Chapter 7 - The Night Sophia Was Taken
Caleb refused to surrender.
Sophia expected that.
What she did not expect was to wake before dawn with Selene standing beside her bed.
“Don’t scream.”
Sophia grabbed a knife.
Selene raised an eyebrow.
“You sleep armed?”
“I met you.”
“Fair.”
Sophia sat.
“What?”
Selene wore travel clothes.
No restraints.
That was concerning.
“How did you get free?”
“Mara.”
Sophia stared.
“The archivist?”
“She has complicated morals.”
Apparently.
Selene held out a cloak.
“We’re leaving.”
“No.”
“You sound like Caleb.”
“That is offensive.”
“If Caleb surrenders, Adrian humiliates him and kills him anyway.”
Sophia’s stomach tightened.
“What’s your plan?”
“We go to Northwatch.”
“Why?”
“Because Adrian doesn’t expect me voluntarily.”
“You’re his intended forced bride.”
“Exactly.”
Sophia understood.
“You walk in.”
“Yes.”
“And me?”
“Hidden.”
“Then?”
“We free the Moonkeepers.”
“That’s not a plan. That’s an aspiration.”
Selene sighed.
“You are exhausting.”
“Genetic.”
Despite herself, Selene almost smiled.
That mattered.
Sophia dressed.
Not because the plan was good.
Because Caleb would choose the kingdom over himself and call it duty.
Someone had to stop him.
They left through an old Moonkeeper passage beneath Frostmere.
Mara waited.
Sophia stared.
“You’re helping.”
“I’m old enough to recognize when kings make stupid noble decisions.”
“You’re not old.”
“Thank you.”
Selene rolled her eyes.
Mara handed Sophia a small moonstone.
“This will hide your scent.”
“From Caleb?”
“Yes.”
Sophia hesitated.
The bond.
He would wake and feel absence.
Pain.
She hated that.
“Tell him—”
“No.”
Sophia frowned.
Mara continued.
“If I tell him anything, he follows.”
True.
Sophia closed her eyes.
Then left.
Caleb woke forty minutes later.
The bond felt empty.
Not broken.
Far.
His wolf exploded.
Mate.
Gone.
Caleb tore through the keep.
Ronan found him in Sophia’s chamber.
The bed empty.
Window closed.
Moonstone residue.
“Selene.”
Caleb’s voice sounded lethal.
Ronan checked the hallway.
“Gone too.”
Caleb shifted.
Ronan blocked the doorway.
“My King.”
Move.
“Think.”
Caleb growled.
Ronan did not.
“You chase blindly, that’s exactly what Adrian wants.”
Caleb shifted human again.
Barely controlled.
“She left.”
“Yes.”
“Without telling me.”
“Yes.”
Ronan waited.
Caleb’s anger shifted.
Not betrayal.
Choice.
Sophia had chosen something.
He hated it.
Still.
Choice.
“What would she do?”
Ronan almost smiled.
“There.”
Caleb closed his eyes.
“She would go after the prisoners.”
“Yes.”
“With Selene.”
“Probably.”
“Northwatch.”
Ronan nodded.
Caleb reached for his sword.
“We follow.”
“Carefully.”
“Do not test me.”
Ronan sighed.
“Glad you’re back.”
Sophia and Selene reached Northwatch by evening.
The capital glittered beneath cliffs.
White towers.
Silver roofs.
Royal banners.
Sophia had never seen anything like it.
Selene looked miserable.
“You lived here?”
“Three days.”
“With Caleb.”
“Yes.”
“And Adrian.”
Selene’s face hardened.
“He was charming.”
“That sounds dangerous.”
“It was.”
“What happened?”
Selene walked silently for several steps.
“Adrian knew the prophecy.”
“And?”
“He told me Caleb had rejected me because Omegas were beneath him.”
Sophia frowned.
“Caleb is many things. That doesn’t sound like him.”
“I know that now.”
“What else?”
“He convinced me Caleb planned to wipe out surviving Moonkeepers.”
Sophia’s anger sharpened.
“Alaric and Adrian built your entire hatred.”
“Yes.”
Selene looked toward the city.
“I wanted to believe them.”
“Why?”
“Because anger hurt less than abandonment.”
Sophia understood too well.
They entered through servant tunnels Selene remembered.
The Moonkeeper prisoners were held beneath the old temple.
Three hundred?
No.
Almost five hundred.
Children.
Elders.
Families.
Sophia stared through the hidden grate.
“Selene.”
“I didn’t know.”
Her face broke.
“I swear.”
Sophia believed her.
They reached the ward controls.
Moonkeeper magic.
Selene placed her hand against the stone.
Nothing.
“Adrian changed the seal.”
Sophia tried.
Silver light responded.
The door opened.
Selene stared.
“Why you?”
Sophia looked at the mark on her wrist.
“Caleb.”
The partial bond carried royal signature.
They freed the first prisoners quietly.
Then alarms rang.
Too easy.
Sophia froze.
Selene cursed.
Adrian’s voice came through the corridor.
“Thank you.”
He stepped from the shadows surrounded by guards.
Handsome.
Silver eyes.
Caleb’s brother looked like a polished version of danger.
Sophia immediately disliked him.
Adrian smiled.
“Sophia Hartwell.”
Selene stepped forward.
“You knew.”
“Of course.”
“You let us free them.”
“I needed the cell wards open.”
Sophia looked behind.
The Moonkeepers were moving toward exits.
Adrian did not stop them.
Why?
Selene understood.
“You don’t care about them.”
“No.”
“You used them to bring Sophia.”
“Yes.”
Sophia’s stomach dropped.
“Why me?”
Adrian smiled.
“The prophecy.”
“I won’t bond you.”
“I don’t need that.”
He looked at her wrist.
“You already carry Caleb’s royal signature.”
Cold moved through her.
“The partial bond.”
“Yes.”
Selene whispered, “He can use Sophia instead of me.”
Adrian nodded.
“Cleaner.”
Sophia backed away.
Guards surrounded.
Selene raised magic.
Adrian held up one hand.
A blade pressed against a child’s throat among the prisoners.
Selene froze.
Adrian smiled.
“Always useful.”
Sophia stepped forward.
“Let them go.”
“Come willingly.”
Selene grabbed her arm.
“No.”
Sophia looked at the child.
“Let them go.”
Adrian nodded.
Guards released the Moonkeepers.
Sophia walked toward him.
Selene’s face twisted.
“Sophia.”
“Get them out.”
“No.”
“Please.”
The word broke something.
Selene released her.
Adrian took Sophia’s wrist.
The bond mark burned.
Miles away, Caleb dropped to one knee.
Ronan caught him.
“What?”
Caleb’s face went white.
“Sophia.”
The bond flooded with fear.
Pain.
Then Adrian’s presence.
Caleb roared.
Back in Northwatch, Sophia stared at Adrian.
“He knows.”
“Good.”
“You wanted that.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Adrian smiled.
“Because my brother is most useful when angry.”
He dragged Sophia toward the throne chamber.
The Moonkeepers escaped.
Selene escaped with them.
Sophia did not know whether to be relieved or furious.
Adrian locked her inside an upper chamber.
No chains.
No guards visible.
Just wards.
He entered later carrying wine.
Sophia threw the cup at him.
He ducked.
“Definitely Caleb’s type.”
“Go to hell.”
“I may.”
Adrian sat.
“You think I’m evil.”
“I think you kidnap Omegas and threaten children.”
“Reasonable.”
Sophia stared.
“Why?”
He looked toward the crown towers.
“Because Caleb was always chosen.”
“By who?”
“Everyone.”
His voice hardened.
“Father.”
“Your father abused half the kingdom.”
“He still saw only Caleb.”
“And?”
“Caleb got the crown.”
“He was older.”
“Caleb got loyalty.”
“He earned some.”
“Caleb got you.”
Sophia laughed.
“There it is.”
Adrian’s face tightened.
“This is not romance.”
“No. It’s insecurity wearing armor.”
His eyes flashed.
“You sound like him.”
“No. I sound like me.”
That hit.
Adrian stood.
“At full moon tomorrow, I take the crown binding through your mark.”
“What happens to Caleb?”
“He loses royal magic.”
“And?”
“Possibly his wolf.”
Sophia went cold.
“You’ll kill part of him.”
“Kings make sacrifices.”
“Convenient when they’re someone else’s.”
Adrian smiled.
“You may understand after you rule beside me.”
Sophia laughed.
“I would rather live in a ditch.”
“Caleb will come.”
“Yes.”
“He will surrender.”
“Maybe.”
“He loves you.”
Sophia’s chest tightened.
Adrian saw.
“He hasn’t said it?”
She said nothing.
He laughed softly.
“My brother remains emotionally incompetent.”
At least that was accurate.
Adrian walked toward the door.
Sophia asked, “What if he doesn’t come?”
He turned.
“He will.”
The door closed.
Hours later, moonlight moved across the floor.
Sophia touched the bond mark.
Caleb.
Far.
Furious.
Alive.
She closed her eyes.
For the first time, she pushed intentionally.
Not words.
Feeling.
Do not come angry.
The bond warmed.
Then an emotion returned.
Impossible.
He was coming anyway.
Of course.
Sophia almost laughed.
“Idiot.”
A voice came from the balcony.
“Frequently.”
Sophia spun.
Caleb climbed over the railing.
Forty stories above the city.
Black clothing.
Silver eyes.
Bleeding shoulder.
Sophia stared.
“How?”
“Wolf.”
“You cannot climb towers as a wolf.”
“Not efficiently.”
She ran to him.
Then stopped herself.
“You came.”
He stared.
“You left.”
“You would have surrendered.”
“Yes.”
“That’s why.”
“You do not get to disappear to protect me.”
She crossed her arms.
“You are dangerously close to understanding my point.”
Caleb closed his eyes.
Then laughed.
Quietly.
Exhausted.
Sophia stepped closer.
“You’re hurt.”
“Not important.”
“It is to me.”
His eyes opened.
The room shifted.
He touched her face.
“You are alive.”
“Yes.”
“I thought…”
His voice broke.
Sophia’s anger disappeared.
She pressed her forehead to his.
“I’m sorry.”
“So am I.”
“For what?”
“Everything I’m about to do.”
She pulled back.
“That sounds terrible.”
The door exploded inward.
Adrian stood with guards.
Caleb turned.
His brother smiled.
“Predictable.”
Caleb moved in front of Sophia.
Adrian lifted a silver blade.
“Brother.”
“Adrian.”
“You came alone.”
“No.”
Windows shattered.
Ronan’s wolves poured across rooftops.
Moonkeeper magic erupted from the courtyard.
Selene.
Adrian’s smile vanished.
Caleb smiled.
“I’m learning to share responsibility.”
Battle filled Northwatch.
But Adrian was ready.
He slammed his hand into the crown ward.
Silver chains seized Caleb.
Again.
Sophia screamed.
Adrian grabbed her wrist.
The bond mark ignited.
“No!”
Moonlight exploded.
Caleb fell.
His wolf screamed inside Sophia’s mind.
Adrian began pulling royal magic through her.
The prophecy activated.
The crown becomes cage.
The beast king finds the hidden daughter.
She will bind the throne forever—
Or end the old blood rule.
Sophia suddenly understood.
The choice was never which king she bonded.
The choice was whether the crown remained magical at all.
She looked at Caleb.
He understood through the bond.
“Do it,” he whispered.
Adrian frowned.
“Do what?”
Caleb smiled despite pain.
“End it.”
Sophia placed both hands against the crown ward.
Adrian screamed.
“No.”
She looked at Caleb.
“If I break it—”
“I know.”
“You lose the inherited Alpha crown.”
“Yes.”
“Your family’s power.”
“Yes.”
“Maybe the throne.”
Caleb’s eyes stayed on hers.
“Yes.”
Sophia’s voice broke.
“Are you sure?”
He smiled.
“For once…”
His chains tightened.
“I choose.”
Sophia released everything.
May you like
Silver light consumed Northwatch.
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