Chapter 174

Dane

The chains dug into my wrists, burning like fire. The Nameless’s magic pulsed through them, shadows coiling tighter around me with every passing moment. I could feel his fury before I heard his voice, thick in the air like a storm about to break.

“You think this is a game?” His voice reverberated through the cavern, low and deadly.

I didn’t respond. My head hung low, sweat dripping from my forehead. My body ached from struggling against the chains, but I didn’t stop testing them. If there was even a sliver of weakness, I’d find it.

“You defy me,” the Nameless continued, his form materializing in front of me. Golden eyes blazed from a swirling mass of shadows, and his voice cut like a blade. “You think you can sabotage me and I won’t notice?”

“I think,” I said through gritted teeth, “that you’re afraid. That’s why you’re here, trying to make me shake because you know I’ll never stop.”

The shadows surged, slamming into my chest like a tidal wave. Pain ripped through me, forcing a strangled sound from my throat.

“You dare speak to me of fear?” The Nameless loomed closer, his towering form blocking out the little light there was in the cavern. “I am fear incarnate, Dane. You exist because I allow it.”

I forced myself to meet his gaze, even as agony radiated through my body. “You don’t allow anything. You manipulate, you destroy, but you don’t create. That’s why you’ll never win.”

His laugh was cold, a sound that echoed off the stone walls like thunder. “You amuse me, young werewolf. But amusement only lasts so long. Your defiance has cost you, and now it will cost her.”

My breath caught. HER?

He waved a hand, and the darkness shifted, forming a window of smoke and light. Aurora. The image was as clear as if I were standing in the war room beside her. She was bent over a map, her lilac eyes sharp with focus. Her lips moved as she issued orders, and the werewolves around her nodded in grim determination.

“She fights so hard,” the Nameless said, his voice dripping with mockery. “But she doesn’t understand. No matter how clever she thinks she is, she can’t outmaneuver me. I see everything. Every step she takes, every breath she draws, it all leads to one inevitable conclusion.”

I pulled against the chains, fury surging through me. “Leave her out of this.”

“Out of this?” He turned to me, shadows swirling like a storm around his form. “You don’t understand, Dane. She is this. Everything revolves around her. Around you. The more you resist, the worse it will be for her. This assault is your doing.”

“You’re the one waging war,” I spat, my voice raw with anger. “You’re the one who…”

“Enough!” His voice was a whip crack, silencing me instantly. “You forced my hand. And now, you will bear witness to the consequences.”

The image shifted, showing Broken Ridge’s defenses. The Pack Warriors lined the perimeters, their eyes scanning the horizon. Witches stood among them, their hands glowing with spells ready to be unleashed.

“They think they’re ready,” the Nameless sneered. “But they have no idea what’s coming.”

My heart pounded as I watched the scene unfold. The shadows on the edges of the image grew darker and deeper. Figures emerged, creatures twisted and monstrous, with glowing eyes and claws that dripped with malice. The Nameless’s army.

“She’ll fight,” he said, almost happily. “And she’ll lose. And you will watch as everything you love burns to ash.”

The shadows around me tightened, driving the breath from my lungs.

“She’ll stop you,” I choked out, my voice barely audible.

His laughter was cruel. “Oh, Dane. She doesn’t even know what she’s up against. But don’t worry, you’ll have a front-row seat.”

He waved a hand, and the image dissolved into smoke. Then he turned back to me, his golden eyes blazing. “You think you’ve been clever, sabotaging me. But I see everything. Every lie, every betrayal.”

The shadows surged again, wrapping around my throat.

“I made you,” he hissed. “I can unmake you just as easily. Remember that the next time you think of crossing me.”

The pressure around my throat eased, and I gasped for air.

“Enjoy your chains,” he said, his form dissolving into darkness. “You’ll wear them until the end.”

As the cavern fell silent, I slumped forward, every muscle in my body screaming in pain. But I wasn’t done. I closed my eyes, reaching for the faint bond that still tied me to Aurora. It was fragile, a whisper against the roar of the shadows, but it was there.

“Aurora,” I thought, pouring every ounce of my will into the connection. “Stay strong. Don’t let him break you.”

The bond pulsed faintly, a flicker of warmth in the darkness. I had to do something. Anything. The chains burned against my skin as I tried to break them again, pulling with all the strength I had left. Pain shot through me, but I didn’t stop. I couldn’t stop. Aurora needed time, time to prepare, to fight, to survive. And if I could give her that, even at the cost of my freedom, I would.

The shadows around me began to shift, growing denser and darker. And then, out of the corner of my vision, I saw it. A crack in the stone wall, where my chains were held. Small, almost negligible, but there. Hope flared in my chest. I focused all my energy on my bond with Aurora, drawing strength from it as I began to pull against the chains again, trying to tug it out of the wall. The shadows resisted, tightening their grip, but I pushed through the pain. The crack widened, light spilling through it.

But then, a voice echoed through the cavern, cold and deadly. “You’ll never escape, Dane.”

As soon as it was gone, I tested the chains again. They didn’t budge. But I won’t stop. My thoughts were a whirlwind of desperation and determination. Aurora needed time to find the relic’s true purpose.

I closed my eyes, focusing on the faint bond that still tied me to Aurora, getting ready to snap the chains with all my might once more. It was fragile, barely there, but enough.

“Stay strong, Aurora,” I thought. “I’ll find a way.”

Then darkness surged, consuming everything. And the world went dark.