrayed them inside the Blackthorn Pack?
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Next chapter drops soon!