Adolphus’s POV
Thank the Moon Goddes, I was able to escape the guards. I rode hard, the wind biting at my face as I pushed my horse to its limit. The moon hung high above me, casting long silver streaks over the forest path. Every beat of the hooves against the ground was a countdown, a reminder that I was running out of time.
Katrina was in danger.
And I couldn’t help her alone.
Branches clawed at my arms as I weaved through the narrow trails, my thoughts spiraling. I hadn’t seen my brother in years. Not since the night our world fell apart. The idea of facing him again tightened something deep in my chest.
The weight of our history sat heavy on my shoulders, but I didn’t have the luxury of avoidance. He was the only one who might help me now.
By the time the towering gates of my former Pack came into view, my horse was foaming at the mouth, slick with sweat. I didn’t stop to catch my breath. I dismounted in one fluid motion and strode up the stone steps, my boots echoing across the marble. The hall hadn’t changed. It was still cold, grand, and intimidating by design.
I shoved open the great doors.
The Pack’s main hall spread out before me in full display, lit by chandeliers that dripped with glass and firelight, the scent of wine and polished steel thick in the air. Laughter halted as I entered.
At the far end, seated on the old Alpha’s throne, was Dorian.
My brother.
He lounged comfortably, draped in a deep crimson cloak, a golden goblet in hand. His dark eyes found mine instantly, and he didn’t look surprised.
“Well, well,” he said, rising slowly with mock leisure. “Look who crawled back from the dead.” He smirked, setting the goblet down on the armrest. “I should’ve known you’d come running back eventually.”
I stopped halfway across the room, forcing the anger down before it could surface. “I need your help, Dorian.”
He tilted his head as if I’d told a joke. “My help?” He stepped down from the throne’s dais, boots clicking on the stone. “That’s rich. I figured you’d be bones in a ditch somewhere. How are you even standing here?”
I had rehearsed the lie in my mind countless times on the ride over. I couldn't afford a single slip.
“I lost my memory,” I said, keeping my tone steady. “For over a year. I didn’t know who I was. I only recently started remembering, pieces, fragments. The attack on our Pack… that was the last clear memory I had. Since then, it’s all been a blur.”
Dorian’s eyes narrowed, the easy amusement fading slightly. “So you don’t remember anything else?”
I shook my head. “Nothing clear. But then I saw the Indigo Light. Something about it, it pulled at me. I followed it. Met people who recognized me. Told me I was Adolphus, the last son of the Alpha.”
Dorian watched me, silent for a beat too long.
Then he smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes.
“And now here you are, crawling to me. Begging.”
I met his gaze, refusing to flinch. “I’m here because I need the strength of our Pack. I can’t do this alone.”
From the right side of the hall, Magnus, one of Dorian’s enforcers, stepped forward. “How do we know you’re really Adolphus?”
I turned sharply. “What are you talking about?”
But before I could process the shift in the air, Dorian lifted a hand. “Seize him.”
Two guards moved like shadows. In seconds, they were on me. I struggled, throwing one off, but more rushed in. Blows landed. I grunted, forced to my knees. A sharp crack rang as one of them drew a whip across the floor beside me.
“Dorian!” I growled, twisting in their grip. “What are you doing?”
He approached slowly, looming above me. “You say you’re my brother. But how can you know for sure?”
My pulse hammered. Did he see through the lie? Was this a test or punishment?
I forced myself to stay calm. “The name was all I remembered,” I said quickly. “Adolphus. It was the first thing I said when I woke up. I didn’t know what it meant, but it stuck. I didn’t even know this place existed until others told me who I was.”
For a long moment, Dorian just looked at me. Then, with a slow grin, he motioned for the guards to back off.
They hesitated. He nodded once more, and they obeyed.
I exhaled slowly, rubbing the soreness from my wrists as Dorian stepped close enough for me to see the calculating glint in his eye.
“If you’ve truly lost your memory,” he said, voice low and deliberate, “then I suppose I should help you.”
I tensed. “What’s the catch?”
His smile widened. “You serve me,” he said. “No questions. No hesitation. Whatever I say, you do. Refuse me once, and I will end you myself.”
I clenched my fists. The idea of submitting to him churned in my gut. But I had no other path. Katrina needed me. I couldn’t help her without allies, and Dorian held the only army within reach.
After a moment, I raised my eyes to his and nodded.
“I accept.”
Dorian’s chuckle echoed across the room. “Good.”