Chapter 4 The Sovereign's Arrival
Chapter 4:
Sera's POV
"I want every warrior ready to move in ten minutes."
My voice cut through the chaos like a blade. Guards scrambled, weapons clattered, orders echoed across the compound. The rage burning through my veins demanded blood, fire, complete annihilation of everyone who'd dared touch my son.
"Sera, wait-" Marcus grabbed my arm.
I rounded on him, silver light crackling around my fingers. "Wait? They have Asher."
"Exactly." His grip tightened. "Which is why charging in blind gets him killed. Think like a Queen, not a mother."
The words hit like ice water. I forced myself to breathe, to push past the primal terror clawing at my throat.
"They want me at the Council." The pieces clicked together. "This isn't a kidnapping. It's leverage."
"To make you their weapon against Dante." Marcus released me. "Kill him, destabilize Crimson Fang, and they control the largest territory in the East."
"They underestimate how much I want him dead anyway." The admission tasted like ash.
"Do you?" Marcus studied me with those too-knowing eyes. "Or do you want him to suffer? There's a difference."
Damn him for being right.
Rhett approached, fully armed. "Majesty, the guard is assembled. We can reach Crimson Fang territory in three days if we push hard."
"No." The decision crystallized. "We go by convoy. Slowly. Publicly."
"But Asher-"
"Is leverage, which means they need him alive." I headed toward my chambers. "If they wanted him dead, we'd have found a body. They want me compliant, which means I need to be anything but."
Inside, I pulled the formal travel attire from my wardrobe. Not battle gear...power dressed in silk and silver. The crown that marked me as Sovereign. Everything designed to remind the Continental Council exactly who I was.
"You're going to walk in there like a Queen attending a party," Marcus said from the doorway.
"I'm going to walk in there like a Sovereign who's annoyed at the inconvenience." I checked my reflection. "Panic shows weakness. Weakness invites attack."
"And Dante?"
My hands stilled on the crown. "Gets treated like every other Alpha. Polite. Professional. Forgettable."
"Can you do that? After everything?"
Could I face the man who'd destroyed me and act like he was nothing? Could I smile and nod while my son was held hostage somewhere in that same territory?
"I don't have a choice."
\---
Three Days Later
The convoy rolled through Crimson Fang's borders at sunset. Ten vehicles, fifty warriors, and enough silver-threaded banners to announce exactly who'd arrived. Citizens lined the streets, whispering behind hands, eyes wide with recognition and fear.
Good. Let them look. Let them see what their Alpha had thrown away.
"Impressive," Lyssa murmured from beside me. "The territory's changed."
She was right. Where I remembered prosperous farms and thriving markets, now stood buildings needing repair, fields half-tended, wolves who looked hungry despite the approaching harvest season.
"Their Luna choice didn't work out," Marcus observed dryly.
I said nothing. Couldn't trust my voice not to betray satisfaction.
The pack house loomed ahead...massive, imposing, unchanged. How many times had I walked those halls as an Omega, head down, trying not to be noticed? Now I'd enter as Sovereign, head high, demanding attention.
The convoy stopped. Guards flanked my vehicle immediately.
"Remember," Marcus warned quietly. "You're here for Asher. Not revenge."
"Can't I have both?"
He didn't answer.
I stepped from the vehicle into controlled chaos. Alphas and their entourages filled the courtyard, power crackling in the air like lightning before a storm. Conversations died as I emerged. Every eye tracked my movement.
Let them stare.
"The Twilight Sovereign," someone whispered.
"I heard she conquered Aurora in a single night."
"They say she can kill with a look."
I let the rumors swirl, keeping my expression serene. A servant approached, nervous sweat beading his forehead.
"Majesty, if you'll follow me-"
"I know the way." The words came out colder than intended. Of course I knew the way. I'd lived here.
His eyes widened with recognition, but he recovered quickly. "Of course. The Alpha wishes to greet all Council members personally in the grand hall."
Perfect. A public reunion.
The grand hall had been transformed...banners from every major pack hanging from the vaulted ceiling, tables laden with enough food to feed an army, musicians playing softly in the corner. Alphas clustered in groups, sizing each other up, making alliances.
And there, at the far end near the raised platform, stood Dante.
Five years had changed him. Still imposing, still handsome in that sharp-edged way, but something had dulled in his eyes. Shadows clung beneath them. His shoulders carried weight that hadn't been there before.
Good.
He was mid-conversation with Alpha Chen of the Eastern Ridge Pack, but his gaze swept the room constantly. The paranoid surveillance of a leader under pressure.
Then our eyes met across the distance.
I watched the recognition hit. Watched his expression cycle through disbelief, shock, something that might have been regret.
I smiled. Cold. Controlled. The smile of a Queen acknowledging a minor dignitary.
His face went pale.
"Showtime," Lyssa whispered.
I glided forward, my guard parting the crowd effortlessly. Conversations stuttered and died in my wake. By the time I reached Dante, complete silence had fallen over the hall.
"Alpha Dante." I inclined my head exactly the proper degree...enough to acknowledge his rank, not enough to suggest deference. "Thank you for the invitation."
He stared like I was a ghost. "Sera?"
"The Twilight Sovereign," I corrected gently. "Sera was someone who died five years ago in your Forsaken Hollows."
A muscle jumped in his jaw. "I... you survived."
"Disappointed?" I kept my tone light, conversational. "I understand you've been having territorial difficulties. Hopefully the Council can provide guidance."
"That's not....I didn't mean-" He struggled for words, and oh, the satisfaction was exquisite.
"Your Majesty." A smooth voice interrupted. Lydia appeared at Dante's side, wearing his mark on her neck and a dress that probably cost more than most wolves earned in a year. "How unexpected to see you here."
My stepsister. The woman who'd stolen my mate and smiled while doing it. She looked older too, harder around the edges, with a brittleness that spoke of a bond not quite right.
"Lady Lydia." I didn't use her title. Technically, she was Luna of Crimson Fang, but acknowledging that required a generosity I didn't possess. "Still here, I see."
Her smile sharpened. "Where else would I be? This is my home."
"Of course." I turned my attention back to Dante, dismissing her. "I assume accommodations have been arranged?"
"The, uh, the west wing." He couldn't seem to stop staring. "The Royal suite."
"Adequate." I let my gaze sweep the hall, cataloging exits, guard positions, potential threats. "I trust security is sufficient? I'd hate for any... incidents."
"My territory is secure," he said, too quickly.
"Wonderful." I smiled again. "Then I'll retire. The journey was exhausting."
I turned to leave, and....
"Sera, wait."
His hand caught my arm. The touch sent electricity racing up my skin. The mate bond, still there after five years, still demanding recognition.
I looked down at his hand, then back up at his face. Silver flooded my eyes.
"Remove. Your. Hand."
He jerked back like I'd burned him. Maybe I had. The mate bond that once felt warm now carried bite.
"I just....we need to talk. Please."
"We have nothing to discuss, Alpha. You made your position clear five years ago." I softened my voice, made sure everyone in the hall could hear. "I hold no grudges. The past is past. You have your Luna, I have my territory. Let's keep things professional."
I walked away before he could respond, my guard closing ranks around me. Behind me, the hall erupted in whispers.
"Did you see his face-"
"She's magnificent-"
"The Twilight Sovereign-"
I made it three corridors before the trembling started.
"Majesty?" Lyssa steadied me. "Are you...."
"Fine." I forced my spine straight. "Just need a moment."
"You were perfect," Marcus said quietly. "Cold, controlled, untouchable. He's completely off-balance."
Good. Because I was barely holding together. Seeing Dante, touching him, feeling that damned bond try to reassert itself. It took everything not to either kill him or kiss him, and I wasn't sure which impulse was stronger.
Focus. Asher. Find Asher.
The Royal suite was exactly as I remembered, opulent, excessive, designed to impress. I dismissed most of the guard, keeping only Lyssa and Marcus.
"We need to search the territory," I said immediately. "Quietly. If Asher's here-"
"He's not." Marcus moved to the window, peering out. "The High Council wouldn't risk keeping him somewhere Dante might find him. They'll have him hidden, probably off-territory."
"Then where-"
A knock interrupted. Firm, official.
Lyssa opened the door to reveal a servant carrying a silver tray. On it, a single envelope bearing the High Council's seal.
My blood ran cold.
"A message, Majesty. Just arrived."
I took it with steady hands, waited until the servant left, then broke the seal.
Inside, a photograph. Asher, sitting in what looked like a comfortable room, playing with toy soldiers. Unharmed. Alive.
And a note.
'Your son is well-cared for. He believes he's on a special adventure. How long that belief lasts depends entirely on your cooperation. Tomorrow's Council session will include a vote of no confidence in Alpha Dante. You will vote yes. You will speak in favor of his removal. Do this, and the boy returns unharmed. Refuse, and... well. Accidents happen, even to powerful children.'
'Enjoy your reunion.'
'.....The High Council'