Chapter 12 – A Wolf Without Chains

Blackthorn Keep – The Outer Gates

The night air was thick with blood and steel.

Ronan stood at the threshold of freedom or annihilation, his heart pounding like a war drum.

Behind him, Selene's breathing was sharp and controlled, her daggers gleaming under the torchlight. Kael, still grinning like this was all some grand joke, rolled his shoulders, shadow energy coiling around his fingertips.

And in front of them—

The entire force of the Moon Reapers.

Ronan's fists clenched.

They weren't going to let them walk out of here.

They were going to make this a lesson.

The Reaper Commander's voice was steady, composed. "This is your last chance, Blackwood."

He gestured toward the soldiers at his back—silent, waiting.

"Come back inside, and we can end this without unnecessary bloodshed."

Selene laughed coldly. "Oh? Now you're pretending to care about bloodshed?"

The Commander didn't blink. "We care about results."

His green eyes locked onto Ronan.

"You were never meant to leave, Forsaken. You know that, don't you?"

Ronan's breath was steady, even.

He knew.

But that didn't mean he was going to obey.

He turned slightly, voice low. "Selene. Kael. You good?"

Selene's grip tightened around her blades. "I was born for this."

Kael stretched lazily, then smirked. "I could use a workout."

Ronan exhaled.

Then—

He let go.

...

The moment Ronan moved, the battlefield erupted.

Selene vanished into the shadows, reappearing behind a Reaper, her blade slicing clean through his ribs before he even noticed she was there.

Kael sank into the darkness, his body flickering between reality and something far less human, his shadows lashing out like living tendrils, dragging enemies into the abyss.

And Ronan—

Ronan became the storm.

A Reaper lunged.

Too slow.

Ronan caught the man's wrist mid-strike, twisting with effortless strength until bone snapped like dry wood. The Reaper's scream barely left his throat before Ronan slammed him into the ground with enough force to shatter stone.

Another came from behind—

Ronan didn't dodge.

He turned, grabbing the attacker by the throat, lifting him off the ground.

The Reaper's silver dagger dug into his ribs—but the pain never came.

Because for the first time, Ronan's body didn't feel human.

Didn't feel like a werewolf, either.

It felt more.

The Reaper's face twisted in terror as Ronan's silver-ringed eyes burned.

"Monster."

The word barely escaped the man's lips before Ronan crushed his windpipe and let him drop.

The whispers inside him—the ones he had fought for so long—were silent.

Because now?

Now, he wasn't resisting.

He was embracing it.

...

Kael had seen many things.

Many monsters. Many wars. Many mistakes.

And right now?

He was watching one unfold in real time.

He had always suspected Ronan was different—but this?

This was something else.

Kael's ever-present smirk faltered for the first time.

Ronan wasn't fighting.

He was destroying.

Kael muttered under his breath. "Well. That's a problem."

Selene barely glanced at him. "You're just now realizing that?"

Kael's silver eyes stayed on Ronan.

"I've seen power like this before, Nightshade. And it doesn't end well."

Selene's breath hitched.

Because Kael never sounded serious.

Not like this.

...

Before Ronan could process Selene's reaction, a shadow moved at the edge of the battlefield.

A Reaper—hooded, watching.

Ronan tensed. Selene moved to strike—

But the Reaper raised a hand.

"Go," she whispered. "Now."

Selene narrowed her eyes. "Who the hell are you?"

The woman pulled her hood back slightly—just enough for them to see her face.

She had silver eyes. Like Ronan.

"Someone who doesn't want you in a cage."

Her gaze met Ronan's.

"You are not the first, Ronan Blackwood. But you may be the last."

Ronan's body tensed.

The last?

The woman stepped back into the shadows.

"And if you want to know why, find me before they do."

Then, before Ronan could answer, she vanished into the darkness.

...

The battlefield fell into a hush.

The surviving Reapers stepped back, forming a loose circle as the Commander walked forward.

He looked at Ronan like a man admiring his own creation.

"Magnificent," he murmured.

His green eyes gleamed.

"You think you've won, Forsaken?" He tilted his head slightly. "Look at yourself."

Ronan said nothing.

The Commander's smirk widened.

"You walked in here a wolf."

He gestured toward the bodies at Ronan's feet. "And now you leave a predator without a pack."

Selene's breath caught.

"That's the difference between power and control," the Commander continued. "And you, Ronan Blackwood, are a wolf without chains."

He exhaled, taking a step back.

"Enjoy your freedom."

His smile sharpened.

"For however long it lasts."

Ronan's fists clenched.

But he didn't move.

Because the Commander was right.

Something had changed tonight.

And he didn't know if he could ever undo it.

...

As Ronan, Selene, and Kael vanished into the night, a lieutenant stepped forward.

"Orders, Commander?"

The Reaper Commander's gaze remained on the bloodstained battlefield.

"Let him run," he murmured.

The lieutenant frowned. "Sir?"

The Commander's expression darkened.

"He's not running."

He exhaled slowly.

"He's evolving."

The Reapers said nothing.

Because deep down, they all felt it.

Ronan Blackwood wasn't just dangerous.

He was something new.

And soon—

The whole world would know it.

...

The battlefield wasn't silent.

But for a moment, it felt like it was.

Ronan's heart pounded.

His body still burned with power, still felt the thrill of the fight in his veins.

But Selene was watching him carefully now.

And Kael—

Kael looked like he had just seen the start of a war that hadn't been written yet.

The Reaper Commander didn't move to stop them.

Because they both knew—

There was no containing this anymore.

Ronan clenched his fists.

Then, without another word—

They ran.