Chapter 173 DANE

I strode down the dark halls of his lair as the Nameless’s commands replayed in my head. His voice was a tempest, unrelenting.

“The artifact is to be recovered tonight. I want it in my possession before morning. Ensure no interference from her.”

Her. Aurora.

Her name was a whispered plea wrapped in defiance that stuck with me.

The memory of her voice, her scent, her touch, things that were a strong pull to me from the abyss.

I growled low, forcing the thoughts away. I was his weapon. A vessel for his will. That’s what I had to be.

The dark wolves at my heels moved silently, their golden eyes aglow, faintly in the dim light.

They were loyal to me, yet not completely; their true master lurked in every corner, watching through their eyes.

“Alpha Montague,” one of the wolves growled, low and guttural. “The location is secure. We await your command.”

“Good,” I said, my voice tight, authoritative. “Get ready to move. I will be with you in just a moment.”

It inclined its head and soundlessly disappeared into the corridor’s shadows, leaving me utterly alone.

I leaned against the cold stone wall, slapping my palms against it as if the touch could steady me.

My head was chaos, rent between the duty I couldn’t evade and the love I couldn’t forget.

Aurora’s face flashed before my mind, her eyes ablaze with fierce determination.

She was ready to risk all for me, for our family.

What was I ready to risk for her?

“She’s your weakness,” the Nameless had sneered once, his voice full of disdain. “That’s why I left her alive. To remind you what you’ve lost.”

But to me, she wasn’t my weakness. She was my strength. And that strength was building into a fire I couldn’t douse.

The mission was simple. At least, that’s how the Nameless had framed it.

There was this relic that Aurora had hidden, which would form the key to his plan, and he needed it at all costs.

I pulled myself up and closed my eyes. I needed to sense where the dark wolves were. It was time to get this over with.

I could feel them in the forest, and I went into motion and reached them in no time. The wolves and I flew across the forest, the moonlight casting ghostly patterns upon the forest floor.

Every noise magnified as tension rose; we were almost there, to the edge of Broken Ridge territory. I could feel it in me, each nerve of my body pressed an alarm in urgency.

I felt the soft, steady hum of Aurora, like a lighthouse from some faraway dark land, then… “Hold,” I called, raising a hand.

The wolves stopped as one, which was altogether too uniform. I crouched low, peering at the barrier ahead.

A pang of guilt shot through me. This barrier wasn’t just a line of defense. It was a testament to Aurora’s determination to protect her people and me.

It was to be breached, the wards torn down, the relic retrieved. Yet as I stared at that glittering surface, another plan began to take shape in my mind. A plan to tip the balance.

“Alpha,” one of the wolves growled; a questioning note.

“Begin the breach,” I said, my voice level.

The wolves shifted toward the barrier, dark energy shining in their fingernails as they reached in to start the tedious task of unraveling wards. I watched, my heart pounding in my chest.

The instant the first layer crumbled, I moved forward.

“Stop!” I shouted, the order shaking the leaves on the trees.

Wolves stopped in shock as they whirled back towards me, fur bristling from movements turned into shocked snaps.

“There’s a trap,” I said, walking ahead.

“The witches have layered the barrier. If we breach it, we’ll alert the entire pack.”

“But the Nameless ordered….”

“I know what he ordered!” I snapped, my voice clear and sharp. “Do you question me?”

The wolf lowered his head, his golden eyes narrowing. “No, Alpha.”

“Good,” I said, the chill of ice in my voice. “Fall back. I’ll handle this myself.”

The wolves at last retreated into the darkness, leaving me alone at the barrier.

I laid my hand against the shining surface and let its energy pulse through me.

Then, with deliberate care, I began to weave false signals into the wards, mimicking a breach in the relic’s hiding place.

It was a risk. If the Nameless saw through it, I would pay dearly. But if it worked, it would buy Aurora time, the time she desperately needed.

When I finished, I stepped back, my breath coming in ragged gasps. The barrier shimmered, its false breach glowing faintly in the distance.

I turned and strode back to the waiting wolves.

“It’s done,” I said. “We’ll regroup and report to the Nameless. The witches’ defenses are stronger than anticipated.”

The wolves exchanged a look but said nothing. I knew they could tell that I had flopped the plan, but I don’t care what they think.

I led them back through the forest, my heart pounding with a mix of triumph and fear.

The Nameless was waiting when we returned. His huge, shadowy form loomed in the center of the lair, his golden eyes glowing with malevolent intelligence.

“What’s the report,” he said, his voice like a thousand whispers layered over a roar.

“The witches’ wards were more complex than anticipated,” I said, keeping my voice steady. “I’ve located a weak point, but we’ll need more time to exploit it.”

The Nameless watched me, piercing. For a moment, it looked like he might believe me.

Then his lips curled into a cold, cruel smile.

“So what can we do now, oh lover boy,” he said.

“Loverboy? I don’t understand,” I said.

“You think I didn’t see what you did?” he said, his tone dripping with mockery.

My blood went cold.

“I see everything, Dane,” he went on, stepping closer. “Your little trick was clever but not clever enough.”

His shadows sprang out before I could even react, wrapping around me like chains, burning against my skin with searing pain that made me grit my teeth.

“You defied me,” he hissed, his voice echoing in my mind.

“You think you can protect her or them? You are mine, Dane. You will always be mine.”

The pain intensified, and I fell to my knees, the weight of his power crushing me.

But even as I suffered, I held onto the memory of Aurora. Her strength. Her defiance. Her love.

She was worth it.

The Nameless’s laughter echoed through the lair as his shadows tightened around me, a reminder of the price of my rebellion.

I knew I was in trouble, but do I regret it? No, not for a moment.

“Ahh!” I yelled out in pain as I balled my fist and hit the ground.