Over the next few days, I found myself growing increasingly distant from Kaius. Though I tried to hide it, a coldness had crept into our interactions. I wasn’t sure if Kaius had noticed this change. He remained consumed by preparations for his challenge against Alaric, often returning to our chambers late at night, exhaustion etched into the hard lines of his face.
I told myself this distance was for the best. After all, wasn’t I just a tool in his game against his father? Our contract would expire soon enough, and then what? The temporary Luna would disappear, her usefulness at an end. Better to guard my heart now than suffer more pain later.
But on the third morning after my rescue, something wasn’t right.
I felt it the moment I stepped out of my chambers–a strange tension hanging in the air like the heaviness before a storm. Pack members moved with unusual purpose, gathering in small clusters that fell silent as I passed.
The guards stood straighter, more alert, hands resting on weapons they’d rarely needed within pack walls. Even the servants scurried about with a nervous energy, their usual deference tinged with distraction.
I moved through the main hall, searching for a familiar face that might explain what was happening. That’s when I spotted her- Lysandra, her distinctive figure unmistakable even from a distance.
Lysandra stood among a group of soldiers, her back straight, her voice carrying with unmistakable authority. The Commander’s insignia gleamed on her collar, restored to its rightful place just as I’d requested of Kaius.
When she spotted me, her lips curved into a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. She dismissed the soldiers with a sharp gesture and approached me with measured steps.
“Congratulations, Commander, for reclaiming your position,” I said, keeping my tone neutral.
“All thanks to you.” She inclined her head slightly, the gesture neither fully respectful nor openly mocking.
“I won’t be assuming we are friends now.” I wanted that clear between us.
“No, we are not.” Her smile widened a fraction.
“That’s good.” At least we understood each other.
Something flickered in her eyes–anticipation, perhaps. “Have you heard the trending news?”
I forced myself not to react. Knowledge was currency in this place, and I wasn’t about to reveal my ignorance. “So there is gossip going around; who cares? When is there not?”
“The Alpha King had passed on.” Her tone was casual, as if discussing the weather rather than a death that would reshape the entire werewolf hierarchy.
“What?” The word escaped before I could stop it.
Lysandra’s expression turned condescending. “It means he is dead.”
‘I know what it means…” I struggled to process this information. Alaric dead? The cruel, powerful wolf who had terrorized my mother, who had cast a shadow over Kaius’s entire life–gone?
“So you had no idea; that is so sad; you need me for stuff like this. She was enjoying this, I realized. Enjoying being the one to deliver news that had obviously shaken the entire pack while I remained oblivious.
1/2
Chapter 107
“How did he die?” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.
“No one knows.” She leaned closer, dropping her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. It could be anybody. Or it could be someone interested in his title, someone who wanted his heritage rightfully passed to him.”
My heart stuttered. “No. Kaius had said he would challenge his father, he wouldn’t try to murder him.”
“That’s what he told you.” Lysandra’s smile turned knowing. “Have a dice day.”
She walked away, leaving me standing alone with the weight of her insinuation pressing down on me. Kaius wouldn’t have–would he? He’d spoken of challenging his father through proper channels, not assassination. But then again, Kaius was capable of ruthlessness I’d only glimpsed.
And if Alaric was dead, what did that mean for Kaius? For us? The contract, the arrangement, the mating–it had all been building toward Kaius’s bid for the Alpha King title. Now that title might be his for the taking, without the challenge he’d been preparing for.
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