Adolphus’s POV
A low growl rumbled in my chest as an unsettling feeling clawed at my insides. My wolf stirred violently, restless, its instincts sharper than ever.
Katrina is in danger.
The realization hit me like a punch to the gut. My muscles tensed, and before I could think twice, I was moving, running toward her. I didn’t stop to question it. I didn’t hesitate. My feet carried me across the blood-soaked battlefield with only one thought in mind.
To save her.
Bodies blurred past me, the clamor of clashing steel and snarling beasts becoming background noise. I didn’t care how many enemies remained or how reckless it was to turn my back on Cassandra’s position. Nothing mattered but the pull inside me — fierce and undeniable — dragging me to her.
By the time I reached her, a rogue had pinned her down, its teeth bared, its claws sinking into her shoulders. Her face was strained, smeared with blood and dirt, but her eyes were sharp — defiant to the last second.
With a vicious snarl, I swung my sword, slicing through the rogue’s neck in one clean motion. It collapsed in a heap beside her, lifeless.
“Katrina,” I breathed, dropping to my knees. “Are you hurt?”
She coughed, shaking her head. “I’m fine.”
But I wasn’t convinced. My fingers found her arms, checking for injuries despite her protests. Her body trembled slightly, though whether from the fight or something else, I couldn’t tell. Her skin was colder than it should’ve been, her breathing shallow.
Before I could push further, a strange silence settled over the battlefield. I stood, pulling Katrina up with me, and we both turned.
The rogues were all dead.
Their bodies littered the ground, blood soaking into the earth, staining the broken terrain. The battle was over. The pack had won.
Only then did it hit me — I had left Cassandra behind.
My stomach twisted as my eyes darted across the field, searching for her familiar figure. The Princess, the Alpha’s daughter, the one I was supposed to be protecting.
But she was nowhere to be seen.
“Lady Cassandra!” My voice cut through the night, desperate.
No response.
Panic surged through me. If anything had happened to her, I was as good as dead. I could already imagine the Alpha’s fury, his blade against my throat for failing in my duty.
I had been taken in for over a year with no memory of who I was. The Alpha had shown mercy where others would’ve seen a threat. He could have ordered my execution. Instead, he gave me a chance — placed his only daughter under my protection. Trusted me.
And I wasn’t ready to lose that.
I turned on my heel, ready to search for her, but Katrina grabbed my wrist.
“She’s fine,” she said quickly. “I saw her walk off just now.”
Relief flooded me so fast it nearly knocked the breath from my lungs. My shoulders sagged, and I exhaled heavily.
“Thank the Moon Goddess,” I muttered.
I turned back to Katrina, expecting to see the usual stubborn fire in her eyes. Instead, her gaze was downcast, her expression unreadable.
She looked tired — not just from the battle, but something deeper. Something I couldn’t name.
“Next time, you don’t need to save me,” she murmured.
My brow furrowed. “What?”
She lifted her head, her blue eyes locking onto mine. There was no anger there, no frustration, just pain.
“The Princess is the one who needs saving,” she continued, her voice steady but laced with something deeper. “Not a nobody like me.”
The words sank into me like a blade. And the worst part? She meant them. Every single one.
I stared at her, unable to find the right words. Something twisted in my chest — guilt, maybe, or something heavier. She had stood her ground in battle, risked her life like every warrior here, and still she saw herself as less. As unworthy.
But I didn’t see her that way.
Not even close.
“You’re not nobody,” I said, the words barely audible.
She didn’t reply. She just looked away, pulling her arm from my grip, leaving a cold emptiness where her warmth had been seconds before.