Chapter 26

Third POV

The Royal Court had not been quiet since the council. Servants whispered in corners, elders spoke in low voices, and the guards exchanged wary looks. Everyone had seen what happened in the throne room, and no one could forget it. Cassius, the quiet one, the son who never raised his voice, had stood against the Alpha King himself. That alone was enough to stir the palace like a hive struck with a stone. But what followed was worse—the tension that now brewed between the brothers.

It was Elliott who could not bear it. He had always been the firstborn, the one to stand above the rest, the one who controlled the room simply by walking into it. He had been possessive of Olympia from the beginning, guarding her with sharp eyes and colder words. To him, she was already his, even if she had never agreed to it. But Cassius’s words in front of their father had struck him deeply. They had not only shocked him; they had threatened the very control he believed he had.

It was late evening when Elliott confronted him. The sky outside burned orange, shadows stretching long across the palace halls. Cassius walked in silence toward his chamber, his cloak brushing the floor, his mind heavy with the weight of what he had done. He had expected anger from his father, whispers from the elders, but what he did not expect was Elliott waiting for him, leaning against the doorway like a lion ready to pounce.

“You,” Elliott said sharply, his voice cutting the air.

Cassius stopped, his eyes calm, though he knew what was coming. “What is it, brother?”

Elliott pushed off the wall, stepping closer. His jaw was tight, his eyes burning with open rage. “Do not act calm with me. Do not act holy. You stood there before Father, before all of us, and you pretended like you are the only one who sees Olympia’s worth. You think I didn’t notice? You think I don’t see the way you look at her now?”

Cassius held his ground, his voice steady. “I said what needed to be said. Father’s plan was wrong. That was all.”

“That was all?” Elliott’s voice rose, echoing down the hall. “You call that all? You made it sound like you are her protector, her savior. You made me look like a fool in front of everyone. And now the whole palace whispers about you, about the exorcist who dares to defy his father for a maid.”

“She is not just a maid, she's your guy's mate.” Cassius replied firmly.

Elliott’s eyes narrowed. His hands curled into fists, his chest rising and falling with anger. “And there it is. The truth. You act like you want nothing to do with her. You hide behind your prayers, behind your silence. But all along, you wanted her for yourself. Hypocrite. You tell us to stay away, yet you burn for her just as much as we do.”

Cassius’s jaw tightened. He did not answer right away. His silence was answer enough, and it only fueled Elliott’s rage.

“You think because you stood up once, she will fall into your arms?” Elliott spat. “You think she will choose you, the holy son who hides behind faith? Do not lie to yourself, Cassius. You are no better than me. At least I do not pretend. I want her. I claim her. I do not dress it in holy words.”

Cassius finally spoke, his voice low but sharp. “You do not own her, Elliott. She is not yours to claim.”

“She is mine,” Elliott growled, stepping closer until they stood only inches apart. “She has always been mine. And I will not let you take her from me.”

The air between them was tense, thick with heat and pride. Their wolves stirred restlessly inside them, sensing the challenge, the unspoken fight. For a moment, it seemed fists would fly, that claws might even unsheathe.

But before the first blow could land, footsteps echoed. Ryder appeared, his usual smile on his lips, though his eyes glinted with something sharper. “Well,” he drawled, leaning casually against the wall. “What do we have here? Brothers hissing like cats over a girl? How charming.”

“Stay out of this,” Elliott snapped, his voice filled with warning.

Ryder only smirked. “Oh, I wouldn’t dream of it. I’ve been waiting for this. It was only a matter of time before one of you cracked. Seems it’s you, Elliott. Always so quick to claim, never willing to share.”

“This is not your concern,” Cassius said evenly.

“Oh, but it is,” Ryder replied, pushing off the wall and stepping forward. “Because I want her too. And unlike you two, I’m not blind about it. I don’t hide behind holy vows, and I don’t strut around like I own her already. I see her for what she is—a girl stuck in this palace, a girl who stirs every wolf in this house. And she stirs mine.”

Elliott turned on him, eyes blazing. “You dare?”

Ryder’s grin widened, but there was no warmth in it. “I do more than dare. I say it to your face. You are not the only one who wants her. And if Cassius has finally grown a backbone, then perhaps we are all rivals now.”

The tension rose higher, the air almost vibrating with it. Their wolves pushed against their control, hungry for dominance, for proof of strength. The bond they all felt but would not admit pressed harder against them, making every breath heavy, every glance sharper.

And then Asher’s voice cut through the storm.

“Enough.”

He stood at the end of the hall, his expression unreadable, his arms crossed as he stepped closer. His voice was calm, but there was steel beneath it. “You are making fools of yourselves. Fighting here in the open like children over a toy.”

Elliott snarled, turning to him. “Do not mock this, Asher. You want her too.”

Asher’s eyes flickered, but his face did not change. “I do,” he admitted simply. “But unlike you, I do not lose control. I do not bare my teeth in the hall for everyone to see. I know how to wait. I know how to play the long game.”

His words made the others still, if only for a moment.

Elliott’s chest heaved, his pride burning. Ryder’s grin stayed, but his eyes had grown sharper. Cassius remained calm, but his silence carried more weight than ever. The four brothers stood facing each other, the truth laid bare between them now. No more hiding. No more pretending. They all wanted her. They all claimed her in their own way. And none of them were willing to give in.

The rivalry had begun.

That night, the palace walls seemed to hum with it. Servants whispered more than ever, elders shook their heads, and Olympia herself felt the change though no one spoke it aloud. The brothers were no longer united. They were no longer four sons of one king. They were rivals circling the same flame, each ready to burn the others to have it.

And at the center of it all stood Olympia, the girl they refused to release, the girl whose bond their wolves already knew but their pride would not accept.

The fight for her had truly begun.