Chapter 6: The Shadow’s Hunt
697 Words
Chapter 6: The Shadow’s Hunt
The silence of the ballroom didn’t follow us into the night; it was replaced by the low, dangerous hum of a hunt.
While the Alphas inside scrambled to secure their borders, Lucian and I stood on the penthouse balcony of the hotel. The wind whipped my obsidian gown around my legs, but I didn't feel the chill. My blood was vibrating. The Life-Bringer had drained me, but the Elemental was hungry.
"He’s still on the grounds," Lucian said, his voice a low snarl. He had stripped off his suit jacket, his white shirt stretched tight across his shoulders. "My trackers lost his scent at the tree line. He’s using a cloaking spell. Ancient magic."
"He isn't using magic, Lucian," I said, stepping toward the edge of the stone railing. I closed my eyes, letting my consciousness drift into the darkness. "He’s using the absence of light. He thinks the shadows are his hiding spot."
A cold smile spread across my face.
"He doesn't realize the shadows belong to me."
I reached out my hand, and the darkness responded. The shadows didn't just move; they obeyed. From the corners of the balcony, from beneath the lounge chairs, and from the deep voids of the forest below, the black ink of the night began to pool toward me.
"Seraphina," Lucian warned, his hand reaching for my waist. "You’ve given too much tonight. Let my Enforcers handle this."
"The Enforcers can't see what I see," I countered, my eyes snapping open. They weren't brown anymore; they were solid, glowing silver.
I gestured toward the forest, and the shadows lunged.
Like a hundred black silk ribbons, the darkness plummeted from the balcony, weaving through the trees with impossible speed. I could feel every branch they touched, every heartbeat they passed. And then—there. A flicker of movement near the northern gate. A man dressed in tactical gear, holding a silver-tipped crossbow.
He was fast, but my shadows were faster.
"Bind him," I whispered, the Command vibrating in the air.
In the forest below, a muffled scream echoed. The shadows had risen like vipers, wrapping around the assassin’s ankles and wrists, pinning him to a centuries-old oak tree.
"Got him," I breathed, my knees buckling slightly as the connection strained my remaining energy.
Lucian caught me before I could hit the stone. He pulled me flush against his chest, his scent of cedar and storm-clouds acting like a drug to my senses. "You’re a terrifying woman, Seraphina Vane."
"Is that a complaint, Alpha King?"
"It’s a confession," he murmured, his thumb tracing the line of my jaw. "Every day I wonder how Kaelen survived being in the same room as you without realizing you were the most powerful thing in his world."
"He saw what he wanted to see," I said, leaning into his warmth. "He wanted a subordinate. He got a storm."
A sudden flash of light caught my eye. Below, on the lawn, I saw a familiar figure standing near the fountain, looking up at the balcony.
It was Kaelen.
He was alone, his "gold" Luna nowhere to be found. He looked small from this height, but the Life-Bringer in me could still pick up his scent. It was pathetic now—saturated with a sickening, desperate regret. He watched as Lucian pulled me closer, watched as the King of Wolves kissed the temple of the Queen he had thrown away.
"He's watching," Lucian noted, his grip tightening possessively. "Should I have him removed?"
"No," I said, a slow, dark satisfaction blooming in my chest. "Let him watch. I want him to see exactly what he gave up. I want him to know that while he’s struggling to keep his pack from bankruptcy, his 'defect' is ruling the world from the arms of a King."
I turned my back on my ex-mate, looking instead into the glowing embers of Lucian’s eyes.
"The hunt is over for tonight," I whispered. "But the war? The war is just beginning."
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