Chapter 190

Ileus' POV

My wolf… he wouldn't stop growling angrily just because I had thrown Lilith in the dungeon.

And even then, my heart made everything worse. Anytime I thought about the poor and tormenting state of the dungeon, my chest would ache painfully.

That dungeon was constructed for the cruelest of criminals and even though Lilith was right behind bars by default, I just couldn't bear the fact that she would stay in such a dark, cold, and stinky place.

Hence the reason why I ordered for them to be given mats, lanterns, and food. Though it did nothing to ease the anger of my wolf, at least it made my heart at peace.

But the peace did not last long when the maid came over to tell me that Lilith hadn't been eating. Only Ryker had been eating. I had even ordered that her favourite be made… but still she wasn't eating.

Then I realised that I might not even know her at all. Maybe her favourite wasn't her favourite after all. That was why I ordered the maid to give her everything she asked for.

By the third day, I had become a shadow of myself. Sleep had become a luxury I couldn't afford. Even my appetite was lost. I was overly cranky to the extent that the palace staff felt suffocated and couldn't help but walk on eggshells around me. I kept thinking about Reika, my beautiful daughter, and how she had been without her father… and also about Lilith.

I hated that I still cared about her so much and thought of her every moment of the day, but unfortunately I realised that there was nothing that could be done to stop her thoughts from invading my mind.

The door creaked open and Vincent stepped in. He bowed. “The warlords are already waiting in the war room, Alpha.”

I nodded and strapped my sword around the waist of my black war outfit with an eagle crest on the shoulder. “Let's go.”

I stormed out of the room and he trailed behind me. Together, we made our way towards the war room that was at the far end of the palace.

Stepping inside the room, the Alphas from the neighbouring packs which I had requested for their alliance in the war, and also the pack generals, stood and chorused greetings.

I lowered myself at the end of the long table. “Sit, everyone.”

They all sat back in their seats.

“Thank you all for coming,” I began, my voice authoritative. “Like we've planned in the past three days, tomorrow we attack the Northern province.”

Immediately after I ordered for Lilith to be put in the dungeon that day, I had met up with the warlords and since then we had been planning the war that would be scheduled for tomorrow.

They nodded in understanding.

“Now General Gomez,” I gestured to a middle-aged man with scanty beards around his jaw. “Please can you give us the entire report of the plans?”

“Yes, your majesty,” he stood, bowed, and began speaking. “Before sunrise tomorrow, we will leave the pack. There are carriers waiting to convey the soldiers to the North. Hopefully we will get there before sunset. We will take some hours to rest, gather some information about the security at the palace which shouldn't be tight since Kael doesn't know we are coming, then we will strike by midnight since we are not attacking the innocent pack members. Hopefully, by morning we would have conquered.”

I and the other warlords nodded in agreement.

“That is such a smart plan, General.”

He bowed. “Thank you, your majesty. And again, concerning the spy, what should we do with her?”

Because I knew that Kael couldn't have hired and trusted Lilith enough to get rid of me without having a spy keep a close watch on her, I set a trap.

On the day Lilith was arrested, I told my trusted men to keep an eye on the palace staff, especially the newly employed ones. That same night, I caught a young maid about to send a letter to Kael to tell him that Lilith seemed to have been discovered and had been arrested.

Hence the reason why I was sure that Kael did not know we are coming.

“Leave her alone for now,” I said, then stood. “Since everything is set, we leave before sunrise tomorrow morning. No mistakes. No slacking off.”

“Yes, Alpha!” They chorused.

I turned and walked out of the room. Just as I was about to step into my chamber, a young petite maid suddenly ran forward.

“Alpha,” she called, her voice tiny and fear-filled.

Vincent stepped in front of her. “How dare you?”

The lady shrieked with fear but she did not back down. “The lady— she asked me to tell you that she would like to see you.”

I placed a hand on Vincent's shoulder and pushed him away gently.

“Which lady?” I asked even though I knew.

“The lady in the dungeon. She said she would like to have a word with you.”

I paused briefly.

Lilith would like to see me? Why?

I wouldn't even deny that I had been wanting to see her too, but I had been scared of so many things.

I had been scared of the fact that she might realize just how much I still cared about her. And again, I was scared about the fact that I might feel more guilty if I saw how much the harsh life in the dungeon had taken a toll on her. And lastly, that would break my wolf completely.

But then…

“Alright then. You may leave.”

The lady scurried away without raising her head.

I froze at the spot for a while before I turned and started walking towards the dungeon. I was curious about her wellbeing and what more she had to say. And again, I'd let her know about my plans to attack the Northern province tomorrow.

“Where are you going, your majesty?” Vincent asked.

“To the dungeon,” I answered.