When the ti finally ca, the manor had already grown quiet. The lanterns in the hallways burned low, and the guards outside had begun their night patrols. Althea stood by her window, her heart thudding softly in her chest.
She wrapped herself in a dark cloak, pulling the hood over her head. Ash lay curled near the door, watching her with alert eyes.
“Stay here,” she whispered, gently patting its head. “I’ll be back soon.”
The wolf gave a low whine but obeyed.
Althea closed her eyes and focused, letting the faint shimr of her magic rise through her veins. Her aura rippled, blending with the shadows around her until her figure slowly faded from sight. It was a simple concealnt spell, a trick she had learned long ago and finally rembered.
Silently, she slipped out of her chamber, moving past the sleeping manor. Every step she took was light and precise, guided by instinct. The faint blue threads of her energy traced the air, bending sound and light just enough to mask her presence.
Once she reached the outer courtyard, Althea paused, her gaze shifting from the forest trail to the stream beyond it—where Rett was waiting.
When she arrived, he was already there. His eyes glead with excitent as he grinned. “It’s true! My sister really does have a magical ability! Oh, how I’ve missed you!”
Althea’s stomach churned, but she hid her disgust behind a calm expression. “Brother, where is my mother’s necklace?” she asked quickly.
Rett’s smile widened as he lifted his hand, revealing the familiar necklace and its pendant glinting under the moonlight. The sight made Althea’s heart tighten.
In that instant, she silently chanted the spell she had prepared earlier. The charm she had left behind in her room would begin to glow, her signal to lva. Once lva saw it, she would alert Alpha Abner and the guards that Althea had gone to et Rett, prompting them to send a team to capture him.
Althea stepped closer, her eyes fixed on the necklace. “Thank you,” she said quietly, reaching out to take it from Rett’s hand.
But just as her fingers brushed the pendant, Rett suddenly grabbed her wrist. His grip was firm, his voice low and urgent.
“We should leave now,” he said quickly. “Father’s waiting for us. We can escape before the Alpha King finds out you’re gone. This is our chance, Althea—our only chance.”
Althea’s pulse raced, but she kept her voice calm. “Leave? Now?”
“Yes,” Rett insisted, his eyes shining with excitent. “I’ve prepared everything. We can be gone before anyone even notices. Father will et us once we cross the border.”
She forced a hesitant smile, stalling for ti. “But... I can’t just leave lva behind. She’s my handmaid, Rett. She’ll be punished if I disappear without her.”
Rett frowned, his grip tightening. “Forget her! She’s just a servant. You don’t need her where we’re going.”
Althea looked down, pretending to hesitate while quietly reading his thoughts. Beneath his words, she sensed the truth, the twisted intent hiding behind his eager tone. He didn’t plan to bring her to their father. He wanted to take her sowhere no one could find her, where he could keep her for himself.
Her stomach clenched, but she forced a gentle tone. “Please, just give a mont. I’ll fetch lva.”
‘This girl... she never changes. This is my chance. She managed to sneak away just to et , so she could easily escape the Alpha King if she wanted to but she’s not escaping from that bastard! But this ti, I’ll make sure she doesn’t escape .’
Those dark thoughts flashed through Rett’s mind, his expression hardening as he studied her.
Althea tightened her grip on the necklace now resting in her palm, feeling the cool tal press against her skin. Her heart raced as the faint glow from its charm flickered.
Then, a familiar sound cut through the stillness.
Ash’s distant howl echoed from the woods.
Rett’s eyes widened, his jaw tightening. “You’ve been followed?!” he hissed angrily. Then he lunged forward and seized Althea’s arm, his fingers digging painfully into her skin.
“You’re not going anywhere! We must leave and escape now!” he growled, trying to drag her toward the forest path.
Althea struggled, twisting against his grip. “Let go!” she shouted, her energy flaring. A pulse of light burst from her palm, forcing Rett to stumble back. The ground trembled faintly as her magic rippled through the air, forming a shimring barrier between them.
But before she could take another step, the light around her dimd. A sudden surge of dark energy slamd into her barrier, cracking it like glass.
From the shadows behind Rett, a tall figure erged. His cloak billowed as the air around him thickened with dark mist. Strange symbols glowed faintly across his hands, and his eyes glead with unnatural light.
Rett smirked, his tone filled with pride and arrogance. “It’s a good thing I brought Jener with ,” he said. “He’s my most trusted man in the shadows... a warlock.”
Althea’s breath hitched. The air grew cold as Jener raised one hand, twisting his fingers to weave a spell. The darkness crawled forward, swallowing the moonlight, pressing against her light like an unseen storm.
She gritted her teeth, summoning more of her power. Sparks of white and gold danced around her as her barrier struggled to hold.
Rett stepped closer, voice low and taunting. “You can’t win, Althea. Jener’s power is stronger than yours. Just co quietly. Why are you even resisting?”
His face went dark and he spat the words out. “Is this because of the matebond? Have you grown attached to that bastard Gavriel? Co with now and I’ll have that bond severed.”
Althea glared at him, refusing to give in. “You’ll have to drag through fire first.”
The warlock’s dark magic clashed against her light, the two forces colliding in a blinding flash that split the night apart. Light and shadow twisted violently, each struggling to overpower the other.
“Open the portal—now!” Rett barked, his tone sharp with urgency.
Althea’s eyes widened. She hadn’t anticipated that.
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