The road ended where the ice began.
Killian slowed the SUV to a crawl. The tires struggled to find grip on the frozen mountain pass. Ahead, the Whispering Peaks pierced the dark purple sky. This was the border of the Old Wilds, A place where the King's law doesn't reach, but the monsters did.
"The heater is on full blast, and she's still shivering," Sarah said from the back. Her voice was thick with fear. She was rubbing Faith's cold hands, trying to keep her blood moving.
Killian looked in the rearview mirror. Faith's face was as pale as the snow, but the black veins on her neck were glowing a faint, angry red. The Void poison was reacting to the ancient energy of the mountains.
"We're close," Killian muttered, mostly to convince himself. The Source is just over the next ridge.
"Killian, stop!" Leo suddenly shouted.
Killian slammed on the brakes. The SUV skidded, the tail wobbling dangerously close to the cliff edge before stopping.
Standing in the headlights was a line of dark figures. They weren't soldiers. They were large, shabby wolves, the scouts of Silas, the rival Alpha. He had been waiting for Killian to show a moment of weakness.
"This Fuckers tracked us," Leo whispered, his hand going to the door handle. How? We stayed off the grid.
"The Void Blade," Sarah realized. "It acts like a beacon for other dark Alphas. Silas doesn't want the Catalyst healed. He wants to steal her power."
Killian didn't hesitate. He grabbed a heavy metal crowbar from the floor, his gun was empty. He stepped out into the freezing wind. He looked like a man with nothing left to lose. His eyes were pure, lethal gold.
Sarah, get in the driver's seat, Killian commanded. If I don't clear a path in two minutes, you drive through them. Don't stop for anything.
"Killian, you're not shifted! You can't take a pack on foot!" Leo yelled, jumping out to stand beside him.
"I don't need to shift to kill traitors," Killian growled.
The lead wolf shifted into a tall, muscular man. He smirked at Killian. You look tired, Nightshade. The King says you're a dead man. Give us the girl, and we'll let you freeze to death in peace.
Killian didn't answer. He lunged.
The fight was brutal. Without his full Alpha strength, Killian had to rely on raw instinct. He swung the crowbar with a sickening crack, catching the lead scout in the ribs. Leo was a blur beside him, using his royal training to knock back the other wolves.
Inside the car, Faith was drowning.
In her mind, she wasn't in the mountains. She was in a vast, black ocean. The water was freezing, pulling her down. But then, she heard it, a howl. It wasn't a cry of pain. It was a command.
WAKE UP.
Faith's eyes snapped open. For a second, the pain in her shoulder vanished. A surge of raw, white energy flooded her body. It was like a lightning bolt hitting her soul.
She didn't just sit up, she rushed upward, her hand slamming against the car window. Her eyes weren't blue anymore. They were glowing with a terrifying, brilliant white light.
Get away from him, she whispered.
Even through the glass, her voice sounded like rolling thunder. A wave of silver light exploded from the SUV, blowing the side windows outward. The force hit the scouts like a physical wall, throwing them back into the snowbanks.
Killian turned, shielding his eyes from the glare. He saw Faith through the shattered window. She looked like a goddess of war, her hair whipping in the wind, her skin shimmering with power.
"Get….in!" she gasped.
That burst of energy drained her instantly. The white light in her eyes flickered. She slumped back against the seat, her body trembling from the effort.
Killian and Leo didn't waste a second. They scrambled back into the car as Sarah floored the gas. The SUV roared forward, smashing through the dazed scouts and disappearing into the blizzard.
They had survived the ambush, but Killian could see the truth. That burst of power had cost Faith everything. She was slipping away again, and the mountain was only getting colder.