Chapter 39 CHAPTER 39
The voices of the elders still rang in his head long after they’d left. The council chamber, once filled with heated words and sharp gazes, now stood empty - but the air still crackled with the tension they’d left behind.
Ethan rubbed a hand over his jaw and let out a slow, frustrated breath. Every word - every accusation - echoed like a blade scraping against stone. Reckless. Impulsive. Dangerous.
Rex stirred inside him, a low, warning growl vibrating through his chest. Let them talk. We know the truth.
He didn’t reply. Words weren’t enough to silence the storm building inside him. What he needed was movement, the clash of steel, something that could burn the anger from his veins.
He stripped off his coat, revealing the dark leather beneath, and grabbed a sword from the rack by the door. Its familiar weight grounded him. With one deep inhale, he strode out toward the training grounds.
The clang of blades met him first sharp, rhythmic, alive. The afternoon sun bled gold over the courtyard, casting long shadows across the warriors as they sparred in formation. Dust swirled underfoot; sweat glistened on muscled backs.
When they noticed him, movement faltered. The metallic music stilled. One by one, the warriors turned, dropping to one knee and bowing their heads.
“Continue,” Ethan commanded, his voice firm but even.
They obeyed at once, though their glances followed him with reverent unease. His presence, though welcome, always carried a certain weight.
From across the field, Liam looked up, his expression softening. He dismissed a trainee with a nod and started toward Ethan, wiping sweat from his brow with the back of his hand.
“Are you looking for the girls?” Liam asked when he reached him, his tone casual but probing.
Ethan shook his head. “No. I just came to spar.”
Liam arched a brow. “You must have just missed them. They were here a moment ago, wandering around the gardens. I told them to go back to the house.”
Ethan’s gaze flicked briefly toward the path leading to the castle. “And?”
Liam sighed. “And the warriors noticed. A few couldn’t keep their mouths shut, especially about the human girl. Some of them are... curious. Others, less kind.”
Ethan’s grip tightened on the hilt of his sword. “The council said the same. That bringing a human here was reckless.”
“Reckless?” Liam echoed, snorting softly. “No. Brave, maybe. But not reckless. Unless you start believing them.”
Ethan gave a faint, humourless smile. “You always did know how to test my patience.”
“Patience builds strength,” Liam said, stepping back and gesturing to the practice ring. “Or have you forgotten?”
Ethan’s eyes narrowed. “You think you can still keep up?”
Liam grinned. “Care to find out?”
They circled each other, swords drawn, eyes locked. The air between them pulsed with anticipation, two warriors who’d fought side by side for years, brothers not by blood but by bond.
Ethan struck first - a sharp, swift swing that Liam blocked with practiced ease. The clang rang out, slicing through the air.
“You heard them,” Ethan said between blows, each word punctuated by movement. “The council. They think I should’ve asked for permission before bringing her here.”
Liam ducked, spun, countered. “You’re the king, Ethan. You don’t ask permission to protect family.”
Another clash - steel meeting steel, sparks in the air.
“They said I might have endangered the court. That she….”
Liam cut him off mid-sentence, parrying hard. “That human girl saved your sister’s life. If not for her, Lisa would still be lost - or worse.”
Ethan’s jaw flexed. He swung again, his movements faster, angrier. “You sound like you don’t care that she’s human.”
Liam grunted, blocking another strike. “I don’t. What she did was more than some Lycans would dare. Humanity isn’t weakness, Ethan. Sometimes, it’s the only thing keeping us from becoming monsters.”
Rex’s deep voice rumbled through Ethan’s thoughts, low and approving. He speaks truth. That girl’s courage smells of loyalty... not fear.
The next few strikes came faster - Ethan’s frustration pouring into every blow, Liam meeting each one head-on.
“She’s different,” Ethan said finally, breath heavy. “But the others won’t see that. They’ll see a threat. The same way the elders did.”
Liam sidestepped, catching Ethan’s wrist with his blade before stepping back. “You can’t lead by fear, Ethan. If you start doubting your own choices, everyone else will too.”
Ethan paused for half a breath, then lunged again. The sound of their swords clashing echoed through the courtyard, the rhythm matching the pulse in his veins.
Liam pushed harder now, forcing Ethan to move, to think, to focus. “Your father fought for rogues no one trusted,” he said between parries. “Your mother healed wolves others thought unworthy. They led with strength and heart. You inherited both.”
Ethan’s next strike faltered - just a moment - but it was enough for the words to sink in. His parents’ faces flashed in his mind: his father’s steady gaze, his mother’s soft smile. He steadied his stance.
“I’m not them,” he muttered.
“No,” Liam said, spinning to disarm a blow. “But you’re their son.”
Their swords locked again, metal grinding against metal. Ethan pushed forward with a burst of force, spinning out and knocking Liam’s blade from his hand. It flew across the ring and landed in the dust with a heavy thud.
Ethan’s sword came to rest at Liam’s throat.
For a heartbeat, silence reigned - broken only by the ragged sound of their breathing. Then Liam grinned faintly, eyes glinting with both respect and humour.
“That’s the king I know,” he said hoarsely.
Ethan stared down at him for a moment before letting out a slow exhale. The tension that had been coiled in his chest since morning began to ease. He lowered his sword, helping Liam to his feet.
“You never make it easy,” Ethan said quietly.
“Wouldn’t be worth it if I did,” Liam replied, brushing dust from his shirt.
Rex’s growl softened into a hum. We are whole again, Alpha. The fire burns steady now.
Ethan looked toward the castle. From where he stood, he could almost picture Cindy’s laughter, Isabel’s wide-eyed curiosity. Two girls whose paths had crossed his - and changed everything.
“I’ll fight for them,” he said under his breath, his voice barely above the wind. “Both of them.”
Liam’s hand landed firmly on his shoulder. “Then fight proud. You’re not alone in this.”
Ethan nodded, his eyes hardening - not with anger, but resolve.
The clang of steel resumed around them as the warriors, inspired by what they’d just seen, sparred with renewed vigour. The king and his Beta stood side by side, steady and unbroken.
And for the first time since the council meeting, Ethan felt the weight on his shoulders shift - still heavy, yes, but no longer crushing.
He was still their king.
And he would carry that weight - heart, sword, and all.