The Apocalyptic Queen's Werewolf Journey (Thora and Darius) novel Chapter 62

**Shadows Hearts by Joseph King**

**Chapter 62: The First Blast**

Thora’s eyelids fluttered open, and she turned her gaze toward Shirley, who was seated beside her. With an air of resignation, she stated flatly, “I know.”

As soon as she hung up the phone, a sense of urgency surged through her veins. She sprinted toward the nearest source of the ominous ticking sound that had invaded her senses.

Shirley, her brow furrowed in concern, squinted into the distance, her instincts kicking in. Without hesitation, she followed Thora, her heart racing in sync with her friend’s urgency.

Meanwhile, high above in Skybound Tower, Darius was a storm of frustration. His mood had soured throughout the day, and Lorcan, lurking within the recesses of his mind, mirrored that restlessness.

He unbuttoned the top of his shirt, the fabric pulling away to reveal his chiseled collarbones and the hint of a muscular chest beneath. His tie hung askew, a reflection of the chaos swirling inside him.

“Well? Have you decrypted it yet?” he barked at the glowing screen before him, his voice laced with impatience.

“Alpha, we’re almost there! Just one more code sequence to crack,” came the response, tinged with urgency.

Darius’s fingers drummed against the desk’s edge, a rhythmic manifestation of his growing frustration. His dark eyes narrowed, a storm brewing within.

Then, a sudden thought struck him, sharp and clear. “Call the Astralis College principal’s office right now!” he commanded, his voice a low growl.

“Yes, Alpha,” Carl replied, his fingers flying over the keyboard as he initiated the communication.

Two agonizing seconds ticked by before Carl’s voice returned, heavy with dread. “Alpha, it’s not in service.”

Darius felt a chill race down his spine, confirming his worst fears. He pulled out his phone, dialing Thora’s number with a sense of rising panic. But once again, the same disheartening message echoed back—no connection.

“Damn it!” he cursed, frustration boiling over. Without a second thought, he abandoned his jacket, his instincts propelling him toward the exit. “Contact Mr. Stanton at the military immediately!” he ordered, urgency lacing his tone.

In all his meticulous calculations, he had never once considered the implications of Astralis College. This institution was not just a school; it was a sanctuary for the children of werewolf nobility, a breeding ground for the future leaders of the Astralis Empire.

And now, it was the target of Greywolf’s mercenaries!

“Thora’s at the academy too! Give me control of the body!” Lorcan’s voice roared within him, a mixture of fear and determination. Darius complied, transferring control seamlessly.

In an instant, silver-gray fur erupted from beneath Darius’s skin, bones cracking and reshaping as a massive wolf—towering nearly six and a half feet at the shoulder—emerged.

With a powerful howl that reverberated through the building and made the glass tremble, the wolf sprang into action, launching itself from the top of Skybound Tower. It landed with barely a whisper of dust, vanishing down the street in the blink of an eye, a silver bolt of lightning racing toward its destination.

Just as he had anticipated, Greywolf had been contracted by Rexford’s military. Their target? Astralis College.

The Imperial riot control teams and special operations forces were mobilizing, converging on the academy.

At that moment, Astralis College was entirely cut off from the outside world, a fortress under siege.

Thora, however, did not retreat to Class F. Instead, she followed the relentless ticking sound, her instincts guiding her directly toward the electrical room—the location of the bomb that posed the most immediate threat. She knew she had to defuse it before it detonated; the consequences of failure would be catastrophic.

Suddenly, a violent explosion erupted from one of the academic buildings, the sound echoing throughout Astralis College like a death knell.

Fortunately, the blast site was deserted, and the buildings had been fortified against such attacks, preventing the explosion from spreading.

But that single explosion shattered the illusion of safety, making it painfully clear to everyone: Astralis College had been invaded!

Panic swept through the students as they rushed toward the main gates, their faces etched with terror.

Yet, the gates of Astralis College had already been sealed tight. The security system, originally designed to protect them, had transformed into a prison, locking them in and rendering them helpless against the chaos unfolding outside…