Chapter 30

Aurelia POV

The iron gates of Ironbound Fortress shrieked as they swung open, swallowing the armored transport whole.

I sat in the back of the heavy vehicle, my body drained to the bone. The sheer strain of awakening my wolf, combined with the magical backlash of Draven’s blood oath on the bridge, had left my limbs heavy as lead and my chest aching with a dull, throbbing fever. Yet, I kept my spine straight, refusing to slump against the leather seats.

Draven sat across from me in total silence. His amber eyes hadn’t left my face since we crossed the river, burning with a strange, turbulent mix of triumph, possessiveness, and something far more terrifying: restraint.

The transport ground to a halt in the central cobblestone courtyard. Outside, ranks of Ironbound soldiers stood at rigid attention, their heads bowed in silent reverence. But Draven didn’t take me down toward the damp, subterranean steps of the sub-basement where I had spent months in chai