ERIC

Was Elyse worth the trouble?

I snorted softly. That wasn’t even a question he should’ve asked because Elyse was worth it.

A thousand times over.

I’d go to war for her without hesitation. I’d do anything to keep her mine. So no, I didn’t regret what happened.

Not even one bit.

"I’ll take that as a no?" he said when I didn’t respond.

"Take it however you want," I muttered, adjusting against the hard ground to get comfortable.

He fell silent. That was exactly what I wanted. Hopefully, he wouldn’t try questioning me again or worse, digging around in my head.

The bastard was the exact reason I hated ending up in this prison.

Unique abilities beyond normal werewolf traits were rare. Mind reading. Immunity to silver. Premonitions. Things like that.

Most people believed those abilities only appeared when bloodlines mixed. A werewolf mating with another species, like witches, vampires, unique humans...

Again, that was rare because relationships like that were considered taboo in this world. But sometimes, people were simply born different and still remained pure wolves.

Just like him. Just like my brother, Kain. Just like my father.

I swallowed hard and shoved the thoughts away before they could settle too deeply.

"You’re different, Eric," he suddenly said, cutting through my thoughts.

I grunted without answering.

"And I don’t mean that in a good way," he added.

"Geez," I replied sarcastically. "Thanks for the observation."

"No need to thank me," he said lightly.

I could practically picture the cold smile spreading across his face as his eyes gleamed in the dark.

Of course he knew I was mocking him. And naturally, he returned the favor. The silence that followed was exactly what I wanted.

I hoped it would last longer this time. Unfortunately, it didn’t.

"What’s the academy like these days?" he asked suddenly, genuine curiosity threading through his voice.

I frowned and glanced around the small cell just as a faint squeaking sound reached my ears.

My nose twitched instinctively as I searched for the scent of whatever disgusting creature was hiding nearby.

Nothing.

But through Raze’s sharper vision, I spotted a small hole near the corner of the wall.

"Of all places they could’ve thrown me into," I muttered with disgust, "it had to be a fucking rodent-infested cell."

And honestly, that wasn’t even the worst part. The cell looked ancient. Like something abandoned centuries ago and forgotten underground.

Which, technically, wasn’t far from the truth.

The Hollow Vault was one of the oldest sections of the academy and apparently one of the few places deliberately left untouched because the council believed preserving its original state somehow "corrected" criminals.

I stared at the wall opposite me.

Cracks stretched through the stone deeply enough that I genuinely wondered if the entire structure might collapse one day.

The air felt damp. Stale. Heavy with mildew and rot. Cobwebs clung to half the filthy ceiling overhead.

Silver chains hung from ceiling to floor, stained dark with old blood.

And the bars...The bars were the worst. I couldn’t even tell what color they originally were anymore.

Silver. Gold. Maybe both.

Now they were coated in dried blood and flecks of decaying flesh. Nausea surged violently through me. I forced it back down with clenched teeth.

"Is my question really that irrelevant?" Woods asked lazily from somewhere in the darkness.

"If you’re so curious about the academy, then get your shit together and go see it for yourself," I snapped.

Honestly, being trapped down here was his own fault. If he hadn’t killed those people—even if it was supposedly self-defense.

If he hadn’t shoved his nose where it didn’t belong.

He chuckled softly. "You’re becoming more like me every day," he said.

I almost wished that were true. At least then my father might finally stop looking down on me.

"It’s not fun being me," he said, almost like he could hear exactly what I was thinking. "The darkness..." His voice trailed off.

My ears suddenly caught the sound of heavy footsteps approaching.

I sighed quietly and shut my eyes, listening to the steady rhythm echo through the corridor.

"It consumes you," Woods said.

"Your parents still love you," I muttered. "And you’re not treated like an outcast in your own house."

He snickered again.

The footsteps grew louder. Seconds later, someone stopped outside my cell. Keys rattled against metal before sliding into the lock.

The cell door creaked open. Finally. Relief flooded through me instantly.

My gaze dropped to the silver restraints still locked around my wrists. I extended my arm automatically, waiting for the chains to be removed while absentmindedly humming beneath my breath.

A guard stepped inside, his nose wrinkling at the stench of the prison.

"Your father... is here to see—"

My father?

The relief vanished immediately. "I don’t want to see him," I cut in sharply.

"W-what?" the guard stammered, staring at me wide-eyed.

I glared at him. He looked about my age.

Probably one of the students doing volunteer shifts down here for academy credit or whatever stupid reward they offered.

"I don’t think—"

"Tell him," I said through clenched teeth, "that I don’t want to see him."

Why the hell wasn’t Headmaster Alaric here?

He was the one who threw me into this cell, so he should’ve been the one to take me out of it—not some random idiot.

Sure, I knew sending the boy back with that message was practically a death sentence. I doubted he’d survive whatever response my father gave him.

But honestly?

I didn’t care. I had no interest in seeing him.

"Sir..."

"Are you deaf?" I growled. "Is English too difficult for you, or would you prefer I say it in French—"

"Say it to me yourself."

I froze instantly.

My heartbeat spiked.

Another scent suddenly registered in the room. He was here. He’d been here the entire time.

My throat tightened as my eyes flicked around the darkness, trying to pinpoint his exact location.

Nothing.

Of course. No one cloaked themselves better than my father.

"Leave us," he ordered the guard calmly.

"Yes, Lord Callahan," the boy stammered quickly before bowing his head and hurrying out of the room.

The second the door shut behind him, silence swallowed the cell again.

Leaving me alone with my father. My worst nightmare.

I kept my gaze fixed stubbornly on the cracked wall ahead of me, hoping he’d simply explain why he came and then leave me the fuck alone.

But he didn’t speak. In fact, he still hadn’t revealed himself from the shadows.

I grew irritated quickly.

"What?" I sneered. "Are you planning to hide in the damned darkness all day, or are you actually going to tell me why you’re here?"

Not that I needed him to explain anyway. I already knew why he was here.

My father sighed.

I whipped my head toward the sound. And there he was.

Standing in the corner of the cramped cell in his usual charcoal black two piece suit, with his arms folded across his chest, crimson eyes fixed on me while his jaw remained tightly clenched.

"How long do you intend to drag the Callahan name through the mud?" he asked coldly.

He didn’t wait for an answer before continuing.

"First, you got drunk and started a fight over some girl. You lost points because of her and were still given a second chance."

His expression darkened further. "And then you threw that away too by trying to kill your friends over the same girl."

I scoffed. "So you just sit around listening to everyone else’s version of events without bothering to hear your own son’s side?"

My father’s gaze hardened instantly. He pushed away from the wall. Three strides. That was all it took for him to stand directly in front of me.

"You think your friends would lie about what happened?" he growled, narrowing his eyes at me.

I shook my head in disbelief.

"Again," I said bitterly, "you’d rather question everyone except your own son. So honestly, I have nothing to say—"

The words died in my throat.

Without warning, he yanked me violently off the ground and slammed me against the wall.

My skull cracked hard against the stone. Pain exploded through my head instantly.

I snarled and shoved against him instinctively, trying to fight him off. But my father only drove his elbow harder into my throat.

And with the chains still restraining me, I was already at a disadvantage before the fight even began.

I didn’t relent.

"Let me go," I forced out through clenched teeth.

My father’s crimson eyes burned as he stared down at me.

"You made it very clear that whatever I do isn’t your business," I spat. "I’m not your son, remember? Just a fucking disgrace you wish Mother had aborted."

His elbow pressed harder into my throat.

I refused to react. But fuck, it urt. The pressure felt strong enough to crush every bone in my neck.

I swallowed painfully, still forcing myself to hold his gaze.

"You already have your precious son, Kain—"

"Silence!" he thundered.