Chapter 8

Sylvia’s POV

His grip was like iron around my wrist; his touch made me feel sick to my stomach and put me back in that place of vulnerability. I looked up at Alpha Marshall, his eyes blazing with anger and his lip curled with disgust.

I was shocked by his appearance; he was beaten so badly that he was barely recognizable. It was such a jump-scare that I screeched, pulled away, and nearly fell over in the process. Lucian was in front of me before I could even blink.

“Lay your hands on her again, and I’ll do worse than what has already been done,” he threatened.

Marshall swallowed, clearly intimidated by the King, but his stubbornness refused to let him back down.

“You can’t kill me,” he said through his teeth. There are still laws. You can’t kidnap my pack members.”

“It’s not kidnapping if she wishes to leave willingly,” Lucian replies. He then turns to me, his eyes questioning, wanting me to admit to him and to everyone else that I am leaving willingly.

The words were stuck in my throat; I couldn’t help but wonder if I was falling into some trap. There were so many pack members around, all staring at me with judging eyes. Those I had gone to school with… those I thought were friends a long time ago, but it turned out that they weren’t.

The eyes of traitors.

I knew in my soul that I couldn’t stay here. But the words failed me. It wasn’t until Grace looped her arm through mine and gave me a reassuring smile that the confidence grew inside of me. I turned my attention back to Marshall, who stared at me with a mocking gaze, waiting for me to reply.

“Your threats won't work on me anymore, Alpha. You’ve disrespected me and my family for the last time. I’m leaving this pack and I’m taking Grace with me.”

His eyes flashed dangerously, but Lucian took a protective stance to shield me further.

“There you have it. Not kidnapping. Leaving by choice,” he murmured. “If I need to use force, I won’t hesitate.”

Marshall stared at him for a long while.

“You know, I once knew your father?” Marshall said, his icy blue eyes narrowing. “He’d be disappointed.”

“Then you would know my father is gone,” Lucian said it so casually that I had to blink a few times to clear my thoughts. “You would also know that I’ve learned my strength from him, and I am the strongest Alpha in the world, which is what made me the King after his death. You no longer have connections with the royal family, Alpha. Your point is moot.”

Marshall’s nose flared with anger; Grace held onto my arm tighter, fearing what he might do. After a final look in my direction, he turned and stormed away, his limp revealing the extent of the damage Lucian had truly inflicted on him.

Grace let out a breath, her body relaxing slightly.

One of the guards opened the back of the carriage, motioning for us to enter. I ignored the onlooking stares of those around me and slid into the carriage, keeping my eyes fixed on my lap. Grace slid beside me, and Lucian slid in as well, seating himself in front of me.

I could feel the weight of his stare on my face as the carriage was pulled away and we left the Moon Veil Pack.

There was nothing left of me here; my mother was gone.

“I have something for you,” Lucian said, breaking the silence that was starting to consume us. He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a small, clear vial. I frowned at the dark dusting that filled the vial.

“What is it?” I asked.

“It’s some of your mother’s ashes.”

My heart lurched, and I stared up at him.

“What?”

“Ashes from the pyre,” he explained. “I was there when she was burned. By the time I realized what they had planned for her funeral, it was too late. But I managed to collect some of her ashes before I followed you to the mating ceremony.”

My breath left me, and I hated that tears were immediately filling my eyes. He collected my mother’s ashes?

He handed me the vial, and my fingers grazed the delicate glass, my heart squeezing painfully in my chest.

None of us said anything for the duration of the ride.

It took several hours before we arrived at Ironclaw, only stopping a few times for the horses to rest and eat. I had never been outside of Moon Veil before, and I was nervous about what I would discover. There were so many mountains around this region that it filled me with awe.

I could feel the atmosphere shifting as we neared Ironclaw. The pack was built into a rugged mountain range, surrounded by dense black pines and cliffs that catch the moonlight.

We approached high stone walls, carved with claw-mark patterns encircling the inner settlement. Giant wrought-iron gates shaped like wolf fangs mark the entrance. Torches and moonstone lanterns glow, lighting our path.

Gammas patrolled the entrance, and when they saw the King’s carriage approaching, they bowed, opening the gates and allowing entry. The gates closed behind us as we entered, and I couldn’t help but feel trapped.

However, that trapped feeling started to subside slightly when I saw how huge the pack was. I didn’t know that packlands could be so big; though iron gates caged us in, there were miles of open forests and distant mountains that made the pack appear unprotected.

Gorgeous homes and shops were lined up; the center was built like a pier overlooking the vast lake, big enough almost to resemble an ocean.

We passed by the courtyard, which was used for training warriors, holding gatherings, and pack rituals. The ground was etched with the symbol of the Moon Goddess, scorched into the stone from centuries of rites.

But that wasn’t what drew my attention the most; what drew my attention was the palace that we slowly approached. It rose out of the mountains itself; its towers stretched high into the sky, with black slate roofs tapering into sharp points like claws reaching for the heavens.

Every wall was cut from dark granite, veined with silver that gleams under the moonlight, a natural reminder of the Moon Goddess’s favor.

A fortress wall surrounds the palace, lined by armored warriors. The palace overlooked the pack, reminding the packmates that they were being watched.

The gates opened for us immediately, and we traveled up the winding stone driveway, passing by the greenest grass I had ever seen, gardens that stretched for miles, stables where I’m sure they kept the horses, along with fountains carved from white marble.

The carriage stopped in front of the large doors that led into the palace itself. Grace’s mouth was nearly on the ground as she took it all in, but I remained ambiguous, not wanting to get too comfortable here.

The doors to the carriage opened, and Lucian was the first to step out. He helped Grace out of the carriage before he helped me. Once my feet landed on the ground, it took all I had not to run in the opposite direction.

“Welcome back, Your Majesty,” a man said as he walked down the large steps that led to the front doors.

He looked to be in his 30s, like King Lucian, his black hair a bit long and shaggy, though he wore the armor of a warrior ready for a battle.

“Darius,” Lucian greeted with a nod. “Can you fetch Eleanore?”

“Of course,” the man, Darius, said as he retreated through the castle doors.

Lucian then turned to me.

“Darius is my Beta,” he explained before motioning for us to follow him.

We followed him up the stairs and through the castle doors; warriors bowed to Lucian as he passed, as did some of the maids. Darius was back quickly with an older woman with short white hair and, oddly enough, very warm eyes.

Lucian turned to Grace.

“This is the head maid,” he explained. “She’ll get you settled into your own room and set you up for your duties. If you need anything, come find me.”

Grace looked uncertain for a moment, and I wasn't truly ready for her to leave me right then.

Seeing both our hesitation, Lucian stepped forward.

“It’ll be okay. I will show you to your room as well, and you can see your friend later,” he assured me.

With a nod, Grace turned and walked away with Eleanore while I walked away with Lucian.

As we walked, I noticed a guard perched at almost every exit to this place, making it feel more like a prison than a palace. I felt trapped… I couldn’t help but wonder if I made a huge mistake by coming here.