The journey to Stonecrest took five days.
Five days through terrain that grew increasingly hostile—from the mountain paths of Ashfang to the rolling hills of the central territories, then down into the eastern badlands where the earth itself seemed to have given up on life. The trees grew sparse, then disappeared entirely. Water became scarce. The sun beat down mercilessly by day, while nights brought a cold that seeped into bones and refused to leave.
Elara's small group pushed onward.
Kael stayed close, his presence an anchor. Kress led the way, his knowledge of the territory absolute—he'd marched this path before, serving the master, guarding prisoners, doing things he now desperately wanted to atone for. Dace followed with his journal, recording everything, bearing witness. And Cedric had insisted on coming—to repay his debt, to stand beside the queen who'd freed him.
Five wolves against whatever awaited at Stonecrest.
The odds were terrible.
But Elara had learned that odds meant little when hope was on your side.
---
On the fifth day, Stonecrest rose before them.
It was unlike any pack territory Elara had seen. Built into a massive rock formation that jutted from the badlands like a wounded fist, the compound was all sharp angles and hidden passages—a fortress designed for defense, for survival, for endurance.
"Onyx built this himself," Kress said quietly. "Before the master came. Before the bonds." His scarred face was thoughtful. "He was proud once. Fierce. Unbending. The master broke him the way he broke us all—by taking what he loved."
"What did he take?" Elara asked.
"His mate. His eldest son." Kress's jaw tightened. "They're in the second camp. The one we haven't freed yet."
Elara's heart clenched. Another family waiting. Another Alpha serving against his will.
"We'll free them," she said. "After Stonecrest. After Onyx joins us."
Kress looked at her. "You're certain he will?"
"I'm certain he deserves the chance to choose." She met his gaze. "Same as you did. Same as Cedric did."
Something flickered in Kress's empty eyes—hope, maybe. The first green shoot of belief that he might actually be capable of redemption.
"Then let's go give him that chance."
---
They approached openly.
No stealth this time—Stonecrest's defenses were too good, its Alpha too watchful. Elara wanted Onyx to see them coming. To wonder. To hope.
By the time they reached the compound's gates, a crowd had gathered.
Wolves lined the walls, their expressions wary. Weapons gleamed in the harsh sunlight. But no one attacked. No one raised an alarm. They simply... watched.
The gates opened.
A wolf emerged.
He was massive—not as tall as Viktor, but broader, built like the rock his territory was named for. His eyes were the color of flint, hard and unreadable. His face was a mask of control that couldn't quite hide the grief beneath.
"State your business." His voice was a rumble. "Quickly."
Elara stepped forward. "You know who I am."
"I know what I've heard." Onyx's eyes swept over her. "The queen who broke Ashfang's bonds. The heir who killed the master." A pause. "The woman who thinks she can walk into my territory without an army."
"I came without an army because I'm not here to fight." Elara held his gaze. "I'm here to offer a choice."
Something flickered in those flint eyes. Too fast to read.
"Choices." The word was bitter. "I haven't had a choice in years."
"I know." Elara stepped closer. "I know about your mate. Your son. The second camp." She stopped within arm's reach. "I know you've been serving the master's memory because you had no other option. Because your family's lives depended on it."
Onyx's mask cracked. Just slightly. Just enough.
"You can't know." His voice was barely a whisper. "You can't possibly—"
"I can." Elara let her power flicker—silver light dancing across her marks. "I've broken one bond already. I can break yours too. And when I do—" She met his eyes. "We go together. We free the second camp. We bring your family home."
Silence.
The wolves on the walls held their breath.
Onyx stared at her for a long, terrible moment.
Then, slowly, he sank to his knees.
"If you can do that—" His voice broke. "If you can bring them back—I'm yours. Stonecrest is yours. Everything I have, everything I am."
Elara knelt before him, took his hands.
"Then let's start now."
---
Breaking Onyx's bond was harder than Cedric's.
The master's magic had sunk deeper into this Alpha—years more of corruption, years more of rot. When Elara reached into him, she found darkness so thick it seemed almost solid. Wrapped around his soul like chains designed to never break.
But she'd faced the master himself. She'd destroyed him with light.
This was just his echo.
You don't belong here, she thought at the darkness. You're just a memory. And memories can be erased.
She pulled.
Silver light flooded through her, through Onyx, through the corruption that had held him captive for so long. The darkness screamed—and dissolved.
Onyx gasped. Fell forward. Caught himself on Elara's shoulders, trembling like a wolf caught in a storm.
"It's gone." His voice was wonder. "It's actually—after all this time—" He looked at her with eyes that were no longer hard. Just grateful. Just hopeful. "Thank you."
Elara helped him rise. "Don't thank me yet. We still have to free them."
Onyx's jaw tightened. "Then we don't wait. We go now. Tonight."
"Agreed." She looked at Kael, at Kress, at Cedric. "We'll need more than just us. Stonecrest warriors—"
"Every wolf I have." Onyx's voice was absolute. "Every warrior who can hold a weapon. We march at dusk."
---
The war council gathered in Stonecrest's great hall.
Smaller than Ashfang's, more austere—but filled now with wolves who'd waited years for this moment. Onyx's warriors, hardened by years of serving against their will, eager for redemption. Kress with his knowledge of the second camp's layout. Cedric with his gratitude and his growing skill as an ally.
And at the center, Elara.
"Kress knows the camp." She pointed at the map he'd drawn. "Two hundred prisoners. Fifty guards. Wards similar to the first camp, but stronger—the master put more power into holding these wolves."
"Because they were more valuable." Onyx's voice was tight. "My mate. My son. Others like them—wolves with special abilities, important bloodlines."
"Then we hit hard and fast." Kael's voice was steady. "Kress and Elara break the wards. Onyx leads the rescue. Cedric and I lead the attack on the guards. Stonecrest warriors provide support and cover."
"And after?" Dace's quill hovered over his journal.
"After—" Elara looked at Onyx. "After we bring them home. And then we go after the third camp. The biggest one. The one with the rest of the prisoners."
Onyx met her eyes. "We'll need more than Stonecrest and Ashfang for that."
"I know." Elara nodded slowly. "But first we free your family. Then we worry about the rest."
---
Dusk fell like a blessing.
Five hundred wolves marched from Stonecrest—every warrior Onyx could muster, hardened by years of waiting, burning with the need for redemption. Kress led the way, his knowledge of the wastelands absolute. Elara and Kael moved at the center of the column, their presence a beacon.
Through the bond, Elara felt Kael's focus—his readiness, his determination, his love wrapped around her like armor.
Nervous? he asked.
Terrified. You?
Always. A pause. But also hopeful. First time in a long time.
She looked at him. At this fierce Alpha who'd rejected her and then chosen her and then died for her. Who marched beside her now into certain danger, because that's what mates did.
"I love you," she said quietly. "In case I don't get a chance to say it later."
He pulled her close, pressed his lips to her forehead. "You'll have chances. Hundreds of them. Thousands. We're going to live a long time, Elara. And we're going to be happy."
She held onto his words like a lifeline.
The column marched on.
---
The second camp appeared at midnight.
Larger than the first, just as Kress had warned. Built into a canyon similar to the earlier one, but with more structures, more guards, more darkness. Torches flickered along the walls. Shadows moved on patrol.
And at the center, visible even from this distance—cages. Dozens of them. Filled with wolves who'd waited years for rescue.
Onyx made a sound like a wounded animal.
"I see them." Kress's voice was quiet. "Your mate. Your son. Third cage from the left."
Onyx's whole body shook with the effort of restraint.
"Wait." Elara's hand on his arm. "We do this right. We do this together."
He nodded. Barely.
Kael moved to Elara's side. "Ready when you are."
She looked at the wolves behind her—five hundred strong, armed and desperate and hopeful. Looked at Kress, whose redemption depended on this moment. Looked at Onyx, who'd waited years to hold his family again.
"Let's go." She drew a breath. "For all of them."
They moved.
---
End of Chapter 33🐺