Elle POV
I don’t question Blake when he tells me we’re moving again.
Part of me wants to—but the words stay lodged in my throat, swallowed by nerves and the quiet fear that still hasn’t fully loosened its grip on me. I follow him instead, my steps careful as we descend deeper beneath the fortress, each carved stair taking us farther from any natural light.
The air grows colder the farther down we go. Heavier. It presses against my chest, making me acutely aware of every breath I take. My wolf stirs uneasily, not afraid—but alert in a way that makes my skin prickle.
“This place is hidden even from most of my guards,” Blake says quietly, his voice echoing faintly off the stone walls. “Built beneath the fortress itself. Forgotten by design.”
I nod, clutching my hands together in front of
