Chapter 1
LOKI
I lean back in my seat, watching the dark silhouette of the Deep Valley Pack territory through the tinted window.
My men are already in position, surrounding the entire perimeter without a single soul noticing. Hours of careful planning, and now we’re invisible ghosts circling prey that doesn’t even know it’s being hunted.
With Cyrus unconscious, there’s no one powerful enough to stop us tonight. Perfect.
I’ve waited too long for this moment. Years of hiding, plotting, rebuilding after near-death. All leading to this.
“We move at midnight,” I say, my voice cutting through the silence in the car.
My beta shifts in the passenger seat. “And if we’re discovered?”
“Then we wipe out the entire pack.” The answer comes easily. “No witnesses. No survivors.”
He nods, relaying the orders through the communication device in his ear.
Static crackles, then voices respond—eager, hungry for action.
One voice stands out among the others. The operative who infiltrated the engagement party disguised as Nancy’s bodyguard.
“Finally,” Rook mutters, his tone sharp with barely contained fury. “That bitch called me ugly in front of everyone. I’m going to enjoy watching her die.”
I smile faintly. Personal vendettas make the best soldiers. They fight harder when there’s something to prove.
“Patience,” I murmur, checking my watch. “Just a few more hours.”
ZOE
The helicopter shudders violently beneath me, and Kelly’s hand grips my arm tight.
“What’s happening?” I ask, keeping my voice steady despite the alarm racing through my veins.
“Engine failure,” the pilot shouts over the roar of dying machinery. “We’re going down, brace yourself!”
My stomach drops as we descend too fast, the world tilting sideways even though I can’t see it.
Kelly’s breathing quickens beside me.
The impact comes hard and jarring, throwing us forward against our restraints. Metal groans. Something snaps.
Then silence.
“Everyone okay?” I call out, my voice hoarse.
“Alive,” Kelly gasps. “Shaken, but alive.”
The pilot confirms the same, and slowly we unbuckle and climb out into cold mountain air.
I stand still while Kelly describes our surroundings.
“Mountains everywhere,” she says quietly. “Dense forest. I can see a few scattered houses in the valley below, maybe half a mile away. No cities. No roads. We’re completely isolated.”
I process this information, weighing our options.
We can’t continue tonight. Not with a damaged helicopter and my blindness making navigation impossible.
“Find lodging,” I order. “Ask the locals if they’ll take us in until we can repair the helicopter or arrange alternate transport.”
Kelly squeezes my hand once before releasing it, and I hear her footsteps retreating along with the other crew members.
Time passes—maybe thirty minutes, maybe an hour. I lose track standing alone in the darkness.
Finally, footsteps return.
“Good news,” Kelly says, slightly breathless. “The villagers are welcoming. Several families offered to take us in for the night.”
Relief washes through me, though I keep my expression neutral. “Then let’s go.”
Kelly’s hand finds my elbow, guiding me carefully down what feels like a rocky slope.
The walk is slow, my feet stumbling over roots and uneven ground I can’t see. Kelly warns me about obstacles—“step up here,” “rock to your left”—and I follow her instructions blindly.
Eventually we reach level ground, and I smell wood smoke and cooking meat.
A door creaks open. Warm air rushes out.
“Come in, come in,” a woman’s voice says, kind but curious. “You poor things, stranded out here in the cold.”
Kelly thanks her profusely as she guides me inside.
The floor beneath my feet changes from dirt to worn wood planks. The smell of stew fills my nostrils, making my empty stomach twist.
“I’ve prepared a room for you,” the woman continues. “It’s not much, but the bed is clean and warm.”
“Thank you,” I manage, my voice rougher than I intend. “We’re grateful.”
Kelly leads me down a narrow hallway. I can tell from the way sounds echo close on both sides, and into a small room.
The bed is indeed crude when I lower myself onto it. The mattress feels thin, the blanket coarse against my skin.
But it’s shelter. It’s safety.
Kelly settles beside me with a sigh. “Get some rest, Zoe. We’ll figure everything out in the morning.”
I nod, though sleep feels impossible.
Lying there in the darkness, strange déjà vu washes over me.
I remember months ago, rushing into these same mountains to save Cyrus after a landslide trapped him. Being forced to shelter in a farmer’s home during a terrible storm. The family mistaking us for husband and wife.
Back then, we’d been wary of each other. Strangers bound by circumstance, yet inexplicably drawn together.
And now...
Now he lies unconscious because of me. Because I drove a poisoned blade into his chest while he looked at me with love in his eyes.
I cut off the thought before it can deepen, before grief can paralyze me completely.
I need rest. My eyes have to recover—whatever’s causing this blindness, I have to believe it will pass.
And I need my strength to reach the Valeborne Royal Family and beg for the medicine that will save him.
