Page 24 of Forged By Heart and Claws
First Velessa. Now Yuki.
This couldn’t be happening.
My wolf howled within me, but no sound made it past my lips. Rage and grief twisted together until my body trembled and my eyes burned. My hands shook. My knees buckled.
This wasn’t supposed to happen.
She was supposed to survive.
I pressed the heel of my palm to my chest, trying to hold myself together. But my breathing came too fast, too shallow.
Vad’s presence slammed through the bond, flooding me with warmth. He dropped beside me, his hands gripping my shoulders.
It wasn’t your fault.
Out loud, his voice was steel. “We need to move. If you’ve got wounds, finish binding them now. We can’t leave a trail.”
My instincts took over, even as my mind drowned in grief. Two had been lost. I couldn’t lose anyone else.
I rose on shaky legs, eyes locked on Yuki's still form. I couldn't process this—two friends dead in less than an hour. My brain refused to accept it, but my body understood.
With trembling hands, I adjusted her on the couch with her hands resting on her green dress as if she were sleeping. Like she might open her eyes and smile again.
A massive thud struck the door, heavy and large. The furniture barrier jolted, wood groaning under impact.
"Briar." Vad's voice was low but urgent. His hand closed around my wrist, pulling me back from the edge of shock. "We need to move.Now."
"They've got a battering ram," Thalen shouted from his position near the door. He stepped away fast. “No one leave a trail.”
We had seconds. Maybe less.
I forced my limbs to move. We needed to get Thalira to safety. She’d been hit by the same bolt—but maybe her dress hadn’t caught the glass like Yuki’s had.Her skirt was shorter. Maybe. Hopefully.
Footsteps rushed around me. While I’d been focused on Yuki, someone had been gathering items. Vad handed meblankets and a box and pulled me farther down the hall and through the corresponding corridors.
The others were already in motion.
A tense silence settled over us, pierced only by the steadythud… thud…of the ram against the door. Each blow reverberated through my body like a countdown.
We moved deeper into the royal chambers. Dimly lit rooms blurred past. Another sitting area, a narrow archway, then another archway that brought us to what looked like a private dining area. Beyond that, a smaller room with a heavy oak door.
Vad stopped in front of a marble panel. His fingers pressed into what seemed like natural cracks and flaws in the stone.
A softclickechoed, and the wall opened diagonally as if seamless magic had carved the passage from stone itself.
“Go,” he ordered, nodding toward the stairwell hidden behind it.
Thalen ducked in first, Myantha and Quen close behind with the lamps. The narrow stairs descended steeply into darkness, but the path was clean.
Silus went next, Elara limp in his arms, her breathing shallow but steady.
Another blow rocked the doors behind us.
This time, something cracked.
My nerves tightened, and I dug my fingers into my arm.Do you have anything like wolves or dogs for tracking?If so, we neededsomethingto mask our scent.
Thalira and Rhielle went down next, Rhielle’s arm steadying Thalira while careful not to jostle the bolt. Many-Greats brought up the rear, pausing long enough to give me a stern look like he expected me to follow him.
