Chapter 78 Chapter 78

Chapter 78 Chapter 78
K A N E

The carriage jolted to a halt at the edge of the ravaged borderlands, the wheels crunching over charred earth and splintered wood.

I stepped down without a flicker of surprise etching my features, the destruction was exactly as I'd anticipated, a brutal scar across my territory courtesy of Alric's pack.

Smoke still curled lazily from the smoldering remnants of our outpost, the air thick with the acrid bite of fire and blood.

Normally, I wouldn't deign to grace this forsaken stretch with my presence, that's what betas and enforcers were for. But today? Today, I'd come with a sharper purpose, hoping to catch the scent of my old rival in the chaos, to end this game of shadows once and for all.

A lone guard broke from the cluster of those patrolling the perimeter, his boots kicking up ash as he rushed toward me.

He dropped to one knee the moment he was close enough, head bowed low in deference, his uniform torn and streaked with soot. "Alpha," he gasped, voice rough from shouting orders or perhaps inhaling too much smoke.

"What is the latest?" I demanded, my tone clipped, eyes scanning the horizon for any sign of lingering threats. The sun hung low, casting long shadows that danced like specters over the debris.

He straightened just enough to meet my gaze briefly before dropping it again. "Alpha, they have retreated. Fled back toward their lines like the cowards they are. But we were able to capture one of the attackers, a scout, by the look of him. He's bound and waiting in the holding tent."

A slow smile crept across my lips, sharp as a blade.

Perfect.

Alric might have slipped the net this time, but one of his dogs in my grasp was better than nothing.

It would yield answers, or at the very least, a message to send back with his mangled corpse.

"Take me to him. Immediately."

The guard nodded vigorously and led the way, weaving through the wreckage. My mind raced ahead, piecing together the strategy.

Alric's raid had come too swiftly after the wedding announcements, word of my union with Elara must have reached him, stoking whatever petty grudge he nursed from our last clash.

He thought he could weaken me at the fringes, force my hand while I consolidated power with a new Luna.

Fool.

This incursion would be his undoing.

We approached the holding tent, a makeshift structure of reinforced canvas and stakes driven deep into the ground.

Two more guards flanked the entrance, their postures rigid, weapons at the ready. They saluted as I neared, parting to let me through.

Inside, the air was stifling, heavy with the metallic tang of fear-sweat and unwashed fur.

The captive knelt in the center, wrists and ankles shackled to iron rings embedded in the dirt floor.

He was a wiry male, mid-thirties by the scars crisscrossing his bare chest, his dark hair matted and his eyes wild with defiance or was it terror? A fresh bruise swelled his jaw, courtesy of his capture, no doubt.

He lifted his head as I entered, snarling through split lips. "Come to gloat, have you? Alpha Alric will—"

I silenced him with a raised hand, circling slowly, letting my presence fill the space like a gathering storm. The guard who escorted me hovered near the flap, awaiting orders.

"Leave us," I said without looking back. He obeyed instantly, the tent flap rustling shut behind him.

Alone now, I crouched to the captive's level, gripping his chin roughly to force his gaze to mine. His breath came in ragged bursts, but he didn't flinch, credit where it was due.

"Alric sends his regards, does he?" I murmured, my voice low and laced with mockery. "Tell me, scout, what was the plan? Hit and run? Draw me out? Or just a tantrum because I claimed what's mine?"

He spat at my feet, a glob of blood-tinged saliva. "You'll get nothing from me, rogue scum. Alpha Alric's is coming for you, all of you. Your pretty new bride won't save you."

Elara.

The mention of her ignited a feral heat in my chest, possessive and unyielding. He'd heard of her, then. Good. Let it fester. I released his chin with a shove, standing to my full height.

"Brave words for a man chained like a pup. But bravery breaks under pressure." I unbuckled my belt slowly, the leather whispering against the buckle, drawing his eyes to the glint of the blade sheathed at my side.

Not yet. Information first.

"Tell me his next move," I pressed, stepping closer, my boot pressing lightly on the chain linking his ankles, testing his resolve. "Where's he massing? How many? Or do I need to carve it out of you?"

The scout's mouth twisted into a mocking leer, even as fresh sweat slicked his skin. "Cross into our lands again, and we'll torch your whole lair...with your bitch inside."

I leaned in. "Last chance. Dawn plans? Flank assaults? Speak, or bleed."

He clamped his lips shut, eyes blazing with suicidal resolve. No quiver, no plea, just silence, thick and challenging. Minutes dragged, my patience fraying like old rope.

This one was forged tougher than the rest, loyalty etched into his bones. Fine. If coaxing failed, brutality would pry it loose.

I straightened up, circling behind him, I let my shadow fall across his back, heavy and inescapable. He twisted his neck, trying to track me, but the chains held him fast, rattling faintly with his futile effort.

"Guards!" I barked, my voice slicing through the tent's stifling air like a whip crack.

The flap burst open, and the two enforcers from outside stormed in, their faces set in grim masks of readiness. They dropped to their knees briefly in salute, then rose, eyes locked on the prisoner.

"Hold him down and get the tools," I commanded, my tone flat, devoid of mercy.

They nodded in unison, moving with the precision of wolves honed by years under my rule. The larger one, with arms like knotted ropes, clamped a meaty hand on the scout's shoulder, forcing his torso flat against the dirt.

The other darted to a shadowed corner, where a weathered wooden box sat unassuming against the canvas wall.

He flipped the lid open with a creak, revealing an array of iron implements, pliers, blades, hooks, gleaming dully in the lantern light.

The captive bucked against the restraint, his muscles straining, but the guard's grip was ironclad, pinning him like a fresh kill.

Sweat poured down his face now, mixing with the grime, but his jaw stayed locked, defiance flickering in those wild eyes.

I knelt beside his feet, the chains clinking as I positioned myself. Grabbing his right ankle to steady it, I nodded to the guard with the box. "Take one of his toenails. Let's see how many we can take before he starts to speak."