Katrina's POV
I sat in the cold, damp cell, my fingers tracing invisible patterns on the stone floor as I counted the minutes that turned into hours.
The sun was beginning to set, its fading light casting long shadows through the narrow window.
My heart clenched with worry. I had no idea if Adolphus was awake, if he was safe, or even alive.
I had tried mind-linking with him multiple times, but all I was met with was silence. The uncertainty gnawed at me, making the walls around me feel even more suffocating.
The sudden sound of footsteps echoing down the hallway made me jump to my feet.
My pulse quickened as I strained to see who was coming. The heavy door creaked open, and my breath hitched when I saw Adolphus standing there behind one of the women.
Relief flooded through me so fiercely that I nearly staggered. He was awake. He was alive.
The woman stepped aside and unlocked the cell. The moment the door swung open, I rushed forward, throwing myself into Adolphus's arms.
“You’re okay,” I whispered against his shoulder, my fingers gripping his tunic tightly.
He held me close for a second before pulling back slightly. “I’m fine, Katrina.” He cupped my face, his thumb brushing against my cheek. “But I need to go. There’s something urgent I have to do.”
I frowned. “I’m coming with you.”
He shook his head. “Not this time. You need to stay here with them.” He nodded toward the woman, who was watching me with a curious expression.
I narrowed my eyes. “What’s going on? Where are you going?”
Adolphus let out a sigh. “I need to see someone in my Pack. These people here, they are my Pack too, but there are things I need to handle on my own. I have to find a woman who might have answers for me.”
I grabbed his wrist. “Then let me come with you. You don’t have to do this alone.”
Before he could argue, we stepped outside to find twenty guards waiting for him. I raised an eyebrow at the sight, and Adolphus smirked, turning back to me.
“See? I’m not alone,” he teased.
The woman beside us sighed and shook her head. “No, she should go with you.”
Adolphus turned to her in surprise. “What? Why?”
The woman’s eyes flickered to me before settling back on him. “Because she is your mate.”
Adolphus hesitated before nodding. “Yes, she is, but—”
The woman cut him off. “And she has a role to play, not just because she is from Crimson Pack, but because she was meant to stand beside you, before even being your mate.”
Adolphus exhaled sharply. “I need her to be safe. I can’t risk—”
I stepped forward, crossing my arms. “I can take care of myself, remember?”
A smirk pulled at his lips, but there was pride in his gaze. He turned to the others. “You don’t understand. She’s not just strong. She is the bearer of the Eclipse Moon Bound and the inheritor of the Lunar Flame.”
Gasps echoed through the group, and in an instant, the expressions of those around us shifted from mere curiosity to reverence.
Murmurs erupted among them, and they began to step closer, eyes filled with intrigue and excitement.
“Two in one power?” someone whispered in awe.
Another gasped. “The prophecy… could it really be her?”
Adolphus let out a small laugh as the crowd gathered around me. I looked at him with mock exasperation. “Thanks for that,” I muttered.
He grinned. “I figured they’d have to know eventually.”
The murmurs of amazement continued as I turned back to face the crowd, feeling their awe settle over me like a weight I wasn’t sure I was ready to carry.