The corridor was dim, lit only by flickering torches in iron sconces. Viktor's hand clamped over Akira's mouth like a vice, his other arm snaking around her waist, dragging her backward into a narrow servants' passage. The scent of cold iron and old blood clung to him—Roxas's most ruthless enforcer, a wolf built for breaking bones and silencing screams.
Akira's instincts ignited. She twisted violently, elbow slamming into his ribs. He grunted but didn't loosen his grip. Panic flared, sharp and hot, but she shoved it down. Jaden was safe with Mia. Leon was nearby. She just had to stay alive long enough.
"Quiet, princess," Viktor hissed against her ear, breath foul. "Roxas wants you breathing. For now."
She bared her teeth against his palm and bit down hard, tasting blood. He snarled, grip slipping for a fraction of a second. It was enough. Akira dropped her weight, slipping free, and spun to face him. Her claws extended as she partially shifted—fingers lengthening, nails sharpening into lethal points.
"You breached the keep," she growled, voice low and deadly. "How?"
Viktor wiped blood from his hand, smirking. His eyes gleamed yellow in the shadows, massive frame blocking the only exit. "Friends in high places. Higher than you think."
Zara. The name flashed in Akira's mind. The sealed letters, the whispered negotiations. Leon's sister had let the enemy in.
Akira lunged, claws raking across Viktor's chest. Fabric tore, blood welled, but he laughed—a guttural sound—and caught her wrist, twisting until pain shot up her arm. He slammed her against the stone wall, forehead cracking against rock. Stars exploded in her vision.
"Feisty," he mocked. "Roxas will enjoy breaking that."
She kneed him hard between the legs. He doubled over with a wheeze, and she broke free again, bolting down the passage. Her heart thundered. Shouts echoed from the main halls—alarms raising. Someone had noticed the breach.
Viktor recovered faster than she hoped, footsteps pounding behind her. Akira burst into a wider hallway, nearly colliding with Lara.
"Akira!" her friend gasped, eyes wide. "What's—"
"Run! Viktor—"
Too late. Viktor barreled out, tackling Akira to the ground. They rolled, claws scraping stone, fangs snapping inches from throats. Lara shifted instantly, her sassy wolf form leaping onto Viktor's back, jaws clamping on his shoulder.
He roared, flinging Lara against the wall. She yelped, hitting hard and slumping, dazed.
Rage flooded Akira. She shifted fully—silver wolf surging forward, larger and fiercer than Viktor expected. They clashed in a whirlwind of fur and fury, the hallway too narrow for full maneuvers. Blood slicked the floor. Akira's side burned where his claws had grazed her, but she pressed the attack, driving him back.
Guards finally arrived, drawn by the commotion. Blackthorn warriors poured in, shifting mid-stride. Viktor snarled, realizing he was outnumbered, and broke away, crashing through a stained-glass window into the night.
Akira shifted back, panting, blood dripping from a gash on her arm. Lara groaned, shifting human and clutching her ribs.
"You okay?" Akira asked, helping her friend up.
"Been better," Lara muttered, wincing. "But I'll live. Where's the king?"
As if summoned, Leon thundered down the hall, face thunderous, partially shifted with claws extended. Kai flanked him, expression grim. Leon's gaze swept over the scene—shattered glass, blood, Lara injured—and locked on Akira's wounds.
His roar shook the walls. "Who?"
"Viktor," Akira said, voice steady despite the pain. "He was inside the keep. Someone let him in."
Leon's eyes darkened with fury. He stepped close, gently tilting her chin to inspect the bruises forming on her forehead. The mate bond flared between them, his worry a tangible force.
"You're hurt," he growled, voice rough with barely contained rage.
"It's nothing." She pulled away, though the bond made her want to lean in. "But Viktor mentioned 'friends in high places.' Leon... it's Zara."
The name dropped like a stone. Leon froze. Kai's brooding gaze sharpened, flicking toward the shadows.
"My sister?" Leon's voice was dangerously quiet.
"I overheard her in the library," Akira admitted. "She was negotiating with Roxas. Offering to deliver me and Jaden for peace."
Leon's claws flexed, digging into his palms until blood dripped. Betrayal from his own blood cut deeper than any enemy blade.
Before he could respond, Mia appeared, supporting a wide-eyed Jaden. The boy rushed to Akira, hugging her tightly.
"I felt it," Jaden whispered. "Through the pack sense. Danger."
Leon knelt to Jaden's level, voice softening. "You did well coming to us, pup. Your sister fought bravely."
But his tenderness vanished as he stood, turning to Kai. "Find Zara. Bring her to the throne room. Now."
Kai nodded and vanished down a side passage.
In the throne room, tension crackled like lightning. Zara was dragged in minutes later, wrists bound by iron cuffs—spelled to weaken shifting. Her elegant composure cracked, eyes flashing defiance.
"Brother," she said coolly. "This is unnecessary."
Leon towered over her, rage barely leashed. "You let Viktor into my keep. You conspired with Roxas to sell my mate."
Zara's chin lifted. "Your obsession weakens us. That Silverfang whelp brings war to our door. I acted for the pack."
Akira stepped forward, the pendant from Mia burning against her skin in her pocket. "And what did Roxas promise you? The throne?"
Zara's gaze flicked to Akira, venomous. "He promised stability. Without you poisoning Leon's mind."
Leon backhanded her—not hard enough to break bone, but enough to silence her. "You are no sister of mine. Treason."
Guards seized her arms. Zara struggled, spitting curses.
As they hauled her toward the dungeons, she twisted for one last look at Leon. "You'll regret this. Roxas knows your weaknesses now. All of them."
The doors slammed shut. Silence fell.
Leon turned to Akira, exhaustion and guilt etching his rugged features. "I should have seen it."
"You couldn't have," she said quietly. "Family blinds us."
He reached for her again, this time cupping her face gently. The bond hummed, soothing despite the chaos. "I failed to protect you tonight."
"You came," she whispered. For the first time, she didn't pull away.
Their foreheads touched, breaths mingling. The pull was undeniable now, resistance crumbling under shared danger.
But the moment shattered as Kai re-entered, face ashen.
"Alpha," he said gravely. "Zara didn't act alone. We found this in her chambers."
He held up a small, enchanted mirror—its surface swirling with dark magic. And reflected in it, clear as day, was Roxas's smirking face.
"Too late, Leon," Roxas's voice echoed from the glass. "Your sister was useful, but expendable. My army marches at dawn. And Akira's power? It will be mine."
The mirror cracked, magic dissipating.
Akira's hand closed around the pendant. The plot twist hit hard: Zara hadn't been the mastermind. She'd been a pawn, manipulated by Roxas all along. And whatever power Mia had hinted at—the bloodline gift Roxas craved—was the true prize.
War wasn't coming.
It was already here.