Chapter 7 - BLOOD IN THE SNOW
The crisp white snow surrounding the High Ridge Lodge was stained crimson before the sun even cleared the eastern peaks.
When Declan kicked open the heavy oak front door, rifle and crossbow fire rained down from the rocky ridges overlooking the courtyard. Elite royal guards—the ones he had trusted implicitly—were already locked in mortal combat with masked mercenaries clad in heavy steel armor bearing the crest of the northern elder council.
"Traitors!" Declan roared. The sound was so powerful it caused several of the attacking mercenaries to stumble backward, clutching their ears as their wolf instincts recoiled from an alpha’s primal fury.
Vivian stood just inside the doorway, her medical pouch clutched tightly in her hands. Her heart pounded in her throat as she watched Declan leap into the fray. He didn't use a sword; he didn't need one. With terrifying, superhuman strength, he shattered the shield of the nearest attacker with a single punch, sending the man flying backward into a snowbank.
More mercenaries swarmed toward the doorway, their eyes locked not on the king, but on Vivian.
They’re here for me, she realized with a jolt of cold horror. If I am captured, Declan will have to surrender his crown to save my life.
She didn't hesitate. Instead of retreating deeper into the lodge, Vivian darted out through the side service door into the dense pine forest flanking the cliffside.
"Vivian!" Declan’s roar cut through the chaos of battle. He caught sight of her fleeing figure and two masked mercenaries intercepting her path.
The king went berserk. The last remnants of his human restraint snapped. A deafening, window-shattering wolf howl tore from his throat as his body shifted violently—shoulders expanding, dark fur erupting along his arms, his eyes glowing like molten silver in the winter light. He crossed the courtyard in three impossible bounds, intercepting the mercenaries before they could lay a finger on her.
With brutal efficiency, Declan tore through the attackers, his massive jaws snapping bone like dry twigs. Within seconds, the snow was quiet again, save for the heavy, ragged breathing of the alpha king standing over the fallen foes.
Declan shifted back, his chest heaving, his skin slick with sweat despite the freezing air. He spun around, his wild eyes scanning the treeline until they landed on Vivian, who was standing frozen behind a thick pine trunk.
He closed the distance instantly, grabbing her shoulders with hands that trembled slightly. "Are you out of your mind?!" he yelled, his voice cracking with a mixture of terror and fury. "Why did you run?!"
"If they captured me, they would have used me to break you!" Vivian yelled back, tears of adrenaline finally spilling over her lashes. "I won't let you lose everything because of me!"
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Declan stared at her, stunned into absolute silence. Then, slowly, his fierce expression crumpled into something raw and infinitely tender. He pulled her against his chest so hard she could barely breathe, burying his face in her hair.
"You are everything I have, Vivian," he whispered fiercely against her ear. "If I lose you, there is no throne. There is no kingdom. There is only ash."
