Chapter 15
1114 Words
The world was pain.
Lia lay sprawled on the cold stones of the courtyard, every muscle trembling, her chest heaving like bellows. The metallic taste of blood coated her tongue, and her vision blurred as crimson streaks smeared across her hands. She had survived. Somehow, impossibly, she had survived.
The feral wolf, beaten back by that strange surge of power within her, now cowered in the corner of its cage as the guards wrestled it back into confinement. The once-jeering crowd had fallen into stunned silence, whispers weaving through them like wildfire.
“She pushed it back…”
“Wolfless, my foot. Did you see that?”
“Maybe she’s cursed… or maybe she’s something else entirely.”
Lia wanted to curl into herself, to block out their voices, their eyes, the raw ache that made her body feel like it was splintering apart. But through the fog of agony, another sound pulsed in her mind—clearer than it had ever been before.
I am here.
Her wolf’s voice. Stronger now. Fiercer. It was no longer a faint whisper but a presence, a heartbeat alongside her own.
You survived because you are not weak. Remember that. You are mine, and I am yours.
A sob rose in Lia’s throat, but before she could fully process the revelation, a heavy bootstep echoed beside her.
Alpha Kieran.
He loomed over her, his shadow swallowing her broken form. His gaze burned with something she couldn’t name—part hunger, part triumph.
“Get up,” he ordered, his tone sharp as steel.
Her body refused to move. Her limbs were heavy, her muscles torn from the Trial.
“I… I can’t—”
The words left her lips before she could swallow them.
Kieran’s eyes narrowed. In a flash, his hand fisted in her hair, yanking her head back so she was forced to look up at him. His grip was merciless, his face a mask of authority.
“You will get up,” he growled. “You’ve proven you’re not wolfless, but don’t think for a second that makes you free. Your power belongs to me.”
Tears pricked her eyes as he jerked her upright, her legs buckling beneath her. He caught her arm, but not in kindness—it was like being shackled to a chain, dragged along without will.
The crowd parted as Kieran hauled her away, whispers following in their wake. Some pitied her. Most were curious. All feared the Alpha too much to intervene.
Back inside the pack house, Kieran shoved her into her chamber, slamming the door shut behind them. The silence pressed down heavy, broken only by her ragged breaths.
“You think what happened out there was strength?” he asked, his voice low, dangerous. “That was a spark. Nothing more. And I’ll burn you until the flames consume you.”
Her body trembled as he advanced closer. “Why?” she whispered, her voice hoarse. “Why are you doing this to me?”
His gaze locked on hers, cold and unrelenting. “Because you are the key, Lia. Don’t you see? Your blood, your wolf, your curse—it all ties to a power greater than any Alpha has ever held. And I will be the one to harness it.”
Her stomach knotted, the words echoing in her head like poison.
“You’ll break me,” she murmured.
“No,” Kieran said, his lips curling into a cruel smile. “I’ll forge you.”
He turned sharply, opening the door as if dismissing her without care. But before leaving, he added, “Rest. Tomorrow, we continue.”
The door shut with a thud, the lock clicking into place.
Lia collapsed onto the bed, her body wracked with silent sobs. She pressed her face into her hands, every inch of her crying out in agony.
But even through her despair, the wolf’s voice whispered again.
He cannot break us if we refuse. You are stronger than you know. I am with you now, fully. Trust me.
Her heart twisted. Could she? After so long believing she was empty, cursed, nothing—could she really trust this sudden, mysterious voice claiming to be her wolf?
Yes, the voice urged. Because I am you.
A shaky breath escaped her lips. For the first time, she felt the faintest thread of hope.
But hope was dangerous here. Especially under Kieran’s leash.
The sound of a soft knock startled her from her thoughts. The door creaked open, and Cora slipped inside, her eyes wide with worry.
“Lia!” she whispered, rushing to her side. She brought a bowl of water and a cloth, carefully tending to Lia’s bleeding cuts.
“You shouldn’t be here,” Lia murmured weakly. “If Kieran finds you—”
“I don’t care,” Cora hissed softly, tears welling in her eyes. “I saw what he did to you. I saw what you did. Lia… you’re not wolfless.”
The words almost broke her.
“I don’t know what I am,” Lia whispered, her voice trembling. “All I know is he’s going to use me until there’s nothing left.”
Cora shook her head fiercely. “No. You survived today. You fought back. That means you can survive more. That means there’s hope.”
Lia stared at her, her heart aching with both gratitude and fear.
Hope. The wolf’s voice. Cora’s faith. Could she really cling to these things?
Before she could answer, the heavy tread of boots echoed down the hallway. Cora’s face blanched.
“Hide,” Lia urged, panic surging.
Cora slipped into the shadows just as the door burst open again.
Kieran stood there, his presence filling the room like a stormcloud. His gaze swept over Lia, then narrowed as if sensing something amiss.
“You’re still alive,” he said flatly. “Good. Tomorrow, we go further.”
Lia’s body trembled, but she forced her voice steady. “You’ll kill me.”
Kieran’s lips curved. “If death comes, it means you weren’t worth saving. But if life clings to you, it means the power I seek is real. Either way, I get what I want.”
The door slammed shut again, leaving Lia in suffocating silence.
Her body ached. Her heart pounded. But deep inside, where her wolf now stirred fully awake, a fire had been lit.
She wasn’t sure how much longer she could endure under Kieran’s leash. But one thing was certain—she was no longer the wolfless, cursed girl her pack had abandoned.
Something had awakened.
And sooner or later, it would either save her… or consume her.
- Writer
