Page 287 of Evil Hearts

The Wolf Prince’s Pet

Jade Waltz

Chapter One

Ryxin

The cold bitdeep, even through Ryxin’s thick black fur. His breath frosted in the frozen air as he padded through the snow-covered pines, each step crunching faintly under the weight of his massive frame.

Mother Lux—the great white moon—hung low in the sky, her radiant glow painting the snow-blanketed trees in silver and pale gold. Her guiding light cascaded through the bare branches, casting sharp shadows across the glimmering frost.

It was beautiful in a way that only the deadliest places could be—cruel and dangerous. Deceptively captivating onlookers with its beauty despite the threat the deep forest possessed in its shadows.

The acrid scent of charred metal and singed atmosphere filled his nostrils, causing his lungs to ache with each inhalation. The smell grew stronger with each breath, layering bitterness onto the smoky haze drifting lazily from the crater below. Where trees once stood tall and proud, charred stumps now clawed at the sky, framing the jagged wreckage of the intruders that had dared to defile his land.

Ryxin’s lips curled into a silent snarl, claws flexing at his sides as his chest rumbled with an anger he didn’t bother to temper.The escape craft—a mangled, primitive thing just like the main vessel they’d blown up—lay crumpled in a shallow crater, half-buried in the snow. Sparks spit weakly from its torn hull, and the faint hum of a dying power core pulsed in the night, rhythmic as a failing heartbeat.

His Lux Knights fanned out around him, their snow-dusted fur shimmering in the moonlight. They moved like shadows, silent and sharp-eyed as they took in the scene, their breaths fogging in the frigid air.

Their loyalty wasn’t in question—it was etched into the very marrow of their bones; each had sworn their lives to him above all else—except, of course, his brother. No, they followed and they had bled for Ryxin—as their Dark Prince—but Sylas was the Alpha King, ruler of their empire.

Even in the middle of this icy wilderness, a primal need for action surged through him. His claws and teeth ached to be put to good use, but there was no enemy horde to pounce on and tear apart.

Just twisted metal and smoke—and an unfamiliar scent beneath the burn of ozone and melted alloy. Ryxin couldn’t place it, and that only sharpened his irritation.

“What’s your command, my prince?” Vian muttered as he stepped to Ryxin’s side, the snow crunching softly under his weight. The captain’s voice was low, measured, but his eyes betrayed his unease as they flicked to the dark tree line. “Should we inform the Alpha King?”

Ryxin ignored him for a moment, his sharp eyes scanning the wreckage. The craft was primitive, barely holding together—an insult to their engineered perfection.

Invaders. The word left a bitter taste in his mouth. They had obliterated these creatures’ mothership days ago. Surely, the primitives wouldn’t have survived this—yet another disaster.

“Not yet.” He growled low in his throat. “We handle this now.”

Vian nodded sharply but didn’t move, his focus split between Ryxin and the shadows beyond the crash. The Lux Knights around them shifted slightly, shooting glances at each other and the woods as they readjusted their stances. The tension was palpable, thick enough to taste the icy air.

There was something in their posture—an edge Ryxin didn’t like. The cold wasn’t what made them tense—nor this crash. It was what lurked deep within the woods.

A howl tore through the stillness—sharp and haunting—rising from the forest’s depths and slicing through the silence. It wasn’t the call of one of his pack—no, this was something else. Darker. Wilder.

A series of eerie replies echoed off the cliffs and mountains, a discordant song of madness and hunger—freezing the blood in Ryxin’s veins.

The Fallen.

Every knight froze, their ears twitching as they scanned the shadowed tree line.

Fallen weren’t just rogue and broken—cursed with madness that made them more beast than mind, with strength that rivaled even his own when ambushed.

They were dangerous. Unpredictable. Deadly.

The howl faded, leaving an ominous stillness in its wake. Ryxin’s gaze snapped to the trees, and then to his brethren.

“Form a perimeter,” Ryxin ordered, his tone leaving no room for argument. His Knights sprang into action, surrounding the smoking wreckage. “Search the vessel,” Ryxin growled. “If there are survivors, we take them back to the castle.”

Vian’s brow furrowed as he scanned the dark forest beyond. “The crash must’ve drawn them out,” he muttered. “The Fallen don’t need much of an excuse to investigate. Noise, smoke, smell… they’ll scavenge anything of value.”

“Is it worth our lives to save them?” Xar’s voice was sharp as he stood on the edge of the crater, his arms crossed over his chest. “First, they dared to cross our borders with that flying scrap heap of theirs. Now, they’ve dared to crash land here on our holy land. Let the elements and the Fallen deal with their mistake. They’re not our concern.”

Ryxin turned to Xar, his dark fur bristling and a growl rumbling in his chest as he closed the distance between them. “Enough,” Ryxin barked, his claws slashing through the air to slice away any disagreements. “If any live, it’s up to the Alpha King what happens to them. Not you.”

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