“I ran when I heard the screams. But it was too late.” The guilt in his tone was unmistakable, heavier than anything Evelyne had heard from him before. “We weren’t ready for them. The elders, our best fighters… They were gone within minutes. Some didn’t even get the chance to shift.”
Evelyne swallowed hard. “And the others?”
Obren exhaled and leaned his head back. “They’re scattered. Dead. Or too broken to keep fighting. I didn’t have a plan when I headed south—just hoped I’d find others willing to standagainst her.” He let out a dry laugh, shaking his head. “Stumbled into Kaldrek’s pack by chance. Lucky me, I guess. Even if the bastard gets under my skin.”
Evelyne’s chest tightened with sympathy. “I’m sorry,” she murmured.
Obren gave a half-hearted shrug, his lips quirking into something that wasn’t quite a smile. “Now I need revenge.”
She understood that all too well. But even as he sat beside her, revealing glimpses of his past, he never fully let the distance between them close. Not after Kaldrek had made it clear where she stood. The tension between them had shifted into something quieter, resembling friendship, but the unspoken boundary still lingered.
Alaric had kept his distance for a day after she struck him, but eventually, he came around to speak with her.
“I was an ass,” he said without preamble, standing stiffly as she tied her boots by the fire.
Evelyne sighed. “Yes, you were.”
“I shouldn’t have said what I did.”
She studied him momentarily before standing and wrapping her arms around him. He exhaled heavily, hugging her back, though he was too proud to say more.
“I’m sorry for striking you,” she added against his shoulder.
Alaric pulled back, huffing a small laugh. “I think my jaw is bruised. It was a pretty impressive hit.” She winced, but he smiled and added, “But I deserved it.”
They settled into a comfortable silence, the tension between them finally easing. It would take time, but she knew they’d be all right. After everything, she couldn’t really blame him. Their connection had always been a bit rushed and uncertain, tangled in the chaos of their journey. But now, she understood.
As they sat by the fire later that night, Alaric unrolled his map, frowning at the details that shifted across the enchanted parchment. Evelyne leaned over, watching as patches of darkness flickered across certain areas.
“What’s that?” she asked, pointing to the blackened sections.
Alaric tapped the map. “This only started showing up once we entered the tunnels. It reacts to the bloodroot and shows up when it’s near.”
So it was true. The roots weren’t natural at all. They were born of dark magic.
“Did you ever watch how it moves?” Alaric went on. “The way the roots shift? They respond to sound and light. And I don’t think they’re hiding.” He looked up, eyes sharp. “I think they’re waiting.”
Evelyne swallowed hard. “For what?”
Alaric didn’t answer. Neither of them wanted to find out.
***
While the pack prepared to rest for the night, Evelyne and Heidara slipped away, wandering a little farther ahead. They moved quietly, stretching their legs and speaking in low voices, hoping to shake off the weight of exhaustion that clung to them.
“I miss the open air,” Heidara admitted, sighing. “Running under the stars, feeling the wind. I swear, if I have to stay underground much longer, I’ll lose my mind.”
Evelyne hummed and smiled. “I love running, too.”
Heidara arched a brow. “You?”
She laughed softly. “I used to sneak out just to run. It was… frowned upon, of course. A noble lady isn’t supposed to do suchimproperthings.” She shook her head. “I never fit in that world. There was always this itch, this need, to run.”
Heidara studied her with something like approval before grinning. “I think you would have made a fine wolf.”
Evelyne smirked, but didn’t respond, her thoughts drifting instead to Aurelia. Her sister had always embodied the perfect noblewoman. In many ways, Heidara reminded her of Aurelia: blonde, beautiful, radiant. The comparison stirred an ache in her chest. She missed her family. Missed Seraphine, whose words of wisdom she had so often dismissed. She would give anything to hear them now.
Heidara opened her mouth to speak, but the ground trembled beneath them, and a sharp, metallic scent surged through the air.
