Chapter five
"No… no, this can't be," I shouted, my voice trembling. "I don't want this title. I can give it back—I don't need it!"
John's jaw clenched, his red eyes flashing. "You think being a saint is something you can just revoke? It's not a crown you remove—it's a curse you carry."
Before I could argue again, the cabin walls shook. Wolves were slamming themselves against the barrier, their growls like thunder closing in. My stomach twisted. They were here for me.
John moved toward the door. "There's a back exit. Follow it into the woods and don't stop until you're safe."
But I caught his hand, desperate, my silver eyes locking with his. "Why are you helping me?"
His face softened, and for the first time his voice wasn't sharp but quiet, vulnerable. "Because you were right. I love you."
My heart nearly stopped. Before I could think, I pressed my lips against his. Just one stolen kiss—fiery, desperate, over too soon. Then he pulled away, his breathing ragged.
"Go," he whispered.
I hesitated, then forced myself to slip out the back, my heart breaking even as my legs carried me away.
---
John stepped outside, his body radiating dominance. His crimson eyes glowed in the dark as he growled, "What are you doing here?"
The wolves froze, their snarls quieting. From among them, a familiar figure emerged. Elder Dylan.The former Alpha of the lighting pack before passing on the authority to John.His black cloak dragged against the forest floor, and in his hand was his old carved staff.
"John," he said smoothly, "don't worry. We're not here for you. We tracked the scent of the girl."
John's voice was sharp. "What girl?"
"Don't play the fool with me, boy." Dylan's smile didn't reach his eyes. "The one with the Astex token."
John's claws extended. "I don't know what you're talking about."
Dylan stepped closer, lowering his voice. "Do you realize what that token means? With it, we could ascend. I could send you to Astex. Do you understand what power lies there? Supernaturals who can split mountains with a thought, command storms with a breath… You could avenge your parents."
John stiffened, his anger breaking through. "You know who killed them?"
Dylan chuckled darkly. "You're not qualified to know. Not yet." Then, with a snap of his fingers, he ordered, "Find the girl."
---
I hadn't run far before I froze. Their voices carried through the night, every word stabbing into me. Dylan… the token… my bond with John. None of this made sense.
I tried to keep moving, but before I could, a massive wolf pounced from the shadows, knocking me into the dirt. Its claws dug into my arms as it dragged me back toward the clearing.
Dylan's eyes lit up when he saw me. "Ah, the saint herself."
"Let me go!" I struggled, thrashing against the wolves' grip.
Dylan only smiled as he twisted the top of his staff. A hidden blade gleamed wickedly, coated in wolfsbane. My stomach dropped.
"Tell me where the token is."
"I don't know!"
His blade slashed across my thigh, searing pain tearing through me. I screamed, the poison burning like fire in my veins.
"Tell me!" he barked again.
"I don't know!" I cried, tears blinding me.
John roared, trying to break through the wolves holding him back. "Stop, Dylan! Leave her alone!"
But Dylan ignored him. He raised the blade again—aimed straight for my chest.
"STOP!" John's voice cracked with desperation. "I'll tell you. Just don't touch her again."
Dylan tilted his head. "Go on."
"The token…" John swallowed hard. "It's hidden in the cabin. Beneath the floorboards, under the hearthstone."
Dylan smirked and sent one of his wolves to check. Minutes later, the wolf returned with the glowing token in his jaws. Dylan snatched it and held it high.
"Finally. With this, our rise begins."
John fought against the wolves restraining him. "You said you'd let her go!"
Dylan turned, eyes gleaming with mockery. "I said I'd let her go. I never promised to heal her."
Then he nodded. A wolf struck John hard in the skull. His body fell limp, unconscious, as they dragged him away.
"No!" I screamed, my throat raw. Blood pooled from my leg, the poison spreading faster than I could fight it. My vision blurred, my body weakening.
"Why?" I whispered hoarsely. "Why does this keep happening to me?"
The last thing I saw was Dylan's cruel smile as he tucked the token away and vanished into the night.
And then—darkness.