Fury and Desperation
The moment Draven learns Isla is gone, his wolf takes over. His roar echoes through the packhouse, reverberating like a thunderclap, shaking the very walls. Wolves freeze in their tracks, their instincts screaming to respond to their Alpha’s fury.
Draven storms into the war room, his amber eyes glowing like molten fire. “Who was on watch?” he demands, his voice a sharp whip that leaves no room for excuses.
Susan, already standing at the center of the room, doesn’t flinch. “We were all on edge, Draven. But Malrik didn’t leave a trail any amateur could follow.” Her tone is calm, steady, but her jaw is tight with frustration.
Moments later, Alaric bursts through the door, his expression grim. “It’s confirmed,” he announces. “Malrik’s scent is all over her chambers. He’s taken her.” His voice dips, the weight of his next words heavy. “He’s gone to Onyx Dusk territory.”
The room falls silent as the implications sink in. Onyx Dusk’s stronghold was infamous, a fortress of labyrinthine halls and enchanted defenses, its location deep within treacherous terrain.
Draven’s claws dig into the edge of the table, his voice a dangerous growl. “Then I’ll tear it down stone by stone until she’s back.”
Susan steps forward, her sharp features illuminated by the flickering light. “You can’t just march into Malrik’s stronghold without a plan,” she says. “He knows this territory better than anyone. We need more than brute force, Draven.”
Jamie, standing near the doorway, hesitates before adding, “If we rush in blind, we risk losing more than Isla. He’ll expect you to come for her.”
Draven’s claws shred through the wood of the table as he straightens. His fury doesn’t diminish, but his mind begins to churn. “We have to move fast. He won’t have taken her just to talk.”
Alaric speaks again, his voice calm but insistent. “There’s one way to even the odds, but you won’t like it.”
Draven’s glowing eyes snap to him. “Speak.”
Alaric’s gaze flickers with unease. “Seraphine. He doesn’t know what she looks like, and now she owes a debt to Isla. If anyone can help us get Isla out alive, it’s her.”
The growl that rumbles from Draven is low and menacing. “You want me to trust her?”
“Not trust,” Susan interjects. “Use.”
Draven’s gaze hardens as he considers the suggestion, his hatred for Seraphine warring with his desperation to save Isla. Finally, he turns and strides toward the dungeons without another word.
The chapter ends with Susan calling after him, her voice filled with urgency. “You’re playing with fire, Draven!”
His reply is a growled snarl: “Good. I plan to burn him alive.”
