Vaelor POV
I move faster than the assassin can react.
One second I'm in the doorway. The next, my hand is wrapped around his throat, lifting him off the ground. The silver knife clatters to the floor.
"Kael! Get Seris out of here!" I roar.
Kael rushes forward and scoops Seris up. She's gasping, one hand pressed to the shallow cut on her neck. Blood trickles between her fingers.
The sight of her blood makes my wolf go insane.
"Check the fortress," I order the guards. "Find out how he got in. NOW!"
They scatter. Kael carries Seris out of the room. I'm alone with the assassin.
I slam him against the stone wall hard enough to crack it. He grunts in pain but doesn't cry out. Professional. Trained.
"Who sent you?" I growl.
He just smiles. His teeth are stained black—poison. He's already dead, he just doesn't know it yet.
"The bounty... is too good..." he chokes out. "Ten thousand gold... for the Flamebinder..."
"WHO put the bounty out?"
His smile widens. "You'll never... find them all... we're everywhere... she'll never be safe..."
Black foam bubbles from his mouth. Poison. He bit down on a tooth capsule.
"No!" I shake him. "Tell me who—"
His body goes limp. Dead.
I drop him in disgust and storm out of the room. My guards are already moving through the halls, checking every corner. How did an assassin get into MY fortress? Past MY guards?
I find Kael in my personal chambers. He's laid Seris on my bed—the safest room in the building. Thera is pressing a cloth to Seris's neck.
"How bad?" I demand.
"Shallow," Thera says. "She'll be fine. The blade didn't hit anything vital."
Seris is staring at me with wide, terrified eyes. "He said bounty. Someone put a bounty on me?"
I force myself to calm down before answering. "Yes."
"How much?"
"Ten thousand gold."
Her face goes white. "That's... that's enough to buy a whole territory. Why would someone—"
"Because you're valuable," I interrupt. "Flamebinders have power that can change the world. Someone wants to control you. Or kill you before you become a threat."
Tears fill her eyes. "I just want this to stop. I want to go back to before the pyre. Before any of this happened."
Something in my chest tightens. She looks so young, so broken. This girl has been through hell, and now she has assassins hunting her.
"You can't go back," I say quietly. "Only forward. And I swear to you, Seris—no one will hurt you again. Not while you're under my protection."
"Why?" She wipes her eyes angrily. "Why do you even care? You don't know me."
I could lie. Should lie. But something about her makes me want to tell the truth.
"Because fifteen years ago, I watched someone I cared about die because I couldn't protect her." My voice comes out rougher than I intended. "I won't make that mistake again."
Before she can respond, Kael speaks up. "Your Majesty. The council is demanding an audience. Now."
Of course they are. I sigh. "Tell them I'll be there in ten minutes."
Kael bows and leaves. I turn back to Seris.
"Rest," I tell her. "You're safe here. I'll have guards posted at every entrance. And tomorrow, we start your training."
"Training for what?"
"To control your power. To defend yourself. To become strong enough that you never have to fear anyone again."
I leave before she can argue.
Seris POV
I wake up the next morning in the most beautiful room I've ever seen.
For a moment, I forget everything. The bed is huge and soft—nothing like the thin mat I slept on in Thornvale. The walls are made of smooth black stone that seems to absorb light. And there's a fireplace burning with actual silver flames.
Then I remember. The pyre. The transformation. The assassin.
The cut on my neck throbs. I touch it gently and wince.
Someone put a bounty on my head. Ten thousand gold. That's more money than most wolves see in their entire lives.
I'm not safe. I'll never be safe again.
The door opens and a young woman walks in carrying a tray of food. She has short dark hair, a bright smile, and moves with the confidence of a warrior.
"Oh good, you're awake!" she says cheerfully. "His Majesty said you'd probably wake up hungry. I brought breakfast."
She sets the tray on the bed. There's more food than I've seen in months—fresh bread, eggs, fruit, and some kind of meat that smells amazing.
"Who are you?" I ask cautiously.
"Mira. I'm one of the Alpha King's warriors." She grins. "And apparently your new babysitter, since someone tried to kill you last night."
"I don't need a babysitter."
"Tell that to the assassin." Mira sits on the edge of the bed without asking. "Eat. You've been unconscious for three days. Your body needs fuel."
Three days? I've been here for three days?
I pick up a piece of bread and take a small bite. It's warm and buttery and possibly the best thing I've ever tasted. My stomach growls loudly.
Mira laughs. "When was the last time you ate a real meal?"
"I... don't remember." In Thornvale, omegas ate last. Usually we got scraps if there was anything left.
"Well, you're not in whatever awful pack you came from anymore." Mira's expression turns serious. "In the Ashen Reach, everyone eats. His Majesty doesn't believe in that rank bullshit. If you work, you eat. If you fight, you eat. If you exist, you eat."
I blink at her. "Really?"
"Really." She stands. "Finish breakfast. Then get dressed. His Majesty wants to see you in the training grounds."
Fear spikes through me. I've heard stories about Vaelor Rune. The Ash King. The Alpha who destroyed an entire pack when they tried to rebel. Who rules through fear and violence.
"What does he want with me?"
Mira's expression softens. "He wants to help you, believe it or not. I've served him for five years. I've never seen him protect someone the way he's protecting you. It's... different."
She leaves before I can ask what she means by "different."
I eat slowly, thinking. Vaelor saved me. Brought me to his home. Posted guards to keep me safe. Why?
After breakfast, I find clothes laid out—simple pants and a tunic, but they're good quality. Better than anything I owned in Thornvale. They fit perfectly.
When I step into the hallway, two guards are waiting. They don't speak, just start walking. I follow them through a maze of corridors until we reach an open courtyard.
Vaelor is waiting. He's dressed for training—no shirt, just pants and boots. I can see the scars covering his torso. Dozens of them. Some look like claw marks. Others like burns.
This is a man who's seen battle. Who's survived things that would kill most wolves.
His gray eyes lock onto mine. "How's your neck?"
I touch the bandage self-consciously. "It's fine."
"Good. Because today we start your training. If someone puts a knife to your throat again, I want you to be able to defend yourself."
"I don't know how to fight."
"I know. That's why I'm teaching you." He gestures for me to come closer. "First lesson—never apologize for not knowing something. You can't know what you were never taught."
I take a hesitant step forward. "Why are you doing this? Helping me?"
Vaelor is quiet for a moment. "Because power without control is just danger waiting to happen. You have incredible power, Seris. But right now, you're as dangerous to yourself as you are to anyone else. I'm going to teach you control."
"And then what? When I have control?"
His expression is unreadable. "Then you get to choose your own path. Stay here. Leave. Whatever you want. But at least you'll be strong enough to protect yourself."
Before I can respond, Kael appears at the courtyard entrance. His face is grim.
"Your Majesty. We found something."
"What?"
"The assassin didn't come alone. We found three more bodies in the lower levels. They killed four of our guards before we stopped them."
My stomach drops. Four guards dead. Because of me.
Vaelor's jaw tightens. "How many got away?"
"At least two. Maybe more."
Vaelor turns to me, and for the first time, I see real worry in his eyes.
"They're not done," he says quietly. "There are more assassins coming. And next time, they'll bring an army."