The Wolf King's Burden

Blood and Magic

Elara pulled a small vial from her backpack, a sleeping potion, she'd explained earlier, strong enough to drop a full-grown Alpha in seconds. The trick was getting them to ingest it without suspicion.

"I'll distract them," she whispered. "You come from behind."

Before I could argue, she stepped into the hallway, limping slightly and making herself look injured. The guards spotted her immediately, hands moving to their weapons.

"Please," Elara gasped, playing her part perfectly. "I need help. There's been an accident.."

The guards approached cautiously. One stayed at the vault door while the other moved toward Elara. "Who are you? How did you get in here?"

"I'm one of the healers, brought in for the gathering. Please, someone's hurt badly…"

That's when I moved. I came from the shadows behind the guard at the vault door, wrapping my arm around his throat in a chokehold. He struggled, but I held firm until he slumped unconscious in my arms.

The other guard spun toward me, reaching for his weapon. Elara threw the vial. It shattered against his chest, the liquid soaking through his shirt. He opened his mouth to shout, but the potion worked fast. His eyes rolled back and he collapsed.

"That was too close," I muttered, dragging both guards into a shadowed alcove.

"We've got maybe five minutes before someone comes to check on them," Elara said, already moving to the vault door. "Let's hope Owen was right about this seal."

The vault door was covered in symbols carved deep into the steel. At the center was a handprint, glowing faintly with blue light. Kaine's blood magic seal.

Elara took a deep breath, then pressed her palm against the handprint.

For a moment, nothing happened. Then the symbols began to glow brighter, pulsing with energy. I tensed, ready for the alarm, ready for guards to come pouring in.

But the seal didn't trigger. Instead, it recognized something in Elara's blood, the old magic, just like Owen had said. The symbols shifted from blue to green, and with a heavy click, the locks disengaged.

"It worked," Elara breathed, relief flooding her face. "Owen was actually right."

We pushed the vault door open and stepped inside. The room was small, lined with shelves holding magical artifacts of every kind. Crystals, weapons, books bound in strange leather. Kaine had been collecting for years, hoarding power like treasure.

And there, in the center of the room inside a silver cage, was the Moonstone.

It was beautiful, a fist-sized crystal that seemed to contain its own light, glowing with soft silver luminescence. Even from here, I could feel its power, ancient and pure. This was what we needed for the ritual, the final piece that would let us attempt to break my curse.

"The cage," I said, remembering Owen's warning. "Opening it will release energy."

"Then we open it fast and run faster," Elara said, moving toward the Moonstone. "Ready?"

I nodded, positioning myself at the vault door. "Do it."

Elara opened the silver cage.

The burst of energy was immediate and overwhelming. It hit like a physical wave, knocking me back against the doorframe. My vision blurred, my ears rang, and for a moment I couldn't tell which way was up.

But training and survival instinct kicked in. I grabbed Elara, who'd been thrown backward by the blast, and pulled her to her feet. She clutched the Moonstone to her chest, her eyes unfocused but aware.

"Run," I managed to say, and we ran.

Behind us, shouts erupted. The energy burst had done exactly what Owen warned, it alerted every wolf in the compound. Footsteps thundered from every direction as guards converged on the vault.

We sprinted down the hallway, back toward the stairs. Wolves appeared at the far end, cutting off our escape. I changed direction, pulling Elara through a side door into what looked like a kitchen.

"The tunnel," Elara gasped. "We need to get back to the tunnel."

But more wolves were coming, their howls echoing through the compound. We were trapped, surrounded, with nowhere left to run.

Then a window shattered and Owen crashed through in full wolf form—massive, gray, and absolutely furious. He landed between us and the approaching guards, snarling a challenge that made even trained warriors hesitate.

"Go!" Owen's voice was distorted by his wolf form but understandable. "I'll hold them!"

"We're not leaving you!" I shouted.

"You don't have a choice! Get the Moonstone out of here, complete the ritual, break your curse! That's the mission!" Owen lunged at the nearest guard, his teeth finding throat. "Now run, you stubborn fools!"

More guards poured in. Kaine's voice boomed from somewhere nearby, commanding his wolves to kill the intruders. We were seconds from being overwhelmed.

Elara grabbed my arm, her grip surprisingly strong. "He's giving us a chance. Don't waste it."

She was right. Owen was sacrificing himself so we could escape, and staying would only make his sacrifice meaningless. I grabbed a heavy pot from the kitchen counter and threw it through another window, creating our exit.

We jumped through, hitting the ground outside and rolling. Guards were everywhere, but they were focused on the commotion inside the compound. We used the chaos to disappear into the shadows, running toward the ravine where the drainage tunnel waited.

Behind us, Owen's howls turned to screams. My heart clenched, but I kept running. We reached the tunnel entrance just as torches appeared at the compound walls. Guards spreading out, searching.

We dove into the tunnel, crawling frantically through the mud and water. My hands slipped, my knees screamed in pain, but I kept moving. Behind me, Elara struggled with the Moonstone, trying to protect it while crawling through the narrow space.

We emerged on the other side covered in filth and gasping for air. The forest stretched before us, dark and dangerous and offering the only safety we had left.

"Owen," I started to say.

"Don't." Elara's voice cracked. "Don't say it. He knew what he was doing. He chose this."

She was right, but it didn't make it hurt less. Owen had helped us, guided us, given us a chance. And now he was paying the price for our freedom.

Howls erupted from the compound, dozens of voices raised in fury. Kaine's entire pack mobilises for the hunt. They'd found Owen, dealt with him, and now they were coming for us.

"Silver Falls," Elara said, forcing herself to stand. "We get the water, perform the ritual, and finish this. That's what Owen wanted. That's what we have to do."

I looked at the Moonstone in her hands, glowing softly in the darkness. We had two of the three components. One more piece, and we could attempt the ritual that might save me or kill us both.

The full moon was three days away.

Three days to reach Silver Falls, gather the sacred water, and face whatever came next. Three days while being hunted by every wolf in the Blackthorne pack.

I should have been terrified. Instead, I felt the hope of something I hadn't felt in three years.

Dangerous, fragile, impossible hope.

"Let's go," I said, and we disappeared into the forest one more time.