Chapter 24 · Betrayal at the Border

The Wolf hit the ground hard. Blood pooled under its ribs where the iron bar jutted out. Ivy's name was still carved into the metal. She could see it from where she knelt, shaking, her hands pressed to the stone floor.

Cain was on his feet. Barely. His shirt hung in shreds. Claw marks crossed his chest and his breathing came in short, wet gasps. Silver dust still hung in the air. Every breath had to hurt.

The Wolf's yellow eyes found her. It didn't lunge. It just stared.

Rex's voice echoed from somewhere above. "You see it now, don't you? You're not his mate. You're his cage."

Ivy's throat closed. She wanted to scream that he was lying but the iron bar said otherwise. Her name. Her blood. Her mother's plan.

"We have to move." Cain's voice was raw. He grabbed her arm and pulled her up. "Now."

"But—"

"Now, Ivy."

She stumbled after him. The Wolf didn't follow. It lay there, panting, yellow eyes tracking them until the tunnel curved and the darkness swallowed it whole.

Cain led her through a maze of shafts she didn't recognize. Her legs burned. Her lungs ached.