The words echo in my head, the desperation in them cutting deep. Whoever—or whatever—that was, I need to know why my wolf was drawn to them.
The pull I felt earlier hasn’t lessened. If anything, it’s stronger now, like a tether drawing me deeper into the unknown. But I’ve lived too long in this world to trust magic like this blindly.
My first thought is to go to Aeson, to question him about these runes and see if he has any answers. But even my wolf bristles at the idea.
I told myself I was done searching for cracks in Aeson’s armor, but this discovery easily brings back my doubts—not that they ever really went away. Iwantto believe he’s the gracious king he portrays himself to be, but I’m once again wondering what his real intentions are.
Alpha power rises within me, my wolf’s doing, and I tilt my head.
You think he’s using us to grow his stature?
Her replying rumble within my mind is all the confirmation I need. My thoughts reel. I’ve already wondered this myself.
With my pack joining his, Venaris will become the largest kingdom in Lunara. King Asher has always held the highestrank among the alphas, but if I share my energy with Aeson, becoming his chosen mate, that could all change.
I grip my head with both hands, a frustrated growl escaping my lips. “Damn it.”
Am I once again searching for problems where there are none? These runes could be older than Aeson’s reign. They’re so hidden, he may not even know they exist.
Or he could be keeping secrets that might unravel everything.
I push to my feet, the air around me still heavy with the lingering energy of the runes. My chest tightens as I weigh my options.
I need to talk to Clara. Whatever lies behind these runes might not be friendly. It could be a monster—a vile creature locked away for good reason. The desperation in that voice could be a trap, a ploy to lure me into something far worse than I’m prepared to handle.
I clench my fists, resolve hardening to find answers.
With renewed determination, I head back toward the front of the castle, my steps purposeful despite the turmoil churning inside me. My intent is to go right to Clara, but then I remember the dinner I promised Aeson I’d attend.
It’s not ideal, but perhaps it’s an opportunity. I can poke around, see if he knows anything about Venaris’s past—about these runes—without revealing what I’ve discovered.
I inhale deeply, steeling myself.
It’s time for me to be the calculated queen I’ve always been.
My grin has my feet moving faster, and I can’t deny the thrill that rises in my chest at the thought.
This is going to be interesting.
CHAPTER SIX
THE FATED MATE
She’s here. I know neither her name nor her face, but Ifeelher. In every ragged breath I take, in the beat of my fractured heart. She’s so close. Close enough to breathe life into the hollow shell I’ve become.
Years—or perhaps decades? Centuries?—have passed in this wretched darkness, but now, a flicker of light stirs within me.
A guttural roar tears from my throat, echoing through the cavernous void. My voice fills the air, raw and desperate, but no one will hear me. No one ever does.
My wrists bleed where the shackles bite into my skin, the chains never seeming to give way, no matter how fiercely I fight back. The links rattle as I pull against them, as I’ve done every day since being damned to this prison. The marks they leave are no longer wounds but scars, permanent reminders of the life stolen from me.
For years, I’ve wished for death, prayed for its mercy, but the gods haven’t granted me that freedom. And now, when I’m finally resigned to my fate, I feel her.
She’s so close.
I pull on my restraints as I’ve done many times before even though I know it’s pointless.
The runes on the walls around me glow dimly in response, their magic tightening like a noose. My body tenses, the same frustrations I’ve fought for centuries rising once more.
