Chapter 104

Emily’s POV

“You think you can drain him,” Declan said. It wasn’t a question.

I nodded slowly.

“I think the healing power works both ways. My pulse quickened as I spoke the words aloud. “It can be reversed.

Instead of healing… I could take.”

Declan’s gaze turned sharp, like a predator spotting movement. “Life force.”

“Yes.”

Silence stretched between us. Then Declan walked toward the maps spread across his desk.

“If you try and fail,” he said quietly, “he’ll kill you immediately.”

“I know.”

“And if he finds out I helped…”

“He’ll kill you too.”

A muscle in his cheek twitched. He didn’t look away from the maps for a long time. Then, finally, he turned to

Face me.

“What do you need from me?”

A rush of energy flooded my veins. “The dagger. The silver one with the ruby. It does something to my power. Every time he holds it, he can reach inside me and force my power to come out.”

Declan’s face clouded over. “I saw it, and know where he keeps it.”

“I need you to get it away from him.” I stepped closer. “If I’m free from that control for even a few seconds, I

୮ hink I can drain him.”

Declan studied me, his eyes searching mine, “You’d be connected directly to him,” he said slowly. “Do you

understand what that means?”

I swallowed hard.

‘Yes.”

No, I didn’t. Not really. But I didn’t care anymore.

“I don’t care.”

Declan suddenly reached out and caught my wrist gently.

1:17 pm PPT M

“You’re shaking,” he murmured.

“I’m not.”

A tiny smirk touched his lips. “Liar.”

My skin felt hot.

Something was wrong with me. Every time he got chase lately, my entire body reacted before my mind could catch.

up.
I hated it. And somehow…I didn’t.

Declan slowly let go of my wrist.

“There’s another problem,” he said quietly.

The warmth between us vanished immediately.

“What?”

He looked past me, his expression turning to stone.

“Nathan isn’t coming.”

The words felt like a physical weight on my shoulders. “No.”

“I left a trail,” Declan said, his voice tight. “But my father is a paranoid bastard. He sent his own rogues behind me to check everything. Nathan has nothing to follow.”

The hope I’d been holding onto started to crumble. “No…” I whispered.

“I’m sorry.”

The way he said it–soft, almost human–hurt more than his coldness ever did.

I forced air into my lungs. Nathan would never stop searching–I knew that in my soul. But what if he never

couldn’t find me?

Declan stepped closer again slowly. “Emily… if we survive this, it’ll be because of us. Not because someone

rescues you.”

The word us hit me differently this time.

The thought should have terrified me. Instead, warmth curled low deep in my belly.

I looked away quickly.

He noticed. He always noticed.

1:17 pm P PTM

Without saying a word, he reached for the bowl of dark red grapes on the table behind me. The sweet scent filled the space between us. My mouth watered, and my body betrayed me with a sharp pang of hunger.

Declan’s eyes flickered over my face carefully. Then he plucked a single grape free from the stem and held it out

toward me.

I should have taken it from his fingers. Instead, for some reason, I leaned closer.

I let him feed it to me.

The fruit burst against my tongue, sweetness flooding my senses. It was too much–too sweet, too warm, too close. Declan’s eyes turned a shade darker, his gaze dropping to my lips.

“Careful,” he murmured.

My pulse stumbled. “With what?”

He let his fingers graze my jawline, a slow trail of fire against my skin.

“Wath looking at me like that.”

A sharp knock broke the tension. Declan immediately pulled his hand away from my mouth.

A rogue entered, head bowed low.

“I’m sorry for interrupting, but a new pack has arrived. They’re waiting for you to start the clean–up.”

The rogue nodded and left. Something cold slid down my spine.

“What’s a clean–up?” I asked.

Declan didn’t answer. He just headed for the door, ushering me out ahead of him.

‘Declan?”

He still wouldn’t look at me. The lack of an answer felt worse than a threat.

ľ

The moment we stepped into the hallway, he waved for Cindy to come over.

“Take her straight to her room,” he ordered.

Then, he turned and walked away without a second glance. Cindy walked me back to my tower. The castle felt

different colder.

“What’s a clean up?” I finally asked quietly when we entered my room.

Cindy’s steps slowed for half a second. Then continued.

“They remove disobedience.”

“How?”

17 pm P PTM.

Cindy stopped outside my tower door. For a moment, the hardness in her eyes cracked, and she just looked tired.

“Look out the window if you’re curious.”

And she left.

The moment the door shut behind her, I crossed the room quickly toward the massive tower window.

The courtyard below swarmed with wolves. An entire captured pack had been forced to their knees in the center

of the stone square.

Men, women, even kids–were shoved onto their knees in the center of the square. A circle of rogues stood

around them like a wall of teeth and fur.

At the front was Declan. His face looked carved from ice.

One of the kneeling wolves suddenly lunged to his feet, snarling something I couldn’t hear.

Deelan moved faster than I could track. His claws tore through the man’s throat in one clean motion.

Blood hit the stones.

I couldn’t move. I couldn’t look away. The body slumped at Declan’s feet, and he didn’t even blink. No mercy. No

esitation. Beside him, another rogue followed his lead, ending a second prisoner.

Screams drifted up to my window. Declan didn’t stop it. He led it.

The witch appeared next.

Dark smoke coiled around her fingers as she touched the survivors one by one. As she passed, their faces went blank. But something else replaced it.

When they finally stood up, their eyes were empty. They weren’t pack anymore. They were Rogues. Broken,

bedient shells.

I stumbled backward from the window in horror. And I wondered if I had just made a terrible mistake – a deal with

he monster?