CHAPTER TWELVE
RONAN'S POV
The sound of metal unlocking was soft — too soft for what I had imagined freedom to sound like.
Virelle's fingers brushed my wrist as she loosened the chain. Her touch was warm. Too warm.
Her perfume — jasmine and something darker — filled the dungeon like smoke.
"There," she whispered, smiling gently. "No more restraints, my sweet wolf."
I hadn't stood in days. The moment the chain slipped free, my knees buckled. She caught me, her arms sliding around my waist, guiding me back upright.
"Careful," she murmured, voice sweet like melted honey. "You're weak."
Her thumb brushed my cheek.
"You're beautiful when you're helpless, Ronan."
I forced myself to breathe, slow and steady.
She leaned closer, her lips brushing the corner of my mouth in a soft, claiming kiss.
"You're free now," she whispered. "I keep my promises."
Her smile deepened. "And so will you. Our deal still stands."
I didn't move. I couldn't.
Virelle traced a finger down my jaw.
"Let me get you water. Rest a moment. I'll be right back."
Her footsteps drifted away.
The door clicked shut.
I didn't wait.
The moment her shadow disappeared behind the curtain, I pushed myself to my feet — ribs burning, legs screaming, skin bruised — and ran.
Ran like I had no blood left to spill.
---
The Forest
The night swallowed me whole.
Cold air slapped my face. My lungs burned like someone had poured fire into them. My feet cut against stones, roots, thorns.
But I kept running.
Branches scraped my arms. Blood ran down my fingers. My vision blurred.
Still, I ran.
Then — eyes.
Dozens of pale faces peered at me from between the trees. Silent. Watching. Their skin white as bone, unmoving.
My breath hitched.
Virelle's people.
I didn't stop. Couldn't.
I stumbled over a thick root — fell hard — rolled through cold dirt.
Pain exploded through my ribs.
But I crawled.
And then I ran again.
One thought pounding through my skull like a prayer, like a curse, like hope:
Eira.
I need to get to Eira before they realize I'm gone.
By the time the forest thinned and the edge of Gravenia came into view, I was barely standing.
The trees began to thin.
The smell hit me first — crisp pine, cool mountain air, and the familiar scent of wolves.
Home.
Gravenia.
The closer I got, the more everything changed.
The air felt warmer.
The earth steadier beneath my feet.
The night quieter — safer, even with danger still clawing at my heels.
My heart twisted painfully.
I could almost hear Eira's laugh in the wind.
See her small smile.
Feel her fingers brush mine the way she used to when she was nervous.
My legs trembled as I reached the field just before the territory border.
The moonlight spilled like silver across the grass, and for a moment, everything looked exactly the way it used to — beautiful, safe… full of hope.
Gravenia had always been beautiful, but today it felt different.
It felt aware.
It felt like it had been waiting.
I ran faster.
I saw the small clearing first—then two figures. My heart jumped, bursting with a smile i didn't even know i still carried.
"Eira!" i shouted, breathless, joyful, desperate.
She didn't hear me.
I called again, but the wind swallowed his voice.
And then everything inside me stopped.
Kael's hands were on her waist. Eira's fingers were curled against his chest. Their foreheads touched, breaths mingling, like they were the only two people that existed. Kael whispered something, soft, almost broken.
"I love you."
And without hesitation,Eira kissed him.
Not a confused kiss.
Not a hesitant one.
A kiss full of surrender and certainty.
I stepped back. Another step. Then another.
My foot hit a stone.
I slipped.
END OF POV
The world spun.
Then—darkness.
When he opened my eyes, he wasn't on the forest floor.
He was lying on something soft. A velvet bedspread the color of crushed midnight. Satin curtains draped from the ceiling, shimmering like trapped moonlight. The room smelled of rare herbs, rainwater, and something sweet—something distinctly Virelle. Shelves lined the walls, filled with ancient jars, glowing dust, scrolls, and relics. Strange sigils faintly pulsed beneath the rugs, like the floor itself was breathing.
And on a cushioned chair beside him—Virelle.
Her eyes were wet, but she still managed a trembling smile.
"You always find a way to break yourself, don't you?"
He stared at her, the memory of Eira's kiss burning in his mind.
"You set me up. Don't pretend otherwise."
Virelle froze. Her lips parted, but nothing came out.
"I know you did something," he whispered. "I don't know what, but I will find out. Tomorrow…I'm proving she still loves me."
She stood abruptly. "Fine. Prove it. Break yourself again." Her voice trembled with hurt and anger. "But don't forget who picked you up off the ground."
She walked out and slammed the door behind her.
The silence that followed felt colder than the ice in the North.
NAHILA'S POV.
Nahila stood at her window, Aiva rambling about something she wasn't listening to. Ever since yesterday—something had been wrong. Flashes. Images. A face she barely knew.
Ronan.
She blinked.
The image didn't disappear.
Aiva nudged her. "Hello? Earth to Nahila?"
Suddenly the air in Nahila's lungs turned sharp.
She grabbed the table, shaking.
"He's alive."
Aiva stared, confused. "Who? Nahila, what are you talking about?"
"I have to go."
Nahila pushed past her.
Outside, the forest path felt charged. A stone sat in the dirt—ordinary, but when she touched it, a wave hit her chest. A warmth. A tug. A presence that wasn't hers.
She dropped it instantly.
"What is this…?"
She had no feelings for Ronan. No tie. No bond.
This shouldn't be happening.
She ran.
By the time she reached Eira and Kael's door, she was out of breath.
Eira opened it, her hair slightly messed, cheeks warm—probably from Kael's kisses minutes ago.
"I need to speak with you," Nahila said sharply. "Alone."
Eira hesitated. Kael looked at Nahila suspiciously but stepped aside.
Once the door closed, Nahila didn't waste time. "Eira…Ronan is alive."
Eira blinked, confused. Then her expression hardened.
"Nahila, what are you talking about?"
"Ronan is alive" u breathed out
Eira froze.
Then laughed — broken, tired, refusing to hope.
"Nahila… stop. Please. He's been dead for a month."
"He's not dead," I insisted. "I felt him. Wolves don't just feel ghosts."
Her voice cracked:
"He's gone, Nahila. Why can't you accept that?!"
My wolf pushed again. Hard.
"You love Kael now, don't you?" I asked quietly.
Eira swallowed, eyes glistening. She looked away.
"He's been there for me," she whispered. "He makes me feel at peace. He… he didn't leave me."
"Kael lied. He's fooling you."
Nahila's voice trembled. "I swear it. I felt him. I don't know how or why, but I did."
Eira's eyes narrowed. "What's your problem, Nahila? I know you and Kael dated. And you want him back. But—"
"Stop." Nahila's voice sharpened. "This isn't about Kael."
"He told me everything," Eira whispered. "About you. About the past. But he's mine now. And you need to accept that."
Nahila's eyes dimmed.
"I wish you knew," she said softly.
Before Eira could react, Nahila shifted,her body dissolving into mist and disappeared into the darkness outside, leaving the words hanging like a curse.