Chapter 17

Chapter

Seventeen

C olt stood in the night’s stillness, just outside the main house. The crisp bite of the cool air washed over his face. His wolf stirred as he watched the moon cast a silver glow across the trees.

He took a deep breath, letting the tranquility ground him, but the weight that pressed against his chest refused to lift. Dawn was fast approaching, and with it, the trials that would seal their fate. Not just his. Not just Ariana’s. His pack—his family—and everything he had built could crumble if he mis-stepped.

The gods were notoriously fickle; testing didn’t mean they truly wanted you to pass. No, Anubis, Hades… the gods were beyond mortal concepts of fairness or mercy. And that blade… Colt’s chest tightened at the thought of it, of the chaos it had already caused. As soon as Hades had spoken of the dark magic stirring, of the ancient forces lying in wait, Colt had felt the tremor of danger sweep through him like a storm. This wasn’t just some cursed weapon to retrieve. This was bigger. Cataclysmic. It was what legends were written about, and it could rewrite or destroy entire futures.

And it was on his shoulders.

He ground his teeth. Responsibility clung to him like a second skin, ever since the day he rose to alpha, since the moment he took the mantle from the uncle he’d had to defeat to protect the pack. He carried his people on his back with pride, bore their burdens as if they were his own. But this? This was different. This was a test that could break him, could break the very foundation of his soul.

Ariana. His mind slipped to her, the only constant light in this growing darkness. She was more than a fated bond. There were pieces of her now intertwined in his heart, threading through every beat that pulsed in his veins. Losing her? It wasn’t something he could comprehend.

“Colt.” Her voice drifted through the night, filled with quiet strength.

He heard her approaching long before she reached him. Despite his brooding, he always felt her presence—like the pull of the moon on the tide. It was constant. He turned to face her, the weight of the world likely clear in his eyes, though he tried to mask it. In front of her, the alpha wasn’t just a leader or a protector—he was a man desperately fighting back the fear of a future he couldn’t control.

“How are you holding up?” she asked as she came to stand before him, her emerald eyes catching the moonlight, momentarily flashing silver. She reached out, sliding her hand up his forearm, her touch an anchor, steadying him as much as it calmed her.

He inhaled, the scent of warm brown sugar grounded him. Her presence was always soothing, but tonight, it was more than that—it was a reminder of the stakes. Behind her compassion was a fierce loyalty, an unwavering determination that matched his own. They were two forces of nature, bound by a universe neither quite understood.

“I’m preparing,” he answered. “Thinking about what lies ahead.”

A frown tugged at her lips. “I feel the wall you’ve put up to block out your thoughts. Your feelings.” She tightened her grip on his forearm. “We face a storm tomorrow. One we might not return from. I need to know what’s really on your mind.”

For a moment, he remained silent, his gaze drifting past her, catching the rippling wind that swept across the snow. His jaw clenched for a heartbeat before he finally let the words, raw and unpolished, spill from his lips. “What if I fail? What if this…whatever Anubis throws at me…is bigger than the strength I have, or the strength we have? What if I’m not enough?”

There. The vulnerability he rarely let surface, laid bare under the stars.

Ariana stepped closer to him, the warmth of her slender frame pressing into his. “That you’re asking those questions, Colt, proves you’re stronger than you realize.” Her voice was as soft as silk yet held that unmistakable core of iron. “Leaders who don’t question themselves are the ones who fall, consumed by arrogance.”

She cupped his jaw, her thumb grazing the stubble along his cheek. “And you’re not alone in this. We’re in this together. Remember that.”

His breath caught at her touch, and for a moment, they stood there, staring into one another’s eyes as the world fell silent around them. The night seemed to hold its breath, as if even the stars above were waiting for what would come next. He reached out for her free hand and pulled her closer, nestling her against his chest. Her warmth eased the chill that had been gnawing at his insides all night.

“I know we’re in this together,” he murmured. “That’s the only thing keeping me sane right now. But the weight of this…” His voice grew thick with emotions he hadn’t dared show to anyone but her. “It’s not just about me. Every life in the pack, every soul that trusts I’ll lead them out of this—it’s all on me, Ari. And then there’s you.”

Her brow furrowed. “What about me?”

His gaze met hers with a vulnerability only she could draw out of him. “I can’t lose you. I won’t.”

The words hung between them, laden with the magnitude of their bond. She brushed her lips against the stubble of his jaw. “You won’t. I won’t let you.”

Colt wrapped his arm around her more tightly, holding her as though, by sheer will alone, he could anchor her to this world, this moment, forever. And yet, deep in his gut, the swirling whispers of fate told him this might be one of the last peaceful nights they shared before everything shattered. Before the trials, Anubis and the darkness Selene unleashed came to claim them all.

“Our bond is stronger than death,” Ariana whispered.

“Death listens to no bond,” he replied, the words bitter on his tongue. “Not when gods and primordial forces walk the earth.”

His mate studied him. Her green eyes glimmered silver under the moon’s pale light. “Then we’ll remind them.” Her voice held an edge of defiance. “We’ll show the gods that there are forces even they can’t break.”

Dawn arrived sooner than Ariana had expected. The first rays of sunlight broke through the treetops, casting long, golden shadows across the fresh layer of snow that had fallen overnight. The air was crisp with a hint of fresh earth beneath its frozen layer. She felt the weight of what was about to unfold with every breath she took.

She stood on the edge of the clearing where Colt and Hades had agreed to meet, her heart pounding beneath her ribs like a war drum. The familiar sensation of magic coursed through her veins, mirroring the shiver of energy in the air. Today, they would descend into Hades’ realm to face trials given from an unforgiving god. It was uncharted territory for everyone, but especially for Colt. She knew how deeply his sense of duty ran, how much burden he carried for the pack and for her. She couldn’t let him shoulder it alone.

Reaching out with her senses, the latent power in the earth beneath her feet grounded her in its ancient pulse. The thread of their fated bond thrummed in the air between her heart and Colt’s. A silent reassurance passed between them, but it wasn’t enough to still the slight tremor of her hands.

“Are you ready?” Colt’s voice was low.

She didn’t turn to him. Not yet. Instead, she let his words absorb into her, feeling the weight and depth behind them. The same question, wrapped in different layers, asked a thousand times between yesterday and this morning. She dropped her gaze to the ground and exhaled, steadying her thoughts.

“As ready as I’ll ever be,” she whispered. The promise of danger hovered just beyond the horizon, like the tension before a lightning strike.

Colt’s hand settled on her shoulder. His warmth seeped into her skin, anchoring her to the present. When she finally looked at him, his blue eyes met hers, filled with a mixture of worry, determination, and an unspoken emotion that made her want to pull him close and never let go. But there was no time for such luxuries.

“Stay close to me down there,” he said, his voice rougher than usual. “There’s no telling what Hades has planned for us. I don’t trust him.”

“We have nothing to fear from Hades. It’s Anubis that scares the hell out of me.”

The sound of crunching snow behind them indicated Maya and Hannah had arrived. Still, she didn’t want to let go of this moment of peace. With a heavy sigh, she glanced over her shoulder at them both. Hannah’s eyes gleamed with a mixture of nervous energy and determination, the fire in her blood coursing just beneath her skin. The demigoddess had been a close friend since childhood, and she trusted Hannah with her life. With Colt’s life.

Maya, her presence was subtle yet brimming with ancient power. There was a glint of knowing in her green eyes, as though she’d foreseen what lay ahead. Maybe she had. Ariana was certain the witch had foreseen her and Colt’s mating.

“You’ve both prepared?” she asked.

Maya raised a brow, casting a glance at Colt before returning her gaze to Ariana. “As much as anyone can prepare to descend into the realms of gods.” Her fingers flexed at her sides, faint tendrils of magic sparking at her fingertips.

“I don’t like this waiting,” Colt muttered, his protective instinct vibrating in the air.

Maya offered him a smile, though there was no humor in it. “I imagine you won’t much like what’s coming either.” Her unspoken words sat heavy between them. Predestined trials, divine wrath, forces stirred that could unravel worlds. It was not something any of them, no matter their strength, could fully prepare for.

Ariana shifted her gaze to Hannah, whose expression was unreadable for a moment. But beneath the surface, Ariana felt her through their guardian connection. The power stirring in her friend’s pulse was familiar—a reflection of Hannah’s mother, Katie, and Hannah’s grandfather, Aidyn. Would she crash and burn, or would the guardian part—the part inherited from her father, Seth, the first guardian created—ground her?

“I’m ready,” Hannah said firmly, her voice cutting through the frost-laden air. “Whatever’s waiting in Hell, we’ll face it. Together.”

A chill settled in the air, as if the underworld was preparing itself for their descent. Her pulse quickened, anticipation coiling tight in her chest. She felt the tension humming in Colt’s body, the way his muscles tensed beneath the leather of his jacket. His steely gaze was locked on the horizon, waiting—always waiting for the unknown to step forward and reveal itself.

And that’s when the darkness stirred.

A shadow fell across the clearing, not from the rising sun, but from the very air itself, curling and coalescing into the familiar form of Hades. His entrance was abrupt and silent, the god of the underworld materializing out of thin air, as though he had merely stepped from one night into another. His dark eyes gleamed with a mixture of amusement and warning as he surveyed the group before him.

“Well,” Hades drawled, his voice laced with that simmering arrogance Ariana remembered too well, “I see you’ve all dressed for the occasion. Shame there’s no need for winter coats where we’re going.”

“Let’s get this over with, Hades. I’ve no patience for theatrics,” Colt said.

Hades arched a brow, a cruel smirk twisting at the edge of his lips. “I like when they squirm first, but alas, you’re not here for fun, are you, Alpha?”

Ariana stepped forward, placing herself between the two men, pressing her palm into Colt’s chest to steady him. “Hades,” she whispered, her eyes pleading for him to stick to the matter at hand. They didn’t have time for provocations. “Please. We’re ready. Just… take us there.”

The god’s smile softened as he looked down at her. “For you, little one,” he murmured. Then his gaze flicked to Hannah, his smile widening. “Hannah, I am pleased to see you but be warned. Hell can sometimes bring out a demigod’s powers in a way that can be most unpleasant.” He stepped closer and placed a hand on her cheek. “I recall your grandfather’s first time burning. It was frightening as fuck and you know coming from me, that is saying a lot. Hopefully, since you also carry guardian blood, it won’t be so traumatic.”

Hannah smiled. “Thanks for the pep talk, Uncle.”

“All right, kiddies.” Hades slapped his palms together in a thunderous clap. “Everyone gather around and hold hands.”