The fortress is still.
Not silent—never that. The distant clash of steel echoes from the training yards, the low hum of magic pulses beneath the stone, the whispers curl like smoke through the corridors—but still. As if the world itself is holding its breath, waiting for the storm to break.
I lie in the Alpha’s bed—Kaelen’s bed—buried beneath furs of black wolf pelt, my body warm, my skin still humming with the aftermath of what we’ve done. The moonfire sigils along my spine glow faintly, pulsing like a second heartbeat, their silver light painting delicate patterns across the stone ceiling. The scent of pine, iron, frost, and *him* is everywhere—on the sheets, in the air, on my skin.
And him?
He’s beside me.
Not asleep. Not restless. Just… *present*.
His storm-silver eyes are open, fixed on the ceiling, his body relaxed but coiled, like a predator at peace but ready to strike. One arm is draped over my waist, heavy and warm, his hand splayed across my hip, his fingers just brushing the curve of my ass. The other is behind his head, his biceps flexed, his claws retracted but still visible at the tips of his fingers.
He doesn’t look at me.
Doesn’t speak.
But the bond hums between us—low, steady, *real*—no longer tainted by Malrik’s tracking spell, no longer strained by fear or doubt. It’s just… *there*. A current of heat and light that runs through my veins, grounding me, anchoring me, reminding me that I’m not alone.
And gods help me, I don’t want to be.
Not anymore.
I shift—just slightly—arching into his touch, pressing my back into his chest. His breath hitches. Just slightly. But I hear it.
“You’re awake,” I murmur, my voice rough with sleep, with magic, with *him*.
He doesn’t answer. Just tightens his hold, pulling me closer, until there’s no space between us, no air, no thought, no *anything* but him.
And then—
He rolls me.
Not roughly. Not carelessly.
With a reverence that makes my breath catch.
One moment I’m on my side, curled into him. The next, I’m on my back, my body caged beneath his, his weight pressing me into the furs, his heat flooding into me, his scent a cage around me. His storm-silver eyes lock onto mine, dark with something I can’t name—fear, yes, but deeper than that. *Trust*. *Hunger*. *Need*.
“You said it,” he says, voice low, rough.
My chest tightens. “Said what?”
“That you love me.”
I don’t look away. “I did.”
“And you meant it.”
“Always.”
He stills.
And for the first time, I see it—*vulnerability*. Not weakness. Not submission. But the raw, unfiltered truth of a man who’s spent his life being strong for everyone else, and now, for the first time, is being *seen*.
“Say it again,” he murmurs.
So I do.
“I love you, Kaelen Duskbane. Not because of the bond. Not because of the mission. Not because I have to. Because I *want* to. Because you’re the only one who’s ever looked at me and seen *me*. Not the Moonblood heir. Not the witch envoy. Not the traitor’s daughter. Just… *me*.”
His breath hitches.
Not from desire.
From the truth in my words. From the way my hand lifts, cups his face, my thumb brushing his lower lip. From the way my body arches into his, just slightly, from the way the bond flares—warm, insistent, *needing*.
And then—
He kisses me.
Not soft. Not slow.
His mouth opens over mine, his tongue sliding against mine, tasting me like he’s starving. I gasp, and he takes the opening, his hands sliding up my back, pressing me closer, until there’s no space between us, no air, no thought, no *anything* but him. The bond flares—warm, insistent, *needing*—and the moonfire surges, silver fire spiraling up my spine, painting the stone in light.
And then—
He pulls back.
Just enough to look at me. His storm-silver eyes are dark, his jaw clenched, his body coiled. But beneath the fury, I see it—love. *Grief*. *Hope*.
“You’re not just my mate,” he says, voice rough. “You’re my *equal*. My *partner*. My *queen*.”
My breath hitches.
Not from the title.
From the truth in his voice. From the way his body leans into mine, just slightly, from the way the bond flares—warm, insistent, *needing*.
And then—
He does something I don’t expect.
He *laughs*.
Not loud. Not mocking.
Like a man who’s just realized he’s allowed to be happy.
“You’re dangerous,” he murmurs, brushing a strand of hair from my face.
“And you love it.”
He doesn’t deny it.
Just kisses me again—soft, slow, *real*—his lips brushing mine, his thumb wiping away the last traces of salt, his voice a whisper against my skin.
“I do,” he says. “And I’m not letting you go.”
And just like that, the world shifts.
Not because the Council is coming.
Not because Malrik is waiting.
Because *he* believes *me*.
And for the first time, I let myself believe that maybe—just maybe—this isn’t just survival.
Maybe it’s *love*.
And then—
He rolls off me.
Not to leave. Not to retreat.
To *give*.
He climbs off the bed—bare, powerful, unrelenting—and walks to the chest at the foot of it. His body is a map of scars—old battles, old pain, old loyalty—but now, there are new marks. My teeth on his shoulder. My nails down his back. My magic, still faintly glowing in the grooves of his skin.
And gods help me, I want to leave more.
He opens the chest—dark wood, iron-bound—and pulls out a shirt. Not black. Not blood-red. *Silver*. Like moonlight on snow. Like my magic. Like *me*.
And then—
He tosses it to me.
“Put it on,” he says, voice rough.
“Why?” I ask, catching it.
“Because it’s yours.” He steps closer, his storm-silver eyes dark. “Because I want the world to see you in it. To know you’re not just my mate. You’re my *equal*. My *partner*. My *queen*.”
My chest tightens. Not from fear.
From the truth in his words. From the way his body leans into mine, just slightly, from the way the bond flares—warm, insistent, *needing*.
And then—
I do.
I slip the shirt over my head—soft, warm, smelling of pine, iron, frost, and *him*. It’s too big, falling to mid-thigh, the sleeves covering my hands, the hem brushing my legs. But it’s *mine*. And when I look up, Kaelen is watching me, his storm-silver eyes dark, his jaw tight, his body coiled.
“You’re magnificent,” he says, voice low.
“And you’re mine,” I say, stepping forward.
He doesn’t argue. Just cups my face, his thumb brushing my lower lip. “Always.”
And then—
He pulls me close, his arms locking around me, his breath warm against my ear. “We have a Council to face,” he murmurs. “A father to destroy. A world to rebuild.”
“And we’ll do it together,” I whisper, pressing my forehead to his.
“Always.”
We dress in silence—me in his shirt, my dagger at my hip, my boots laced tight. Him in black trousers, a new tunic, his war-knife at his side. No armor. No pretense. Just us. Just the truth.
And then—
We leave.
Not through the main corridors. Not past the guards. Through the hidden passages—narrow, slick with frost, lit only by the faint glow of my runes. The air grows colder the deeper we go, thick with the scent of old magic and deeper stone. But I don’t feel it. Not with him at my side.
We emerge in the war room—silent, swift, shadows in the dark. The Blood Codex rests on the pedestal, pulsing like a heartbeat. Soren is already there, his dark eyes sharp, his daggers drawn.
He doesn’t comment on the shirt. Doesn’t smirk. Just says, “They’re in the main hall. Waiting. Malrik’s already speaking.”
“Then let him speak,” Kaelen says, stepping forward. “We’ll be there.”
“Together,” I say.
“Always,” he murmurs.
We move through the fortress—side by side, hand in hand, our steps echoing like thunder. The guards watch. The enforcers hesitate. The whispers grow louder.
And then—
We reach the main hall.
The obsidian doors are open, the air thick with the scent of incense and iron, the silence heavier than any roar. Beyond, the Council Chamber looms—its dome lost in shadow, its walls lined with thrones of black stone, its center dominated by the dais where the Blood Codex should rest.
And on the thrones—
The High Houses.
Fae. Vampire. Werewolf. All seated, all watching, all silent. Their eyes are sharp, their postures rigid, their glamours shifting like smoke. They don’t speak. Don’t move. Just *wait*.
And at the head of the dais—
Malrik.
Dressed in blood-red silk, his black eyes gleaming, his lips curled in a smile that doesn’t reach his eyes. He doesn’t rise. Doesn’t bow. Just watches us—me, specifically—as we walk down the center aisle, hand in hand, our steps echoing like thunder.
“Alpha,” he says, voice smooth as poisoned silk. “And… *mate*.” He lingers on the word, mocking it. “I see you’ve been… *occupied*.”
Kaelen doesn’t flinch. Just steps forward, his body caging me in. “We’ve been preparing. For the truth.”
“And what truth is that?” Malrik asks, leaning back. “That you forged the Codex? That you manipulated the bond? That you’re not fit to lead?”
“The truth,” I say, stepping forward, the Codex clutched to my chest. “Is in *this*. And it names the real traitor.”
The hall erupts.
Gasps. Whispers. The scrape of steel.
Malrik doesn’t move. Just smiles. “Prove it.”
“I will.” I press my palm to the cover.
The sigils flare—silver fire spiraling outward, racing up my arm, through my chest, into my core. Pain—sharp, blinding—tears through me, and I cry out, my body arching, my magic surging in response. The chamber trembles. The thrones rattle. The dome cracks.
And then—
It stops.
The pain fades.
The fire dims.
And the Codex… *opens*.
Not with a sound. Not with a light.
With a *whisper*.
I gasp. Stagger back. My hands fly to my mouth. My heart hammers.
Because I see it.
The truth.
Not just my mother’s name, cleared.
Not just Malrik’s signature on the execution order.
But *everything*.
The lies. The betrayals. The blood pacts. The hidden alliances. The way he framed the Moonbloods to steal their magic. The way he used the Council to consolidate power. The way he turned the Fang against each other. The way he manipulated Kaelen—raised him to be strong, to be ruthless, to be *his*.
And then—
I see *him*.
Kaelen.
Not as a weapon.
Not as a pawn.
As a *son*.
And for the first time, I understand.
He didn’t just inherit his father’s throne.
He inherited his *guilt*.
His *fear*.
His *shame*.
And he’s been carrying it all this time.
And I… I’ve only added to it.
My breath hitches. Not from the revelation.
From the *weight* of it.
And then—
Malrik laughs.
Not loud. Not mocking.
Quiet. Cold. *Knowing*.
“You see it now, don’t you?” he says, rising. “The truth isn’t just in the Codex. It’s in *him*. In his blood. In his weakness. In his *love* for you.”
Kaelen steps forward, his war-knife in hand, his claws extended, his fangs bared. “Touch her,” he growls, “and I’ll rip your throat out.”
“You’d kill your own father?” Malrik asks, voice dripping with mockery. “For a woman who came here to destroy us all?”
“For her?” Kaelen says, turning his head just enough to look at me. “In a heartbeat.”
The hall holds its breath.
And then—
Chaos.
Not from the Council. Not from the guards.
From *above*.
Stone grinds. Dust falls. And then—
The dome *shatters*.
Not from magic. Not from force.
From *fire*.
Flames erupt from the stained glass, painting the chamber in crimson light. The sigils on the floor ignite—crimson, pulsing, *alive*—and the ground beneath us splits. Werewolves shift mid-sprint, fangs bared, eyes gold. Vampires move like shadows, silent and lethal. Fae glide through the air, glamours shifting, weapons humming with ancient power.
And in the center of it all—
Us.
Back to back, our movements synchronized, our bond humming with purpose. I fight with magic—moonfire flaring in pulses of silver flame, my dagger flashing, my voice sharp with command. Kaelen fights with steel—brutal, precise, *feral*—his war-knife flashing, his claws tearing through flesh, his fangs sinking into bone.
We cut through the chaos—side by side, back to back, our bodies moving as one. Soren appears beside us—silent, deadly, his daggers flashing as he takes down any who get too close. The loyalists hesitate—some fight, some falter, their eyes flicking between me and Kaelen, between blood and bond, between duty and truth.
And then—
Malrik moves.
Not toward us.
Toward the dais.
He raises his hand—black energy crackling at his fingertips—and the air *shudders*. The sigils on the floor ignite—crimson, pulsing, *alive*—and the ground beneath us splits. Stone grinds. Dust falls. And then—
A barrier.
Not of steel. Not of magic.
Of *sound*.
A wall of screaming energy—voices layered, endless, *familiar*—rises between us and the dais, separating Kaelen and me, Soren and the others. I roar—low, guttural—and lunge forward, but the sound *tears* through me, not just my ears, but my *mind*—memories flashing: my mother’s cold commands, my father’s whispered warnings, the night she vanished, the day I took the Alpha mark, the first time I saw Kaelen, the first time I touched him, the first time I let myself *feel*.
And then—
Kaelen.
His voice.
Not real. Not present.
But *amplified*—twisted, warped—screaming in my head: You don’t love me. You’re using me. You’re just like him. You’ll let me die. You’ll let them take everything.
I stagger. Fall to one knee. My claws dig into the stone, my fangs bared, my body trembling.
“No,” I growl. “That’s not him.”
But the doubt is there. The fear. The *weakness*.
And Malrik knows it.
He stands on the dais, untouched, unharmed, his black eyes gleaming with triumph. “You see?” he calls, his voice cutting through the scream. “The bond is fragile. The heart is weak. And love—” He smiles. “—is the easiest chain to break.”
I don’t answer.
Just rise.
Because he’s wrong.
Because love isn’t a chain.
It’s a *weapon*.
I turn—ignoring the barrier, ignoring the voices, ignoring the pain—and sprint toward the Archives. Not the main entrance. Not the front. The *back*—the hidden passage, the Chamber of Echoes, the tomb beneath the pedestal. If we can’t fight through, we’ll fight *around*.
Soren appears beside me—silent, fast, his dark eyes sharp. “She’s not on the dais,” he says, voice low. “She’s gone.”
My blood runs cold. “Where?”
“Malrik’s men took her. Toward the Moonspire. They’re moving fast.”
I don’t hesitate. Don’t think.
Just *run*.
We cut through the fortress—down corridors, through secret passages, past guards who don’t interfere, who look away, who know the truth but choose silence. The bond hums beneath my skin—faint, distant, but *there*. I can feel her. Not her voice. Not her magic. Her *presence*. Her *fear*. Her *rage*.
And it’s enough.
We reach the Moonspire—its spires piercing the night sky, its halls lit with cold silver light. The entrance is guarded—vampires, werewolves, fae—but they’re not expecting an attack from *inside*. Soren moves first—fast, silent, his daggers finding throats before they can scream. I follow—brutal, precise, *feral*—my war-knife flashing, my claws tearing through flesh, my fangs sinking into bone.
And then—
Her cell.
Dark. Cold. Iron bars. And inside—
Brielle.
She’s on her knees, her back against the wall, her hands bound, her gown torn, her face streaked with blood and sweat. But her eyes—gods, her *eyes*—are alive. Burning. *Furious*.
She sees me. Doesn’t smile. Doesn’t speak.
Just *nods*.
And I know—she’s been waiting.
I don’t waste time. My claws slice through the iron bars like paper. I step inside, my war-knife in hand, my body caging hers. “You’re not dying in a cell,” I growl.
She lifts her chin. “And you’re not dying in a torture chamber.”
My chest tightens. Not from the wound on my arm. Not from the blood on my face.
From the truth in her voice. From the way she looks at me—not with pity. Not with fear. With *pride*.
“We’re leaving,” I say, slicing through her bonds.
“Together,” she says, rising.
“Always.”
Soren moves to the door, peering into the hall. “Guards are coming. We need to move. Now.”
I grab her hand—firm, unrelenting. “Ready?”
She meets my gaze. Not with fear. Not with doubt.
With fire.
“Always.”
We run.
Through the Moonspire. Through the fortress. Past enforcers, past loyalists, past lies. We fight—side by side, back to back, our movements synchronized, our bond humming with purpose. She’s weak. I’m injured. But we’re *alive*.
And we’re not stopping.
And then—
We reach the Archives.
The hidden passage is still open. The Chamber of Echoes still stands. And in the center—
The Blood Codex.
Untouched. Waiting.
“We can’t stay,” Soren says, scanning the hall. “They’ll be here soon.”
“Then we take it and go,” she says, stepping forward.
I grab her wrist. “It’s a trap. They want us to take it. To carry it. To be seen with it.”
“And if we don’t?”
“Then the truth dies with us.”
She looks at me. Her winter-sky eyes are dark, her jaw clenched, her body coiled. But beneath the fury, I see it—fear. Not for herself. For *me*.
And then—
She steps forward.
Her hand closes around the Codex.
The moment she touches it, the sigils flare—silver fire spiraling outward, racing up her arm, through her chest, into her core. Pain—sharp, blinding—tears through her, and she cries out, her body arching, her magic surging in response.
And then—
It stops.
The pain fades.
The fire dims.
And she knows—
It’s real.
It’s *ours*.
“Let’s go,” she says, clutching the Codex to her chest.
I don’t argue. Just grab her hand—firm, unrelenting—and pull her into the hall.
The fortress is alive with chaos—shouts, footsteps, the clash of steel, the flare of magic. Werewolves in full shift race through the corridors, fangs bared, eyes gold. Vampires move like shadows, daggers in hand, fangs extended. Fae glide through the air, glamours shifting, weapons glowing with ancient power.
And in the center of it all—Malrik.
Standing at the head of the main hall, dressed in blood-red silk, his black eyes scanning the chaos, his lips curled in a smile that doesn’t reach his eyes. He sees us. Of course he does. And his smile widens.
“There they are,” he says, voice cutting through the noise like a blade. “The traitor and her puppet. The Moonblood whore and the weakling who let her bind him.”
I growl—low, involuntary—and my claws extend, embedding in the stone as I fight the urge to charge.
“Don’t,” she whispers, gripping my hand. “He wants you to lose control. He wants you to prove he’s right.”
I don’t answer. Just keep my eyes on my father, my body coiled, *ready*.
And then—
Mira steps out from behind him.
Dressed in full fae battle regalia, her hair bound tight, her eyes sharp with triumph. In her hand—a vial of dark liquid. Blood.
Her blood.
“She’s mine,” Malrik says, holding up the vial. “Traced by blood. Confirmed by magic. The last Moonblood heir. And she will die by dawn.”
My hand tightens around hers. “Run,” I murmur. “I’ll hold them.”
“No.” She steps forward, her voice loud, clear, cutting through the chaos. “You want me? Then come and take me. But know this—” She turns to the assembled enforcers, to the Fang, to the Claw, to the Tribunal. “The Blood Codex is real. And it names the *real* traitor. Not my mother. Not me.”
She points at Malrik.
“*Him*.”
The hall erupts.
Shouts. Gasps. The scrape of steel.
Malrik’s smile doesn’t waver. “Lies,” he says. “All lies. The Codex is sealed. Buried. Lost. And you—” He steps forward, his voice dropping to a whisper only we can hear. “You’re a dead woman walking.”
I step in front of her, shielding her with my body. “Touch her,” I growl, “and I’ll rip your throat out.”
“You’d kill your own father?” Malrik asks, voice dripping with mockery.
“For her?” I say, turning my head just enough to look at her. “In a heartbeat.”
And just like that, the line is drawn.
Father against son.
Legacy against love.
And her—Brielle Moonblood—at the center of it all.
Not a pawn.
Not a weapon.
Not a prisoner.
A queen.
And as the first enforcer lunges, as the battle erupts around us, as the fortress shakes with the clash of steel and the roar of magic, I do something I haven’t done in twelve years.
I smile.
Because I’m not alone.
And I’m not afraid.
And if this is the end?
Then let it burn.