Chapter 162

Damon

The echo of polite applause still clung to my skin as I stepped into Ella’s receiving room. The air here was thick with her perfume, sweeter than honey and just as cloying.

She sat poised in a high-backed chair near the window, one ankle crossed neatly over the other, her smile slow and satisfied.

“Your speech was… inspiring,” she said, her tone dripping with false praise. “The court is already celebrating the match. Elena looked radiant.”

I didn’t respond. My gaze went straight to the silver tray at her side. On it, resting in a cradle of velvet, was the second vial.

The liquid caught the light, golden and viscous, shifting sluggishly in its glass prison.

“Just as promised,” Ella said, lifting it between two fingers. “The price of peace. And loyalty.”

Her words were bait that I didn’t take. My hand closed around the vial, cool and small against my palm.

For this, I’d stood beside Elena under the gaze of every noble in the court, let them think the lie was truth. For this, I’d swallowed my pride and given the performance Ella wanted.

Lila’s face flashed in my mind: pale against her pillow, lashes casting shadows on her cheeks, breath shallow but steady. I tightened my grip until I have to force my hand loose before shattering the glass.

Soon, I told myself. Tonight.

“You’ve upheld your part,” Ella continued lightly, as if we were discussing the weather. “I do hope she appreciates the lengths you’ve gone to for her.”

I looked at Ella then, and uncomfortable length of time, long enough for her smile to falter. “She will,” I said flatly.

Zane prowled in the back of my mind, claws digging, a low growl vibrating through my chest. His impatience pressed against my skin, urging me to move, to act, to give her Lila the antidote now.

Without another word, I turned for the door.

Ella’s voice tried to follow, “See you soon… son in law.”

I had to physically restrain myself against the door frame so I wouldn’t tear her apart. Not yet.

The hall outside was mercifully cooler, and free of Ella. I slipped the vial into my inner pocket, close enough that I could feel its press against my chest.

Every word I’d spoken today had been a lie, but it had brought me here to this moment, to this cure.

Whatever they thought of me, whatever whispers the court spread, none of it mattered. My mate would be healed. I’d tell her everything. We’d start over.

“Your Majesty!”

The shout came from the far end of the corridor. One of my guards was running toward me, breath visible in the cold air.

“Message for you,” he said, stopping just short of me. “It’s urgent. Coordinated rogue attacks on the western border. They’re gathering a war session immediately.”

The vial felt heavier. My plan for tonight splintered in my mind, replaced with maps, reports, and blood on the snow.

“Summon the generals,” I ordered, forcing my voice level. “I’m on my way.”

The guard nodded and turned to run.

I glanced once toward the direction of my chambers. Just a few hours, I told myself. Then I’d see her. Then I’d put an end to this.

Zane’s pacing quickened, restless. I mistook it for anticipation.

In the council chamber, maps lay spread across the long table, corners pinned by carved stones, their ink still wet from hurried updates. Lanterns burned low, throwing uneven shadows that made the room feel smaller than it was.

The generals were already in place, standing at rigid attention while the council members spoke over one another. I could taste the chaos before a word was spoken with the sharp, metallic tang of fear hanging in the air.

One Elder slammed his fist on the table. “Three attacks in a single night, coordinated across the western border. This isn’t a rogue pack acting on instinct, this was planned and led.”

“Agreed,” I said, moving to the head of the table. The vial in my inner pocket pressed against my ribs with every step, a silent reminder of where I should have been instead of here. “How many dead?”

“Two confirmed. Six wounded,” Jackson said. “But the survivors say the attackers didn’t fight to kill. They fought to wound and scatter.”

Scatter. Drive them away from something. My jaw tightened. “Send scouts. I want every path west of the border searched. If there’s a base camp, I want it burned to ash.”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” the nearest general replied, nodding before moving to scribble the orders for the runners.

Zane paced restlessly inside me, a low growl humming at the edges of my mind. Later, I told him, pushing the impatience down. We’ll see her later. He didn’t answer, but the pressure in my chest didn’t ease.

A minor Lady leaned forward, her rings catching the lantern light. “The council believes this is linked to the unrest in the southern territories. We should issue a public statement. Show strength before fear spreads.”

The word public pulled my attention like a hook. I’d just given them a public show hours ago, one I hadn’t wanted and still tasted bitter in my mouth. And now they wanted another performance, all while Lila was still—

I cut the thought off. “Draft your statement. Keep it short. Keep it focused on our military response. The people don’t need to fear, this is minor at best.”

They murmured assent, quills already scratching across parchment. Every nerve in my body screamed to be moving…through the halls, to my chambers, to my mate.

Theron cleared his throat. “There is one more matter, Your Majesty. The timing of these attacks… they coincide with the announcement this afternoon. It’s possible your enemies are testing you.”

Testing me. Testing my resolve. It was possible. But right now, the only test I cared about was whether I could keep my hands from shaking until I put that antidote into hers.

“If that’s true, we’ll pass,” I said, my voice sharper than I intended. “Double the patrols in every vulnerable sector. Rotate the guard every two hours. No gaps, no excuses.”

More notes. More murmurs. More wasted minutes.

The maps blurred in my vision, my focus narrowing to the weight in my pocket and the restless pacing of the wolf inside me.

Zane wasn’t just pacing now, he was pushing, straining against the edges of my control, a growl vibrating through my bones.

She’s waiting, I told him, trying to soothe. Just a little longer.

But the restlessness wasn’t easing. If anything, it was growing sharper, more urgent. I felt like claws raking against bone.

“Your Majesty,” The Lady said again, pulling me back. “We also request your presence in tomorrow’s morning session. There will be further updates.”

Tomorrow. Everything in me balked at the word. There wouldn’t be a tomorrow for them, not if I could help it. Tonight, she would be healed. Tonight, I would tell her the truth.

The meeting dragged another four hours before I could break free. Ronan had managed to get out two hours earlier, lucky bastard.

By the time I stepped out into the corridor, the night had deepened into that still, brittle silence just before the moon’s peak.

I strode quickly toward the Royal wing, each step matched by Zane’s restless pacing.

The guards at the far end straightened as I approached. I barely acknowledged them, my focus locked on the thought of her, pale, tired, but alive.

Soon she wouldn’t just be alive. She’d be whole again.

We reached the last turn before my chambers. Zane surged suddenly inside me, a push so strong it made me pause mid-step.

We’re going, I told him. We’re—

The scent hit me then and I stopped. The guards at my back shifted, glancing between themselves.

I started walking again, faster now.

The smell of smoke began to waft into the corridors, and I roared.