“I can’t do this anymore. ”
Five quiet words, spoken in a grocery store aisle while Lucy Novak stood comparing pasta sauces. Three years together, a ring on her finger, wedding invitations ready to be mailed—and Jonathan ended it there, cold and distant, as if she meant nothing. Two months later, she saw the engagement announcement in the local paper.
Jonathan and the coworker he’d sworn was just a friend. Now Lucy understood love for what it truly was: a trick of the brain, a chemical trap, abandonment dressed up as connection. She was done with it. Better left alone.
What she couldn’t have imagined, as she packed for a reluctant European getaway with her persistent best friend Sophia, was how fragile that cynicism really was. Somewhere across the ocean, hidden beneath ancient mountains, someone had been waiting for her. Had been waiting with a patience that defied lifetimes and a devotion forged in blood and magic. —
The last tour group of the day shuffled through Blackest Castle’s gates, already searching for the nearest restaurant.
Few spared a glance for the looming spires overhead, casting shadows across the courtyard like fingers from another time. “What about him? ” Sophia nudged Lucy, pointing to a tourist with messy brown hair. Lucy ignored her, stamping an old lady’s exit ticket.
“Seriously, go talk to him,” Sophia pressed. “It’s not like we need to stamp these tickets anyway. This place is a dump. ”
Lucy shot her a look.
Tourists might lose interest after an hour, but to her, the castle was comforting. “Comforting? ” Sophia echoed, eyeing a crumbling wall. “Really?
”
“It has an aura,” Lucy said, gazing up at the weathered stone. “Don’t you feel it? ”
Sophia stared for a beat, then pouted. “Okay, fine.
No need to make up nonsense. You didn’t like him. Not your type. ”
“Stop it,” Lucy muttered, stamping another ticket.
“What about him then? ” Sophia pointed to a sour-looking man. “Just because he’s male and not ancient. ”
“Will you give it a rest?
”
Sophia batted her lashes. “The best way to get over someone, my darling, is to get on to someone else. ”
Lucy rolled her eyes. It had been three months since the breakup.
She and Jonathan were supposed to get married. “I’m fine, Sofh,” Lucy nudged her. “Really. You were right.
This trip to Europe has been good for me. ”
She meant it, mostly. The first few weeks had been a blur of forced smiles while her heart felt hollowed out, Jonathan’s betrayal replaying in her mind like a cruel film reel. But something shifted when they reached Blackest.
The ancient stones, the silence, the weight of history—it soothed something in her. For the first time since Jonathan shattered her world, Lucy felt peaceful. Almost as if she was exactly where she was meant to be. “It’ll be better when we’ve made enough money to get away from this job, this castle, this town,” Sophia said.
“I think it’s creepy. ”
Before Lucy could respond, a soft sob pulled her attention. Near the archway, a little girl with pigtails cried while her mother knelt beside her. Lucy approached.
“Is everything okay? ”
The woman’s accent was distinctly German. “Mina lost her doll somewhere. I told her it was her fault for not being careful.
”
Lucy knelt. “Where did you last have it? ”
“It’s beyond the scary door with the bars. The one that goes down to where the monsters live.
”
Lucy blinked. The mother shook her head. “She means the restricted area in the east wing. ” She stood, taking her daughter’s hand.
“We tried opening it. It was locked for a reason. Come on, Mina. 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. ”
Lucy glanced at the caretaker’s cottage. Gruff as he was, he’d hired them on the spot after their money was stolen in Bucharest and given them a cabin to stay in.
“He doesn’t have to know,” she said, grabbing a flashlight. “I’ll be quick. Just keep watch. ”
“What if the castle crumples on you?
” Sophia called after her. Lucy rolled her eyes. 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.
Mr. Dragamir had warned them about structural issues. “Just a quick look,” she whispered, stepping down. The staircase wound deeper than expected.
The air turned colder, metallic, and quiet. Too quiet. The castle above felt distant now. Finally, she reached a small chamber.
Her flashlight landed on the doll almost immediately, propped against the wall, waiting. Lucy exhaled in relief, bending to pick it up. But then her light caught something—a painting half hidden behind a tattered tapestry. She moved closer, curiosity flaring.
Dust choked the air as she pulled the fabric aside. The painting showed a massive black wolf beside a woman in a medieval gown, but her face was gone—ripped from the canvas, jagged, intentional. Lucy stared, heart stuttering. 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, wiping it away.
She imagined Sophia’s voice. “It’s just an old painting, Lucy. You’re spooked, that’s all. ”
But deep inside, Lucy knew there was something behind this painting.
She didn’t know how she knew. She just did. “This is ridiculous,” she muttered. “I should go back up.
”
But her body didn’t move. Her hand lifted on its own, fingers brushing the frame. The carved wood felt strangely warm. Alive.
She pressed along the edges, searching. Her finger found a rosette in the bottom right corner. Click. The painting swung open.
A hidden passage gaped behind it. Lucy stared, breath caught. She was right. Oh my god, she was right.
—
Sophia checked her watch for the third time in ten minutes. The sky grew darker outside the ticket booth’s small window, and still no sign of Lucy. “Why are you still here? ” Sophia startled at Mr.
Dragamir’s voice, who was looking at her across the ticket booth. She literally had not seen him coming. “The castle closes in fifteen minutes,” he reminded her. “I’m waiting for Lucy.
” Sophia nodded toward the German tourists. “She went to find a little girl’s doll. ”
Mr. Dragamir’s expression shifted from annoyance to alarm.
“Find her,” he ordered. “Now. Tell her the castle is closing. ”
Sophia nodded, eager to escape his penetrating stare.
She hurried toward the east wing, irritation mixing with concern. Lucy and her bleeding heart, always putting strangers’ needs above her own safety. The corridor leading to the restricted area felt colder than the rest of the castle. Sophia shivered, wrapping her arms around herself.
The iron gate stood partially open—a clear violation of the rules they’d promised to follow. “Lucy,” she called, peering down the spiral staircase. No answer. Hesitating at the top of the stairs, Sophia debated whether to descend into the darkness.
“Lucy,” she tried again, louder this time. “Mr. Dragamir says the castle’s closing. We need to go.
”
Still nothing. “Damn it, Lucy,” she muttered, taking the first step down. The staircase seemed to absorb sound, her footsteps eerily muffled despite the stone construction. After descending 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. She’d get Mr. Dragamir instead.
But as she rounded the corner back into the main hallway, she nearly collided with Lucy, who was sitting on a stone bench against the wall, head tipped back against the cold stone, eyes closed. “Lucy! ” Sophia rushed to her side, panic rising. “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 recognition dawned, and she smiled—a dreamy, distant smile Sophia had never seen before.
“Sof,” she murmured, voice thick as if waking from a deep sleep. “I had the most wonderful dream. ”
“Dream? ” Sophia helped her sit upright, checking her pupils.
“Did you hit your head? ”
Sophia frowned, noticing something new glinting at Lucy’s throat—a silver pendant in the shape of a crescent moon, cradling what appeared to be a moonstone. “Where did you get that necklace? ”
Lucy’s hand rose to touch the pendant, her expression softening further.
“What do you mean? I’ve always had it. ”
“No, you haven’t. ” Sophia studied her friend’s face, unease growing in her chest.
Before Lucy could respond, Mr. Dragamir’s voice boomed down the corridor. “Girls, time to leave now. ”
He strode toward them, keys jangling ominously in his hand.
His gaze fell first to the open gate, then to Lucy, and finally to the pendant at her throat. All color drained from his weathered face. “Where did you get that? ” he demanded, voice barely above a whisper.
Lucy’s hand closed protectively around the pendant. “Give it to me. ” Mr. Dragamir extended a trembling hand.
“That doesn’t belong to you. ”
“Yes, it does. ” Lucy’s voice remained calm, but there was a strange certainty to it that sent shivers down Sophia’s spine. “Let’s go.
” Sophia tugged Lucy’s arm, eager to escape the caretaker’s intensity. “We found the doll,” she added, pointing to the toy clutched in Lucy’s hand. Mr. Dragamir’s eyes never left the pendant.
They returned the toy to the waiting child, who clutched it with the pure joy only children can summon for inanimate objects. The mother thanked them profusely as they walked toward the gate. “Seriously, where did you get that necklace? ” Sophia whispered as they crossed the courtyard.
Lucy’s fingers traced the curve of the pendant. “I don’t know,” she said. “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 price of sharing that extra bottle of wine with Sophia. The digital clock on her nightstand read 3:17 a.
m. Her throat parched, she slipped out of bed and padded to the cabin’s tiny kitchen for water. Through the small kitchen window, moonlight spilled across the clearing that separated their cabin from the castle. The ancient fortress stood silhouetted against the star-filled sky, its ragged towers reaching upward like grasping fingers.
Something in the tree line caught her eye. Lucy leaned closer to the glass. 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. Lucy’s hand flew to her throat.
Her pendant was gone. Her eyes jerked to the cabin door, slightly ajar, swinging gently in the night breeze. The wolf must have gotten in somehow, taken her necklace while she slept. Without thinking, Lucy rushed outside, still in her pajama shorts and t-shirt.
“Hey,” she called. “Stop. That’s mine. ”
The wolf’s ears flattened against its head.
It held her gaze for a moment longer before turning and loping toward the forest path. “No. ” Lucy ran after it, heedless of the stones cutting into her bare feet. “Give it back.
”
Tears sprang to her eyes. A grief so profound it made no sense. The pendant wasn’t just a pretty trinket. It was essential, somehow—vital as her own heartbeat.
She couldn’t lose it. She wouldn’t. The forest path was silver-dappled with moonlight. The wolf always just visible ahead.
Branches scratched her bare arms as she ran, but Lucy barely noticed. All she could think about was the necklace. How right it had felt against her skin. How she couldn’t bear to lose it.
The path opened to the castle grounds. The massive iron gates should have been locked. Mr. Dragamir was meticulous about security, but tonight they stood open, as if inviting her in.
The wolf slipped through the gates and disappeared into the shadows of the courtyard. “Please,” Lucy cried, following it inside. Her voice echoed off the ancient stones. She spun in a circle, trying to catch sight of the wolf again.
The courtyard appeared different at night, the stones almost polished in the darkness. A movement in the shadows caught her eye. Lucy 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 of flawless symmetry and an easy grace that made the simple act of stepping forward seem like a dance. The light caressed him as though drawn to him, casting glints in his dark hair. And he was staring at her—not just looking, devouring.
The air between them felt thinner, suddenly, heavy with something electric and unseen. His gaze burned into hers, drinking her in as if parched. It made her chest tighten, her breath falter. “Say something, you idiot,” she told herself.
“Something cute, charming. ”
“Um, hi,” is what stumbled out. But how could her throat not feel tight in front of him? This man looked like he stepped from a forgotten myth.
“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 was low, rich, thick with emotion and trembling at the edges. “You’ve returned to me. ”
Lucy’s instinct was to glance behind her, sure he was speaking to someone else, but she couldn’t move. Her limbs wouldn’t obey her.
He took a step toward her. And though he was utterly silent, she felt the shift in the air like gravity bending around him. He was close now. So close she could see the rise and fall of his chest.
Her head spun. Her body leaned unconsciously toward his. The space between them crackled. “Do—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. Lucy followed his gaze and saw the small cuts on her feet. “Just scratches. It’s nothing,” she murmured, confused by the way he was staring, like he was trying not to breathe.
His jaw clenched, throat bobbing with a hard swallow. “You shouldn’t be here,” he said. Each word was tight, forced through gritted teeth. “It’s not safe, wandering alone in the dark.
”
He took a step back. 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. And then a growl cut through the quiet. The wolf stood in the shadows, teeth bared, the silver pendant glinting between them.
Its eyes gleamed eerily, trained on Lucy. Without hesitation, the man moved in front of her, like a blade between her and danger. “Is this yours? ” he asked.
His voice was calmer now, but charged. An undercurrent of violence held in check. “Yes,” Lucy breathed. “It’s why I came here.
I wanted it back, because—” she trailed off. “Come forward,” the man commanded. His voice sharpened into something inhuman, cold steel wrapped in velvet. The wolf snarled.
“I said, come forward,” he repeated. That second command pulsed through the air. It hit Lucy in her bones, a vibration she felt deep in her chest. The wolf’s body shook, resisting.
But slowly, agonizingly, it obeyed. “That’s it,” the man murmured, his tone slipping into something seductive, like a spell. “Closer now. ”
He knelt, and when he spoke again, it was for the creature.
“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 said low and certain. He didn’t look at her when he added, “Kneel beside me. Hold out your hand. ”
She didn’t even think.
She just obeyed. The words settled into her skin and moved her. She knelt beside him, the stone cold, but this man’s presence like fire beside her. His fingers wrapped around her wrist, strong and steady, and he leaned close.
His breath brushed her neck. The world narrowed to his voice. “Open your palm,” he said. She did.
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, voice cracking as the man stood back up. “You’re trembling,” he said, voice gentler now.
“I’m not cold,” she replied. She couldn’t be—her blood was on fire. “You should leave now,” he said, though his eyes said the opposite. They roamed over her, hungry, reverent.
“You have what you came for. ”
She rose slowly, confused. “I don’t understand,” she whispered. “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 was torn from him.
Half growl, half moan. “Not yet. Not like this. ”
“Like what?
” Lucy asked. He finally looked at her. And what she saw stopped her heart. His eyes were wild now.
“Come back tomorrow,” he said, voice frayed at the edges. His gaze dropped to her neck. It lingered, then dragged back up, locking on hers. “Please.
”
“Why? ” She took another step. She was so close. She could feel his heat, the way he trembled.
“Because you deserve better than what I can give you tonight,” he replied, voice ruined, ragged. “I’m not safe tonight. ”
The words were low and broken, barely more than breath. She should run, but she couldn’t.
She was anchored to him now. He stepped forward. His hand lifted. He almost touched her face again, but at the last moment, he curled a single strand of her hair behind her ear.
“You have no idea what you are to me,” he said. “And if you stay, I might forget who I am. Come back tomorrow. Meet me here.
I’ll be better prepared to see you. ”
Lucy turned, but her feet hesitated. “I don’t even know your name,” she protested. The man smiled, strained, but genuine.
“Names rarely reveal the true nature of a person,” he murmured. “Why don’t you name me instead? ”
It was such a strange thing to say, but nothing about this felt ordinary. “Edric,” she said.
“I think it fits you. ”
“Then I shall be your Edric,” he said, and this time his hand found her face. His thumb brushed her lower lip in a gesture so tender it stole the air from her lungs. “And I shall call you Adora.
”
“Adora,” she echoed. “Why? ”
“Because you are to be adored. ” His voice wrapped around the word like a vow.
“And you have been. ”
She opened her mouth to speak, but he stepped back, hardened again. “Tomorrow night,” he said, a final command. “Now go, while I still have the strength to let you.
”
She could feel his eyes on her back as she walked away. When she looked over her shoulder one last time, Edric stood in the moonlight, his face a study in beautiful agony. —
Sophia watched as Lucy twirled in front of their cabin’s cracked mirror. The yellow sundress, borrowed from Sophia’s side of the closet, flared around Lucy’s knees as she spun.
“What do you think? ” Lucy asked, tucking a strand of red hair behind her ear. Sophia set her coffee mug down. “That you’ve been abducted by aliens.
”
Lucy laughed. Actually laughed. A sound Sophia hadn’t heard since the breakup with Jonathan three months ago. “I just thought I’d try something different today,” Lucy said, adjusting the silver pendant at her throat.
“It’s such a beautiful morning. ”
Sophia glanced at the gloomy skies outside. “Right. Beautiful.
”
Lucy laughed again, bright and bubbly. And it didn’t stop there. As they walked toward the castle, she practically skipped beside her, occasionally twirling in the yellow dress. Sophia watched, increasingly unsettled.
“So, I thought we could check out that new bar in town tonight,” Sophia said, attempting conversation. “The one near the train station. They do karaoke on Wednesdays, and there’s this really cute bartender who—” She broke off, noticing Lucy’s distant expression. “You haven’t heard a word I’ve said, have you?
”
Lucy blinked at her and smiled. Sophia’s eyes narrowed. “Have you spoken to Jonathan lately? ”
“What?
No. ” Lucy protested, eyes 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,” Lucy said, beaming. “The castle? ” Sophia frowned.
“You went back there alone. ”
Lucy nodded like this was a perfectly normal thing to do. “To retrieve my necklace,” she explained. “A big wolf had stolen it.
”
Sophia blinked. “What? ” she asked incredulously. “I know, crazy, right?
” Lucy chuckled. “Anyway, I went after it, and that’s how I met Edric. ”
Lucy breathed the name with nothing short of reverence. Her eyes actually fluttered closed for a moment, as if savoring the taste of it.
“Edric,” Sophia repeated flatly. “And who exactly is this Edric? ”
“The man I met last night,” Lucy replied, as if that explained anything at all. “He was so beautiful, Sofh.
Not like normal person beautiful—like something else entirely. ” Lucy clasped her hands together under her chin. “He made the wolf give me back my necklace,” she explained. “Like—like he had power over it or something.
”
Sophia sighed. “Girl, I think you had too much wine last night. ”
Lucy blinked at her friend. “This wasn’t a dream.
There was a man there. I saw him. He touched me. ”
“Oh, so it was that kind of dream,” Sophia chuckled.
“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 9:00 arrival.
Mr. Dragamir was meticulous about his morning routine, always having the coffee maker running by the time they arrived. “Maybe he overslept,” Sophia suggested. Lucy’s hand shot out, gripping Sophia’s arm.
“What’s that? ”
Beyond the gates, a shape lay motionless on the gravel path. A human shape. They moved forward slowly, carefully.
The morning sun cast long shadows through the bars, striping the ground in bands of light and dark. The human shape was a body that lay crumpled behind the gates, limbs twisted at unnatural angles. Through the iron bars, Sophia saw familiar gray hair matted with blood. “Oh my god,” she gasped.
“Oh my god, Mr. Dragamir. ”
No response. He lay sprawled on his back, face up on the gravel, skin waxy and pale in the morning light.
Sophia stumbled backward. “Why is he lying there naked? ” she lamented. “I think he’s dead,” Lucy murmured, watching his mouth gaped in a silent scream.
—
The policeman crouched beside Mr. Dragamir’s body, notebook in hand. “Time of death appears to be sometime last night,” he muttered in heavily accented English. Lucy could barely focus on his words.
Her thoughts kept drifting to Edric, wondering if he was safe, if he knew what happened. The pendant felt warm against her skin, almost pulsing with each anxious beat of her heart. After a frantic hour of trying to explain their situation to emergency services, they’d finally managed to get two uniformed officers on scene, accessing the gates with the spare key from their cabin. “The tourists will arrive soon,” Lucy said, glancing toward the road.
“Shouldn’t we cover him? ” She gestured at Mr. Dragamir’s completely naked form, trying not to look directly at him. Why on earth was he wandering the castle grounds without clothes?
“The neck appears broken,” the officer announced, ignoring her completely. He exchanged a confused glance with his partner, silently acknowledging the strange circumstances. “Oh my god. ” Sophia clutched her chest.
“Do you think someone killed him and took his clothes? ”
The younger officer’s expression softened as he 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 that spread across his throat. Her mind flashed to Edric, wondering if he knew what happened, if he was safe in the castle. “What do you think you’re doing?
” The first officer snapped. “You’re contaminating the crime scene. ”
“He deserves some dignity,” she replied quietly. “And families with children will be arriving soon.
”
“Right. ” The officer nodded. “We should probably seal the castle. ”
A motorcycle’s roar drowned out his words.
Lucy watched as a sleek black bike tore through the gates, executing a sharp turn before coming to a stop. Its rider swung off with casual grace, removing leather gloves one finger at a time. “Hot! ” Sophia whispered, nudging Lucy’s ribs.
Lucy barely heard her. There was something about the stranger’s movements—a fluid, predatory quality that reminded her of Edric. Not the same elegance, but a similar power beneath the surface. Both officers straightened as the man removed his helmet.
He shook out light brown hair, revealing sharp features that triggered an odd sense of familiarity in Lucy. His eyes—intense, watchful—scanned the scene before landing on Mr. Dragamir’s body. “All right,” he announced, dropping his helmet on the seat.
“What happened here? ”
The officers exchanged glances. “We just arrived, Mr. Blackest,” one explained.
“The young ladies found him this morning. ”
Lucy studied the newcomer as he approached the body. 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 carefully tilted Mr.
Dragamir’s head, examining his neck with almost suspicious thoroughness. His shoulders relaxed slightly, though his expression remained grim. His eyes scanned the surrounding area quickly, as if looking for something specific. Discarded clothing, perhaps.
Finding nothing, he efficiently 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. He stood abruptly. “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 canceled,” he finished, turning to face her directly. “And you are Lucy.
”
“I work here,” she swallowed. “For Mr. Dragamir. Worked,” he corrected, his gaze uncomfortably penetrating.
“Past tense. ”
“Please,” Lucy heard herself say. “We need this job. I need to be here.
I need to come back tonight. ”
“You need to find safer employment,” he replied. Something in his tone suggested he knew more than he was saying. The thought of being barred from the castle—from Edric—made Lucy’s chest tighten.
“No one else knows the tour routes like we do,” she argued. “You’d lose a day’s revenue at least. ”
Sophia shot her a confused look. The man—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. The pendant seemed to burn against her skin.
“We need the money,” she said, the lie bitter on her tongue. Money was the last thing on her mind. “Fine,” he sighed. “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, suspicion flaring.
“No. Stay away from the castle after dark, both of you. Understood? ”
Something about his command reminded her of Edric’s voice when he ordered the wolf forward.
An authority that expected to be obeyed. But where Edric’s command had thrilled her, this man’s only irritated. “I’m Grant,” he announced, extending his hand to Sophia. “My family owns this castle.
”
“Owns? ” Lucy blurted. “But Mr. Dragamir was the caretaker.
”
“Grant finished. My distant cousin. He watched over things while I was away. ”
“I’m so sorry for your loss,” Sophia offered, her voice gentler than Lucy had heard in days.
Grant acknowledged this with a curt nod before turning his attention back to the officers. He quickly arranged for the body’s removal and for the castle to be closed for the day. “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. ” He shrugged, too casual for someone discussing a dead relative. “The old man had his demons. ”
The officers exchanged skeptical glances, but didn’t press further.
Lucy opened her mouth to object. Mr. Dragamir had always seemed perfectly lucid and proper. What eccentric habits would explain wandering naked through a castle at night?
“I’ll see you both tomorrow,” Grant said, cutting off her thoughts. “9 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. ”
Lucy brushed her hair, watching the silver pendant catch the light in the mirror.
Each stroke calmed her, steadying her for what was to come. “Grant said it was an accident. ”
“And you believe him? ” Sophia stopped mid-step.
“He didn’t even seem upset his cousin was dead. ”
Lucy set the brush down. “What are you suggesting? ”
“I don’t know.
” Sophia threw her hands up. “But something feels wrong. Definitely not the time to go meet a suspicious stranger at night. ”
“Edric had nothing to do with this,” Lucy said.
“How would you know? ” Sophia’s eyebrows rose. “For all you know, your Edric could be the murderer. ”
“It was an accident,” Lucy insisted.
“Edric wouldn’t—”
“Lucy, listen to yourself. ” Sophia knelt in front of her, taking her hands. “You don’t even know this man. ”
“Maybe I’m tired of being safe, predictable Lucy, who never takes risks.
” Lucy pulled her hands free. “This isn’t about risks. ” Sophia stood, her frustration sharp. “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. She felt Sophia’s gaze linger.
“Lucy, I heard you,” she said, facing the wall. Hours passed. Lucy lay still, listening as Sophia’s breathing deepened into sleep. At 1:17 a.
m. , Lucy slipped out of bed. She dressed in silence, every step on the floorboards loud in the dark. 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, every sound crisp, every scent sharp. The castle gates stood open. As she entered the courtyard, she spotted it.
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. Her heart raced.
She followed the trail, breath catching with every step. The corridors were unfamiliar, more ancient and untouched than anything on the tour route. At last, she reached a doorway she’d never seen. The heavy wooden door was slightly ajar, warm light spilling through the gap.
Lucy pushed it open. Unreal blue eyes locked on hers the moment she stepped inside. “You came,” Edric breathed. The reverence in his voice pierced her chest.
“I’m sorry I’m late,” Lucy said, voice low. “My roommate—she wouldn’t let me leave. Said it was too dangerous. ”
Edric’s lips lifted in a slow, quiet smile.
“I for one am grateful someone watches over my Adora when I cannot. ”
My Adora. Her knees nearly gave out. The way he said it, it felt like a vow, a claim.
“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. ”
The fire flickered across his broad back as he stared into it, and something about the tension in him called to her, pulled her forward.
“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. She wanted—needed—to be near him. “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, burning against her skin.
“Never. I would never harm an innocent. But he died because of me all the same. ”
His nearness drowned her.
She felt heat flood her limbs, making her dizzy. “I don’t understand,” she whispered. Edric drew her gently to a velvet-covered settee near the fire, never releasing her hands. When they sat, he turned to face her, impossibly close, still holding her like he might break apart without the contact.
His thumb moved over her wrist, slow, hypnotic strokes that made her skin tingle. Her breath came shallower. “He chose death over allowing my return,” Edric said. “He saw what was happening.
The pendant finding its way to you. Our connection strengthening. And he panicked. ”
“But why?
”
His gaze lifted to hers, and what she saw in it was devastating. Longing, guilt, love. “Because of what I am. Because he and all his kind see me as pure evil.
”
“You’re not evil,” she breathed. “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, and something shifted, grew hotter, hungrier.
His hands slid down her back, pressing her against him. She felt the tension in his muscles. Her hands explored—shoulders, arms, the skin just beneath his open collar. He exhaled her name like a prayer between kisses.
His lips left hers only to trail down her throat, brushing across her pulse. He kissed the hollow of her neck, his breath hot, and she heard herself make a sound—half whisper, half plea. Without a word, he swept her into his arms. She gasped softly as he lifted her effortlessly, cradling her against his chest.
Her legs wrapped instinctively around his waist, and she felt the press of his palm against the bare skin of her thigh. 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. His hand slid beneath the hem of her shirt, resting against her ribs, the pads of his fingers barely moving.
Yet it felt like fire. She was dizzy, starved. But just when it felt like she might come apart in his arms, Edric pulled back with a sharp, broken breath. “We shouldn’t,” he said, voice wrecked.
“It’s too soon. ”
“No,” she clutched at him, aching. “Please. ” She kissed the edge of his jaw, the column of his throat.
Her lips brushed the hollow beneath his ear, and his breath caught, broke, as if he was being unmade. When her lips found the base of his throat, Edric groaned—a deep, primal sound—and suddenly the dam burst. He kissed her like he was starved for her. His hands roamed—spine, hips, the curve of her waist—his touch reverent, desperate.
His mouth trailed heat down her throat. Her head fell back, her breath catching, 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 it. 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,” he said, voice guttural, raw around the shape of his fangs. “Now. ”
“No,” she breathed.
The thought of walking away from him was worse than anything. “I can’t. I don’t want to go. I don’t understand.
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. And as the world faded, all she saw was him. —
The smell of coffee pulled Lucy from a dreamless sleep. Sunlight spilled through the cabin’s worn curtains.
She blinked, disoriented to find herself in her own bed. The last thing she remembered was Edric’s face, those glowing red eyes, and then nothing. Sophia appeared in the doorway, balancing two mugs and offering a tentative smile. “Morning, sleepy head,” she said.
“Peace offering. ”
Lucy sat up slowly, accepting a mug with a murmured, “Thank you. ” Her neck tingled where Edric’s lips had been. She touched the spot, but her skin felt normal.
“Thanks for listening to me last night,” Sophia added, settling on the edge of the bed. “I know I came on strong, but I was really worried. ”
Guilt pricked Lucy’s chest. Sophia thought she stayed home, which meant either she returned on her own or something else brought her back.
“Are you okay? ”
“Just had a weird dream,” Lucy said, sipping her coffee and avoiding Sophia’s eyes. The word dream echoed uneasily in her mind. Had it really been a dream?
The candles, the restored room, Edric’s confession, those fangs glinting in the firelight. “We should get going,” Sophia said, standing. “Motorcycle Hottie seemed pretty strict about the 9:00 start time. ”
Lucy nodded, but her mind lingered on the castle.
If last night was real, what was Edric? And if it wasn’t, why did every cell in her body ache to go back? 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, searching for dark hair or pale skin.
More than once, she thought she saw movement, only to realize it was the curtain stirring in the breeze. By noon, a headache pulsed behind her eyes. The pendant felt heavy, its warmth growing. She excused herself during lunch, murmuring something about needing the restroom, but headed for the east wing instead.
The halls were silent, dust swirling in shafts of sunlight. Everything looked different in daylight. She couldn’t retrace her steps. Still, she pressed on.
“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. She reached the end of the corridor where she was sure his chamber had been. The door creaked open to reveal nothing but dust and cobwebs. “I know you’re real,” she whispered, clutching the pendant.
“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? ”
Heat flooded Lucy’s cheeks. For a moment, she considered telling the truth. But Sophia would think she was crazy.
Or worse, she’d believe her and make them leave. “I was just exploring,” Lucy said. “I’ve never seen most of the castle, even though I work here. ”
Sophia studied her.
“You promised you wouldn’t go looking for him. ”
“I’m not,” Lucy lied. “I just got curious. ”
“Curiosity killed the cat,” Sophia muttered, but her voice softened.
“Come on, lunch break’s almost over. ”
The rest of the day crawled by. Lucy’s headache worsened. By closing time, her whole body ached.
Even so, she knew she wouldn’t sleep. Not with the pendant burning at her throat and Edric’s name burning in her mind. That night, she waited until Sophia’s breathing deepened, then slipped from the cabin. The forest seemed to part for her, moonlight guiding her way.
The pendant pulsed hotter with every step. The castle gates were open just as before, but the courtyard was empty. No firelight, no Edric. She hesitated, a chill running down her spine.
“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 seemed to burn brighter, drawing her onward.
“Edric, please,” she called. Room after room yielded nothing but dust and echoes. Her steps quickened. Her calls grew louder.
Still nothing. Hours passed. She lost track of time, of direction. Her legs shook.
Her head swam, but she couldn’t stop. Something deeper than need drove her. Something urgent and primal, more than desire. “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, cloves, winter—ghosted past her, gone before she could chase it. Once she heard her name whispered, but it faded before she could be sure. A strange weakness crept through her. Her limbs felt boneless.
Her vision blurred. “What’s happening to me? ” she murmured, bracing herself against the wall. Outside, dawn touched the sky with pale light.
She’d been searching all night. Lucy stumbled back through the woods. As she reached the tree line, she paused to look back at the castle silhouetted against the lightening sky. And then a howl broke the silence—long, low, and heartbreakingly familiar.
—
Back at the cabin, Lucy collapsed into bed, exhaustion weighing her down. The pendant pulsed faintly against her chest, steady as a second heartbeat. And then she was somewhere else. The castle.
But not as she knew it. Gone were the crumbling walls and dust. Now gleaming corridors stretched out before her, lit by hundreds of candles in ornate silver holders. Vibrant tapestries of wolves beneath full moons lined the walls.
She looked down. She was wearing a gown of deep emerald silk, the fabric whispering against marble floors. 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. They turned at her entrance. “Luna,” they murmured. “Your highness.
”
Her heart pounded. She didn’t recognize their faces, yet they felt familiar, like characters from a story she once knew. A woman with silver-streaked hair approached and bowed. “Luna, he has returned.
The Alpha King comes victorious. ”
Before Lucy could speak, a horn sounded. The massive double doors opened. Silence fell.
A wolf entered. Enormous, black as midnight, its blue eyes glowing across the room. Blood matted its shoulder, but it moved with regal grace. Others followed, but Lucy saw only him.
Edric. The crowd parted as the great wolf approached. Some bowed, some knelt. Lucy remained standing, drawn forward as if by invisible force.
“Alpha,” they whispered. “The king returns. ”
The wolf halted before her, eyes locked with hers. She should be afraid, but instead 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.
A fire crackled, moonlight streaming through tall windows. The wolf stood before her, but then it began to change. Bones shifted, fur receded. Edric emerged, gloriously human.
Fresh scars crossed his skin, the shoulder wound still seeping. He didn’t seem to notice. He crossed the room in three strides. “Adora,” he breathed, pulling her into his arms.
His kiss was fierce and desperate, like a man returned from war. “Lucy” responded in kind, fingers tangling in his hair, body arching into his. “I feared for you,” she whispered. “Every day you were gone, I felt our bond stretch thin.
”
Edric lifted her, carrying her to the fur-covered bed. “Nothing could keep me from returning to you. ”
His hands roamed her body, urgent, reverent, memorizing. 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.
” Her gasp turned into a moan as his mouth moved lower. “Olrich is a rogue. He can’t take me from you now. ”
Clothes fell away, skin meeting skin.
The words continued between kisses and caresses. “He enslaved thousands,” Edric growled. “He tried to steal what’s mine—my fated mate. ” His grip tightened on her hips.
“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. He wiped a tear from her cheek.
“I know where he hides. One last battle. I swear it. ”
“No.
” She clutched at him, dread rising. “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, her 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, the words becoming a chant, a prayer. “I will always find you. ”
Lucy woke with a gasp, tears streaming down her face, Edric’s promise still echoing in her ears. “Lucy.
” Sophia’s concerned face appeared above her, hair disheveled from sleep. “Hey, what’s wrong? You’re crying. ”
Lucy pressed a hand to her mouth, trying to muffle the sobs that racked her body.
“Was it a nightmare? ” Sophia asked softly. “I—I don’t know,” Lucy managed. “It felt so real.
”
“Want to talk about it? ”
Lucy almost laughed. How could she possibly explain herself as some kind of queen? Edric as an actual wolf that turned into a man?
“I’m fine,” Lucy said, forcing a smile she didn’t feel. Sophia didn’t look convinced, but didn’t press further. After she returned to her own bed, Lucy lay awake, 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. The sorrow wasn’t like anything she’d experienced before.
Not when her father left. Not even when Jonathan betrayed her. This 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, unshakable conviction that Edric had ridden off to battle and never returned?
—
Four days had passed since Lucy first dreamed of Edric as the Wolf King. 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 that no amount of makeup seemed to fix. “I’m fine,” she lied, reaching for her toothbrush. Her hand trembled—a constant tremor that began yesterday and refused to subside.
“You’re not fine,” Sophia insisted. “You’re barely eating. You toss and turn all night. ”
Lucy didn’t argue because she couldn’t.
The headaches came in waves now, sometimes so intense that her vision blurred. Food tasted like ash in her mouth. And the dreams. Every night she returned to that other castle, that other life.
Edric as the Wolf King, herself as Adora. Their love an ancient, powerful force. Each dream felt more real than the last, revealing fragments of a life she both recognized and didn’t. Edric riding out to battle with his wolf pack at his heels.
Edric placing the silver pendant around her neck, promising it would protect her in his absence. “I’m just not sleeping well,” Lucy said, which was at least partly true. Sophia studied her face. “Is it the dreams?
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, unable to meet Sophia’s eyes.
By the time their shift at the castle ended, Lucy could barely stand. The effort of maintaining a normal appearance for the tourists had drained what little energy she had. “That’s it,” Sophia declared. “You’re going to the doctor tomorrow.
This isn’t normal, Lucy. ”
Lucy nodded, not having the strength to argue. Nothing about her life felt normal anymore. That night, Lucy didn’t even pretend she wasn’t going to the castle.
She waited for Sophia to fall asleep, then dragged herself from bed, every movement requiring conscious effort. The walk through the forest that once seemed magical now felt interminable. The castle gates stood open as always. Lucy entered the courtyard, her heart pounding with a mixture of hope and desperation.
“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. Lucy wandered deeper into the castle.
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,” she whispered, tears of frustration welling in her eyes. “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, Lucy took an unsteady step toward him.
“I’ve been looking for you for days,” she said. “I know. ” His voice carried a weight of regret. “I’ve been gathering strength.
”
Lucy’s breath caught as he reached for her, one cool hand lifting to cup her cheek. All the doubt, all the questions that plagued her throughout the day melted under his touch. For the first time in days, the pounding in her head subsided. “You should fear me,” he murmured.
“I don’t. ”
“You should run from me. ”
“I can’t. ” The truth of it ached in her chest.
“I’ve tried. ”
Edric’s thumb traced her lower lip. “It isn’t safe for you here. ”
“I’m safe with you,” Lucy insisted, leaning into his touch.
“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. ” She placed her hand over his, keeping it pressed to her cheek. “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,” he said softly. “Something ancient and forbidden. I have been imprisoned in this castle for centuries.
Neither truly dead nor truly alive. Waiting. ”
“Waiting for what? ” Lucy asked, though something deep within her already knew the answer.
“For you. ” Edric’s gaze burned into hers. “For centuries, Lucy, I have waited for you. ”
“I don’t understand.
”
“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, though she couldn’t place its source. “I know you, don’t I? From before. ”
“Yes.
” Edric pressed his forehead to hers. “You do. ”
A tear slipped down Lucy’s cheek. “I’m dreaming about you, about us.
But they’re not just dreams, are they? ”
Edric’s expression softened. “No. ”
Lucy shook her head, though the movement sent pain lancing through her skull.
“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,” Edric corrected, moving closer. “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 in my dreams? 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,” Lucy whispered. “Is it? ” Edric asked. “Is it more impossible than the way you feel when I’m near?
The way your blood sings for mine? ”
Lucy closed her eyes, embracing his touch. “How is this possible? ” she whispered.
“The soul remembers what the mind forgets,” Edric said. “And yours has been searching for mine for centuries. You are my true mate. And because my soul is still tethered to this body, yours has returned so we may find each other again.
”
Lucy closed her eyes, overwhelmed by emotions she couldn’t name. Grief, longing, homecoming. “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, ready 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? ” Lucy asked. “To claim you. ” Edric pulled back slightly, his expression hardening with determination.
“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,” Lucy protested. “I would. ” He closed his eyes, a pained expression on his face. “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.
Lucy gasped, terror jolting through her. She turned toward the sound, but Edric caught her arm. “Lucy, wait. ”
“I have to go to her.
” Lucy pulled free, already running toward the entrance hall. She sprinted through corridors that seemed to shift around her, the castle’s layout rearranging itself in her panic. Finally, she burst into the entrance hall to find Sophia standing frozen in the doorway, her face a mask of horror. “Sophia, 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 of the entrance hall.
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 to demand an explanation, but the shadows where he stood were empty now. —
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 after the castle, after the rats.
Each time she drifted off, she saw them again, their glassy eyes staring at nothing. The clock on the wall read 6:27 a. m. Outside, the forest was still dark, though dawn threatened.
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. Last night, after discovering the rats, her friend had been disturbingly quiet, pale as death, barely able to walk without support.
Sophia pulled the cabin’s ancient phone toward her. She had to call someone. This wasn’t just strange anymore. It was dangerous.
Some kind of disease, maybe. What if the rats carried something contagious? What if Lucy’s deteriorating health was connected? She dialed the number Grant had scribbled on a castle brochure after Mr.
Dragamir’s death. For emergencies, he’d said. The phone rang four times before a gruff, sleep-roughened voice answered. “Blackest.
”
“It’s Sophia from the castle tours. ” She hesitated. “I need to report something unusual at 6:00 in the morning. It’s about the castle.
Last night, we found something. ” Her voice shook slightly. “Dead rats in the entrance hall. Hundreds of them.
”
The silence that followed stretched so long Sophia wondered if the line had disconnected. “I know it sounds crazy. ” Sophia rubbed her forehead. “Did they have bite marks?
” Grant interrupted, his tone sharp. “I—I don’t know. I didn’t exactly examine them. ” Sophia swallowed hard.
“Should we be worried about disease or something? Should the castle be closed for cleaning? ”
“Stay there,” Grant ordered. “Don’t go to the castle today.
”
“Okay, but shouldn’t you lock it up or something? My roommate, she’s been obsessed with that place lately. She keeps going there at night. ”
“Tell her she can’t.
” Grant snapped. “I’ve tried. She doesn’t listen. ” Sophia lowered her voice.
“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? ” Grant’s voice dropped to a dangerous whisper.
“My roommate. The name. What name did you say? ”
“Edric.
”
Sophia’s stomach tightened at Grant’s reaction. “Listen to me very carefully. ” Grant’s voice became deadly serious. “Do you have a car?
Can you get your roommate and run right now? ”
A cold dread seeped into Sophia’s veins. “No, we don’t have a car. We usually walk to the main road and take the bus into town.
”
“God damn it. ” Grant’s curse was followed by the sound of something breaking in the background. “Listen to me. Do not under any circumstances leave that cabin.
Lock everything. Don’t let anyone in except me. ”
“Why? What’s happening?
” Sophia’s heart hammered against her ribs. “I’ll be there in 30 minutes, maybe less. ”
“You’re scaring me,” Sophia whispered. “Just tell me what’s going on.
”
“No time. ” Grant’s voice was tight with urgency. “Remember, do not go outside. Do not go to the castle.
Do not let anyone in but me. ”
The line went dead. —
Lucy was dreaming again. Not fragmented memories.
This felt present now. She was in the castle’s royal chamber. Its tapestried walls and vaulted ceilings achingly familiar. But the beauty was drowned out by agony.
Clutching her chest, she doubled over on the massive bed as an icy emptiness spread through her. “Luna, please. ” Her lady-in-waiting pleaded. “You must calm yourself.
He’s gone. ”
Lucy—Adora—gasped, each sob ripping through her. “I can’t feel him anymore. ” The pain was unbearable.
Where the bond once pulsed, there was only a void. “The Alpha King is strong. ” The woman soothed, smoothing Adora’s hair. “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. ” Tears streamed down her face. “My mate is gone. ”
Fear flickered across the woman’s face before she masked it.
“I’ll fetch something to help you sleep, Luna. ”
Alone, Adora barely noticed her leave. The silence that remained was worse. No heartbeat, no mental tether, just loss.
She rose, moving toward the balcony as if underwater. Cool air brushed her face. 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 did she go on? How do you live when half your soul is gone? Wind tugged at her nightdress, her hair. 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. Sunlight poured through the window. It was late morning.
She’d overslept badly. “Shit,” she muttered, sitting up. The grief from the dream lingered like bruises beneath the skin. Her hand flew to the pendant.
It was cold. Unnaturally so. She needed to tell Sophia everything about Edric, the dreams, that he promised they’d be together tonight. Then she heard voices from beyond the door.
Sophia’s, tense, and another deeper one she recognized. Grant. Why was he here? Lucy pushed out of bed, legs shaky, grabbing the door frame for balance as she opened it.
Conversation halted instantly. Sophia turned, eyes red with relief. “Lucy, thank God. I couldn’t wake you up.
”
Leaning against the frame, Lucy took in Sophia’s worried face, Grant’s stiff posture. “What’s going on? ”
“Pack your things,” Grant said without preamble. “You’re both leaving now.
”
Lucy blinked. “Excuse me? ”
Sophia crossed the room, grabbing her hands. “Please just do what he says.
” Her voice lowered. “You wouldn’t wake up, Luce, no matter what I did. ”
“I’m fine,” Lucy insisted. But she wasn’t.
Not really. “Why is he here? ”
“You’re in danger,” Grant said. “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?
” she asked. “You can shift, too. ”
Grant’s expression hardened. “I am nothing like him.
”
“Shift? ” Sophia echoed, confused. “What are you talking about? ”
Lucy held Grant’s gaze.
“Edric isn’t dangerous. Not to me. ”
“He’s an abomination,” Grant snapped. “A creature that should have died centuries ago.
”
“Will someone please tell me what’s happening? ” Sophia demanded. Lucy steadied her voice. “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,” Lucy said, the truth of it ringing through her. Grant laughed coldly. “Is that what he told you? He’s manipulating you, feeding on your blood to regain strength.
”
“My blood? ” Lucy touched her throat. “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,” Lucy insisted.
“He’s been feeding on the rats. ”
“The rats? ” Sophia recoiled. “Oh my god.
You knew about that? ”
“Not until recently. ”
“You know nothing. ” Grant cut in, stepping closer.
“You’re in danger, Lucy. If Edric regains his full strength, we all will be. ” He gestured toward her. “You’re already fading.
The fatigue, the weakness—he’s draining you. ”
The room tilted. Lucy stumbled, catching the wall to keep upright. Grant’s voice lowered.
“See? He’s killing you. ”
“No,” she whispered. “Edric loves me.
He’s trying to help me. ”
“Help you? ” Grant scoffed. “You can barely stand.
”
“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,” Lucy cut in.
“Mr. Dragamir fell. ”
“After seeing Edric,” Grant said, “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. Sophia dropped beside her, panic etched into her features.
“Lucy, Lucy, stay with me. ”
But Lucy couldn’t answer. The cold was everywhere now, seeping into her bones, her breath shallow. Her vision narrowed to a tunnel.
The last thing she saw was Grant kneeling, grim-faced. Then darkness. —
Lucy drifted through darkness. Neither awake nor truly asleep.
Pulled back into memory. She stood in the great hall once more. The castle in its full glory. Torchlight glinted off polished armor and jeweled gowns as nobles and pack members celebrated their Alpha King’s imminent victory.
Edric stood beside her, his hand possessively at the small of her back as he spoke with his commanders. The scent of him—winter air and something wild—wrapped around her like a physical embrace. But something pulled at the edges of her awareness. A presence familiar yet changed.
She turned, scanning the crowded hall until 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. Without thinking, she moved, slipping through the crowd with practiced grace. “Adrien,” she called as he turned to leave.
“Adrien, wait. ”
Lucy 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—invisible yet unmistakably present. “Where have you been?
” she asked, quieter now. “I haven’t seen you in years, and now—” she studied his face, so unnaturally impassive, devoid of the warmth and mischief she remembered. “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.
The way he said it, she knew something terrible had occurred. “Did you and Edric quarrel? ” she asked, struggling to understand. “You were so close before.
”
Adrien said nothing, his gaze shifting past her shoulder. “Adora. ” Edric’s voice was tight with controlled fury as he materialized beside her, positioning himself between her and Adrien. “Go back to the others.
”
Lucy stared at him, shocked. Edric had never spoken to her with such coldness, such command. His scent had changed, too—sharp with something she’d never detected on him before. Fear.
“What are you doing here? ” Edric snarled at Adrien, warning clear and lethal in his tone. Adrien tilted his head, expression remaining eerily blank. “Are you threatening me?
”
Lucy grabbed Edric’s arm, feeling the tension coiled in his muscles, ready to spring. “Edric, please. ”
Something in her touch reached him. He deflated slightly, though his eyes never left Adrien’s face.
“Just go,” he said. Quieter now. Adrien’s lips curved in what might be a smile on another face. Then, impossibly, he simply dissolved, as if he were made of shadow rather than flesh.
Lucy stared at the empty space where he stood, heart pounding. Around them, the celebration continued, oblivious to the confrontation. Edric barked orders at nearby guards. “Double the patrols.
Check the perimeter. Be on high alert. ”
“What is happening? ” she demanded, grabbing his sleeve.
“Edric, tell me. ”
He didn’t answer, scanning the crowd with predatory intensity. “Are you truly so afraid of Adrien? ” she asked, bewildered.
“He’s your dearest friend. You wouldn’t be where you are today without him. ”
Edric tensed, a muscle jumping in his jaw. “Exactly,” he said, the word dripping with dark significance.
Realization dawned slowly. “You fear him,” she whispered. Edric finally met her gaze, and the naked vulnerability there took her breath away. “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. ”
Lucy shook her head in disbelief.
“This doesn’t sound like Adrien at all. But why would he do such a thing? ” she asked. Edric’s expression crumpled, guilt and shame warring across his features.
“Because I made him do it,” he whispered. 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, conquering lands, defeating Olrich, and claiming her. The fairy tale tarnished before her eyes, revealing something darker beneath. She reached up, taking Edric’s face between her palms, forcing him to look at 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, tires spitting gravel with every turn.
Sophia sat rigid in the passenger seat, one hand gripping the door handle, the other pressed against the dashboard. 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? ” Sophia demanded, heart pounding in her throat.
The cabin had disappeared behind them minutes ago, swallowed by the dense forest. Grant’s knuckles whitened on the steering wheel. “Somewhere safe. Somewhere he can’t find us.
”
“What does Edric even want? ” Sophia’s voice cracked. “I need answers now. ”
A muscle twitched in Grant’s jaw as he took a sharp turn, the car fishtailing before straightening.
“Edric was a king,” he began, voice low and tense. “Centuries ago, a shifter who could turn into a wolf. ”
“Uh, what? ” Sophia gasped.
“Look at your friend,” Grant cut in. “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,” she whispered. “Edric was mortally wounded in battle,” Grant continued, eyes darting between the road and the rearview mirror. “Desperate to stay alive, he turned to dark magic.
Became a vampire. ”
Lightning flashed overhead, briefly illuminating his profile—hard, angular, resolute. “When Edric transformed,” Grant continued, “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. ”
Something in his tone made Sophia’s skin prickle. “How do you know all this? ” she asked.
Grant took another turn too fast, sending Sophia slamming against the door. “I’m his descendant,” he answered grimly. “My family has guarded his tomb for generations, making sure he never escapes. ”
Sophia stared at him.
“You’re saying that’s your job to what? Babysit a centuries-old vampire? ”
“To prevent a monster from rising again. ” Grant snapped.
“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?
” Sophia asked, fear clawing at her throat. “He’s feeding on her,” Grant said. “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,” Grant interrupted. “Seduced to be more pliable. ”
Another question bubbled in Sophia’s throat, but she swallowed it as Grant abruptly swerved off the main road onto a narrow dirt track.
Tree branches scraped against the windows like desperate fingers. “Are you—” Sophia hesitated. “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,” he said simply. “I command a pack sworn to stop Edric’s return at any cost.
”
The car burst through the tree line into a small clearing. A cabin stood at its center—sturdy, remote, clearly built for defense rather than comfort. Grant killed the engine. “We’re here.
”
Rain began to fall as Grant carried Lucy inside, her body limp in his arms. Sophia followed, the weight of the situation crushing down on her shoulders. The cabin’s interior was spartanly furnished. A stone fireplace, a couple of chairs, a rough wooden table.
Grant laid Lucy on a narrow cot in the corner. “My pack is on their way,” he said, checking the windows. “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,” Sophia repeated, eyes widening. “You mean kill him? ”
“It’s him or us,” Grant replied flatly.
A sudden shift in the air made them both freeze. Outside, the sky darkened unnaturally, rain intensifying to a torrent. Grant moved to the window, tension radiating from his body. “Something’s wrong,” he muttered.
Then Sophia heard it. Howling. Distant, but clear, cutting through the rain. Static.
Not one voice, but many. A chorus of primal hunger. “What is that? ” she whispered.
Grant’s expression hardened to stone. “Wolves. ”
They appeared at the tree line. One, then three, then dozens.
Dark shapes with gleaming red eyes that caught what little light remained. They moved with eerie synchronicity, encircling the cabin. Cold dread pooled in Sophia’s stomach. “Is that—is that your pack?
”
Grant cursed, slamming his fist against the windowsill. “Yes, but they’re not themselves. ” He turned to her, face grim. “Edric got to them.
”
“How? ” Sophia’s voice was barely audible. “Edric’s an alpha hybrid,” Grant explained, checking the cabin’s locks. “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. ” He cursed under his breath. “I didn’t think he’d have regained so much power already.
”
The wolves drew closer, red eyes fixed on the cabin, teeth bared in silent snarls. “What does he want? ” Sophia asked, though she already knew the answer. “To kill us,” Grant said grimly, “and to finish drinking her blood.
” He nodded toward Lucy’s still form. Sophia’s knees threatened to buckle. “What do we do? ”
Grant’s expression shifted, a resolve settling over his features.
“I’m going to try to fight them off. Create a distraction. ” He grabbed her shoulders, his grip painfully tight. “When I do, you run for the car.
Get as far from here as you can. ”
“What about Lucy? ” Sophia protested. “I can’t just leave her.
”
“If you can wake her, take her with you,” Grant said. “If not—” he didn’t finish the sentence. He didn’t have to. Before Sophia could argue further, Grant was moving toward the door, his body already changing—limbs elongating, face distorting in a way that made her stomach turn.
“Stay inside until I draw them away,” he ordered, voice deepening to a growl. Then he was gone, charging into the storm. Sophia rushed to the window. Outside, chaos erupted.
Grant, now a massive brown wolf, tore into the pack, jaws snapping, claws slashing. The air filled with snarls and yelps, the sounds of combat merging with the rain’s roar. “Lucy. ” Sophia ran to her friend, shaking her desperately.
“Lucy, please wake up. ”
Lucy remained unresponsive, the pendant glowing faintly against her skin. Sophia cursed, mind racing. She could carry Lucy, maybe, but not while fighting off wolves.
Could she barricade them inside? Wait for Grant to return? A bone-chilling howl cut through her thoughts—different from the others, deeper, powerful enough to vibrate the cabin’s walls. Sophia peered out the window again.
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 stumbled back from the window, frantically searching for a weapon, anything to defend herself. She grabbed a heavy iron poker from beside the fireplace, its weight almost too much for her trembling hands. “Please,” she whispered to no one in particular. “Please.
”
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 with the poker raised, 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. Each step both agony and salvation.
The pendant blazed hot against her skin, pulsing with energy now that Edric was near. “What are you doing? ” Sophia grabbed her arm, eyes wide with fear. “You can’t go out there.
”
“I have to,” Lucy whispered, her voice steadier than it had been in days. “He needs me. ”
“He’ll kill you. ” Sophia clutched her tighter.
“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,” she said softly. “I know he’s dangerous, but he won’t harm me.
And if I tell him not to harm anyone else, he won’t. ”
Tears welled in Sophia’s eyes. “He’s been using you, Lucy, taking your blood. That’s why you’re like this.
”
“No. ” Lucy shook her head, conviction flooding her. “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. ” She breathed deeply.
“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?
” Sophia’s voice cracked. “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,” Sophia cried. “You can barely stand. He is harming you.
”
“It’s being away from him that’s harming me. ”
Sophia shook her head, tears spilling freely. “I know you’re always trying to protect me,” Lucy said gently. “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. ”
“I’m not.
”
Sophia slipped an arm around Lucy’s waist. Together, they moved to the door. Each step was a war Lucy waged against her failing body. But her eyes burned with resolve.
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, every step steeped in effort. Around them, the battle slowed, the air thickening as something ancient stirred. He reached her.
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 leaped 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,” he said, voice raw and ragged. “But she needs me.
Our bond must be completed, or she will die. ”
“He’s right,” Lucy whispered. “This is why I’ve been fading. We’re incomplete.
”
“Lucy, please. ” Sophia begged, crying. “Trust me. ”
A beat passed.
Centuries of tension in a single breath. Sophia stepped aside. Edric moved like a shadow, sweeping Lucy into his arms before she could blink. She clung to him, every nerve alight at his touch.
Her breath hitched, her pulse racing beneath trembling skin. Inside the cabin, the storm faded behind them. He carried her to the bed, placing her down like she was 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, his control fraying. “You’re dying,” he said, voice shaking. “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. “Lucy, I know you need it,” she said, sitting up, pressing her hand to his chest.
“And I know you’ll stop. ”
“A bite from a shifter would kill a human,” he warned. “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,” she whispered. “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. And 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, sinking into her belly and bursting outward in waves. Her hands twisted in his hair, anchoring him, holding him to her. 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 cradled 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 chest heaved.
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, the veins receded. He looked alive, restored, and yet still otherworldly beautiful. “Now you,” he rasped, voice thick with emotion.
“Claim me as I’ve claimed you. ”
He tilted his head, exposing his throat, bared in total surrender. “Bite with intent,” he said. “Bite knowing I am yours as you are mine.
”
Lucy rose onto her knees, cupping his face. Her lips trembled as 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.
No longer threads. It roared between them, rooted 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. The nights he stood alone at the edge of the world, whispering her name into the wind. 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. It was messy, full of teeth and heat and helpless sound. “I’ve waited so long,” he murmured into her mouth, voice rough and reverent. His hands skimmed her sides, slow and possessive.
“Dreamed of this moment. ”
“Show me,” she whispered, pressing herself closer. He growled deep, low, unmistakably wolf. And then he was kissing her again, rougher this time, more urgent.
Her clothes fell away under their frenzied hands. His hands roamed over her skin, claiming, worshiping. And when he lowered her onto the bed, kissing his way down her body, it wasn’t just passion. It was a promise carved into flesh.
Their bodies moved together with the rhythm of ancient things—like oceans and starlight and the howling wind. Everything else fell away. The bond blazed white-hot, burning away time and distance and pain until only this remained. Them.
Together. Finally. Always. —
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 Lucy and Sophia’s temporary lodging, had become their home now. Edric emerged from inside, balancing two mugs of coffee with the careful concentration of someone still getting used to ordinary human tasks. He handed Lucy a mug, his touch lingering as if reassuring himself she was still real.
“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,” she whispered. “We both are.
”
Their simple life in the cabin came with challenges Edric could never have anticipated. The modern world bewildered him daily—electricity, telephones, television, cars—as Lucy guided him through the mundane miracles of the 1990s. 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,” she continued gently. “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,” Lucy said, turning to face him fully. “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,” he began, voice low and rough. “Olrich’s forces ambushed us. I’d been so certain of victory, so arrogant.
I lay there, bleeding out in some godforsaken forest, knowing I would never see you again. ” His hand tightened on hers. “I’d promised to return to you always, and I was breaking that promise. ”
Lucy stayed silent, giving him space to continue.
“So I called for Adrien. He came. He always came when I called, even then. Even after what I’d done to him.
” Edric’s voice cracked slightly. “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,” Lucy supplied. “The one who was engaged to Adora—to me. ”
“Yes. ” Edric’s expression hardened.
“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. ” His voice dropped to a whisper. “For your sake, I told myself.
Everything was for you. ”
“What did you do? ”
“I threatened him,” Edric admitted, the words seeming to physically pain 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, conflicting emotions warring within her. Horror at Edric’s actions, though compassion for his desperation.
“I didn’t understand what it would mean,” Edric continued. “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. ” Edric’s voice broke. “Your knowledge that I was alive. Our bond severed.
And 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 washing 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. ” He flexed his hand, still seeming surprised by the absence of supernatural strength. “The price has been paid. ”
“What happened to Adrien?
” Lucy asked. “After your wish? ”
“I don’t know,” Edric admitted. “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,” Edric finally said. “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,” he said. “No,” Lucy agreed softly. “It doesn’t erase it.
But it doesn’t erase this either. ” She guided his hand to her heart. Edric smiled grimly. “How can you still love me, knowing what I am, what I’ve done?
”
“Because I see all of you,” Lucy said simply. “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, standing stiffly in the kitchen doorway. “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,” he said quietly. “My grandson. 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, weariness entering his posture. “What about him? ”
“You said the wish was conditional. That you couldn’t die until we reunited.
” Lucy met his gaze steadily. “That means Adrien’s magic is still working, in a way. And if it’s still working, he must still be alive. ”
Edric finished, realization dawning on his face.
Lucy nodded. “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,” Lucy countered. “You’re not the only one who’s had time to reflect on the past. ”
Edric paced the room, conflict evident in every line of his body.
“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,” Lucy replied simply. “And then you’d listen to whatever he has to say in return.
Whether it’s forgiveness or condemnation. ”
Edric stopped pacing, turning to face her with naked vulnerability in his eyes. “Why is this so important to you? ”
“Because it’s important to you,” Lucy said, rising to join him.
“Because every time you say his name, I feel your guilt through our bond. And because—” she took his hands in hers. “Because healing isn’t just about us, Edric. It’s about making amends where we can.
”
Tears glistened in Edric’s eyes—a sight that still startled Lucy. This fierce warrior, this former king, reduced to tears by simple kindness. “I don’t deserve you,” he whispered. “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 didn’t disappear. It never would. The darkness Edric carried, the memories that haunted his sleep, the guilt that sometimes threatened to consume him—these remained.
But so did she. So did their love. And perhaps in the end, that was the most powerful magic of all.
Not a dark wish that defied death, but two souls that found each other again and again across the vastness of time itself.
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