Chapter 9 She's next

~Keith~

The assembly hall reeked of blood and sweat. Twenty members of the council sat around the dialogue table, some still nursing wounds from the attack. Matt stood behind me as he always did. My father sat at the head of the table, looking none the worse for wear despite the confusion that had just torn through his palace.

"Seventeen dead," Elder Morrison announced, his voice shaking. "Five guards, twelve servants. The rogues knew exactly where to strike."

"Because someone told them," Father said, his thick fingers drumming against the table. "We have a traitor among us."

Howls of agreement covered the hall. The sound should have stirred my wolf, made him rise to join the pack's unified voice. Instead, all I could think about was the taste of Sage's breath, how close I'd come to claiming her mouth.

Focus, I told myself. But my wolf prowled restlessly beneath my skin, agitated in a way I'd never felt before.

"The southern border remains weak," Beta Harrison from the Riverside Pack spoke up. "My scouts report rogue movement near the old mines."

"Double the patrols," Father commanded, his alpha authority rippling through the room. Every wolf present ducked their heads in submission. Everyone except me.

He must have noticed because his eyes narrowed as he looked at me. "Do you have something to add, Keith?"

"Doubling patrols won't stop a coordinated attack. We need to find out who's feeding them information."

"And how do you propose we do that?" Elder Thompson asked.

I leaned forward. "Set a trap. Feed different information to different people, see which piece the rogues act on."

"That could take weeks," Father dismissed. "We need immediate action."

I almost sighed in exasperation . Everything with him was about immediate gratification, never long term strategy. Just like taking Sage as his bride without thinking about the consequences. The thought of her in his bed made my wolf snarl.

"What about the girl?" Elder Morrison asked suddenly. "Your new bride, Your Majesty. She arrived just before the attacks increased."

I turned and glared at the werewolf who had just spoken. "You're suggesting that an eighteen year old harmless girl is orchestrating rogue attacks?"

"I'm suggesting that the timing is suspicious," Morrison replied.

"That's enough," Father said, but there was a calculating look in his eyes that I didn't like. "My bride is above suspicion. In fact, I've decided to throw her a proper welcome celebration. Three nights from now."

The room stirred with surprise. We'd just been attacked and he wanted to throw a party?

"Your Majesty," Beta Harrison ventured, "is that wise? Our defenses—"

"Will be reinforced by then." Father said, his tone leaving no space for argument. "I want every allied pack in attendance. Let them see that the Alpha King's strength remains unshaken."

"It'll be a security nightmare," Matt murmured behind me, low enough that only I could hear.

He was right. Hundreds of wolves from different packs, all in one place. If there really was a traitor, it would be the perfect opportunity for another attack.

"The celebration will also serve another purpose," Father continued, his yellowed teeth showing in what he probably thought was a smile. "My bride will be properly introduced to werewolf society. And I will mark her publicly, so there's no confusion about who she belongs to."

My wolf couldn't hold it in anymore. The growl ripped from my throat before I could stop it. Every head in the room turned to stare at me. Matt's hand touched my shoulder in warning.

"Is there a problem, son?" My father asked, almost amused

"No problem," I grunted.

"Good. Because it almost sounded like you were challenging my right to mark my own bride."

The room went very quiet. A challenge over a mate was serious business in werewolf law. It could only be resolved one way.

"Keith's just concerned about security, Your majesty," Matt intervened smoothly. "We all are."

"Is that it, Keith? You're worried about security?" Father asked, his eyes never leaving mine .

No. I was worried about him putting his disgusting mark on Sage's throat, claiming her in a way that could never be undone. The thought of his teeth breaking her skin, mixing his scent with hers permanently, made me want to tear this whole room apart.

"Security is everyone's concern," I managed.

"Indeed." Father turned away, dismissing me. "Elder Thompson, you'll coordinate with the kitchen staff. Morrison, send word to the allied packs. I want this to be a celebration they'll never forget."

The meeting went on for another hour. Details about patrols, supply chains, defensive positions. Important things that I should have been paying attention to. Instead, my mind kept drifting to that moment in the room, to Sage's lips almost touching mine, to the way my wolf had reacted.

It hadn't felt like a simple attraction. When we'd almost kissed, something inside me had shifted, like puzzle pieces clicking into place. But that was impossible. Mate bonds were instant, and undeniable. I would have known the moment I first saw her if she was mine.

Wouldn't I?

"The Riverside Pack will provide additional warriors," Beta Harrison was saying. "We can have thirty here by tomorrow night."

"Excellent." Father stood, signaling the meeting's end. "Oh, and Keith? Stay behind. We need to discuss your role in the celebration."

The others filed out, but Matt waited until I nodded for him to go. When we were alone, Father moved to the window, looking out at the courtyard where servants were already cleaning up bodies.

"You think I'm a fool, don't you?" he said without preamble.

"I never said that."

"You don't need to. I see it in your eyes every time you look at me." He turned, his bulk filling the window frame. "You think I don't know you visit her? My guards tell me everything."

My muscles tensed, ready to fight or flee.

"She's pretty," he continued. "Young, and Pure. I can see why you're drawn to her. You want to take that purity and splatter it all over a wall, don't you?"

"She's your bride." I replied curtly

"Yes. She is." He moved closer, and I caught the scent of blood on him. "Which is why you're going to stay away from her until after the marking ceremony."

"Or what?"

His hand shot out, faster than a man his size should be able to move, gripping my throat. His alpha power pressed down on me, trying to force submission.

"Or I'll make her pay for your disobedience,". "You think I'm cruel now? You have no idea what I'm capable of. Cross me on this, and she'll learn exactly how creative I can be with punishment."

He released me, and I stumbled back, my wolf raging against my skin.

"You're going to stand beside me at the celebration," he continued as if he hadn't just threatened torture. "You're going to watch me mark her, and you're going to smile. Because if you don't, if you show even a hint of defiance, I'll make her first night as my true bride something she'll never recover from."

The promise in his voice was clear. He would hurt her to hurt me.

"Do we understand each other?"

I nodded, not trusting my voice.

"Good. Oh, and Keith?" He paused at the door. "Your mother thought she could defy me too. Ask the moon goddess how that ended for her."

The door closed behind him, leaving me alone with the thundering of my pulse and a terrible realization.

My mother hadn't died of illness like I'd been told. My father had done something bad to her..

And now Sage might be his next victim.