Chapter 191

ALPHA PARTHE.

"It took you long enough, Urik," I said when I saw him striding into my courtroom like a man walking towards his own execution. "Finally got some nerves to face me?"

Bharon and Kefas had the perfect look of displeasure on their faces as their gazes rested on Urik.

Like everyone else, they had been disappointed—furious—with the way things had turned out two days ago, and Urik made sure to stay away from everyone's eyes. I hadn't seen him since the day of the false alarm.

He had vanished the moment things went south, leaving me to clean up his mess.

Coward.

Tervan kept on asking me what really happened and how we got the information about an attack that never happened. He was also curious as to what pack was going to attack us and all, but I never gave him any reasonable explanation.

Because what was I supposed to say? That I had suspected my own right-hand man of treason? And that we had gone to such lengths to actually catch him in the act... In an act that he was never involved in? That I had nearly burned a loyal warrior at the stake over Urik's bullshit?

I ground my teeth.

No. That was not something I was willing to admit.

"Alpha," Urik greeted with a curt bow, ignoring Bharon and Kefas.

"You may leave now," I turned to Kefas, "Don't forget all we've planned. We still have a chance to win this war, even though we lost our first best opportunity," I let my eyes drag back to Urik as I spoke, making sure he felt the meaning behind the words I was saying.

He avoided my gaze.

"Yes, Alpha. We'll return with victory," Kefas said, and of course, I trusted him to lead my warriors to victory.

Valor Shield was too small a pack to require my presence on the battlefield. Besides, my mind was too clouded to think straight. Too full of her.

Luxuria.

I clenched my fists.

"May the goddess be with you," I said and dispatched them.

Over two thousand warriors set out for the war ahead. The other one thousand waited behind in case a surprise backup was needed during the war.

I turned back to Urik, already dismissing him in my mind.

"I've been at the—" he started.

I cut him off before he could waste my time with excuses. "Save it."

What was he going to say? Explain where he had run off to when he should have stood like a man and faced his shame.

He stiffened.

"I don't need to hear where you've been," I continued coldly. "Not a word from you. You've caused enough damage already."

His jaw tensed. "Look, Parthe—"

I shot him a glare, standing up and eager to retire to my chamber. That was the only place I felt close to Luxuria. Her memories linger in every corner of my chamber. So, I always spent a lot of time alone there, punishing myself and, at the same time, letting myself feel like she was somehow around me.

"Parthe," He heaved a sigh, his shoulders sagging, "I would never do anything to intentionally jeopardize the peace or smooth structure of the pack. Everything I do is for its welfare, its strength. If you think otherwise, then I am sorry."

Was he being serious? He wasn't sorry for misleading us. He was only sorry because I think he did wrong?

I scoffed.

"You're sorry if I think you did wrong?" My voice dripped with disbelief. "Not sorry for misleading me? Not sorry for feeding me false information and making a fool of me in front of my warriors?"

"Because I didn't mislead you." He said, and I scoffed. "I am still positive about Shikta's warnings. I feel the enemies outsmarted us, and..."

Rage roared to life inside me.

"Shut it, Urik!" I slammed my fist against the table so hard the wood groaned. "Do you have any idea what it means to look your own friend in the eye and see a traitor? Do you know what it's like to doubt someone who has stood beside you for years?"

Urik flinched.

"A friend like Tervan? I feel like a fool for letting you mislead me in the first place. And here you are, still standing on what that woman told you? A woman who is blinded by her own hatred?"

I ran my fingers through my hair in disbelief, "When would you wake up to see that Shikta is not trying to help this pack?" I seethed. "She is trying to bury Tervan. She wants his blood because she thinks he killed her child."

"And have you asked yourself this simple question...?" He stepped closer, meeting my furious gaze, "What if he did?"

***

LUXURIA.

For the past two days, Rorden had been very angry over reasons I didn't even care to find out. He'd been hardly in his chamber, and I was thankful for that.

It was as if his darkness was corrupting me. I couldn't believe I had killed two more slaves after the two frightened girls I had killed in cold blood.

Rorden kept telling me he was preparing me for what was to come.

And it scared me.

He had placed a restricting spell around me. Now, I was only confined to this chamber. I never went anywhere else unless he wished so.

I rubbed my stomach slowly, and a sad smile escaped my lips, "I am sorry you both have to go through this," a tear slid down my cheek, "But I am certain that one day, you'll get to meet your father, and he'd be happy to have you both in his life."

I blinked rapidly to stop the tears from flowing, lifting my gaze to the large, empty expanse of the field where I had seen thousands of warriors training in the last few days.

They trained as if there was a great war they were preparing for, and each time I asked Rorden what was going on, he'd tell me I'd know in due time.

But the whole of today seemed different.

I had hardly seen the warriors, including Rorden. He usually checked on me almost hourly, but today, he only checked on me once, and I was thankful for that.

Something seemed off. Occasionally, the witches passed by the window, carrying out various rituals. For some reason, my heart wasn't at rest.

"Pssst! Pssstt!" I heard someone call out from outside the window, and I narrowed my brows. That was strange.

I used my wolf's vision to look ahead into the large greenery, but there was still no one. Just as I was about to turn around and head back to the confines of the bed where I lay and cursed Rorden every minute, I heard it again. This time, the sound came from close by.

When I looked again, I almost choked on my breath.

This had to be another dream or a figment of my imagination.

"Sibile?" I whispered.

"There is no time, Luxuria," she said, looking around frantically, "Take this. You need it," she slipped something into my hand, and when I looked, it was a piece of paper... It looked very familiar.

"What... What is this? And what are you doing here? I thought I was just imagining things the other day I saw you. I..." I had a lot to say at the same time.

"There is no time. Read this as soon as possible. It is all you need to know about the ritual," Sibile rushed through her words.

The ritual? What ritual?

Before I could ask her any further questions, she ran off into the darkness just in time for the door behind me to swing open.

I almost jumped out of my skin, but thankfully, I was quick enough to tuck the paper into the belt of my dress. I'd look for a better hiding place for it soon.

My heart skipped painfully when my gaze rested on Rorden.

He looked scarier than I ever knew him to look.

He looked so wrong.

Dark lines webbed across his face, stretching down his bare chest and curling around his arms. He looked savage.

His bare heaved, rising and falling in a jerky motion. His eyes—Goddess, his eyes—were glazed over, drunk on something far worse than rage... Raw power that stained the atmosphere.

"Rorden..." I called, swallowing the pins in my throat.

His lips curled into something that barely resembled a smile.

"It is time, Luxuria."