Annalise's POV

 The weight of his question still echoed inside me. Who are you? It was not asked with curiosity, but with the authority of someone who could quickly rip me open if I dared answer wrong. The words felt like claws in my throat, demanding truth, even if I had none to give. Before I could even form the thought of a reply, the sound of heels clicking against marble shattered the fragile silence between us. His mother. Queen Seraphina of the BloodHowl Kingdom. Regal, untouchable, cold as the steel that crowned her throne. Her beauty was the kind that cut, not warmed, and when her gaze landed on me it was not with affection but calculation. She didn't wait for permission. She swept forward, her crimson gown trailing like spilled blood, and placed her jeweled hand on Alaric's arm. Her eyes flickered to our bound hands, our mingled blood still fresh between us. "Congratulations, my son," she sweetly said, her voice sounded silk over a sharp blade. Then, her gaze slid to me. "And to you... our little bride. You wear courage well, I applaud you for that." I held her stare. My tongue ached to lash back, to tell her my courage was not choice but punishment, but instead I lowered my lashes, bowing slightly. That was safer. Always safer. Before I could retreat further, Alpha King Ethan stepped forward. His presence filled the room like a storm-cloud.. commanding, suffocating. He clasped Alaric's forearm, a show of unity for the audience still watching. Then his smile turned toward me, sharp and knowing. "Congratulations on your union," he said, his voice ringing with approval. "May your unity continues to bring peace between the wolf and lycan blood." 'Peace'. A really pretty word for a cage. The priest's table was brought forward, the parchment rolled and pressed with the twin seals of both kingdoms.. the peace treaty. The very reason my life had been stolen and reshaped into this moment. Alaric and I were guided forward. His hand still gripped mine too tightly, and though it hurt, I didn't pull away. I didn't dare. His presence felt like molten steel at my side, burning, suffocating, unrelenting. We signed. His name, sharp as a sword. Mine, trembling but legible. The applause that followed felt hollow, like a mockery of freedom. When it was over, the court began to part. We were to leave for BloodHowl before the moon reached its peak. My stomach coiled. I would no longer see the sunrise of Silver Claw again. We had just reached the edge of the great hall when an annoyingly familiar voice called out, shrill and commanding. "Wait!" Judy. Her footsteps snapped against the floor as she swept toward us, her red painted lips stretched in a false smile. She bowed low before Alaric, though her eyes sparkled with venom when they flicked to me. "My prince," she said sweetly, "before you depart, allow me to send with you one of our serving girls. A companion for my dear daughter." Alaric's brow arched, suspicion sharp in his gaze. "A serving girl? Why?" The silence that followed tightened the air like a noose. Judy didn't falter. Her smile only widened, her voice pitched to carry to every ear present. "Because my daughter is mute," she said smoothly. "She cannot speak for herself. Surely, she'll need someone to interpret her silence." The words sliced through me, hot and cold all at once. My fists curled against the folds of my gown, nails digging into my palms forming crescent shapes . Humiliation prickled up my spine, but worse than that was the raw truth... my secret laid bare for all of them to sneer at. The Lycan nobles that heard her gasped softly, they began whispering behind fans and hands. My cheeks burned, but I did not bow. I did not let them see me break. Alaric's reaction was instant. His jaw locked, his amber eyes igniting with fury. He stepped toward Judy, towering, predatory. The silence stretched taut. "Mute?" he repeated, his voice low, and dangerously lethal. "You insult my bride at my own wedding?" Judy faltered, her smile flickering at the sound of his raging voice. "I.. I only meant what... " "You meant WHAT?," Alaric snarled, "to tell everyone including me of her flaws. To parade them like trinkets before us. To humiliate me. Do you think I am subject to your venom?" The room froze. Even Alpha King Ethan's expression tightened, but he said nothing. Then, out of the corner of my eye.. I caught it. A subtle gesture from Queen Seraphina. Barely a tilt of her head, a flick of her jeweled fingers. A signal... To him. She wanted him to control it. To let the insult slide, or bury it quietly. But it was obvious Prince Alaric was not a man to be muzzled. His lips curled in a humorless smirk as he leaned closer to Judy. His voice dropped to a dangerous whisper that still carried across the hall. "Your gift is refused. And your tongue... should remember its place. Else...." Color immediately drained from Judy's face. She quickly dropped into a trembling bow, too cowed to speak further. For the first time that day, a spark of warmth flared inside me. Pathetic, perhaps, that it came from watching him shred her with words sharper than knives. But it was something. A piece of satisfaction carved from the ruins. And though sadness pulled heavy inside my chest, though shame still clawed at my throat, I couldn't stop the faint curl of a smirk from tugging my lips. Alaric saw it. His eyes flicked to mine, brief and unreadable, before turning away. Queen Seraphina excused herself soon after, gliding from the hall like a predator retreating into shadows as she walked towards her carriage ready to leave. Her approval of her son's handling of the insult was evident in the faintest lift of her chin. That left us before the wolves. Ethan, cold and smug. Prince Nathan, eyes softer, searching mine with something that felt like pity. And Troy, my father, silent and broken, his shoulders hunched under the weight of his cowardice. Alaric's voice sliced through the air. "Any more farewell gifts?" Ethan's smirk deepened. Troy bowed his head. Only Nathan stepped forward, his jaw tight, his fists clenched at his side. He met Alaric's gaze without flinching. "Take care of her." The words were not request but command. Alaric's lip curled. Disdain rippled across his face, but he said nothing. His hand tightened around mine instead, punishing, possessive. "And if I don't?" Alaric coldly shot back and Nathan smirked. "We'll see" I lowered my eyes, hiding the storm within them. Alaric and I finally turned, towards the great doors, the sea of nobles parting before us. The weight of their stares pressed into my back, into my skin, into my bones. With every step, the world I had known crumbled further away. My family. My kingdom. Even the last shred of my voice. And yet, when the doors slammed shut behind us, sealing us from Silver Claw forever, I felt it. The truth sinking deep, unshakable, terrifying. I no longer belonged to them. I belonged to him now.

Alarics pov

 The taste of wolf stench clung to the back of my throat, bitter and foul. My mother's soldiers lined the path to our carriage, like armored shadows glinting beneath the moon. The whispers of wolves and Lycans alike trailed after us like ghosts. They weren't cheering.. They weren't celebrating... They were waiting.. waiting for the first sign of fracture in the fragile treaty that had been signed in blood. This was politics after all. The girl at my side moved like someone who had been walking through cages her entire life, who had learned long ago not to falter even when the bars dug into her skin and I felt oddly drawn to that. The carriage door quickly shut with a hollow thud, sealing us inside. She sat across from me, with her hands folded neatly in her lap. Those blue eyes never stopped staring. Not timidly, not defiantly, but as though she were searching for something inside me. My bride... though she wasn't supposed to be. The instant she stepped into that hall, I knew. The scent wasn't Dahlia's. Wolves always carried a sharp, earthy trace, but this one smelled of rain after fire, too fragile, too unworldly to belong to a wolf.. Human. The word still burned on my tongue like poison. Humans were meant to serve us not be joined with us in holy matrimony... Now, in the dim light of the carriage, she raised her head and moved her hands delicately in the air. The motions were soft, flowing... a language of silence. "Thank you". She signed, but I ignored her. I leaned back against the seat, shutting my own eyes, forcing her image into the darkness behind my eye lids. But the silence broke. Her hands moved again.. small, deliberate motions in the air. I opened my eyes reluctantly, tracking the strange flow of her fingers. "Thank you for defending me" The words carved themselves into me. Not spoken, but seen. Zorrak stirred at once, his voice echoing like iron chains in my skull. 'She thanks you. You should answer her.' 'I don't owe her an answer,' I muttered, my gaze fixed out the window. The night was wide, endless, far more interesting than her frail gestures. 'You saw her humiliation,' Zorrak pressed. 'The wolf bitch exposed her silence before all. She should have broken. But she didn't.. She stood.. She smirked... That is strength.' 'She is a human,' I snapped. 'And a burden I did not choose.. I did what any owner would do, defend my property. That is all.' Zorrak growled low, his voice rattling through my bones. 'Do not lie to yourself. She smells different. She looks at you differently. And you..' 'Enough,' I coldly cut him off. My beast instantly became quiet, but not before leaving me with a thought I could not shake. I turned back toward her. She hadn't looked away. Those blue eyes were still locked on me, questioning, probing. "Stop staring like I'd jump at you and eat you..," I told her, making sure my tone was as sharp as a newly made knife . A humorless laugh left my mouth. "If I wanted to harm you, little bride, I would have done it then and there. In front of your people... In front of your family.. Don't mistake restraint for mercy." "My mother promised that no one would touch you without your permission and for some weird reason I'm included.. and as much as I would love to harm you I can't... cause a vow to the lore is sacred" I added. It was obvious the words struck her.. Her hands lowered to her lap, curling into tight fists against her gown. But still, she didn't look away... She endured my cruelty with silence, with fire buried beneath fragile flesh. Zorrak rumbled in the hollow of my chest. 'She doesn't fear you enough. That unsettles me... as much as It unsettles you.' I didn't answer. Minutes dragged, the steady clatter of hooves and wheels filling the void. At long last, she leaned her head back, her lashes fluttering. Sleep tugged at her fragile frame. Her breathing deepened, in a soft and rhythmic way. And yet, even in sleep, she looked fiercely beautiful. Her body tilted, her small hand slipping against the cushions. Foolish girl. Reckless girl. I should have turned away. I should have closed my eyes, shut her out, buried the strange pull clawing at my chest. But instead, I studied her in the lantern's glow. Without the veil covering her face, she looked even smaller, and a bit too delicate for the world she'd been thrown into. But her lips were set, not slack in surrender. Even in sleep, she still carried defiance. Zorrak whispered, almost amused. 'She is not wolf... Do we keep her? ' I clenched my fists. "She is nothing," I hissed under my breath. "Nothing." And then.... BANG. The wheels of the carriage jolted, the horses shrieked in panic. My head snapped up just as the night split open. The carriage violently moved sideways, nearly throwing her to the floor. Instinct quickly ripped through me and I caught her before she could fall, her small frame colliding against my chest. Her scent flooded my nose and senses like a dangerous weapon it was sweet like pineapple as mnd coconut and for one disorienting breath I almost forgot the chaos outside. Almost The shriek of tearing flesh and the clanking of swords snapped me back. Growls rose like a storm..low, guttural, snarling and layered over the clash of steel and the screams of dying men. Zorrak's roar thundered inside me. 'AMBUSH!' My sword was already in my hand before my thought caught up. I shoved her away from me, shielding her with my body as the carriage jolted again. "Stay down!" I barked. Her fingers caught my sleeve, but I didn't look at her. I couldn't... Not when rage boiled so hot beneath my skin and Zorrak wanted to come out and play. "Don't come outside until I come for you." I ordered her, my eyes already on the door. She stared, her blue fire eyes wide, the unspoken question of 'what was going on?' burning in there. But I didn't answer. I forced the words out again, harsher, and more commanding: "Don't. Come. Outside." I threw the door open then closed it almost immediately, and the night greeted me with blood. A wolf quickly lunged towards me, his teeth bared, and his claws flashing. My blade arced, slicing through fur and flesh in a single motion. The stupid creature crumpled at my feet. The stench hit me hard.. wolf and lycan both. Rogues... Too many of them.. Too far from the border and too.. organized. I laughed, and the air trembled beneath the weight of my fury. "You dare attack me?" 'Let me out,' he growled. 'Let me tear them apart.' Not yet. I wanted their blood to mean something to send a message to who ever was in charge. I cut down two more, but unease gnawed at me. The carriage... I kept checking every second and I couldn't help but feel relieved as the door was still shut. And as if on cue, the air shifted and a mighty force slammed hard against the carriage as though hurled by some invisible hand. The entire structure screeched, wood splintering as it toppled sideways with a bang. The impact shook the ground, dust and dead leaves scattered everywhere. "No...!". Without wasting another second I rushed towards her, only to find that the carriage had been opened through the other door and there was no sign of her.. 'We shouldn't have left her' Zorrack growled "FUCK!" My roar cracked the air, raw and savage. My eyes darted towards the direction of the trees. And there she was cowered at the base of a twisted oak, her hands pressed against itsbark.. slick with her own blood. Her veil had slipped, her hair wild, her breaths coming in short, frantic bursts. Her eyes locked onto mine the moment I found her. And then the world slowed... A rogue came from the shadows behind me, his blade gleaming with precision. Not aimed at me.. Aimed at her! And immediately her body froze with fear, but her eyes didn't. They flared up... No longer soft, no longer dulled with fear. For a heartbeat.. one slow heartbeat they looked as though they burned. Not wolf fire... Not human fragility. Something primal... Wilder... Ancient. The blade paused midair as though the world itself had paused. Every hair on my body rose. My grip on the sword trembled. "What the hell..." The words ripped from me, raw, guttural, disbelief heavy on my tongue. And then it was gone. Like smoke.. The blade came down again, and I wasted no time as I lunged, intercepting it with my own steel. The clash sparked in my ears, a ringing echo of what I'd just witnessed. I shoved the attacker back, rage twisting in my head..my movements brutal and fast. He barely had time to scream before my blade cleaved him open. But victory was still too far. Because that moment I had been distracted, another shadow slipped from behind her, unseen. A lycan with his blade hilt raised hit her head with force. The sound was soft, but it ripped through me like a scream. She staggered and dropped on her knees first, her veil slipping sideways as her body hit the ground with a dull thud. I didn't remember moving. One moment the wolf loomed over her preparing to strike her.. The next, he was beneath me, his blade shattered in my grip. I slammed him into the earth so hard the ground split, his skull cracking like brittle glass. The battlefield blurred. All I saw was her.. fragile frame, and her blood seeping into the soil. And something inside me snapped.

Alaric's POV

 I wasted no time in shielding her with my body, crouching low, claws extended, every nerve in my body aflame. Then came more of the bandits, more bloody bandits... our blades slashed.. swords clanked against each other.. None touched her. None would... My fury was a storm, my blood a river, and every man who dared inch closer drowned in it. The first swung low. I twisted, my arm lashing out, claws raking across his throat. His blood splattered on the ground like rain, staining the dirt before his body finally collapsed at my feet. Another lunged with force. My shoulder met his chest with a crack that echoed loud in his ears, his ribs folded under the force. He flew backward, crashing into the tree trunk with enough violence to make me smile.. Steel continued to clash as sparks burst in the dark each time blades were hit. They attacked me in pairs, two, three at a time, circling, testing, but I made sure they found no opening. I was a storm, and she was the calm eye I shielded with my very body. One raised his sword above her. My heart slammed. A snarl ripped free from my throat, and I spun, forcefully driving my claws into his chest until my fingers closed around his heart. His eyes widened, his mouth open in a silent plea, before I crushed it and tossed him aside. No one touched her... No one would. My fury had consumed me, yet every movement I made was calculated and deliberate. She never slipped from my grip. When they struck at my left, I turned my back, taking the blow across my shoulder rather than risk their steel reaching her. When they aimed high, I ducked low, curling my frame over hers, my claws striking out like lightning bolts from my body. Zorrak's growls tore through me as we ripped through the ambush together, a deadly rhythm born of rage. Bandits tried to scatter, but I dragged them down, their pleas unheard beneath the snarl tearing my throat raw. The ground was painted red with their blood... Their screams rose, broke, and died, one after the other. I stood unyielding, blood dripping from my hands, chest heaving, her fragile form was now pressed safely against me. And then.. two shadows burst from the trees. They lunged into the fight with a savage grace that matched my own. Flesh split, bones snapped. For a moment, the battlefield sang with the violence of our kind. Together, we tore through the stragglers until silence fell again, broken only by the shallow breaths of the dying. I rose slowly, chest heaving, blood dripping from my claws. I stared at the girl next to me.. She looked... breakable... Too breakable for this world. I brushed back the strands of hair that clung to the cut at her temple. My touch was quick... No warmth... No softness. 'She lives,' I muttered, almost to myself. 'You care?' I snapped my head away. 'I don't.' But I did not move from her side until every last enemy lay still. Finally, I turned to the two Lycans. My eyes narrowed as I stared at them... The battlefield was littered with corpses.. wolves, lycans, rogues. They had all come for us, a rabid mix of desperation and greed. I had cut them down before they could touch her again. Still, the fact remained.. they should never have gotten this close in the first place. I let the silence stretch for a while, as I waited for my anger to cool into ice. Then I slowly asked, "What took you so long?" I didn't try to hide my anger.. My voice sounded like venom. The taller one Jethro, slowly bowed his head as he began to speak "The rogues split into two groups. We intercepted the first, but... you faced the larger force alone." Zorrak snarled inside me. 'How interesting' I immediately shut him out, though my claws still twitched with the urge and hunger to shred. My eyes burned as I looked from the Lycans back to Annalise's unconscious pale and fragile form. She wasn't supposed to matter. She wasn't supposed to stir this... violence in me. And yet.. I hadn't let a single blade touch her. Not one. It was the vow... it had to be. The other one Jackson, bowed his head, kneeling low. His voice was gravel, low enough that only I could hear. "From what we managed to hear... she wasn't meant to arrive at BloodHowl alive." A smirk formed its way on my lips and I stared at the bloody corpses then back at her "How many souvenirs did you get for me?" "Two, One alive and one well... almost alive" Jethro calmly spoke as he stared at the direction they had come from. "Good! Take them to the palace" I calmly replied as I sheathed my sword "Okay your highness but we would need a carriage to get you and our princess back home" Jackson quickly spoke, his eyes darting between me, the human and the already destroyed carriage. 'They called her princess? Already?' Zorrak whispered. "We're not going with you.. Tell my mother the moon hangs low so I'm going on my honeymoon"