I never thought it would happen this way — chained in silver, blood trailing from my wrists, standing before a court of monsters who wanted me dead… or worse.
Lucian stood at the throne's base, watching me with an expression I couldn't read — part fury, part hunger, part something heartbreakingly human.
The Queen of Rogues — Lilith — rose from her blackened throne, her smile slashing across her cruel face like a blade.
"Seraphina," she purred. "You carry the blood of traitors and queens alike. Tell me — where does your loyalty lie?"
I said nothing.
I wouldn't beg. I wouldn't kneel.
Lilith descended the steps, each click of her heels a death sentence. When she stopped before me, she traced a sharp, black-painted nail down my jaw.
"Such spirit," she mused. "You will be exquisite once broken."
Lucian moved then — a flicker of rage crossing his face — but Lilith lifted a hand, halting him.
"You lost your claim to her when you rejected her, my sweet boy," she crooned.
"And now she is mine."
The chains bit deeper into my flesh as I tried to pull away.
My wolf thrashed inside me, frantic, but the silver poisoned my strength.
Lucian's fists clenched. His voice was a low, deadly rumble.
"She is not yours to break."
Lilith laughed — a sound like shattering glass.
"Then prove it," she said, tossing him a dagger.
A long, curved blade, etched with old, forbidden runes.
Lucian caught it midair, his jaw tightening.
"Mark her," Lilith ordered. "Here. Now. Bind her soul to this kingdom. To me."
A hush fell over the throne room.
Lucian approached slowly, the dagger glinting in his hand, his dark gray hair falling into his furious eyes.
I shook my head once — tiny, defiant.
Don't you dare.
But he didn't lower the blade.
He pressed it — tip first — against the curve of my collarbone.
A single droplet of blood welled up.
My heart shattered, slow and brutal.
I thought he would finish it — brand me like an animal, seal my fate.
Instead — with a swift, savage movement —
Lucian turned the blade on himself.
He slashed his own palm open — deep, brutal — blood spilling freely.
He seized my face in his bloodied hand and crushed his mouth to mine.
Not a kiss of love.
A kiss of damnation.
His blood smeared across my lips, into my mouth, staining my soul.
The bond between us — broken by his rejection — ignited like wildfire.
The court gasped. Chaos rippled.
Lucian broke away, eyes burning silver.
"She belongs to no one but me," he snarled at Lilith.
The Queen's expression darkened.
"You think you've won, boy?" she whispered.
Her power lashed out — invisible, terrible — slamming into Lucian and sending him crashing against the stone wall.
I fell to my knees, the chains too heavy to bear.
"You think love will save you?" Lilith hissed. "It will be the noose that hangs you both."
She raised her hand again — power gathering, deadly.
I knew she meant to end him.
No trial.
No mercy.
Just obliteration.
Something broke inside me then —
a dam, a wall, a cage.
My wolf exploded out of me — furious, wild, feral.
The silver chains shattered under the force of my transformation.
I lunged at Lilith, my wolf form massive and gleaming silver under the blood-red torches.
Lilith laughed and met me head-on —
her own form twisting into a monstrous creature, part wolf, part shadow.
The throne room erupted into chaos — soldiers, beasts, monsters spilling blood.
Through the madness, I saw Lucian crawl to his knees, blood streaming down his face.
He looked at me — truly looked — and for the first time, there was no arrogance, no cruelty.
Only awe.
Only sorrow.
Only love.
I slammed into Lilith, claws tearing into her flesh.
"You will not break me," I snarled.
"You already are," she whispered against my ear, smiling even as she bled.
The world spun — a blur of blood, teeth, magic.
And then—
Lucian was there.
Sword in hand.
Standing at my side.
Not as my captor.
Not as my king.
But as my mate.
Together, we lunged at Lilith.
And for the first time since this nightmare began —
I realized maybe — just maybe —
we could rewrite the end of the story.
In blood.
In fire.
In glory.