Seraphina’s POV
I couldn’t believe what I’d just heard. Holly’s plan to enslave the entire pack and hand it over to her father was insane—a betrayal so profound it made my blood boil. She didn’t just want power; she wanted complete domination, and she was ready to destroy everything to get it.
Holly’s voice dripped with venom as she continued her twisted scheme. “Once Sid orders them to kneel, the obedient fools will follow. As for those who resist… we’ll hang them in the square. And with Father’s stake in Carnival City secured, these Northern brutes will make perfect unpaid laborers.”
My fists clenched so tightly the iron armor I wore let out a faint clink.
Caden placed a firm hand on my wrist, his grip a silent warning to stay calm. His piercing gaze told me everything: Not yet.
I bit my tongue, forcing myself to stay still.
Inside the cave, Holly grew more excited. “Time to make Sid inhale my scent again. Soon he’ll be my perfect little puppet. Where is he now?”
“In the chamber,” a man replied. “We’ve kept him bound just in case.”
“Good. Let’s go,” she said smugly.
We followed her deeper into the cave, the tunnel winding in endless loops. The air grew colder, the damp chill sinking into my skin. Water dripped from the ceiling, forming small, uneven puddles that reflected the dim torchlight.
As we crept closer, the sound of their footsteps echoed ahead. Finally, we spotted a faint light at the end of the tunnel. Caden and I crouched behind a large stone, peering into a chamber illuminated by flickering torches.
There he was—Sid. Chained to a chair, his head slumped forward, unmoving. His usually strong, commanding presence was reduced to this broken, vulnerable state. My heart clenched.
Holly sauntered up to him, slapping his face mockingly. “Such a shame. These Northern idiots are worthless, but their Alpha? He’s surprisingly hot. Maybe I should keep him for myself.”
The man beside her snorted. “Do what you want after we finish here.”
She pulled out a small perfume bottle, bending over Sid. “Once I’ve sprayed him again, he’ll be completely under my control. And when this is all over, I’ll take him back to Silverclaw Pack. Can you imagine a proud Alpha like him, tied to my bed? So hot.”
That was the last straw.
I couldn’t let her continue.
Before I could move, someone else lunged at Holly—one of the soldiers in the chamber. The impact sent Holly sprawling to the ground, the perfume bottle flying out of her hand.
The soldier’s helmet rolled away, revealing his face.
“Trent!” I gasped.
Holly screamed, scrambling to her feet. Her companion tried to retaliate, grabbing Trent and slamming him into the wall. But before he could land a fatal blow, a massive black wolf crashed into him. Caden, in wolf form, tore into the man with lethal precision. The fight was brutal and fast, the air thick with the scent of blood.
Holly staggered backward, grabbing Sid and using him as a shield.
“Get away from him, bitch!” I snarled, charging forward.
“Stay back, whore!” Holly screeched.
In a desperate move, she unlocked Sid’s chains and clung to him. “My mate… save me!” she wailed.
Sid stirred, his eyes barely open, his movements sluggish. He seemed dazed, groaning in pain as if fighting against invisible bonds.
“Sid!” I called, my voice shaking with desperation.
But he didn’t respond to me. Instead, he lifted Holly into his arms and stumbled toward the far wall. A hidden door slid open—an exit none of us had noticed before.
“NO!” I screamed, watching as they disappeared into the darkness.
“They’re getting away!”
Caden shifted back into his human form, wiping blood from his face. His gaze was calm but determined. “Not for long.”
Trent staggered toward me, panting. “Seraphina, we have to go after them. If they escape—”
“They won’t,” Caden interrupted. His voice was sharp, commanding. “We’ll split up. Seraphina, take Trent and follow the tunnel. My men and I will circle around and block any exits.”
I nodded, adrenaline coursing through me. “Let’s move.”
Holly had crossed every line. She’d betrayed my pack, my people, and now my Alpha.
She wasn’t getting away this time.
