Chapter 52

Neil

“Rogues do not move in formal packs like this,” Edrick was saying as he paced the meeting chamber. “This level of coordination—it is not normal for them. Someone is pulling the strings from behind the scenes. I am sure of it.”

Caleb let out a derisive snort from where he lounged across from me, his feet kicked up on the edge of the table. “And who might that someone be? Don’t tell me there’s a… rogue king now.” He chuckled at his own joke.

“Werewolves,” Edrick snapped, slamming his palm flat against the table. The sound echoed in the chamber. “It is not a theory anymore. My scouts and I have confirmed it.”

The tension in the room shifted. Even I moved a little in my chair, my jaw tightening.

The idea of Werewolves organizing an attack wasn’t a new concept in the slightest—their forces had been tormenting our people for decades, centuries even—but to hear my brother say it with such certainty sent a ripple through the room. Even Caleb straightened slightly, his usual smirk faltering.

I stayed silent, letting the others argue amongst themselves. They wouldn’t listen to me if I had anything to say, anyway. And besides, my mind was elsewhere, my thoughts tangled in too many directions at once.

I still had to secure safe passage to the Werewolf continent so Raven could see her dying father, and then there was the ever-looming thought of Serena. Where was she? Was she even alive? If she was dead, then what did those bastards do with her body?

“They are using the rogues as pawns,” Edrick continued, returning to his pacing. “They have been hitting our supply lines, ambushing unguarded villages near the border, generally creating as much chaos as possible. All to distract us. They’re trying to make us think that the rogues are our only enemy while they gather their forces for a larger attack.”

Edrick stopped pacing and stared out the window at the quiet courtyard below, his hands clasped behind his back. Sometimes, he really did look like a Lycan King. “I believe they are planning a full-scale invasion,” he said gruffly without glancing back.

Caleb let out a scoff. “You have been saying this for years, brother. But the Werewolves never invade on a larger scale. They just enjoy keeping us downtrodden with their petty battles and raids, nothing more. Because they fear what we might accomplish if we were not trying to keep our country afloat.”

“Is that so?” Edrick said coldly, turning to face us once more. “I wouldn’t be so sure about that. They have already taken collateral.”

At that, he reached into his coat and pulled something from the inside pocket, tossing it onto the table. It landed with a soft clink, falling open.

A locket.

My chest tightened as I stared at the necklace. The rose engraved into one side was unmistakable, the cameo of a woman’s profile on the other even more so. I knew this locket.

It was Serena’s. She had written about it in one of her letters. It was a birthday gift from her mother.

I clenched my jaw, forcing myself to remain still. My eyes flicked to the necklace for the briefest moment before looking away, my expression carefully neutral. I couldn’t let my brothers know that I recognized it as Serena’s, because then they would start asking questions as to how something of Serena’s had been found when ‘Serena’ was safely here.

“What is that?” Caleb asked, his brow furrowing as he leaned forward to examine it.

“It was found near one of the new rogue camps I’ve discovered,” Edrick said. “Our scouts believe it belonged to a member of Lycan nobility. Someone they may have taken to use against us.”

My grip tightened on the arm of my chair. The wood creaked faintly under my fingers, but I kept my face impassive. Why take Serena for collateral?

Unless… they knew what she meant to me. Maybe they knew she was engaged to one of the Lycan princes. And maybe they thought that taking a potential princess would cause us to lash out, lose focus, do something rash.

Serena, of course, would never want that. She was a Lycan woman. She would rather die than let herself be used as collateral.

Still, the thought of her being trapped like that didn’t sit easy with me.

“So?” I said, my tone deliberately bored. “It’s a piece of jewelry. It could belong to anyone.”

Edrick’s eyes narrowed, his gaze cutting to me as if seeing right through me. “Could it?”

I shrugged, leaning back in my chair like the locket meant nothing to me. “Rogues often loot caravans and villages. There’s no telling where that came from or what it means.”

Edrick, however, didn’t look convinced. His eyes lingered on me for a moment longer before he turned back to Caleb. “The point is, I believe that the Werewolves are not just playing games. They are escalating. And they may be using whatever leverage they can get.”

Caleb tilted his head, a slow smile spreading across his face. “Do you think Serena would recognize this locket?” he asked, glancing at me.

My stomach twisted, but I kept my expression calm. “I doubt it. Why?”

He scoffed slightly. “Oh, I was just thinking. I just spoke to her in the corridor. If I had known about this locket, I would have asked her. Although our conversation was interesting enough as it was.”

At that, I felt my back stiffen a little. Caleb had spoken to Raven? Alone? That didn’t bode well.

“She seemed… convinced,” Caleb continued, his smirk deepening as if sensing my tension, “that she is going to be Queen someday.”

I forced a dry laugh and shook my head. “What can I say? She has faith in me, as any good Lycan woman should.”

My brother’s smile didn’t falter, but his eyes darkened slightly. He leaned forward, his elbows resting on the table. “Yes,” he said slowly. “As any good Lycan woman should.”

The weight of his gaze was suffocating, like he was staring straight through my skull. I met his eyes evenly, refusing to let him see even a flicker of doubt in me. If he suspected anything, I couldn’t afford to confirm it. Not now. Not ever.

Blissfully, the tension was broken by the sudden sound of the chamber doors slamming open. A guard rushed in, his face pale and his breathing labored as if he had just run here.

“My Prince,” he said, addressing Caleb. “There’s been… an incident.”

Caleb’s smirk vanished, replaced by a cold, calculating expression. He stood, his broad shoulders straightening. “What kind of incident?”

The guard murmured something unintelligible to Caleb as they strode out. The heavy doors closed behind them with a dull thud.

I let out a slow breath, the tension in my chest easing slightly. But as I turned back to the table, I realized that I wasn’t alone.

Edrick was still there, leaning casually against the window frame. His arms were crossed, and his dark eyes were fixed on me with a knowing look that made my skin crawl.

He arched an eyebrow, the corner of his mouth twitching up into what might have been a smirk. He didn’t say anything, but the weight of his stare spoke volumes.

I stood, meeting his gaze. “Something on your mind, Edrick?” I asked.

He didn’t answer. Instead, he pushed off the wall, brushing past me as he headed for the door. Just before leaving, he paused, glancing back over his shoulder.

The smirk was still there, faint but unmistakable, as if he had just uncovered a secret and was deciding whether to keep it to himself.

And then he was gone.