Chapter 3
Eva's POV
Thirty.
The final lash tore across my back. I bit down hard, tasting blood as I fought not to scream.
Three hours later, I stumbled out of the holding cells, my shredded back on fire. The entire territory had been transformed—white silk everywhere, thousands of crimson phoenix fire flowers cascading from every surface.
Phoenix fire flowers. The ones I'd dreamed of for our ceremony.
"When this pack's strong enough," Killian had promised me years ago, "I'll give you a ceremony that'll make the Moon Goddess jealous. Phoenix fire flowers as far as the eye can see."
"They moved up the ceremony," Maya whispered, appearing at my side. "Tonight instead of next month. He wants to mark her before she starts showing."
Pack members rushed past in formal wear, faces bright with celebration. The smell of honey wine and roasted meat filled the air. Musicians tuned their instruments on a silk-draped platform.
This wasn't just a ceremony. This was a festival. Everything I'd ever wanted, given to her.
"Eva, your wounds need treatment," Maya frowned at my bloody back.
"I'm fine," I lied, staggering backward.
Around us, whispers followed my every step:
"—She nearly died trying to find the Alpha after he disappeared, and now he's marking someone else—"
"—If I was Eva, I'd rip Sandra's throat out—"
"—Look at her back, poor thing—"
I couldn't stay. Couldn't watch him mark another woman surrounded by my dreams made real.
"I need to pack," I told Maya, wanting to escape.
But it was too late. The ceremony had begun.
The musicians struck up the opening music. On the ceremonial platform, Killian stood in formal attire, devastatingly handsome. Sandra appeared in flowing white, phoenix fire petals woven through her dark hair.
They looked perfect together.
Killian's gaze found Sandra and softened completely. He reached for her hand, bringing it to his lips.
"My beautiful mate," his voice carried across the crowd. "My Luna. My everything."
The pack howled in celebration as Killian tilted Sandra's chin up, preparing for the marking bite—
Howls erupted from the forest. Warning howls.
"ROGUES!" The border guards' voices tore through the night. "Eastern perimeter breach!"
The music stopped. Pack members screamed and scattered as warning howls echoed across the territory.
"All warriors to the border!" Killian's Alpha power boomed. "Protect the territory! Protect the Luna!"
Despite the pain, I was still a Blackrock warrior. I had to defend our home.
I moved toward the battle lines. I'd just reached the tree line when something cracked against my skull.
Darkness.
Smoke. Burning wood. Screaming.
I came to face-down on cold stone, my head pounding. We were in some kind of storage building—wooden crates stacked around us, fire visible through gaps in the walls.
"—told you it was too fucking early!"
Sandra's voice, sharp with fury. She seemed to be arguing with someone. The smoke made it hard to see clearly.
"—I couldn't wait any longer!"
A rough male voice answered, the words muffled. Then footsteps, moving away.
What was happening?
Sandra whirled around, saw me awake, and her face instantly transformed into perfect terror.
"Eva! Thank the Moon Goddess!" She rushed over, tears streaming. "The rogues locked us in here! They set fires too! We have to get out!"
A massive beam crashed down, sealing our exit completely. Flames spread through the wooden walls like living things.
Through the smoke, I spotted a small window high on the far wall. Just big enough for one person.
I dragged over a heavy crate, gasping for air. "You first."
"What—"
"You're carrying his child. Go."
Sandra climbed up, but the window was stuck tight. She struggled for several attempts but couldn't get through. "Eva, I can't make it! The window's too small!"
I gritted my teeth and climbed up to help her. We both pushed and pulled, but the frame was warped. Just then, the crate beneath us started to shake.
"Watch out!" I pushed Sandra aside—
The crate collapsed completely. We both crashed to the ground, more debris falling down and completely blocking our path to the window.
Now we were both trapped.
"EVA! SANDRA!" Killian's voice came from outside, desperate and panicked.
"Killian!" Sandra screamed. "We're trapped inside!"
"We're here!" I shouted too.
The fire was spreading fast. We were trapped in the center of the building with nowhere to go.
Then I heard the sound of impact. Killian was trying to break down the door.
"Hold on! I'm coming!"
The wall burst open. Killian charged in, covered in sweat, his eyes full of panic.
The moment he saw both of us there, he froze completely.
Sandra was closer to him, but the fire around her was relatively small. On my side, a burning beam was slowly tilting, ready to crash down any second.
Time seemed to stop. I saw the struggle in his eyes—he was choosing.
"Killian!" Sandra cried out, "Help me! My stomach hurts!"
He immediately rushed toward Sandra.
"I'll get Sandra out first, then come right back for you!" he shouted to me, scooping Sandra up and heading for the exit.
But the moment they left, the beam above me came crashing down.
Crushing impact. Then endless darkness.
Beep. Beep. Beep.
White walls. Medical equipment. The antiseptic smell of the pack's medical wing.
"Eva! Oh thank the Moon Goddess!" Maya's voice cracked with relief. "You're awake! You've been out for three days—three whole days. I thought... I thought we'd lost you."
She slumped in a bedside chair, dark circles under red-rimmed eyes.
"Killian?" I croaked, my whole body aching.
Maya's expression darkened. "Hasn't left Sandra's side. She just had minor smoke inhalation, a few scrapes. But he's guarding her like she's dying."
She paused, her voice turning more bitter: "And you? Hurt this bad, almost... that bastard hasn't even come to check on you once."
"The baby?"
"Fine. Completely unaffected." Maya stood up, sighing. "Get some rest. I'll go get you something to eat."
After she left, I struggled to sit up.
Damn it! I was supposed to reach Silver Creek yesterday. Aaron must be worried sick by now.
Just then, the door opened.
My heart skipped a beat. Tall, broad-shouldered, with those captivating forest-green eyes.
"Aaron?"
Aaron Thompson—my stepbrother—stood in the doorway, still in his travel clothes, looking like he'd driven straight through without stopping.
"Thank God you're okay, Eva." His face broke into a relieved smile. "Come on, let's go home."
