Ch. 201..205: The Rogue is a Female Alpha chapter 201-205
Back Where 201
I stood staring at the well–made bed, my heart clenching with emotion. Varyn’s chamber. I had avoided it since my return, treating it like a plague, but today I could not resist.
The maids had tended it faithfully in his absence, but this evening, I had chosen to do it myself.
After lighting the candles, I stepped back, admiring the warm glow they cast. Goosebumps prickled my skin as though his presence lingered here already. Soon, he would be back, resting in this very bed, healing from everything.
Lowering my gaze, I turned toward the exit where my maids waited. Blue and Isolde caught my eyes, so I beckoned them along with the other three and walked into my own chamber.
“I’m going out,” I said simply, reaching for my saddlebag, which Blue rushed forward to carry. “I won’t return until tomorrow.”
“My lady,” Isolde spoke first, her tone brimming with concern. “Will you be alright?”
I swallowed hard at her sincerity.
“I’ll be with Lycannar. Nothing bad will happen to me under his watch.” I smiled gently at her. “So you don’t need to worry, do you?”
She shook her head, returning my smile though it was tinged with sadness.
“I’ve seen him, my lady. No one alive can keep you safer than him.”
A lump rose in my throat. To trust Lycannar this much still amazed me. I bit my lip to steady myself, then turned to the task ahead. Without hesitation, I moved for the exit.
Blue followed with my saddlebag until we reached my horse, where Jurrek already waited.
“You’re ready,” he said.
I nodded, though my eyes faltered.
“I trust you,” he added firmly. “You and Lycannar are the right pair for this. Neither of you will weigh the other down.”
His faith in me cracked something inside. Slowly, I stepped forward and embraced him
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tightly. Jurrek Bane. Loyal to the bone. My brother’s closest friend. My sworn beta.
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“Princess Mearez will arrive tonight,” I murmured. “She’ll tend to Varyn when we bring him back.”
He nodded, but I caught his hand and fixed my gaze on his.
“She’s a Blood. Nothing must happen to her while in my pack. The cost will be greater than we
can bear.”
“She’s the woman I want, Zephyr,” Jurrek said, lowering his voice. “Don’t worry. I’ll keep her safe until you return.”
Relief loosened my chest. I sighed softly and added,
“The Dusks will be here as well. They’ll ride with her.”
“Then I’ll receive them all,” he assured.
Pulling away, I glanced at Blue. She had already fastened the saddlebag and stood back, ready to see me off. But leaving her felt strangely difficult. I reached for her hand, giving it a soft
squeeze.
“Be cautious. Be safe. If you need anything at all, go to my beta. Do you
understand?”
She nodded, and I smiled. Turning back, I was about to mount when she stepped forward hurriedly.
“My lady.”
I paused, meeting her eyes, and what I saw in them made me swallow hard. Worry. Fear. Uncertainty.
“You’ll come back, won’t you?”
I pinned my gaze on hers and asked gently,
“Do you trust Lycannar to keep me safe?”
“With my life,” she replied without hesitation.
That was enough. I mounted with ease, settling into the saddle as memories struck me. The last time I rode, it was into Blackwater. Now I was riding back there again, but not alone. This time, a warlord would clear the path.
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I looked once more at Jurrek, then noticed the stares of my pack members, no doubt wondering where their Alpha was headed yet again. Without waiting, I galloped out through the gates.
The ride was swift, the sky darkening by the time I entered White Pack lands. Just ahead, a carriage halted.
Nyroth of Hue Pack.
I stopped my horse as he stumbled out, almost tripping in his haste to reach me.
“Zeph, get down. We need to talk.” For more chapters visit FιndNovel.net
Curious, I dismounted and faced him.
“Zeph,” he said, grasping my hand desperately. “Please. Whatever you’re planning, stop. Go to the Council, apologize. Sometimes you just need to bow your head, let go of pride and vengeance, and let peace reign. Please, Zeph, I beg you…”
His words tumbled out in a rush, but they slid in through one ear and vanished out the other. He wanted me to beg. My first love wanted me to crawl. My real love wanted me to fight.
“Lycannar will be here soon, Nyroth,” I said softly, pulling my hand free. “You should leave before he arrives. I would hate for him to misunderstand.”
I turned, reins in hand, but he caught my wrist, jaw clenching as if restraining himself.
“You’ve only known him for months. You’ve known me for years, Zeph. Will you really choose him over me, the man the Moon Goddess herself abandoned?”
The insult cut, but it steeled me.
“What have you done for me, Nyroth?”
The question struck him silent.
“Since the day we were bound, five years ago, what have you ever done for me?”
“I thought you were a rogue. You never opened up…‘
“Lycannar also believed I was a rogue,” I cut him off. “And yet he worships me. In three months, he erased the misery you gave me in five years. He taught me what it means to be truly loved. Our bond is more than lust, more than need. It is beyond that. And you call him abandoned?”
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I shook my head at his ignorance.
“You forget who Lycannar is. He carries the blood of the goddess. The Moon Goddess we worship is his foremother. Even if he were to die today, may she forbid it, I would live the rest of my life happily as his widow.”
With that, I turned and walked into White Pack, leaving him behind, stunned, shattered, and powerless.
Back Where 202
I pushed the door open softly and stood there, staring at the armour covered in cobwebs. Five long years untouched. Five years of bitter, aching silence.
I had closed that room and vowed never to open it again but now I needed the blades. If I rode to Blackwater, territory of barbarians, I would need only my twin blades.
Armour is for pitched war; helmets are for bigger threats. Werewolves there are soft for me, too slow. Stealth and steel would win this night.
I left the armoury and crossed into my bedchamber. Chantel waited in the doorway, silent and ready.
“Get my horse ready,” I told him. “I’ll take my blades and ride alone.”
He nodded and moved to obey. I reached for the potion and hesitated. If I wanted to be lethal, I should not dull my beasts.
I swallowed the potion anyway, a precaution against the rage that could break loose if I lost control. The truth of the coming night pressed at me like a blade.
If Zephyrine ever learned what I had done… that I, Lycannar Apex Blood, might be the one who killed her father… she would never forgive me. How could I explain a thing I did not remember? How could I make her understand I had not known?
“It’s ready.” Chantel’s voice pulled me back. I stood quite still, thinking of outcomes.
If Varyn returned, he would tell Zephyrine everything. If he did not… then perhaps she would
never know.
Hades was the only other witness and he would not speak unless he chose to. A dark thought crept into my mind and I crushed it instantly. If saving Varyn’s life will cost me too much then so be it.
Jealousy is a foul thing; I discarded the idea like a burned coin.
I pulled on my fur cloak, strapped the forearm braces, tied my long black hair into a tight knot, and left without a word.
In the dining hall my siblings waited; seeing me prepared, they knew my mind had already been made up.
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“Baby brother.” Serena wasted no time; she rushed into my arms. I let her linger, letting her hands smooth my hair. When she pulled back, worry still shadowed her face.
“It’s only for tonight,” I said quietly. “I’ll be back at Ash Pack by morning or afternoon, and home again before nightfall.” She nodded but did not leave my side.
Mearez spoke at last, voice low and threaded with concern.
“You should go. She will be waiting.”
Silence settled like a stone. I broke it by kissing Serena on the lips, then told them.
“Mearez will ride with me to White Pack. From there she’ll come to Ash Pack with Zephyrine’s friend. Varyn will need a healer when we bring him back.”
“That’s true,” Serena whispered. Mearez rose and left to prepare; Serena followed.
I was left with Hades. He sat with his eyes on the table as though he were reading a map only he could see. Finally he turned to me.
“If only I hadn’t been defeated on the field,” he said softly. “If I hadn’t needed reinforcements, you wouldn’t have been sent.”
Guilt sharpened in my chest like winter.
“If you start blaming yourself, I won’t speak to you,” I said. The vow was quiet but he knows I can keep it. He gave a small, sad smile.
“Then I’ll man up. I will not find fault. I will stand with you, whatever comes.” He reached and took my forearm, his grip steady. The demonic aura around us hummed. A thing we both knew and feared. I closed the distance and hugged him.
“I look up to you, Hades,” I said. “Always.”
He pulled back, shook my shoulder once, hard. This text is hosted at fındnovel.net
“Bring her back safe. If the truth breaks her, then you fix it. If my help is needed I will be here.”
“What if she won’t have me?” The question shivered out of me before I could swallow it.
Hades watched me, expression unreadable, then shrugged as if it were the simplest thing.
“Why would she? You stood by her when the whole Empire turned its back. You made love to her. She is bright and clever. Who in their right mind will leave a king who stood when everyone else turned?”
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A shadow crossed the room, and for a brutal second my smile faltered. Hades saw it. He waited, patient as a tide.
“I’ll chain her if I have to,” I said, voice low, half–joke and half–threat. “Enchant her with the darkest spell in my tower until she loves me back.”
Hades‘ answer was immediate, absurdly wholehearted.
“Great idea. Brilliant, little brother.”
Back Where 203
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Staring at Varyn’s sword, still placed reverently in its sheath, I heard that announcement from Dessyn, who had been glued to the window.
Her doubts were clear. Would Lycannar truly come tonight to keep his promise? There was no reason to doubt the King’s words, but he had responsibilities, a family, and those who looked up to him.
If anything went wrong on this mission, the stakes were far heavier for him than for me.
I had left Nyroth outside minutes ago, after he had spoken nonsense. I had nothing more to say to him. His act of kindness and protection meant nothing to me now.
Slowly, I walked to the window to stand beside Dessyn, and there I saw him. One sight was enough to make me swallow hard.
He was walking beside his horse, hands folded calmly over his chest. His hair was tied up tonight, and I saw the two blades strapped to the saddle.
Blades I had seen once in his armory. He brought nothing ceremonial, and I could only smile at his audacity.
Lycannar believed werewolves not worth his sweat, and he showed it plainly. My father had often thought the same.
For battles he deemed beneath him, he’d send Varyn and a few warriors, while he, the warlord, stayed away. The only time he had taken his very best army was when facing demons, for none of us knew what horrors we might meet on that battlefield. But even then, they had been conquered, not by demons, the villains we feared, but by our own kind.
I turned from the window to meet Dessyn’s gaze. We had spoken of it all, yet I could still see the fear in her eyes.
“I trust you and Apex to get the job done, Zephyr,” she whispered, “but will Varyn still be alive in this minute… and the next, when you reach him?”
The same question haunted me, but I masked it with a small smile. I had kept myself from looking at the fractured mirror, terrified of what new horror I might see.
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“He will be fine,” I told her. “That’s why Princess Mearez will be waiting at Ash Pack before we return. Come now.”
She nodded, ready.
“I will get Moon,” she said, and walked out of the bedchamber, leaving me alone with the view.
I glanced down at my hands. I had left battles behind long ago, but this was no mere skirmish. This time, I would fight alongside a Lycan, against my own kind, for my brother.
My breath shook in my chest. A gentle nudge in my spirit made me lift my eyes, and there he was again. Lycannar Blood. He now stood beside his horse, while Princess Mearez had just stepped down from her carriage at White Pack, heading for the Dusks‘ household door.
I turned away, knowing time was short. My gaze settled on Varyn’s sword, and a small smile touched my lips. I hadn’t taken my own blade, not wanting to draw suspicion when leaving Ash Pack. Tonight, I would fight with my brother’s sword.
I stepped away from the window, seized the weapon, and went out. Outside, Dessyn was already speaking with Princess Mearez.
I fixed the sword to my horse, which waited saddled, before turning to the approaching Alpha Auedric. He knew the plan, and like me, believed it would succeed.
“It’s time?” he asked quietly. I nodded.
“We will celebrate when your brother returns, Zephyr,” he said. “The funeral for your parents, you will hold it after he returns, yes?”
I swallowed hard and nodded.
“Yes.”
He smiled kindly, then turned and left. Emotion threatened to overwhelm me until Princess Mearez’s gentle touch drew my eyes back.
For a moment I felt undeserving of such devotion and support from people I had known only months. Words were unnecessary; emotion spoke for us. She pulled me into a tender hug, and I held her tight, with love, with respect.
“I will be waiting in Ash Pack for you,” she whispered when she drew back. I nodded.
Together with Moon and Dessyn, I walked her to the carriage. There, she turned to her younger brother and kissed him softly.
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“I will be there tomorrow morning,” he told her. “Stay safe until then. Okay?”
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“Okay,” she replied, obedient and trusting. He kissed her once more before helping her inside.
He stepped back to his horse. Dessyn nodded to me one last time, bowing to Lycannar, before she too entered the carriage.
At last, Moon. He stood before me, and I swallowed, uncertain. But then he smiled faintly.
“I trust you, Commander.”
A sad smile touched my lips. He would not hug me, not before Lycannar. The Lycan King did not allow such luxury. Still, the word warmed me. Commander. That was who I was on the battlefield.
Moon entered the carriage, and it rumbled away, bound for Ash Pack. I stood motionless, frown creasing my brow. What if they were attacked on the road? Moon could fight, but… my thought was interrupted by the steady rhythm of hooves. I turned and saw him.
Chantel. Mysterious, calm, deadly. He rode a horse as ominous as his presence, and when he reached Lycannar, he bowed his head.
“Escort them from a distance to Ash Pack’s gates. When they are safe, return to the tower. Kill anyone who tries to harm them.”
I swallowed at the tone, but understood. His sister was in that carriage. He would not forgive any hand laid on his blood. Chantel, who lived only to obey Lycannar, bowed again and rode past me in silence.
My gaze returned to the King. He shifted, meeting my eyes.
“Lycan,” I called softly. He did not answer. Instead, his eyes slid past me. I turned and froze. Chantel had not yet gone.
“Be safe, Apex. Promise?” Chantel’s voice cut the air. Goosebumps prickled my skin. This was the first time I had heard him speak. My gods. I turned back to Lycannar to see he too was staring at him. All this time, I had thought Chantel mute.
“I promise,” Lycannar said at last, his voice low. My heart swelled, and in that moment I knew hell was about to break loose in Blackwater.
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Back Where 204
I push open the bedchamber of the inn we had rented and find him standing at the window, but as I step in, he turns to settle his gaze on me, waiting.
“In half an hour, we continue.”
He doesn’t respond with words, only nods and turns back silently, eyes fixed on the road, making me swallow hard.
Lycannar. He’s unusually quiet tonight.
He’s never much of a speaker, but I can feel something is wrong. I walk quietly toward him and hug him from behind, resting my head on his back.
We arrived at the inn under the darkest sky. Riding without pause, we had decided to stop and catch a breath before continuing. At dawn, we would sneak into Blackwater.
“What’s going on, Lycan?” I finally ask softly from behind. “There’s something wrong with you. Tell me.”
He doesn’t speak, but I feel his shoulder tense at my words, proving I’m right. Something is
wrong.
Slowly, he turns and holds me in his tender arms. I look up at him, my heart swelling in joy and contentment.
“I know you’re not much of a speaker, but… this silence is unusual. I can feel you’re troubled.”
He hears the concern in my voice and leans in to kiss my lips, soft and tender, before pulling back to search my eyes.
“I don’t want to lose you,” he finally says quietly, making me swallow.
*Lycan.”
“I won’t lose you, Zephyrine. I won’t lose you to any of my past or any truth. I want you, and I will have you”
My heart clenches. The way he says it, the way he holds me, that look in his eyes, raw and consuming, makes me forget how to breathe for a brief moment.
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“Lycan…” I can only speak his name. Words fail me. I punch his chest lightly, almost tiredly. “Lycan…”
He cuts me off, pulling me into his arms, holding me tenderly. His embrace makes me wonder how life would be without him. I can’t help but wonder why he loves me this much. Just this
much.
I look up and kiss him softly. His palm wraps around my waist, the other steady on my neck, and he stirs me gently, pinning me against the wall.
His hand moves beneath my gown but pauses when it meets the leather gothic leggings I’m wearing underneath. He pulls back slightly to stare, a rough sound escaping his lips.
“Is this a punishment, My Queen?”
His husky voice and fierce eyes make me blush. I push him away, and he takes a step back, still staring. ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ FιndNovel.net
“We’re going into battle, My King,” I reply sarcastically. “Your lust will be satisfied when we get home.”
He stares in silence, then swallows hard to steady himself before walking to the bed, lowering himself to watch me without blinking.
I wore the dress as a façade, but underneath I’m ready to move freely. I pull down the dress, revealing the gothic–styled attire beneath.
I fasten my forearm braces and turn to braid my hair into a ponytail, finishing the end expertly.
I walk to the saddlebag I removed from my horse and retrieve the knife and have it tucked into the side of my left boot.
Ready, I turn to him. He’s still staring, silent.
“Now, what’s the plan, genius?” I ask, but he isn’t listening. His gaze lingers on my face, down to the swell of my cleavage.
Lycannar doesn’t bother hiding his hunger, and I nearly giggle.
“Lycannar!” I finally call, and he shifts his gaze to lock with mine.
I shake my head, overwhelmed with emotion.
“You’re not listening or answering.”
:.
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“It’s simple. When we get to Blackwater, abduct a guard, beat him nearly to stupor to reveal the underground entrance, keys, and how many guards we’ll face. It’s going to be a massacre.”
I go still. The case with which he says it sends goosebumps up my skin.
“If we kill one of the soldiers guarding Varyn, the rest will be alerted unless…”
“Unless?”
“Unless I’m the bait.” He pauses, listening. “Stone of Blackwater knows me. He expects me to return because I promised. How about a leave–offering like that? He wants my body, I act as if I accept…”
“I’m not allowing any man to touch my woman. Another strategy, please.” I cut him off, and he pauses, a laugh threatening to escape me.
“Lycan, why are you so possessive?”
He leans against the wall, seated fully on the bed, staring at me in silence. I sigh, giving up.
“All right, what suggestion will you bring?”
He takes his time, weighing the pros and cons, then finally nods.
“You’ll be the bait, but only once I’m fully in their territory. Here’s how. When we arrive, you stay behind. I go first. Guards at the gate?”
“Yeah.”
“He’s going to be unfortunate tonight because he dies by my hands,” he says quietly, serious. “I’ll extract the necessary information from him. Disguise might be needed, maybe as a guard to move freely for a bit.”
“So you locate the soldiers guarding the underground, and then?” I ask.
“That’s where you come in,” he says, voice heavy. “The hardest part. We lure them to you, away from me. I’ll handle your brother underground. You’ll be the bait. Lure them. The few left, I’ll
take care of.”
I hesitate, even though his idea is brilliant.
“What if the soldiers aren’t lured? What if this plan fails?”
“Then we go with plan B.”
“And that is?”
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“Plan A,” he replies, and I shake my head helplessly, melting into his arms to kiss him just as the neigh of our horses reminds us it’s dawn.
I swallow and gently pull away. Even Lycannar isn’t smiling anymore. This is business. We understand the gravity of it.
In no time, we check out of the inn, mount our horses, and ride without Blackwater, where it all begins.
Back Where 205
It’s dark. Already midnight, and I know something is about to happen. Zeph is on something. I can feel it from her aura when I spoke to her just a few hours ago.
I can’t stay still. I pace in my living room until suddenly I pause, swallowing hard. Kaela has to be stopped, and that Kostyra, Zeph’s aunt as well.
I turn toward the exit, almost colliding with Kai as he steps in. I take a step back to stare at him while he exhales slowly.
“Alpha Nyroth.” He greets, and I sigh shakily, nodding.
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He stares at me gently, then sighs again.
“What has been going on with you these days? You’re not paying attention to the pack’s welfare anymore, and we’re slowly losing our… our valor. You need to stop thinking about Zeph. She’s really… gone to another man and…”
The rest of his words die on his tongue when he meets my gaze. I will accept many things, but certainly not the claim that Zeph is truly gone.
She asked me once what I had done for her in five years. Maybe I should start tonight by saving her life.
I bypass Kai, his words meaningless to me, and head straight to my carriage, riding toward Blackbridge Pack that dark night, only for the clouds above to rumble.
Afternoons these days have been cloudy. Will it rain tonight?
It isn’t long before the carriage wheels grind into Blackbridge Pack, but what I see makes me pause. A silence hangs heavy in the air, thick as though something great has just occurred.
Cautiously, I head into the hall, following the scent of Kaela, until I find myself right before the Council chamber door.
I’m about to open it when a maid and a guard rush past me, pushing the door wide with
urgency.
I step into the chamber behind them, unnoticed. The maid hurries straight to Kostyra, Zeph’s
aunt, to deliver a message.
“I overheard her, My Lady. She is heading to Blackwater with His Majesty, the Lycan King. I think they are going solo to rescue My Lord, Varyn.”
I suddenly stiffen at the words. Wait a second. That maid, she looks so familiar. Isn’t she…?
I freeze. Yes. One of Zeph’s maids. I’ve seen three of them before, alongside the elder who seems to lead them, and Blue the day Zeph grant me audience. Among the three young ones, this one. A traitor. But hold on… what did I just hear?
Apex is heading to Blackwater with Zeph to fight for Varyn Ashmere? Can he even fight that well? Is he truly willing to shed blood for him?
“We need to act fast.” Kaela’s voice jerks me back. I turn to see her trembling, face pale with haste as she looks to her father, Alpha Yadev of Blackbridge. “Father, we need to act fast. If Apex and Zeph find Varyn, he will talk. And if he talks, the Council will know I didn’t get the job done five years ago, and the whole shifter empire will see I am nothing like the envoy of peace I’ve pretended to be. We must…”
She is shaking when her father rises from his seat, swallowing hard.
“How tight is Blackwater’s security?” he asks.
“More than you can imagine. Stone, their leader, commands too many barbaric soldiers who live for bloodshed.”
“Then that means one man cannot slash through. Apex may be a king, but…”
“You didn’t attend his coronation, did you?” My voice cuts through from the doorway, and all heads turn. I keep my eyes fixed on Kaela. “You saw what Apex did to that Rogue Alpha, how he butchered him without blinking. You think a man like that, with runes carved into his very flesh, doesn’t have skill? And he goes with Zeph. You’ve seen her fight. The duel, the archery, she is better than you.”
A deadly silence falls over the chamber. Kaela’s face drains of color, and she collapses into a wooden chair.
“The journey to Blackwater will take hours if no rest is taken. We can still make it if we send an army,” she says suddenly, lifting her pale face toward her father. “Send the soldiers of Blackbridge Pack. They can stop Apex and Zeph before they succeed. Corner them.”
“Kaela.”
“So be it.” Yadev cuts me off, turning to a guard. “Call Warrior June, the commander of the
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army.”
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“Yes, Alpha Yadev.” The guard bows and hurries off.
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Soon, the door opens again. A hefty, broad–shouldered man steps in, handsome but unpleased. He stops before Yadev.
“You called for me, Beta Ya…” He halts, almost rolling his eyes. I see it now. His loyalty lies with the Blacks, the true heirs, not Yadev, the usurper Beta who stole the Alpha seat. “You called for me, Alpha Yadev.”
Yadev’s face tightens at the slight, but he presses on.
“You will take your army, June, and go to Blackwater. Prevent Apex, the Lycan King, and Zephyrine Ashmere from rescuing Varyn. Go now.”
The chamber waits for June’s bow. Instead, he squares his shoulders and mutters, firm and unshaken.
“And why should I stop Zephyrine Ashmere from rescuing her brother? She is the warrior who once fought in a duel to clear the name of our true Luna.”
The audacity leaves even Kostyra stunned. All eyes turn to him. Kaela’s jaw tightens, hatred spilling in her words.
“You will obey my father. He is Alpha of this pack, and…”
“Young Black, whom you murdered in a fire along with her mother, was the rightful heir. I won’t march the army of Blackbridge to stab the woman who once stood for us.”
“Then prepare to pay with your life,” Yadev threatens, but June only swallows, calm.
“If death is the price for refusing to betray Young Black and Luna Tahlia, then so be it.”
Kaela shudders violently, turning to her father. Time is running, but June will not move.
“Stone of Blackwater has too many guards. Even skilled warriors can’t survive there,” Kaela mutters, as though consoling herself.
“The last time Zephyr went there, she returned with an arrow in her belly,” Kostyra adds, making me go cold. An arrow?
“Then they won’t succeed. The mission is impossible,” Kaela concludes, then whirls on June with venom. “You will die a horrible death at the market square, Your sin will be treachery. Take him away!”