The world was a hurricane of blood and fire.
I ripped through Lilith's soldiers, claws shredding flesh, teeth sinking into throats, the taste of copper filling my mouth. Beside me, Lucian fought like a demon reborn — every slash of his sword an act of violence and vengeance.
But for every rogue we slaughtered, three more took their place.
The court was endless.
And Lilith was nowhere to be seen.
"She's gone!" I growled through our mind-link, panic lacing my voice.
Lucian's wolf — darker than midnight — brushed against mine.
"She's setting a trap," he said grimly. "We have to move. Now."
We burst through the shattered doors of the rogue palace into the freezing night.
The forest beyond the walls writhed with shadows — shapes darting between the trees, watching, waiting.
Lucian grabbed my wrist — the same one still raw from the silver chains — and pulled me into the darkness.
We ran.
We ran like hell itself chased us.
The cold bit into my bare skin where the crimson dress was torn. Blood slicked my legs, and every heartbeat was a hammer pounding in my ears.
"You shouldn't have come for me," I gasped.
Lucian shot me a savage look, his dark eyes wild under the bleeding moon.
"You were never meant to be their pawn, Seraphina," he said hoarsely. "You were meant to burn their fucking kingdom down."
I stumbled — half from exhaustion, half from the weight of what he said.
Because deep down…
I wanted to.
I wanted to raze every throne that ever tried to chain me.
We crashed through the forest, branches tearing at us, the howl of rogue wolves rising behind us.
And then—
The ground disappeared beneath me.
A pit.
I slammed into the bottom, the air knocked from my lungs.
Above, Lucian skidded to a halt, his face twisting in horror.
The trap had sprung.
Too late.
Silver spikes jutted from the pit walls, dripping with ancient poison.
One of them had punctured my side, deep and burning.
Pain screamed through my body.
I tried to shift — to heal — but the silver poisoned everything.
Lucian roared — a sound so furious it cracked the air itself — and leapt down into the pit without hesitation.
His arms closed around me, shielding me from the deadly walls, his body warm and solid.
"I'm getting you out," he whispered fiercely, as if sheer will could make it true.
Above us, Lilith appeared — standing at the pit's edge, blood staining her mouth.
"You thought love would save you, Lucian," she crooned.
"You thought your little rebellion would matter."
Her voice dropped, cold as a blade.
"You were wrong."
Dozens of soldiers stepped into the clearing behind her — wolves, witches, beasts in human skin.
Surrounded.
Lucian shifted, his massive black wolf snarling, teeth bared, fur bristling.
But even he knew — it was hopeless.
Still, he stood between me and them.
I clawed at the spike, gritting my teeth, the poison burning through me like wildfire.
I would not die like this.
Not pinned to the ground like some broken creature.
"Look at you," Lilith whispered, voice soft as silk. "A fallen prince and his ruined little mate."
Lucian shifted back to his human form, blood dripping from a dozen wounds.
He straightened, standing proud even as death closed in.
"You should've killed me when you had the chance," he said, voice low and lethal.
Lilith smiled — slow and cruel.
"I intend to."
The soldiers surged forward.
Lucian lifted me in his arms, ignoring my scream of pain.
And he ran.
Straight at the pit wall.
Straight into the spikes.
I realized too late what he was doing.
He used the force of the poison spikes — the silver burning him alive — to claw his way up, his body shielding mine from every blade.
I sobbed — helpless, furious — as blood poured from his back.
But he didn't stop.
Didn't even falter.
With a final roar, he hurled us over the pit's edge and into the clearing.
The soldiers howled — a death song — and charged.
Lucian staggered, barely able to stand.
I dragged myself upright, blood blurring my vision.
And together —
broken, bleeding, furious —
we faced them.
Back to back.
Mate to mate.
One final time.
Because even if death claimed us tonight —
we would meet it on our feet.
Teeth bared.
Hearts unbroken.