Two

ARIADNE’S POV

The cold stone walls of the Moonstone Citadel rose like a fortress of despair, their towering presence pressing down on me as if the weight of the entire werewolf kingdom bore down on my shoulders. Every step I took behind the guards echoed in the cavernous halls, the sound swallowed by the oppressive silence.

They’d stripped me of everything familiar: my name, my home, my freedom. Even the air here felt foreign, heavy with the scent of wolf musk and danger. Yet, I clung to one thought, one ember of hope that burned against the suffocating darkness: Elira is still alive.

The guards pushed me forward, their claws brushing against my skin, a silent reminder of what they could do if I stepped out of line. I kept my face blank, but inside, my pulse was a roaring drumbeat of fear and rage.

Ahead of us, the massive doors to the throne room creaked open, revealing a chamber bathed in shadow and moonlight. The air inside was colder, sharper, as though the very room had frozen in terror of the man who sat upon the throne.

King Magnus.

He leaned back in his seat, one leg draped lazily over the armrest, yet his presence filled the room like a storm about to break. His amber eyes burned through the gloom, piercing and unrelenting, locking onto me the moment I entered. My breath hitched, but I forced myself to hold his gaze.

“Leave us,” he commanded, his voice a low rumble that sent shivers down my spine.

The guards hesitated, glancing at each other. Even they seemed reluctant to leave me alone with him. That small, fleeting moment of shared fear told me everything I needed to know about the Beast King. He was more than their ruler; he was their tormentor, their predator.

“Did you not hear me?” Magnus growled, his voice cutting through the air like a blade.

The guards scrambled to obey, retreating from the room without another word. The doors slammed shut behind them, leaving me alone with the man who had brought my world to its knees.

Magnus rose from his throne, each step deliberate, measured, predatory. His towering frame cast a long shadow that seemed to swallow the light, and as he closed the distance between us, I fought the urge to step back.

“You have a death wish, don’t you?” he asked, his tone almost conversational, as if we were discussing the weather and not my imminent doom.

I swallowed hard. “I told you before. I’ll do whatever it takes to protect my sister.”

His lips curved into a slow, menacing smile. “And what makes you think you can protect anyone? You’re nothing but a human, a weak, fragile thing pretending to be strong.”

I clenched my fists, nails digging into my palms. “Weak? Maybe. But I’d rather be fragile and fight for what I love than be a beast who destroys everything in his path.”

The smile vanished, replaced by a flicker of something darker, colder. He was close now, so close I could see the flecks of gold in his amber eyes, the faint scar running down his jaw.

“Careful,” he warned, his voice a dangerous whisper. “Your tongue may be bold, but it won’t save you from me.”

“I don’t need saving,” I shot back, though my voice wavered. “And if you think I’ll bow to you like your people do, you’re wrong.”

His eyes narrowed, and for a moment, I thought he might strike me. Instead, he reached out, his hand catching my chin in an iron grip. His claws pricked my skin, a cruel reminder of what he was capable of.

“You’re either incredibly brave or incredibly foolish,” he said, tilting my head to force me to look up at him. “But don’t mistake my interest for mercy. You’re alive because I allow it. Cross me again, and I’ll make you regret it.”

My heart thundered in my chest, but I refused to let him see my fear. “Do your worst.”

The corner of his mouth twitched, as if he were amused by my defiance, but his grip tightened. “Oh, little human, you have no idea what my worst looks like.”

He released me with a shove, and I stumbled back, catching myself before I fell. Magnus turned away, his movements fluid and unhurried as he returned to his throne.

“Tell me,” he said, settling into his seat. “Why risk everything for your sister? What makes her worth more than your own life?”

The question caught me off guard, and for a moment, I was silent. Memories of Elira’s laughter, her gentle smile, flashed through my mind.

“She’s my family,” I said finally. “The only family I have left. You wouldn’t understand.”

Magnus leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “You think I don’t understand loyalty?”

“I think you don’t understand love,” I countered.

The room fell deathly silent. Magnus’ expression darkened, and the air grew heavier, suffused with an oppressive tension that pressed against my chest.

“You presume to know me?” he said, his voice low and dangerous.

I hesitated, the weight of his gaze threatening to crush me. But I couldn’t stop myself. “I know what I see. A man who rules through fear because he’s too afraid to let anyone close. A man who hides his pain behind cruelty.”

His laughter was sharp, bitter. “And what pain would a creature like me have, human? Enlighten me.”

I opened my mouth to respond, but the words caught in my throat. He was testing me, waiting for me to stumble, to falter.

“I don’t know,” I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper. “But I know pain when I see it. It’s in your eyes. It’s in the way your people fear you.”

Magnus’ expression hardened, and he rose from his throne once more. The space between us seemed to shrink, the air crackling with tension.

“You think you’re clever, don’t you?” he said, his tone deceptively calm. “But cleverness won’t save you here. It won’t save your sister, either.”

The mention of Elira sent a surge of anger through me. “If you hurt her—”

“You’ll what?” he interrupted, his voice sharp as a whip. “You’ll fight me? Kill me? You couldn’t even survive a day in this citadel without my protection.”

I hated that he was right. Hated the power he held over me, over Elira. But I refused to let him see that weakness.

“You don’t scare me,” I lied, my voice steady.

Magnus stepped closer, his shadow falling over me like a dark omen. “Then perhaps I should.”

He reached out, his claws brushing against the side of my neck, a silent reminder of how easily he could end me. My pulse thundered beneath his touch, but I held my ground.

“Fear is a tool,” he said, his voice a low growl. “It keeps people in line. It keeps them alive. You may not fear me now, but you will. And when you do, you’ll understand why I rule the way I do.”

He stepped back, his presence still suffocating even as he moved away. “You want to protect your sister? Then survive. Prove to me you’re more than just another fragile human.”

I said nothing, my jaw tight as I fought to keep my emotions in check.

“Dismissed,” he said with a wave of his hand, as if I were nothing more than an insect beneath his notice.

I turned on my heel, my steps measured and steady as I left the throne room. But the moment the doors closed behind me, the weight of the encounter crashed down on me.

My knees buckled, and I pressed a hand against the cold stone wall, gasping for air.

He won’t break me, I thought, clenching my fists.

He can’t.

But as I stood there, the sound of his voice echoing in my mind, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I’d just made a deal with the devil, and I wasn’t sure I could win.