CLAIMED BY THE ENEMY

Chapter 7: Secrets in the Shadows

The air in the Duskbane stronghold was thick with tension as I paced back and forth in the dimly lit room, my mind a whirlpool of confusion and doubt. I’d been here for days, captured by Ryker—my fated mate. I still couldn't fully accept it, despite the undeniable bond that twisted between us, drawing us closer and tearing us apart all at once. The rebellion, my past, my duty... Everything seemed to be spinning out of control. I was drowning in a sea of conflicting emotions.

"You should rest," Ryker’s voice cut through my thoughts, and I froze. He stood in the doorway, his eyes heavy with unspoken words, his posture tense.

I shook my head, not ready to face him. Not yet. "I can't. I have to think."

"You think too much," Ryker muttered, his voice edged with frustration. He stepped into the room, closing the door behind him with a soft click.

I turned to face him then, my heart hammering in my chest. "How do you expect me to just sit back and let everything happen? My entire life has been a lie! I’ve been trained to kill your kind, and now you expect me to—what? Embrace the wolf inside me? Help you take the throne? Become a queen?"

He winced at the sharpness in my voice but didn’t retreat. Instead, he took a step forward, his gaze softening, as if he was searching for the right words to calm the storm inside me.

"Nina, I don’t want any of this," he said, his voice low but steady. "I never wanted you to be caught in the middle of this war. But we don’t have a choice anymore. You are who you are, and no matter how hard you try to deny it, the prophecy is real. We’re bound together, and that means you’re as much a part of this fight as I am."

I couldn’t contain the bitter laugh that escaped me. "A part of this fight? Ryker, I was never supposed to be here. I was supposed to kill you. And now I’m—what? Expected to save you? To save everyone?"

His face hardened, but there was no anger in his eyes, only a quiet understanding. He stepped even closer, his presence overwhelming and steady. "I know you’re angry. Hell, I’d be furious too. But we’re not enemies anymore, Nina. We can’t afford to be."

I could feel the tension rising between us, the bond pulling tighter as our emotions clashed like thunder and lightning. Every word that left my mouth felt like it came from someone else, someone lost and broken.

"Maybe you’re right," I whispered, feeling the weight of the truth in those words. "Maybe we can’t afford to be enemies. But that doesn’t mean I have to like it."

The air in the room thickened as the bond between us snapped taut, a pull that was undeniable and painful. At that moment, I felt his pain, his regret, his guilt. It flooded me like a rush of icy water, and I staggered back, my breath catching in my throat.

"Ryker," I gasped, my chest tight, "what’s happening?"

His eyes softened, and for the first time since I’d been captured, I saw something in him that wasn’t arrogance or anger. It was raw, vulnerable—something that mirrored the pain inside me. "It’s the bond. Every time we argue, every time we fight, it pulls us closer. We feel everything. All the pain. All the regret."

He closed his eyes for a moment, his jaw clenched as if holding back something fierce. "I’m not proud of what I’ve done, Nina. I’ve made mistakes—things I can’t take back. But this... this bond between us? It’s not just a curse. It’s a chance to make things right. Together."

I swallowed hard, feeling the weight of his words settle in my chest. Was he right? Was this bond, this curse, really a chance for redemption?

Before I could respond, there was a loud noise from the hallway—footsteps. I spun toward the door, my senses on high alert. Ryker tensed beside me, his hand instinctively going to the hilt of his blade.

"Someone’s here," I whispered, my heart racing.

Ryker nodded, his expression hardening. "Stay behind me."

We moved quickly, Ryker leading the way, his movements silent and swift. We reached the door, and I could feel the presence on the other side. Whoever it was, they weren’t here to talk.

Ryker turned the handle and flung the door open. But it wasn’t an enemy soldier or one of the Alpha Council’s men standing there. No, it was someone much more unexpected.

A tall figure in dark clothing stepped into the doorway, a blade gleaming in their hand. Their face was obscured by a hood, but their posture was unmistakable—confident, skilled, and deadly.

I froze, my breath catching in my throat. "What... what is this?"

Ryker didn’t hesitate. He drew his blade and stepped between me and the assassin. "You’ve made a mistake."

The assassin’s lips twisted into a cruel smile. "No mistake, Alpha. I’ve been sent to kill her. The rebellion believes her blood will be the end of everything. And we can’t afford to let her live."

I couldn’t breathe. My heart thundered in my chest as the assassin’s gaze shifted to me, eyes cold and unfeeling.

"You," they sneered, "you’re the key to their destruction. And I will make sure that you never see the light of day again."

Ryker lunged, but the assassin was faster, stepping aside with unnatural agility. The blade flashed in the moonlight, aimed straight at my heart. I gasped and took a step back, my mind screaming, but before I could react, Ryker was there, his body slamming into the assassins, knocking them both to the floor.

The assassin recovered quickly, but not quickly enough. Ryker’s blade flashed through the air, the clang of metal ringing out in the tense silence. I watched, my heart in my throat, as the fight unfolded in front of me. Ryker was fast, but the assassin was just as skilled. Every movement was a dance of death, a blur of steel and shadow.

And then, in the heat of the battle, I felt it—the flash of danger. I turned just in time to see another figure stepping into the doorway, this one even more familiar.

Elias.

His eyes were cold, and calculating, and I couldn’t help the chill that spread down my spine as I saw the glint of a dagger in his hand.

"Nina," Elias’s voice was a low growl, "I should have done this long ago."

Before I could even react, the blade was already in motion—aimed directly at my heart.