Chapter 174

Chapter 174
Tiberius's pov.

The tribunal meeting had just ended, and the air still stank of tension and distrust. I stood with my arms crossed over my chest, staring out across the forest line beyond the meeting hall. My jaw was clenched tight, thoughts running rampant. Dante stood beside me, equally quiet.
"Well," Dante said at last, his voice laced with dry sarcasm, "that went better than expected. I only counted three councilmen who looked like they wanted to murder you outright."
I exhaled sharply through my nose. "They've always seen me as too young. Too green. No matter how many battles I win, how many plans I execute flawlessly... it’s never enough."
Dante chuckled and slapped my back. "Too young, too inexperienced, is that what you're telling yourself now? You? You’re one of the finest leaders we've ever had. Hell, second only to me, of course."
That pulled a reluctant smile from me. "Of course."
Dante turned to me, his gaze sharp and unwavering, as if he had finally decided to say out loud what had been brewing in both our minds since we left the hall. "I know that, Dorian offered you a place beside him. To lead with him. That sounds like a pretty damn good deal".
Dante exhaled slowly and added, "It’s a good plan, Tiberius. A smart one. You could all finally just... be together." But I caught the heaviness in his voice, a note of sorrow threading through the words he tried to keep strong.
I nodded slowly. "It does. It truly does."
"But?" Dante raised an eyebrow.
I sighed. "But nothing replaces home. And Ravenhold is mine. It was my father's, and his father's before him."
Dante's expression shifted. " I was hoping you’d come back here to rebuild it. The younger generation of hunters needs a leader. My own ranks are overflowing. They need someone like you, someone real."
"It’s complicated," I said. "I can’t be in two places at once. Someone has to give something up."
"And of course, it’s you," Dante muttered. "Dorian stays king, Freya stays your shared mate, and you become the token hunter in a den of wolves. That doesn’t sit right with me. You want to know what I really think? It's a good plan, Tiberius—probably the best option for peace we've had in years—but it still doesn't sit right with me. There's a weight to it. Like the cost hasn't fully been reckoned yet."
I didn’t answer right away. The words stung because they rang true. But there wasn’t time to spiral into guilt.
"Let’s ride back to Ravenhold," I said firmly. "We need to assess what remains. Take inventory of weapons, crops, supplies. We need a full report."
Dante didn’t argue. He simply nodded. We mounted our horses and rode in silence.
When we arrived, Ravenhold was quiet. The wind rustled through the half-burned trees and charred remains of wooden structures. The smell of ash still lingered.
As I dismounted and stepped onto the blackened soil, memories assaulted me. My father's voice, stern but warm. The smell of my mother’s cooking. The laughter of young recruits training in the yard. It all crashed into me like a wave.
Dante placed a hand on my shoulder. "Memories," he said softly. "I know. This place holds too many."
We began our inspection.
The main hall was damaged, but not beyond repair. Its foundation remained strong. Several storage buildings had collapsed entirely, but the training grounds were salvageable. Crops had grown wild, but the soil beneath them remained fertile.
Dante crouched to inspect a stalk of wheat. "This can be worked with," he said. "The land isn’t dead. Just bruised."
"Good," I murmured. "Then there’s hope."
We moved toward the old weapons warehouse—a large, stone-walled structure built deep into the hillside. It stood mostly untouched.
"That’s... odd," Dante said, frowning.
I approached the thick wooden door and pushed it open slowly. Inside, rows of weapons lined the walls, untouched by flame or thief. Blades glimmered faintly in the dim light. Bows, quivers, and relics remained in place.
"Almost like it was... protected," I said, my voice hushed.
"Or forgotten," Dante added. "Either way, it's ours again."
I stepped further inside, running my fingers along the hilt of an old sword that once belonged to my father. It was still sharp.
Just as I turned from the weapons rack, a distant sound drew both mine and Dante’s attention—hoofbeats, faint but growing louder with each second. Our heads snapped toward the direction of the forest path.
Dante tensed and hissed, "Do you hear that? Be ready."
I nodded, instinct taking over as I reached for the blade on my hip. We stood side by side, eyes locked on the treeline. Moments later, riders burst from the trees—eight of them, and at the front was a figure I knew all too well.
Dorian.
He rode hard, flanked by his elite guards and a woman cloaked in dark violet—Calipsa, the witch. My stomach twisted.
Dorian pulled his horse to a halt and cursed loudly as he dismounted. "Damn it all, Tiberius!"
Dante glanced at me and muttered, "That can’t be good."
I strode forward to meet him. "What happened? Spit it out."
Dorian's eyes burned with rage. "Freya. She ran. With Arius."
I froze. "What?"
"Calipsa tracked her scent here. We've been riding for two days," Dorian added, rubbing a hand down his face.
I turned away, suppressing a dark chuckle before it escaped. I looked to Dante. "He can rule a kingdom, but can’t manage one woman. Maybe that's why the goddess gave her two mates—to balance out your failures."
Then I punched him.
Dorian staggered back, stunned by the blow. "What the hell, Tiberius?"
"You had one job," I growled.
Dorian growled, voice raw. "I trusted her, damn it. She left us. Left me!"
"I don’t believe it," I said. "Not without knowing why."
Calipsa, still seated, spoke calmly, "Tracking them will not be easy, but I will find her. Just give me more time. Prepare your men."
Dorian turned to me. "You coming?"
I leapt onto my horse. "You bet I am."
Dante cursed behind me. "Tiberius, you can’t abandon this now. The tribunal—"
"Can wait," I snapped. "This is bigger. When we find her and get answers, then I’ll return."
Dante’s face hardened. "They won’t give you another chance. I won’t be able to protect you."
I looked at him, pain in my chest. "I know. But I have to go."
"That girl is going to get you killed."
"Maybe," I said, spurring my horse forward. "But I have to help her."
 Dante cursed "But maybe she doesn't need your help. If she did, she'd have said something. Damn it, Tiberius, I can't watch you burn down your future for someone who may not even want saving."
I stared at Dante, jaw clenched. "Goodbye, Dante."
He cursed under his breath again, then barked out, "Screw it. I'm riding with you."
A small smirk tugged at my lips. "Didn’t expect anything less."
He mounted his horse beside me. "Let’s be honest, it’ll be more entertaining watching you try to talk sense into that girl than listening to more dusty tribunal speeches about the impossible and the lost."