The call came while she was standing in the grocery store, comparing pasta sauces. Jonathan’s voice was cold, distant, and he ended three years together, a ring, and wedding invitations with five quiet words. “I can’t do this anymore. ” Two months later, she saw the engagement announcement in the local paper.
He was marrying the coworker he’d sworn was just a friend. That was when Lucy Novak decided love was a trick of the brain, a chemical trap, and she wanted nothing to do with it. She didn’t plan a European getaway. It was Sophia’s idea, her persistent best friend convincing her that a change of scenery would help her heal.
Lucy packed reluctantly, expecting nothing more than museums and overpriced coffee. She couldn’t have imagined that somewhere across the ocean, hidden beneath ancient mountains, someone was waiting for her, had been waiting for her with a patience that defied lifetimes. The last tour group of the day shuffled through Blackest Castle’s gates. Few spared a glance for the looming spires that cast shadows across the courtyard like fingers from another time.
Lucy stamped tickets without looking up. “What about him? ” Sophia nudged her, pointing to a tourist with messy brown hair. Lucy ignored her, stamping an old lady’s exit ticket.
“Seriously, go talk to him. It’s not like we need to stamp these tickets anyway. This place is a dump. ”
Lucy shot her a look.
The castle wasn’t a dump to her. Something about the ancient stones soothed her in a way she couldn’t explain. For the first time since Jonathan shattered her world, she felt almost peaceful, as if she was exactly where she was meant to be. A soft sob pulled her attention.
Near the archway, a little girl with pigtails cried while her mother knelt beside her. “Is everything okay? ”
The woman’s German accent was thick. “Mina lost her doll somewhere.
I told her it was her fault for not being careful. ”
“Where did you last have it? ” Lucy asked, kneeling down. “It’s beyond the scary door with the bars.
The one that goes down to where the monsters live. ”
The mother shook her head. “She means the restricted area in the east wing. We tried opening it.
It was locked for a reason. ” She stood, taking her daughter’s hand. “We’ll miss the bus. ”
Lucy watched them go, heart twisting.
She remembered losing her own doll as a child, the nights it had been her only comfort. “Wait,” she called. “I’ll check if I can retrieve it. ”
“Don’t even think about it,” Sophia warned as Lucy grabbed the ring of castle keys.
“It’ll only take a few minutes. Mr. Dragamir was very clear when he hired us,” Sophia crossed her arms. “Stay in the designated areas.
That was basically his only rule. ”
“He doesn’t have to know,” Lucy said, grabbing a flashlight. “I’ll be quick. Just keep watch.
”
The eastern wing was colder, the air dense with shadow. Dust swirled in her flashlight beam as she reached the iron gate. A rusted sign warned visitors to keep out. The lock resisted, then clicked open with a groan.
The spiral staircase beyond disappeared into black. She hesitated, remembering Mr. Dragamir’s warnings about structural issues. “Just a quick look,” she whispered, stepping down.
The staircase wound deeper than expected. The air turned colder, metallic, and too quiet. She finally reached a small chamber, and her flashlight landed on the doll almost immediately, propped against the wall as if waiting for her. She exhaled in relief, bending to pick it up.
Then her light caught something else. A painting, half-hidden behind a tattered tapestry. She moved closer, pulling the fabric aside. The painting showed a massive black wolf beside a woman in a medieval gown, but her face had been ripped from the canvas, jagged and intentional.
The wolf’s eyes, icy blue against dark fur, seemed to follow her. Her throat tightened. A tear slipped down her cheek. “What is happening to me?
” she whispered. She knew she should go back up. But her hand lifted on its own, fingers brushing the frame. The carved wood felt strangely warm, alive.
She pressed along the edges, searching, and her finger found a rosette in the bottom right corner. Click. The painting swung open, revealing a hidden passage. Sophia checked her watch for the third time in ten minutes.
The sky grew darker, and still no sign of Lucy. She startled when Mr. Dragamir appeared at the ticket booth window. “The castle closes in fifteen minutes.
”
“I’m waiting for Lucy. She went to find a little girl’s doll. ”
Mr. Dragamir’s expression shifted from annoyance to alarm.
“Find her. Now. ”
Sophia hurried toward the east wing, irritation mixing with concern. Lucy and her bleeding heart, always putting strangers’ needs above her own safety.
The corridor to the restricted area felt colder than the rest of the castle. The iron gate stood partially open. “Lucy? ” she called, peering down the spiral staircase.
No answer. “Lucy, Mr. Dragamir says the castle’s closing. ”
Still nothing.
She took the first step down, but after a dozen steps, an overwhelming sense of wrongness washed over her. The air felt strange, heavy with something she couldn’t name. Sophia retreated, suddenly certain that going further would be a terrible mistake. As she rounded the corner back into the main hallway, she nearly collided with Lucy, who was sitting on a stone bench, head tipped back against the cold wall, eyes closed.
“Lucy. Are you okay? Did you faint? ”
Lucy’s eyes fluttered open slowly.
For a moment, they seemed unfocused, almost glowing in the dim light. Then she smiled, a dreamy, distant smile Sophia had never seen before. “Sof, I had the most wonderful dream. ”
“Dream?
Did you hit your head? ” Sophia frowned, noticing something glinting at Lucy’s throat. A silver pendant shaped like a crescent moon, cradling a moonstone. “Where did you get that necklace?
”
Lucy’s hand rose to touch the pendant, her expression softening. “What do you mean? I’ve always had it. ”
“No, you haven’t.
”
Before Lucy could respond, Mr. Dragamir’s voice boomed down the corridor. “Girls, time to leave now. ” He strode toward them, and his gaze fell first to the open gate, then to Lucy, and finally to the pendant.
All color drained from his face. “Where did you get that? ” he demanded, voice barely above a whisper. “Give it to me.
That doesn’t belong to you. ”
“Yes, it does,” Lucy said calmly, with a strange certainty that sent shivers down Sophia’s spine. They returned the doll to the waiting child, who clutched it with pure joy. As they crossed the courtyard, Sophia whispered, “Seriously, where did you get that necklace?
”
Lucy’s fingers traced the curve of the pendant. “I don’t know. It really feels as though I’ve always had it. ”
Behind them, the castle loomed dark against the twilight sky, its ancient stones keeping secrets Sophia wasn’t sure she wanted to understand.
Lucy woke with a dry mouth and pounding head. The clock read 3:17 a. m. Through the small kitchen window, moonlight spilled across the clearing.
Something in the treeline caught her eye. A shape darker than the surrounding shadows moved forward into a patch of moonlight. A large black wolf. With eyes that seemed to glow in the darkness.
Lucy’s breath caught. The wolf stared directly at her, and moonlight glinted off something in its mouth. Something silver. Her hand flew to her throat.
Her pendant was gone. Without thinking, she rushed outside, still in her pajama shorts and t-shirt. “Hey. Stop.
That’s mine. ”
The wolf held her gaze for a moment longer, then turned and loped toward the forest path. Lucy ran after it, heedless of the stones cutting into her bare feet. Tears sprang to her eyes.
A grief so profound it made no sense. The pendant felt essential, somehow vital as her own heartbeat. The path opened to the castle grounds. The massive iron gates should have been locked, but tonight they stood open, as if inviting her in.
The wolf slipped through and disappeared into the shadows of the courtyard. “Please,” Lucy cried, following it inside. A movement in the shadows caught her eye. She turned, expecting the wolf.
Instead, a man stepped into the moonlight, and Lucy’s breath caught in her throat. He was without question the most beautiful person she had ever seen. Sharp, perfect features, an easy grace that made the simple act of stepping forward seem like a dance. And he was staring at her, not just looking, devouring.
“Have you seen a wolf? ” Lucy asked, trying to ground herself in logic. Then he locked eyes with her, and the world faded. “It’s you,” the man whispered, his voice low, thick with emotion and trembling at the edges.
“You’ve returned to me. ”
“Do we know each other? ” she finally breathed. His hand lifted slowly, carefully, like he was afraid she’d vanish if he moved too fast.
He reached for her cheek, but just before touching, his nostrils flared. Every line of his body tensed, and that near touch turned into a sharp recoil. “You’re bleeding,” he said. “Just scratches.
It’s nothing. ”
His jaw clenched. “You shouldn’t be here. It’s not safe, wandering alone in the dark.
”
Yet his eyes never left her. Starved, pained, desperate. And still she felt no fear, only pull. An unexplainable magnetic pull.
She took a step toward him. A growl cut through the quiet. The wolf stood in the shadows, teeth bared, the silver pendant glinting between them. “Is this yours?
” the man asked. “Yes. It’s why I came here. ”
“Come forward,” he commanded.
His voice sharpened into something inhuman, cold steel wrapped in velvet. The wolf snarled. “I said, come forward. ”
That second command pulsed through the air and hit Lucy in her bones.
The wolf’s body shook, resisting. But slowly, agonizingly, it obeyed. “That’s it. Closer now.
” The man knelt. “Give her back what’s hers. ”
The wolf’s eyes, startlingly human, flicked between them. Panic gleamed in them.
“He’s scared,” Lucy whispered. “He should be. ” The man didn’t look at her when he added, “Kneel beside me. Hold out your hand.
”
She didn’t even think. She just obeyed. His fingers wrapped around her wrist, strong and steady. “Open your palm.
”
The wolf stepped forward and released the pendant into her palm before running off. The moment it touched her skin, her breath stuttered. “Thank you,” she whispered. “You’re trembling.
”
“I’m not cold. ” She couldn’t be. Her blood was on fire. “You should leave now.
You have what you came for. ”
“I don’t understand. How did you make the wolf obey you? ”
The man didn’t answer, so she reached for him.
Her fingers just grazed his sleeve. “Don’t,” he gasped, the sound torn from him, half growl, half moan. “Not yet. Not like this.
”
“Like what? ”
He finally looked at her, and what she saw stopped her heart. His eyes were wild. “Come back tomorrow.
Please. ”
“Why? ”
“Because you deserve better than what I can give you tonight. I’m not safe tonight.
”
She should run, but she couldn’t. She was anchored to him now. He stepped forward and curled a single strand of her hair behind her ear. “You have no idea what you are to me.
And if you stay, I might forget who I am. Come back tomorrow. Meet me here. ”
“I don’t even know your name.
”
The man smiled, strained but genuine. “Names rarely reveal the true nature of a person. Why don’t you name me instead? ”
“Edric.
I think it fits you. ”
“Then I shall be your Edric. And I shall call you Adora. ”
“Why?
”
“Because you are to be adored. And you have been. ”
His hand found her face, his thumb brushing her lower lip in a gesture so tender it stole the air from her lungs. Then he stepped back, hardening again.
“Tomorrow night. Now go, while I still have the strength to let you. ”
Lucy watched Sophia twirl in front of their cabin’s cracked mirror. The yellow sundress, borrowed from Sophia’s closet, flared around her knees as she spun.
“What do you think? ”
“That you’ve been abducted by aliens. ”
Lucy laughed. Actually laughed.
A sound Sophia hadn’t heard since the breakup three months ago. “I just thought I’d try something different today. It’s such a beautiful morning. ”
Sophia glanced at the gloomy skies.
“Right. Beautiful. ”
As they walked toward the castle, Lucy practically skipped beside her. Sophia watched, increasingly unsettled.
“So, I thought we could check out that new bar in town tonight. They do karaoke on Wednesdays and there’s this really cute bartender who… ” Sophia broke off, noticing Lucy’s distant expression. “You haven’t heard a word I’ve said, have you?
Have you spoken to Jonathan lately? ”
“What? No. ” Lucy’s eyes were wide and sincere.
Sophia breathed a sigh of relief. “Actually,” Lucy said with a blush, “I might have met someone. ”
Sophia stopped walking. “What?
Where? How? ”
“Last night. At the castle.
”
“The castle? You went back there alone. ” Lucy nodded like this was perfectly normal. “To retrieve my necklace.
A big wolf had stolen it. ”
“A what? ”
“I know, crazy, right? Anyway, I went after it, and that’s how I met Edric.
” Lucy breathed the name with nothing short of reverence. “Edric. And who exactly is this Edric? ”
“The man I met last night.
He was so beautiful, Sof. Not like normal person beautiful, like something else entirely. He made the wolf give me back my necklace. Like he had power over it or something.
”
Sophia sighed. “Girl, I think you had too much wine last night. ”
“This wasn’t a dream. There was a man there.
I saw him. He touched me. ”
“Oh, so it was that kind of dream. ”
“It’s not at all what I…
” Lucy broke off, frowning. “Wait a minute. Why are the gates closed? ”
They approached the heavy iron gates, normally open well before their nine o’clock arrival.
Beyond the bars, a shape lay motionless on the gravel path. A human shape. Through the iron bars, Sophia saw familiar gray hair matted with blood. “Oh my god.
Oh my god, Mr. Dragamir. ”
He lay sprawled on his back, skin waxy and pale, limbs twisted at unnatural angles. Lucy noticed something else.
“Why is he lying there naked? ”
“I think he’s dead,” Lucy murmured. The policeman crouched beside Mr. Dragamir’s body.
“Time of death appears to be sometime last night,” he muttered in heavily accented English. Lucy could barely focus. Her thoughts kept drifting to Edric, wondering if he was safe, if he knew what happened. The pendant felt warm against her skin.
“The neck appears broken,” the officer announced, ignoring her completely. Sophia clutched her chest. “Do you think someone killed him and took his clothes? ”
The younger officer placed a comforting hand on Sophia’s shoulder.
“Whoever did this is probably long gone, miss. ”
Lucy shrugged off her jacket, gently draping it over Mr. Dragamir’s lap. As she leaned closer, she noticed the unnatural angle of his neck, the dark bruising spreading across his throat.
“What do you think you’re doing? You’re contaminating the crime scene,” the first officer snapped. “He deserves some dignity. And families with children will be arriving soon.
”
A motorcycle’s roar drowned out his words. A sleek black bike tore through the gates, executing a sharp turn before stopping. The rider swung off with casual grace, removing leather gloves one finger at a time. “Hot!
” Sophia whispered. Lucy barely heard her. There was something about the stranger’s movements, a fluid, predatory quality that reminded her of Edric. The man removed his helmet, shaking out light brown hair.
“All right. What happened here? ”
The officers exchanged glances. “We just arrived, Mr.
Blackest. The young ladies found him this morning. ”
Lucy studied the newcomer. Something flashed in his eyes.
Recognition, grief, anger. But it was gone so quickly she might have imagined it. What captivated her was the distinctive angle of his jawline, the set of his eyes, features that echoed Edric’s, though lacking his otherworldly perfection. “Damn,” he said simply, crouching beside the body.
He examined Mr. Dragamir’s neck with suspicious thoroughness, then adjusted Lucy’s jacket to better cover the old man’s nakedness. “At least he didn’t suffer,” he murmured so softly Lucy barely caught it. “We need to close the castle today, at least.
”
“But the tours,” Lucy began, panic rising in her chest. If the castle closed, how would she see Edric tonight? “Are cancelled,” he finished, turning to face her directly. “And you are Lucy.
You work here. ”
“For Mr. Dragamir,” he corrected. “Worked.
Past tense. ”
“Please, we need this job. I need to be here. I need to come back tonight.
”
“You need to find safer employment. ” Something in his tone suggested he knew more than he was saying. “No one else knows the tour routes like we do. You’d lose a day’s revenue at least.
”
Mr. Blackest studied her face for a long moment. “You seem unusually attached to this place for someone who’s been here what, a few weeks. ”
Lucy felt heat rise to her cheeks.
“We need the money,” she said, the lie bitter on her tongue. “Fine. I need to make arrangements for Pete anyway. You can work tomorrow.
”
“Shouldn’t we come help with anything tonight? ” Lucy asked, trying to sound casual. His eyes narrowed. “No.
Stay away from the castle after dark. Both of you. Understood? ”
“I’m Grant,” he announced, extending his hand to Sophia.
“My family owns this castle. ”
“Owns? But Mr. Dragamir was the caretaker.
”
“My distant cousin. He watched over things while I was away. ”
“You think it was an accident? ” the younger officer asked too loudly.
“Why would he be up there naked? ”
Grant’s jaw tightened. “Looks like he fell from the east tower. Pete was eccentric.
Had some strange habits, especially in his later years. The old man had his demons. ”
Lucy opened her mouth to object, but Grant cut her off. “I’ll see you both tomorrow.
Nine sharp. And remember, stay away from here tonight. ”
As they turned to leave, movement from an upper window caught Lucy’s eye. For a second, she swore she saw Edric there watching.
“You can’t seriously be considering going back there tonight,” Sophia said, pacing the small cabin. “A man is dead, Lucy. ”
“Grant said it was an accident. ”
“And you believe him?
He didn’t even seem upset his cousin was dead. ”
“What are you suggesting? ”
“I don’t know. But something feels wrong.
Definitely not the time to go meet a suspicious stranger at night. ”
“Edric had nothing to do with this. ”
“How would you know? For all you know, your Edric could be the murderer.
”
“It was an accident. Edric wouldn’t… ”
“Lucy, listen to yourself. You don’t even know this man.
”
“Maybe I’m tired of being safe, predictable Lucy, who never takes risks. ”
“This isn’t about risks. This is about self-preservation. This isn’t you, Lucy.
”
Silence settled thick between them. “I’m tired,” Lucy said, turning away. “I’m going to bed. ”
Sophia sighed.
“Fine, but promise me you won’t go to the castle tonight. ”
Lucy slipped under the covers, not answering. At 1:17 a. m.
, she slipped out of bed. At the door, she paused, glancing back at Sophia. The forest felt alive tonight, both eerie and enchanted. Lucy moved easily, her senses sharper than usual.
The castle gates stood open. As she entered the courtyard, she spotted a soft golden glow from within. A path had been lit by dozens of candles, their flames flickering in the breeze. Between them, a trail of dark red rose petals wound deeper into the castle.
She followed the trail through corridors she’d never seen, more ancient and untouched than anything on the tour route. At last, she reached a heavy wooden door, slightly ajar, warm light spilling through the gap. Unreal blue eyes locked on hers the moment she stepped inside. “You came,” Edric breathed.
“I’m sorry I’m late. My roommate, she wouldn’t let me leave. Said it was too dangerous. ”
“I for one am grateful someone watches over my Adora when I cannot.
”
My Adora. Her knees nearly gave out. “I might have been too harsh with her. A man did die here last night.
”
At once, Edric’s expression darkened. The smile faded like a shadow swallowed by flame. He turned away, shoulders tense. “Yes.
He did. ”
“Do you know what happened to Mr. Dragamir? ” she asked softly.
For a moment, he didn’t move. The silence stretched taut and vibrating. “Edric,” she said, stepping closer. “It’s okay.
You can tell me. ”
He turned, and the raw grief etched into his features knocked the breath from her lungs. “It was my fault. ”
Her heart stuttered.
“Did you hurt him? ”
“No. ” His voice was rough and immediate. He closed the space between them in a heartbeat, his hands grasping hers.
“Never. I would never harm an innocent. But he died because of me all the same. ”
“I don’t understand,” she whispered.
Edric drew her gently to a velvet-covered settee near the fire, never releasing her hands. “He chose death over allowing my return. He saw what was happening. The pendant finding its way to you.
Our connection strengthening. And he panicked. ”
“But why? ”
“Because of what I am.
Because he and all his kind see me as pure evil. ”
“You’re not evil. I know you’re not. ”
His bitter smile barely lifted his lips.
“You see only what I’ve allowed you to see. ”
“Then show me more,” she whispered, leaning in. His lips were soft at first, uncertain. But as her fingers threaded into his hair, Edric pulled her close, his hands cupping her face, his mouth moving with a need that threatened to unravel them both.
The kiss deepened, grew hotter, hungrier. He carried her to the nearest wall, pressing her gently against it as his mouth found hers again. The heat between them was unbearable, thrilling. Just when it felt like she might come apart in his arms, Edric pulled back with a sharp, broken breath.
“We shouldn’t. It’s too soon. ”
“No,” she clutched at him, aching. “Please.
”
His mouth trailed heat down her throat. Her head fell back, her fingers tangled in his hair. Then a sting. Something sharp against her neck.
She gasped, more startled than afraid. But Edric pulled back instantly, breath ragged. And then she saw them. Fangs.
Long, lethal, gleaming in the candlelight. She stared, heart pounding. She should be afraid. She wasn’t.
Her hand lifted to touch him, this strange, dangerous, beautiful creature. He caught her wrist, gentle but firm. “You need to leave. Now.
”
“No. I can’t. I don’t want to go. All I can think about is you.
”
Edric’s expression shattered with longing. His hand rose to her face again, brushing her lip with the pad of his thumb. “Sleep,” he whispered. Darkness swelled behind her eyes.
As the world faded, all she saw was him. The smell of coffee pulled Lucy from a dreamless sleep. She blinked, disoriented to find herself in her own bed. The last thing she remembered was Edric’s face, those glowing eyes, and then nothing.
Sophia appeared in the doorway, balancing two mugs. “Morning, sleepy head. Peace offering. ”
Lucy sat up slowly, accepting a mug.
Her neck tingled where Edric’s lips had been. “Thanks for listening to me last night. I know I came on strong, but I was really worried. ”
Guilt pricked Lucy’s chest.
Sophia thought she’d stayed home. “Are you okay? You look pale. ”
“Just had a weird dream,” Lucy said, avoiding her eyes.
The word dream echoed uneasily in her mind. The candles, the restored room, Edric’s confession, those fangs glinting in the firelight. Had it really been a dream? The morning passed in a blur.
Lucy recited tour facts, stamped tickets, forced smiles, but her gaze kept drifting to the castle’s upper windows. By noon, a headache pulsed behind her eyes. The pendant felt heavy, its warmth growing. She excused herself during lunch and headed for the east wing.
“Edric,” she called. “Edric, are you here? ”
Only her voice answered, echoing through the empty corridors. She opened door after door, finding only sheet-draped furniture and forgotten rooms.
No fire, no candles, no Edric. The door at the end of the corridor creaked open to reveal nothing but dust and cobwebs. “I know you’re real. I know last night happened.
”
“Lucy. ”
She jumped. Sophia stood in the doorway, frowning. “What are you doing in here?
This section’s off-limits to tourists. ” Her eyes narrowed. “Were you looking for him? Your mystery man?
”
“I was just exploring. I’ve never seen most of the castle. ”
Sophia studied her. “You promised you wouldn’t go looking for him.
”
“I’m not. I just got curious. ”
The rest of the day crawled by. Lucy’s headache worsened.
By closing time, her whole body ached. That night, she waited until Sophia’s breathing deepened, then slipped from the cabin. The forest seemed to part for her. The pendant pulsed hotter with every step.
The castle gates were open just as before, but the courtyard was empty. “Edric,” she called, voice swallowed by silence. She moved deeper into the castle, the pendant guiding her down unfamiliar halls. With each step, her limbs felt heavier, yet something inside her burned brighter.
Hours passed. She lost track of time, of direction. Her legs shook. Her head swam, but she couldn’t stop.
“Please,” she whispered, throat raw. “I know you’re here. I can feel you. ”
And she could.
His presence lingered in the walls, in the air she breathed. His scent, pine and winter, ghosted past her, gone before she could chase it. Outside, dawn touched the sky. She’d been searching all night.
Lucy stumbled back through the woods. As she reached the treeline, she paused to look back at the castle. A howl broke the silence. Long, low, and heartbreakingly familiar.
Back at the cabin, Lucy collapsed into bed. The pendant pulsed faintly against her chest, steady as a second heartbeat. She was somewhere else. The castle, but not as she knew it.
Gone were the crumbling walls and dust. Gleaming corridors stretched before her, lit by hundreds of candles. Vibrant tapestries of wolves beneath full moons lined the walls. She looked down.
She was wearing a gown of deep emerald silk. Her hands seemed paler, more delicate. She didn’t question how she knew where to go. Her feet moved with purpose through the grand hall and into a vast chamber filled with elegantly dressed people.
“Luna,” they murmured. “Your highness. ”
A woman with silver-streaked hair approached and bowed. “Luna, he has returned.
The Alpha King comes victorious. ”
A horn sounded. The massive double doors opened. A wolf entered, enormous, black as midnight, its blue eyes glowing across the room.
Blood matted its shoulder, but it moved with regal grace. Edric. The crowd parted as the great wolf approached. Some bowed, some knelt.
Lucy remained standing, drawn forward as if by invisible force. The wolf halted before her, eyes locked with hers. She dropped to her knees and wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her face into his fur. “You’ve come back to me,” she whispered.
The words felt ancient, familiar. The scene shifted. She was in a bed chamber now. The wolf stood before her, and then it began to change.
Bones shifted, fur receded. Edric emerged, gloriously human, fresh scars crossing his skin. “Adora,” he breathed, pulling her into his arms. His kiss was fierce and desperate, like a man returned from war.
“I feared for you,” she whispered. “Every day you were gone, I felt our bond stretch thin. ”
“Nothing could keep me from returning to you. ”
His hands roamed her body, urgent, reverent.
She cupped his face. “Promise me this is the end. No more wars. Our pack is strong.
We’re safe now. ”
A shadow darkened his gaze. “Not until I have your tormentor’s head. ” He kissed the silver crescent scar on her neck.
“Edric, please. Olrich is a rogue. He can’t take me from you now. ”
“He enslaved thousands.
He tried to steal what’s mine, my fated mate. I can’t rest while he lives. ”
Tears welled in her eyes. “And I can’t rest when you leave to fight.
What if you don’t come back? I can’t live without you. ”
He stilled. His expression softened.
“I know where he hides. One last battle. I swear it. ”
“No.
I have a terrible feeling. Please don’t go. ”
Their bodies moved together, passion and desperation twined. Each kiss, each breath a plea, a promise.
“I fear you won’t return,” she whispered, tears now falling freely. He cradled her face, eyes burning. “Listen to me, Adora. Not even death could keep me from you.
I will always return. I will always find you. ”
Her sob broke against his lips as he sealed the vow with a kiss. “I will return to you,” he whispered again and again.
“I will always find you. ”
Lucy woke with a gasp, tears streaming down her face. Sophia’s concerned face appeared above her. “Hey, what’s wrong?
You’re crying. Was it a nightmare? ”
“I don’t know. It felt so real.
”
“Want to talk about it? ”
Lucy almost laughed. How could she explain herself as some kind of queen? Edric as an actual wolf that turned into a man?
“I’m fine,” she said, forcing a smile. She lay awake afterward, staring at the ceiling. Wolves don’t become men. People don’t live for centuries.
There is no such thing as fated mates or supernatural bonds. And yet the grief felt so real. It was older, deeper, as if it had been buried in her bones for centuries. If it was just a dream, why did part of her know with absolute conviction that Edric had ridden off to battle and never returned?
Four days passed. Four nights of returning to the castle, searching empty corridors, and finding nothing but dust and shadows. “You look terrible,” Sophia said not unkindly. “Maybe you should take the day off.
”
Lucy barely recognized her reflection. Dark circles shadowed her eyes, and her skin had taken on a waxy pallor. Her hand trembled, a constant tremor that began yesterday and refused to subside. “I’m fine,” she lied.
“You’re not fine. You’re barely eating. You toss and turn all night. You cry in your sleep, you know.
Call out for him. ”
Heat rushed to Lucy’s cheeks. “I don’t remember my dreams,” she lied again. By the time their shift ended, Lucy could barely stand.
That night, she didn’t even pretend she wasn’t going to the castle. She waited for Sophia to fall asleep, then dragged herself from bed. The walk through the forest that once seemed magical now felt interminable. The castle gates stood open as always.
“Edric,” she called, her voice small in the vast emptiness. “Please, I need to see you. ”
Nothing answered but the whisper of wind through stone corridors. She wandered deeper, each step more difficult than the last.
She slumped against a wall, sliding down until she sat on the cold stone floor. “I don’t understand. Was it really all in my head? ”
“You shouldn’t have come back.
”
Lucy’s head snapped up. Edric stood a few feet away, as if he materialized from the shadows themselves. Despite her exhaustion, she took an unsteady step toward him. “I’ve been looking for you for days.
”
“I know. I’ve been gathering strength. ”
His cool hand lifted to cup her cheek. For the first time in days, the pounding in her head subsided.
“You should fear me. ”
“I don’t. ”
“You should run from me. ”
“I can’t.
I’ve tried. ”
“It isn’t safe for you here. ”
“I’m safe with you. ”
“No.
” His voice broke on the word. “You are in the most danger when you’re with me. I am not what you think. ”
“Then tell me.
Tell me everything. ”
Edric’s eyes closed briefly, as if gathering strength. When they opened, they gleamed with unshed tears. “I am a creature born of darkness.
Something ancient and forbidden. I have been imprisoned in this castle for centuries. Neither truly dead nor truly alive. ”
“Waiting for what?
” Lucy asked, though something deep within her already knew. “For you. For centuries, Lucy, I have waited for you. ”
“You are Adora,” Edric said, his voice breaking.
“My Adora, returned to me. ”
Adora. The name resonated through Lucy’s body like the toll of a bell. Sorrow welled up inside her, deep and ancient.
“I know you, don’t I? From before. ”
“Yes. ” He pressed his forehead to hers.
“You do. ”
“I’m dreaming about you, about us. But they’re not just dreams, are they? ”
“No.
”
“In my dreams, you’re some kind of king. We live in this castle, but it’s beautiful, full of people who bow to you. ”
“To us. You are my Luna, my queen, my mate.
”
Mate. The word resonated through Lucy’s body. “Is that why I can feel when you’re in danger, even from miles away? Because of our bond?
”
Edric nodded. “The mating bond. It’s rare, even among my kind. A connection of souls that transcends death itself.
”
“But that’s impossible. ”
“Is it? Is it more impossible than the way you feel when I’m near? The way your blood sings for mine?
”
“The soul remembers what the mind forgets. And yours has been searching for mine for centuries. ”
“I’ve waited for you,” Edric said. “For centuries, I’ve waited, trapped between life and death, unable to truly live, unable to truly die.
Now it is your turn to wait. ”
Lucy opened her mouth to protest, but Edric didn’t let her. “Not long,” he soothed, cupping her face between his hands. “A couple days at most, until I’m strong enough.
”
“Strong enough for what? ”
“To claim you. I swear to you, my Adora, we will be together. Truly together.
But I need more time. I do not want to harm you. ”
“You wouldn’t. ”
“I would.
I need blood, Adora. I’m not truly alive. Until my body finds enough of it, I can’t trust myself with you. ”
Before Lucy could ask what he meant, a scream pierced the night.
Distant, but unmistakable. “Sophia. ”
She pulled free and ran toward the entrance hall, finding Sophia frozen in the doorway, her face a mask of horror. “What’s wrong?
Are you hurt? ”
But Sophia didn’t answer. She didn’t even look at Lucy. Her gaze remained fixed on the floor.
The entire floor was covered with dead rats. Dozens, perhaps hundreds of them. “What the hell is this? ” Sophia whispered, voice cracking with fear.
Lucy turned, hoping to see Edric behind her, but the shadows where he stood were empty. Sophia couldn’t stop seeing them when she closed her eyes. She sat at the kitchen table, hands wrapped around a mug of coffee gone cold. Sleep had been impossible.
Each time she drifted off, she saw them again, their glassy eyes staring at nothing. The clock read 6:27 a. m. Lucy slept in the next room, her breathing so faint Sophia had checked twice in the night to make sure she was still alive.
“What the hell is happening here? ” Sophia whispered to the empty kitchen. She pulled the cabin’s ancient phone toward her and dialed the number Grant had scribbled on a castle brochure. “For emergencies,” he’d said.
“Blackest. ”
“It’s Sophia from the castle tours. I need to report something unusual. Last night, we found something.
Dead rats in the entrance hall. Hundreds of them. ”
The silence stretched so long Sophia wondered if the line had disconnected. “Did they have bite marks?
” Grant interrupted, his tone sharp. “I don’t know. Should we be worried about disease? Should the castle be closed for cleaning?
”
“Stay there. Don’t go to the castle today. ”
“Okay, but shouldn’t you lock it up? My roommate, she’s been obsessed with that place lately.
She keeps going there at night. ”
“Tell her she can’t. ”
“I’ve tried. She doesn’t listen.
She has these midnight rendezvous with some guy named Edric. At first, I thought she was dreaming it up. But now… ”
“What did you just say?
The name. What name did you say? ”
“Edric. ”
“Listen to me very carefully.
Do you have a car? Can you get your roommate and run right now? ”
“No, we don’t have a car. We usually walk to the main road and take the bus.
”
“God damn it. Do not under any circumstances leave that cabin. Lock everything. Don’t let anyone in except me.
”
“Why? What’s happening? You’re scaring me. ”
“I’ll be there in thirty minutes, maybe less.
Remember, do not go outside. Do not go to the castle. Do not let anyone in but me. ”
The line went dead.
Lucy dreamed again. But this felt present, not fragmented memory. She was in the castle’s royal chamber, its beauty drowned out by agony. Clutching her chest, she doubled over on the massive bed as an icy emptiness spread through her.
“Luna, please. You must calm yourself. He’s gone. ”
“I can’t feel him anymore.
” Each sob ripped through her. “Where the bond once pulsed, there’s only a void. ”
“The Alpha King is strong. The greatest warrior our pack has ever known.
He will return to you. ”
Adora shook her head. “You don’t understand our bond. It’s cold.
Lifeless. My mate is gone. ”
Alone, she rose and moved toward the balcony as if underwater. The castle loomed on the cliff edge, the valley below dark and vast.
Somewhere in that forest, Edric’s body lay still and cold. How do you live when half your soul is gone? The rocks below jutted from the mist like teeth. One step was all it would take.
Lucy woke with a sharp gasp, heart racing, the phantom sensation of falling still clutching at her. Her hand flew to the pendant. It was cold, unnaturally so. Then she heard voices from beyond the door.
Sophia’s tense, and another deeper one she recognized. Grant. She pushed out of bed, legs shaky, grabbing the door frame for balance. “Lucy, thank God.
I couldn’t wake you up. ”
“What’s going on? ”
“Pack your things,” Grant said without preamble. “You’re both leaving now.
”
“Excuse me? ”
“Please just do what he says,” Sophia said, grabbing her hands. “You wouldn’t wake up, Loo, no matter what I did. ”
“Why is he here?
”
“You’re in danger. Both of you. ”
Lucy studied him. His sharp jawline, those intense eyes.
In the daylight, the resemblance was undeniable. “You’re like him, aren’t you? You can shift, too. ”
Grant’s expression hardened.
“I am nothing like him. ”
“Shift? ” Sophia echoed, confused. “What are you talking about?
”
“Edric isn’t dangerous. Not to me. ”
“He’s an abomination. A creature that should have died centuries ago.
”
“Will someone please tell me what’s happening? ” Sophia demanded. “Edric is special. He’s been waiting for me.
We’re meant to be together. ”
“He was a monster,” Grant growled. “A tyrant who butchered humans and shifters in his quest for power. ”
“He did it to protect me.
”
Grant laughed coldly. “Is that what he told you? He’s manipulating you, feeding on your blood to regain strength. ”
“My blood?
He’s never drunk from me. ”
“That’s why you’re so weak,” Sophia jumped in. “Grant explained. Edric’s a vampire.
He’s been feeding off you during your meetings. ”
“No, he’s been pushing me away because he doesn’t want to hurt me. He’s been feeding on the rats. ”
“The rats?
” Sophia recoiled. “Oh my god. You knew about that? ”
“You know nothing,” Grant cut in, stepping closer.
“You’re already fading. The fatigue, the weakness, he’s draining you. ”
The room tilted. Lucy stumbled, catching the wall to keep upright.
“See? He’s killing you. ”
“No. Edric loves me.
He’s trying to help me. ”
“He wants us to be together,” Lucy said, her voice thick. “Tonight he’s prepared. ”
“We need to leave,” Grant said to Sophia.
“Before he comes for her. ”
Sophia wavered, torn. “Lucy, please. Grant says Edric killed Mr.
Dragamir. ”
“That’s not true. Mr. Dragamir fell.
”
After seeing Edric. After realizing what he was. The world spun harder. Lucy slid down the wall, legs giving out.
Her limbs felt too heavy to lift. “I’m not going anywhere,” she breathed. “Lucy, Lucy, stay with me. ”
But Lucy couldn’t answer.
The cold was everywhere now, seeping into her bones. Her vision narrowed to a tunnel. The last thing she saw was Grant kneeling, grim-faced. Then darkness.
Lucy drifted through darkness, pulled back into memory. She stood in the great hall once more, the castle in its full glory. Edric stood beside her, his hand possessively at the small of her back as he spoke with his commanders. But something pulled at the edges of her awareness.
A presence familiar yet changed. She saw him standing half-hidden in shadow near the far archway. Even at this distance, she knew those eyes would be green, cat-like in their intensity. “Adrien,” she called as he turned to leave.
“Adrien, wait. ”
She reached him, grasping his arm. “I thought you were dead. ”
When he turned, the words died in her throat.
It was Adrien. The same fine features, the same copper hair. But somehow fundamentally altered. His eyes glowed with an unnatural light, and something dark and heavy surrounded him like a second skin.
“What happened to you? ” she whispered. Adrien blinked slowly. “Edric didn’t tell you.
”
Not a question. An observation layered with something that made her blood run cold. “Did you and Edric quarrel? You were so close before.
”
The scene shifted. Edric was there, his voice tight with controlled fury. “Go back to the others. ”
He snarled at Adrien, warning clear and lethal.
“What are you doing here? ”
Lucy grabbed Edric’s arm, feeling the tension coiled in his muscles. “Edric, please. ”
Something in her touch reached him.
He deflated slightly, though his eyes never left Adrien’s face. “Just go,” he said. Adrien’s lips curved in what might be a smile on another face. Then, impossibly, he simply dissolved, as if made of shadow rather than flesh.
“What is happening? Are you truly so afraid of Adrien? He’s your dearest friend. You wouldn’t be where you are today without him.
”
Edric tensed. “Exactly. ”
Realization dawned slowly. “You fear him.
”
“Of course I do. He doesn’t just practice magic now. He made a pact with a demon. He’s a dark magician with powers beyond imagining.
”
“This doesn’t sound like Adrien at all. But why would he do such a thing? ”
Edric’s expression crumpled, guilt and shame warring across his features. “Because I made him do it.
”
The world tilted beneath her feet. Suddenly, she saw everything differently. How Edric had been a mere slave fighting for his freedom when she’d been taken by Olrich, the previous Alpha King. How rapidly he’d risen afterward, commanding armies, defeating Olrich, and claiming her.
“What did you do? ” she whispered, dread pooling in her stomach. “Edric, what did you do? ”
The dream shattered like glass, and Lucy fell back into darkness.
The car’s engine roared as Grant pushed it beyond its limits. Sophia sat rigid in the passenger seat. In the rearview mirror, Lucy’s unconscious form lay sprawled across the back seat, her skin ashen, the silver pendant gleaming like a curse against her chest. “Where are we going?
”
“Somewhere safe. Somewhere he can’t find us. ”
“What does Edric even want? I need answers now.
”
“Edric was a king. Centuries ago, a shifter who could turn into a wolf. ”
“A what? ”
“Look at your friend.
Look at what’s happening to her. Do you have a better explanation? ”
Sophia twisted to look at Lucy. Her breathing was shallow, her lips tinged blue.
“Keep talking. ”
“Edric was mortally wounded in battle. Desperate to stay alive, he turned to dark magic. Became a vampire.
When he transformed, he became more violent, more dangerous than ever. His own pack rebelled against him. They trapped him in the castle, binding his spirit to his corpse. ”
“How do you know all this?
”
“I’m his descendant. My family has guarded his tomb for generations, making sure he never escapes. And I failed. ”
A moan from the back seat drew their attention.
Lucy stirred, mumbling Edric’s name before falling silent again. “What’s wrong with her? ”
“He’s feeding on her. Using her blood to regain his strength.
That’s why she’s so tired, so weak. He’s draining her life force. ”
“But Lucy said he never… ”
“Lucy has been manipulated.
Seduced to be more pliable. ”
Grant abruptly swerved onto a narrow dirt track. Tree branches scraped against the windows like desperate fingers. “Are you…
Are you like him? A shifter? ”
Grant’s eyes met hers briefly. In the dim light, they seemed to glow with an inner fire.
“Yes. I command a pack sworn to stop Edric’s return at any cost. ”
The car burst through the treeline into a small clearing. A cabin stood at its center, sturdy and remote.
“We’re here. ”
Grant carried Lucy inside and laid her on a narrow cot. “My pack is on their way. If Edric comes after us, we’ll be ready.
And if not, we’ll go to him. Take him out while he’s still weak. ”
“Take him out? You mean kill him?
”
“It’s him or us. ”
A sudden shift in the air made them both freeze. Outside, the sky darkened unnaturally, rain intensifying to a torrent. “Something’s wrong,” Grant muttered.
Then Sophia heard it. Howling. Distant, but clear, cutting through the rain. Not one voice, but many.
A chorus of primal hunger. “What is that? ”
“Wolves. ”
They appeared at the treeline.
One, then three, then dozens. Dark shapes with gleaming red eyes. They moved with eerie synchronicity, encircling the cabin. “Is that your pack?
”
Grant cursed, slamming his fist against the windowsill. “Yes, but they’re not themselves. Edric got to them. ”
“How?
”
“Edric’s an alpha hybrid. Not just a shifter, not just a vampire, both. He can command wolves at will. It’s what made him so dangerous, why his pack had to stop him.
”
The wolves drew closer, red eyes fixed on the cabin, teeth bared in silent snarls. “What does he want? ”
“To kill us. And to finish drinking her blood.
”
Sophia’s knees threatened to buckle. “What do we do? ”
Grant grabbed her shoulders, his grip painfully tight. “When I go out there, you run for the car.
Get as far from here as you can. ”
“What about Lucy? ”
“If you can wake her, take her with you. If not…
” He didn’t finish the sentence. Before Sophia could argue, Grant was moving toward the door, his body already changing, limbs elongating, face distorting. He charged into the storm. Outside, chaos erupted.
Grant, now a massive brown wolf, tore into the pack, jaws snapping, claws slashing. “Lucy. Lucy, please wake up. ”
Lucy remained unresponsive, the pendant glowing faintly against her skin.
A bone-chilling howl cut through her thoughts. Different from the others. Deeper, powerful enough to vibrate the cabin’s walls. A new shape emerged from the trees.
A wolf of impossible size, black as midnight, eyes blazing red like twin infernos. The fighting paused as all eyes turned to the newcomer. Edric. Sophia grabbed a heavy iron poker from beside the fireplace.
The sound of Grant’s pained yelp shattered the night, followed by triumphant howls. Sophia backed against the wall, poker raised. A hand landed on her shoulder. Sophia screamed, spinning around, and froze.
Lucy stood there, eyes open wide, more alert than she’d been in days. “He’s here,” she whispered, a smile spreading across her face that chilled Sophia to her core. Lucy’s heart pounded as she neared the door. The pendant blazed hot against her skin, pulsing with energy now that Edric was near.
“What are you doing? You can’t go out there. ”
“I have to. He needs me.
”
“He’ll kill you. Grant told us everything. He’s a vampire, Lucy. A vampire and a shifter.
He was a dangerous, power-hungry villain who used dark magic. ”
“And apparently all of that is real. ” Lucy faced her, hands trembling as she rested them on Sophia’s shoulders. “I know what he is.
I know he’s dangerous. But he won’t harm me. And if I tell him not to harm anyone else, he won’t. ”
“He’s been using you, Lucy, taking your blood.
That’s why you’re like this. ”
“No. He hasn’t taken my blood. Not yet.
That’s why I’m weak. Because he’s been fighting it, waiting until he’s strong enough to control himself. Strong enough not to lose himself in me. ”
“Edric is my mate.
We share a bond that transcends death itself. He’s been waiting, alive as a vampire for centuries, just to find me again. ”
“And what if we don’t let him have you? Will he harm us then?
”
Lucy’s face faltered, fear surfacing. “That’s why you have to help me get to him, before he hurts anyone to get to me. ”
“Look at yourself. You can barely stand.
He is harming you. ”
“It’s being away from him that’s harming me. ”
“Lucy, please. ”
“I know you’re always trying to protect me.
But now I need you to trust me, so that I can protect you. ”
A long silence stretched between them. Then Sophia nodded slowly, reluctantly. “If you’re wrong about this—”
“I’m not.
”
They stepped into the storm. Wolves clashed in the clearing, flashing teeth, snarling bodies. Blood muddied the rain-soaked ground. Grant, in his wolf form, was outnumbered, fighting desperately.
But Lucy saw none of it. Her gaze was drawn to the massive black wolf at the edge of the chaos, red eyes fixed on hers. “Edric. ” The name tore from her throat, half sob, half plea.
The great wolf lurched forward. Around them, the battle slowed, the air thickening as something ancient stirred. He reached her, and his form began to shift, fur receding, bones reshaping, until a man knelt before her, drenched in mud and rain. But this was no dream.
His skin was deathly pale, dark veins like cracks across marble. His eyes burned red. Fangs gleamed between parted lips. Sophia gasped and leapt in front of Lucy.
“No,” Lucy said weakly, clutching Sophia’s shoulder. “Don’t. ”
Edric rose, gaze locked on Lucy. Even in his monstrous state, his eyes held reverence, worship, desperation.
“I will not harm Lucy. But she needs me. Our bond must be completed or she will die. ”
“He’s right.
This is why I’ve been fading. We’re incomplete. ”
“Lucy, please. ”
“Trust me.
”
A beat passed. Centuries of tension in a single breath. Sophia stepped aside. Edric swept Lucy into his arms, and inside the cabin, the storm faded behind them.
He carried her to the bed, placing her down like something precious. Candlelight danced across his face, etched with longing and restraint. “I’m sorry,” he whispered, brushing rain from her cheek. “I’ve taken too long.
I should have found you sooner. ”
Her fingers traced the dark veins across his skin. “I would have waited centuries for you, too. ”
He trembled.
“You’re dying. The bond, it’s incomplete. It’s draining you. I must claim you, but I…
” He broke off. “I fear I won’t be able to stop. ”
She bore her throat, pulse fluttering. “I trust you.
Take what you need. ”
Edric recoiled, anguished. “I know you need it. And I know you’ll stop.
”
“A bite from a shifter would kill a human. You’re human now, my love. A claiming mark would destroy you. ”
“But you’re not just a shifter anymore, are you?
”
“No. ” The word was a vow, heavy and haunted. “I chose this to keep my promise. I swore I’d return.
And when I did… ” His voice broke. “You were gone. ”
Pain stabbed through her chest.
Memories rising like fog. The cliff, the fall, the fracture of their bond. “Because I believed you were dead. I felt our connection break.
”
He nodded once, and she saw everything. Centuries of heartbreak, of waiting in silence. Her hand slipped behind his neck, pulling him down. “We can be together now.
”
His lips grazed her throat. Her body arched. He shuddered. And then, with a sound torn from his soul, Edric sank his fangs into her skin.
She gasped. Sharp, electric. Then it overtook her. Pain, then heat, liquid and deep, spreading through her limbs like wildfire.
Her back arched, mouth parting in a breathless moan. Pleasure bloomed, hot and insistent. The bond didn’t just snap into place. It erupted like a dam breaking.
She felt it pour into her, through her. The emptiness that haunted her for lifetimes was filled cell by cell, heartbeat by heartbeat. Edric drank like a man starved but never brutal, his hands cradling her, fingers trembling with the effort to keep from losing control. Then, with a tortured groan, he tore himself away.
Blood stained his lips. His eyes shifted, red fading to that searing blue, so sharp and alive it stole her breath all over again. The darkness in his skin faded. He looked alive, restored, and yet still otherworldly beautiful.
“Now you,” he rasped. “Claim me as I’ve claimed you. ”
He tilted his head, exposing his throat, bared in total surrender. “Bite with intent.
Bite knowing I am yours as you are mine. ”
Lucy rose onto her knees, cupping his face. She leaned in, pressing a kiss to the spot just below his jaw. His pulse pounded beneath her mouth.
She opened her teeth and bit. Not hard. But enough. Enough to draw a single drop.
It was sweet and dark and electric. Like tasting thunder. Like drinking the night sky. The bond flared.
It roared between them, roots deep into her soul, winding around her bones. Edric gasped, his body jerking against hers as her need slammed into him through the bond. She felt him, all of him. Centuries of longing, of silence, of dreams that always ended before they began.
And he felt her, her surrender, her trust, her burning need to be his. He grabbed her face with both hands, kissing her like he could live off her lips alone. “I’ve waited so long. Dreamed of this moment.
”
“Show me,” she whispered, pressing herself closer. His hands roamed over her skin, claiming, worshiping. And when he lowered her onto the bed, it wasn’t just passion. It was a promise carved into flesh.
Everything else fell away. The bond blazed white hot, burning away time and distance and pain until only this remained. Them. Together.
Finally. Three months after their reunion, Lucy sat on the small porch of their cabin watching the sunrise. In the distance stood Blackest Castle, its ruins silhouetted against the morning sky, a crumbling reminder of their past lives. The cabin, once temporary lodging, had become their home now.
Edric emerged from inside, balancing two mugs of coffee with careful concentration, still getting used to ordinary human tasks. He handed her a mug, his touch lingering. “Another nightmare? ” she asked softly, reaching for his hand.
He nodded, jaw tight. “The same one. The tomb, the darkness, centuries of nothing but hunger and regret. ”
Lucy pulled him down beside her, pressing her forehead to his.
“You’re free now. We both are. ”
Their simple life came with challenges Edric could never have anticipated. The modern world bewildered him daily, electricity, telephones, television, cars.
But most importantly, Edric carried the weight of centuries on his shoulders. The memories of what he was, what he did, surfaced in unexpected moments. “I remembered something new last night,” Lucy said, changing the subject. Her memories of Adora’s life returned in fragments, vivid snapshots of a past both alien and intimately familiar.
“About the war council, just before you left for the final battle against Olrich. ”
Edric stiffened beside her. “Lucy, we don’t have to. ”
“Adrien was there.
He stood beside you, but he looked hollow. ”
The name hung between them, heavy with unspoken guilt. Adrien, the friend, the confidant, the magician who granted Edric’s desperate wish at a price neither had fully understood. “I need to know, Edric.
All of it. About Adrien, about the wish, about what happened when you knew you were dying. ”
Edric’s eyes closed briefly, pain etching lines around his mouth. “I was dying.
Olrich’s forces ambushed us. I’d been so certain of victory, so arrogant. I lay there, bleeding out in some god-forsaken forest, knowing I would never see you again. I’d promised to return to you always, and I was breaking that promise.
”
“So I called for Adrien. He came. He always came when I called, even then. Even after what I’d done to him.
I asked him to make sure I couldn’t die until I reunited with you. ”
“The dark magician from your past,” Lucy said softly. “It was Adrien all along. ”
Edric nodded.
“Before he wielded dark magic, he was my closest friend, my supporter, my ally in rising against Olrich. ”
“The previous Alpha King. The one who was engaged to Adora, to me. ”
“Yes.
But I was the one who made Adrien become a dark magician. I forced him into a pact with a demon to win against Olrich, to become Alpha King myself. For your sake, I told myself everything was for you. ”
“What did you do?
”
“I threatened him. Him and his family. I was desperate to save you from Olrich, and I didn’t listen to Adrien’s protests about the price of such magic. ”
Lucy’s heart contracted painfully.
“I didn’t understand what it would mean. Adrien gained power, yes, but only in the form of wish granting, and always for a terrible price. He can grant one wish per person, but always in exchange for what they value most. ”
“And when you wished to live until you could reunite with me,” Lucy began.
“What I valued most was taken. Your knowledge that I was alive. Our bond severed. You felt me die.
I didn’t know. I thought it would be something physical, my kingdom, my power. But it was you. It was always you.
”
Tears slipped down Lucy’s cheeks. The enormity of it washed over her. Adora’s grief, Edric’s centuries of suffering, all stemming from a desperate wish born of love and fear. “When I realized what had happened, when I learned you’d…
” Edric couldn’t finish the sentence. Even now, centuries later, he couldn’t speak of Adora’s suicide. “I tried to end it all, to follow you. But the wish held me in that half-life.
Not until we reunited could I truly live or die. ”
“So I reincarnated,” Lucy said, piecing it together. “Because you were still alive. ”
Edric nodded.
“And now that we’ve reunited, the wish is fulfilled. I’m mortal again. The price has been paid. ”
“What happened to Adrien?
After your wish? ”
“I don’t know. My people eventually rebelled against me, imprisoning me in the castle. I never saw Adrien again.
”
They sat in silence for a long moment, watching the sun climb higher above the mountains. “I had time to think in that tomb. Centuries to realize how wrong I’d been, how my fear of losing you had made me power-hungry, paranoid. I’d become the very monster I’d fought against.
”
Lucy took his face between her palms, forcing him to meet her gaze. “You’ve paid for those mistakes, Edric. With centuries of suffering. ”
“It doesn’t erase what I did.
”
“No. ” Lucy agreed softly. “It doesn’t erase it. But it doesn’t erase this either.
” She guided his hand to her heart. “How can you still love me, knowing what I am, what I’ve done? ”
“Because I see all of you. The darkness and the light.
The man who would burn the world to save me, and the man who now fears his own shadow for fear of disappointing me. ”
Later that evening, Sophia arrived for her weekly visit, bringing groceries and news from town. Grant was with her, a rare appearance that immediately put Edric on edge, though he hid it behind careful politeness. “The pack is moving on,” Grant announced without preamble.
“We’ve guarded this place long enough. It’s time we found our own path. ”
Edric studied him, recognition flickering in his eyes. “You have his chin.
”
“My grandfather. The one who led the rebellion against me. ”
Grant’s jaw tightened, but he nodded. “And his responsibility, which you fulfilled,” Edric acknowledged.
“I am grateful. ”
The words cost him. Lucy knew centuries of hatred didn’t disappear overnight, but it was a beginning. After Grant and Sophia left, Edric found Lucy at the kitchen table, surrounded by job listings from the local newspaper.
“I’ve been thinking,” she said without looking up. “About Adrien. ”
Edric stilled. “What about him?
”
“You said the wish was conditional, that you couldn’t die until we reunited. That means Adrien’s magic is still working in a way. And if it’s still working, he must still be alive. ”
“We should find him.
”
Edric’s expression clouded. “Lucy, if Adrien still lives, he would have every reason to hate me, to want me destroyed. ”
“Or perhaps he’s had centuries to find his own healing. You’re not the only one who’s had time to reflect on the past.
”
“What would I even say to him? Sorry I forced you into a pact with a demon that corrupted your soul? ”
“You’d say exactly that. And then you’d listen to whatever he has to say in return, whether it’s forgiveness or condemnation.
”
“Why is this so important to you? ”
“Because it’s important to you. Because every time you say his name, I feel your guilt through our bond. And because healing isn’t just about us, Edric.
It’s about making amends where we can. ”
Tears glistened in Edric’s eyes. “I don’t deserve you. ”
“Maybe not,” Lucy agreed with a small smile.
“But you have me anyway. Forever. ”
The following morning, they stood beside Lucy’s battered old car, luggage packed in the trunk. Edric took a deep breath, squaring his shoulders.
“It won’t be easy finding him. Facing him. ”
“Nothing worthwhile ever is,” Lucy replied, squeezing his hand. As they pulled away down the gravel road, Lucy glanced in the rearview mirror at the distant silhouette of Blackest Castle growing smaller behind them.
She felt a weight lift from both their shoulders. The past doesn’t disappear. It never will. The darkness Edric carries, the memories that haunt his sleep, the guilt that sometimes threatens to consume him, these remain.
But so does she. So does their love. And perhaps in the end, that’s the most powerful magic of all.
Not a dark wish that defies death, but two souls that find each other again and again across the vastness of time itself.
