2. Kaden

Chapter 2

Kaden

Three Months Later

" A sher, watch your back!" I shout as movement in the forest to our left catches my attention. Two men, armed with blades, charge as fast as the wind, coming right for my friend. "Looks like our welcoming party's arrived!"

We had just set foot in Norway, traveling by boat, and no sooner had we left the harbor and started down the long road for my grandfather's place than we'd gained unwanted attention.

Sure, we recently got out of Tartarus, the prison where we were born, and it had royally messed us up. So, when the opportunity to leave arose a year after the portal in the prison opened up, we did what we had to do. We lied through our damn teeth to get through a tedious, drawn-out interview with the guards, and finally, they opened the portal to let us out of that world.

But I'm not complaining. No fucking way in hell. The shadow creature inside me, born from the prison's darkness, had twisted my shifter side into something more feral, more primal. Sometimes, I don't know where the beast stops and I begin. But there's one thing I'm sure of—the only way to keep it from taking over completely is to find my fated mate.

So, here we are, fresh out of Tartarus, and we're already being ambushed.

It's like another day in Tartarus, really, except I had hoped things would be different out here.

I swing toward the newcomers, my feral beast rising through me at the promise of bloodshed, pressing against my insides, wanting control.

Back the fuck down.

The air crackles with energy when three more men spring out from the woods, their attention on me.

I grin, a chuckle rolling past my lips.

"Does it say a lot that I'm excited for a fight?" Asher growls, lunging for his attackers. He moves with terrifying ease. He only partially transforms, as if he's not even trying, and this is too easy for him. With hellhound claws and fangs, he rips through the men like paper, his snarls booming through the trees.

"You're as fucked up as me." I throw back a laugh. I could shift into my beast form, but that would be too easy. I want my hands dirty and, most importantly, not tell the whole fucking country of Norway we've arrived. So, for now, I'll keep it low-key.

The smaller man coming for me shifts into a black wolf and charges while the other two lunge at me from either side.

I rush to meet them, my body moving with the force of an avalanche. I slam a shoulder into one man, sending him sprawling into a tree with a sickening crunch. He doesn't get back up. The wolf shifter reaches me next, and I snatch him by the throat. I twist and snap him like a twig with two hands. His earlier growl flatlines, and I toss him aside as I swivel to the third attacker.

He's got a blade out, plunging it at my chest. Lightning fast, I jolt out of the way, but not before the blade slides across my arm. It stings, but fuck it. It's a surface wound, and I'll survive.

Fury burns through me, my beast punching forward with ferocity. I snatch the man's wrist and haul him toward my fist, which collides with his face. He falls backward like a plank of wood, and I lunge at him, fists raining down on him, each fueled by the anger, the frustration, of centuries spent locked away. His cries become muffled, but my beast keeps pushing me, craving destruction.

Suddenly, a hand touches my shoulder, and I spin around, a snarl ripping through my throat, fist raised.

It's Asher standing there, unflinching, his dark gaze unwavering.

"Pull the fuck back," he says firmly, his voice cutting through the chaos in my head. "Guy's gone. You can stop now."

His words anchor me back to reality. I glance down at the lifeless body beneath me, the massacre I've left behind. I push to my feet, breaths coming in ragged gasps.

I don't feel remorse for those who wish me harm. That part of me was lost long ago, back when I was a kid and my dad threw me into the woods he nicknamed Death's Door.

"You're no son of mine if you can't fight, if you can't be stronger than the rest," he barked at me, hammered into me, beat into me.

I fucking hated him, loathed him, but I learned that living in Tartarus changes you. Like me, my father was also born in a supernatural prison, brought up ruthlessly by his father.

My grandfather… the reason our family line was cursed into Tartarus.

The reason I'm in Norway, of all places. To uncover who the fuck betrayed him and threw him into the prison. My father and grandfather might have been assholes, but they never lied. It didn't mean they always revealed all the details, but what they did, I trusted.

Turns out, my grandfather was falsely accused of a crime he didn't commit. And I'm going to find out who cursed us.

Asher's staring at me, and I snap out of my thoughts.

"We're good?" he asks, extending a hand toward me.

"Yeah, I'm fine." I accept his help, not because I need it, but to show him it's me and that I'm calm.

We both come from the same darkness, come in touch with Tartarus's magic, and we're both shadow shifters now. And not tamed easily. Back in Tartarus, the full moons there forced my shift, whether I wanted it or not. Same with all the other shifters in the place. With it came the maddening craving for a mate, a savagery that tries to rule me.

That's why I need to track down my fated mate before I go insane. And Asher's got it bad, too. That's why he joined me. Otherwise, we're both fucked.

"Thanks for that." I throw the words over my shoulder.

"Don't worry about it."

He's strolling over to the guy I'd tossed into a tree. He now slumps against the trunk, his groans echoing through the clearing. I move to wipe the blood from my hands on one of the fallen men's shirts, then straighten up and head over to Asher, who's grilling the guy for answers.

Just as I get there, the man gurgles, "You fucking idiots, you think you can waltz into our House without repercussions? Every damn mercenary will be on your tail. Get the fuck off our land while you can. No one wants you here."

I exchange glances with Asher, who's grinning at the news.

"Well, I didn't expect that. Looks like we're in for more fun, then."

Asher leans in closer, fisting the guy by the hair, wrenching it sideways harshly. "Who's in charge of this House, then?"

The man grins, his teeth stained with blood, clearly in no shape to get up anytime soon. "King Kaspian," he manages to rasp out. "And trespassers are free game."

With a grimace, Asher puts the man out of his misery with a blade to the throat. Quick and merciless.

In no time, we're leaving the bodies behind. They might serve as a warning to any other mercenaries who think about crossing our path.

Asher releases a low rumble in his voice. "How did these fools find out about us so fast?"

"I bet that dick of a captain on the ship sold us out," I reply, recalling the way the man eyed us suspiciously on the trip over. "He never trusted us."

Asher cracks his neck. "Fuck, he shouldn't trust us."

I chuckle, scanning the woodland around us and the snow-tipped mountains in the distance. We were dropped off at a small port far from the city of Bergen, specifically to avoid drawing attention and to slip into the country unnoticed. We've learned enough to know the new world is divided into Houses, and joining one requires approval by those higher up and isn't as simple as just walking in—though that's exactly what we're planning on doing.

Asher strolls beside me, shoulder to shoulder, his hands stuffed into the pockets of his pants, looking beyond calm, reminding me of when I first met him in Tartarus at a market. I was in the middle of a fight, and he stepped in to give me a hand—especially since there were twenty men against one… me. He wore a grin on his face the whole time, not worried. Just like now.

Turned out we had more in common than I expected, one of them being our shared desire to get the fuck out of that prison and find our fated mates.

"So," Asher murmurs, his dark eyes glinting my way. "Where do we start?"

"Tracking down my grandfather's place, see what's there, what family still exists, and start digging into exactly what the fuck happened five thousand years ago, before he got shoved into Tartarus." Thing is, many supernaturals, including my family, live for thousands of years, so there's bound to be someone in Norway who remembers my grandfather.

Asher chuckles and slaps my back, his laugh deep. "I don't envy you that mammoth task."

I laugh along, knowing it's going to be near impossible, but I'm a determined bastard when I set my mind to something.

The road ahead twists and winds around a mountain. We press forward. The sunlight filters through the dense woods on either side of our worn path, and descending before us, the city comes into view.

It sprawls at the base of mountains with towering peaks and houses of varied colors gathered together by the water. Even from our location, the harbor shines with the sun. The whole place feels like a mix of old and new, buildings fitting into the curves of the mountains and the edges of the water.

Sunlight reflects off the homes and the sea, and it's hard not to compare this world to the one I knew in Tartarus. Darkness had been a constant companion there, consuming the land. No sunlight, no natural warmth, no seasons—just a dull atmosphere and weather. Unless my father spoke of the outside world from his learnings or stories we'd heard from elders, I wouldn't have known any differently.

Now, the touch of sunlight on my skin, soft and warm, is a sensation I'm slowly growing to appreciate. The bright colors of the land and vibrant greens of the forest all feel new, almost surreal. Even the smells are sharper and crisper, like the pines, the fresh grass, and the soil.

After growing up in that darkness, I adapted, learning to accept that world—after all, it's the only one I'd known. I even found ways to care for people there, especially those who bent the knee to my family out of loyalty. After my parents died, that dedication only grew stronger around me.

I lived comfortably in Tartarus after I moved out of my parents' home. Yet, everything became mundane, repetitive, and I craved more. So much more.

I focus on the city ahead of us, eager to discover it.

"Notice how even the air smells different out here?" I say, then take in a long breath.

Asher grins at me, inhaling deeply. "It's sweeter than back at Tartarus."

My response dies in my throat as we approach several wooden cabins, and ten men spill out, each carrying blades, their attention fixed on us. I'm furious at the captain for revealing our approach. He must've gotten paid well for it for word to spread so fast.

"Go, dart around the back of that building," Asher mutters in hushed whispers, lifting his chin to point to the closest cabin to my right. "Cut across the field to the city. I'll find you."

"Hell no," I respond, already pushing up my sleeves, ready for a fight. "And let you have all the fun?"

"Listen," he insists, his tone serious for a change. "They're going to follow you to your family home and won't leave you alone. I'll distract them so they lose track of you."

I blink at him, momentarily stunned. Sure, we'd helped each other out before, but this is the second time he's saved me when he didn't have to.

"Why?" The question spills out. A part of me always doubts anyone who wants to do something for me.

He shrugs. "Because I have nowhere to go aside from searching for my fated mate, but until then, I'm going to have some fun." His grin grows wicked, and I see the glint in his eyes, the hunger for fights, for hunting. He craves it, just like he did back in Tartarus.

"You sure?" I ask.

He laughs, already sizing up his enemies as the cool breeze ruffles his short, dark hair, the muscles in his arms bulging, his shoulders rising.

"I'll lead them away while you work on the reason your grandfather was framed. Sound like a deal? We'll bump into each other again." He smirks, one of his eyebrows arching, as if he can't wait to get into the battle with the mercenaries.

I'm stunned but appreciative. Not many people surprise me, but Asher is different. That's why we hit it off from the start. Neither of us ever tried to betray the other; we were in such similar situations that there was an unspoken trust between us.

"You've got a deal. You always have a place at my home if you need it. Always a helping hand for anything. Come and find me." Then I quickly rattle off the directions to my grandfather's place as my father gave them to me.

With a nod, Asher takes off for the mercenaries, calling out, "Perfect day for you all to die."

I dart into the woods toward a cabin nearby, knowing some mercenaries won't take his bait and will follow me. And they'll be dead men soon after.

But it's good to know that in a foreign country, in a new world, I already have a loyal friend. I'm not alone out here.