Chapter 526

The Thornwood was dense here, the trees so thick I could barely see the sky. The undergrowth grabbed at my paws, slowing me down. But I pushed through.

North. Always north. Toward the mountain. Toward the portal that led to the Lord's kingdom. There, I could perform the ritual, commune with him more easily, and continue carrying out his grand plan.

Then, one day... I could join him in his kingdom. Maybe, if I behaved well enough, I could bring Natalia and the twins with me. They'd have to die first, of course.

But their corpses would be so pretty beside the Lord's throne.

Wait. No. That wasn't right. Why would I want that? Why would I ever-

The thoughts cut off abruptly before I could finish them, and I promptly forgot they had ever been there at all.

And so it went for hours. Days. My mind continually drifting in and out of clarity. Sometimes I remembered who I was: Andrei. Alpha. Husband. Father.

Other times, I was just a wolf with a purpose. Kill. Offer. Obey.

I was passing by a familiar trail at some point, I wasn't sure when, when I caught movement out of the corner of my eye. I looked over to see a hunched figure standing in the mist. It looked familiar, somehow, leaning on a cane. I heard a raspy voice call out to me.

"Andrei?"

I didn't stop. The Lord wouldn't allow it.

...

Celeste's POV

I was out gathering herbs for my arthritis when I saw him.

My joints were killing me. They always did these days. The healers did their best, but they could only do so much. They eventually came up with a solution, and concocted a paste to put on the inflamed spots.

Normally, they collected them for me. But lately, I'd grown cooped up in the compound. With fewer people there and the rogue attacks

becoming less and less common, it was becoming boring and stifling the compound.

The healers protested at first, but eventually let me venture out for the herbs, so long as I brought my cane. The exercise felt good, and the fresh air was soothing.

I was bent over in front of a push,

collecting sage for the poultice, when I heard the sound of paws on werearth looked up and saw a Wolf burst through the trees about fifty yards away. Black fur. Massive. There was something hanging from its jaws, but I couldn't tell what it was from here. It looked large and limp.

I squinted through the mist, trying to focus on the figure. My eyesight wasn't what it used to be, but I could still make out the wolf's features.

The size and plating were oddlys

familiar. I was almost certain that was...

IMS

"Andrei?"

I wasn't sure at first if he had heard me, but then he turned his wolf's head toward

me and met my gaze. I waved out of instinct, although my heart began to race when

I saw what was in his mouth, and I froze.

A body. A man's body. Covered in blood.

Dead.

Strangely, he didn't stop. He just kept loping through the forest like he was on a mission, and then he was gone.

I watched him disappear into the trees, heading north. Toward the mountain. What the hell?

I stood there for a long moment, leaning on my cane and staring at the spot where

he'd vanished. Why did he have a body in his jaws? Why didn't he stop when he saw me? What was going on?

Something was wrong here.

I turned on my heel and began hobbling back toward the compound as quickly as I could, already drafting my letter to Natalia in my mind.