Chapter 105

Elroy POV

It was a scene right out of a hundred movies. We made sure of it.

I sat on horseback at the front of my army, my battle gear shining in the early morning sun, my horse’s hooves polished and glinting, my sword almost quivering with expectation in its scabbard.

Behind me, cavalry, infantry, and the support troops were aligned perfectly, making no other noise than that of their breath. Those who preferred to march in wolf form were positioned to the sides ready to protect our flank as needed.

Everyone was looking with open respect toward the palace gates where Olivia stood in her pure white robes, looking every inch the quintessential Luna she embodied.

Beside her was a closed black carriage ready to take her to the Winter Palace deep in Eclipse Territory for her safety, while Denis and his Rogue army were finally dealt with once and for all. Jordan stood beside the carriage holding a basket full of things Olivia might want during the journey, and a company of the Palace Guard surrounded them all.

Olivia raised her hand in a blessing, and everyone saluted her. We had talked about her walking to me for a kiss but decided it wasn’t necessary. Now, I wished I had insisted, no matter how distracting the feel and taste of her lips would be.

We had lain together last night until the early morning, my hand on her warm belly and feeling our child as they grew strong inside her, and talked about this moment.

“Everyone should see me get into the carriage,” she’d said.

“Yes. We should ride out at the same time,” I told her.

We were quiet for a moment, then she asked very quietly, “You will be careful? I need you to come home to me, as does our child.”

“I’ll be as careful as I can,” I had promised. We both knew I wasn’t completely in control of our fate, and I wasn’t going to pretend otherwise.

We kissed then, a promise, and I had trailed a line of kisses down her throat to her soft breasts, kissing them as well in the soft light of dawn. I brushed a thumb against her nipple, and she arched into it with a sigh. I’d wanted to continue, but time had run out for us, at least for now. Lovemaking would not stop the sun from rising, no matter how unfair it seemed.

Now, Olivia turned to look back at the palace then nodded and got into the carriage. Jordan followed, and the carriage pulled away from the gates as the guard rode at its sides.

With some effort, I turned in my saddle and held up my hand before nudging my horse forward. I heard the tromp-tromp, tromp-tromp of my soldiers marching forward and could not hold down the swell of pride in the he- and she-wolves who followed me. Perhaps this moment was theatre, but I knew their strength and loyalty, and I knew I would do almost anything before I let any of that loyalty be misplaced.

Sam took his place at my side, briefly meeting my eyes before we continued on. He was one of the few there who knew Olivia would travel only a few miles in that carriage before she got out and was replaced with Ines dressed in a copy of her white robes. Then Ines and Jordan would continue on to the Winter Palace while Olivia returned to the safety of the Lily Room where she would help me coordinate our resources for the battle ahead.

Jordan had wanted to stay with Olivia, of course, but we needed her to make the drama complete.

My Alpha wolf pawed at me slightly, galled that we would stoop to subterfuge when we should be meeting Denis openly on the battlefield, but fight claw with claw. If Denis wouldn’t come out and fight, then I would flush him out like birds in the brush.

Everyone “knew” I would be marching to the Eclipse Southern Passage that breached the walls in Eclipse Territory. We would be seemingly far from the Winter Palace but actually less than a day’s ride if one knew the landscape well enough, which I and my commanders did.

Last evening, I had explained our true plans to those commanders while Olivia stood at my side, radiating support. We had also told the only two councilmembers I still trusted, Elder Thornton and Council Katherine, Sam’s cousin. Everyone else, hopefully, would believe I was chasing Denis while Olivia did an old-fashioned confinement with her child at the Winter Palace.

My wolf pawed at me again. He wanted a stand-up fight. Indeed, he wanted to sink his teeth into Denis’s neck, and I agreed. Meanwhile, I tried to placate him with thoughts that the battle would happen soon. He wasn’t impressed and growled at me.

So, instead, I thought of Olivia. What a blessing from the Goddess she had proven to be. I had wanted her the moment I saw her, and not just in my bed. Even though I had admitted to myself how deep our connection was, it kept knocking me off-center how desperate I was to have her beside me, and it physically hurt not to have her at my side now.

Sam was an excellent beta, of course, but I would give my fortune to have Olivia safe and with me now.

But Olivia would never be safe again until Denis was dealt with.

I reminded myself that for now, Olivia was as safe as I could make her at the palace with the elite of the Palace Guard on alert. She would be writing letters to me to maintain our ruse, and we had given each other several code words to signal our true status. If she and the baby were doing well, she would be sure to mention the moonlight.

As I and the troops kept up our brisk but sustainable pace, my thoughts turned to how much Olivia had already done for me and my rule as Alpha. I thought of the terrible treatment of omegas she had not only exposed but was now taking steps to remedy. I thought of the White Paw Pack and how they had already strengthened Lunaris with their eagerness to make a home with us.

I thought of how she had reminded me so well that I had more than three packs to concern myself with. Indeed, we were using White Paw, Blue Moon, and Winter Light Packs to spread the word that I was crazed with determination to hunt Denis down and that I had left Olivia exposed at the Winter Palace.

The alpha of Blue Moon, Clara, had suggested she spread the rumor I was even prepared to take the fighting outside the city walls. The more reckless Denis could be made to believe I was, the less prepared he would be for the trap we were springing.

Then, with a smile just for myself, I thought of running in the moonlight with Olivia’s silver wolf at my side and the Pack behind us. I thought of the power that flowed through me and the triumph we had howled to the stars.