Chapter 33
{Ryanna’s POV}
The weight of the coming dinner settled on my chest the moment I opened my eyes. Blinking the blurred tiredly from my gaze.
‘Tonight.’ I thought. It could very well be a trap set with silk and silverware instead of blades and spikes… No, I had no doubt that was the case. It might not be obvious at the moment, but whatever plan he had for this dinner would be realized. I sigh as I exit the room, dressed in the slightly creased tunic by my side. Casper’s room next door is empty, and his food is cold.
“Casper!” I called as I headed out, “What did I tell you about leaving your food without even touching it?”
Outside, the camp buzzed like a stirred hive. Wolves hurried between huts, carrying bolts of cloth, and armfuls of greenery, their faces set with purpose. I spotted Ophelia ahead, leaning against a post, watching the flurry, with a satisfied smirk playing on her lips.
The deep cuts on her were neatly bound, her stance firm again. She was mostly healed now.
“What’s all this?” I asked, nodding at the controlled chaos.
Her smirk widened. “A surprise for you and the pup. Patience, Ryanna. Just wait a bit longer.”
“Patience isn’t my go-to virtue today, Ophelia.”
“Never has been,” she chuckled. “Humor us.”
“I see you’re searching for Casper?” She asked just as he materialized beside me, his brow furrowed.
“You called? Also, any idea what they’re up to? Vann shooed me out of the storage hut. I went to get, um, spice for my breakfast.”
“I have no idea either,” I shot him a stern glance as I replied.
“Go finish your meal then.” I completed watching Basten direct two younger wolves struggling with a large, covered bundle.
We didn’t wait long. Magnus stepped forward, clearing his throat. The activity ceased instantly. Every face turned towards Casper and me. Vann and Adolph approached, each carrying something draped in soft, undyed linen.
“Ryanna. Casper,” Vann began, his voice thick with an emotion I rarely heard from the stoic elder. “We’ve followed you through fire and blood. Even in loss you still led us home. You gave us a place and a voice. Words are poor thanks. So… we made these.”
Adolph lifted the linen from his bundle first, revealing a gown. Not Moonskin finery, but something uniquely us. Deep forest green wool, smooth and strong, woven with a barely noticeable silver thread that caught the light like seized starlight. The neckline was simple, the sleeves fitted but practical, cinched at the waist with a braided leather belt. It was beautiful, in a way I couldn’t find words to express.
“Oh,” I breathed, my fingers brushing the cool, rich fabric.
Then Vann unveiled Casper’s gift. A tunic and pants of a rich, deep blue, the color of twilight. Fine leather strengthened the shoulders and cuffs, tooled with intricate, swirling patterns that looked like forest paths. A silver clip, shaped like a leaping wolf, clutched a cloak of midnight wool lined with delicate grey fur.
Casper stared, amazed. “You… you made these? For us?”
“Aye,” Adolph grunted, shifting his broken arm in its sling. “Couldn’t have you facing that viper in rags, could we? Show the Moonskin what true strength looks like.”
Tears stung my eyes, hastily blinked them away. This was more than clothing. It was a gift made true. A declaration of loyalty is woven in every thread. “It’s perfect,” I managed. “Thank you. All of you.”
×××
The Great Hall loomed, a monument to Aurelius’s power. Torches blazed along the cold walls, casting long, dancing shadows on anything blocked from their light. The air was dense with the fragrance of roasting meat, rich gravy, flavored wine, and sweet honey-glazed root vegetables – a banquet probably planned to overpower the feelings and perhaps, the will.
Aurelius sat at the head of the long table like a king scanning his territory. He was on black velvet so deep it appeared to swallow light itself, magnified with silver thread in patterns taking the appearance of frost on dead branches. A heavy silver chain relaxed on his chest, the Moonstone at the center of his chain shining with cold fire. He looked every inch the predator, graceful and utterly deadly. Alpha of the Moonskin pack.
Casper, by my side in his twilight blue and silver, carried himself stiffly straight, the leaping wolf clip glowing. This close to me, I could see how much he looked like his father, even down to the anxiety in his jaw. My forest green gown felt like both a guard and a cloak in this lair of wolves even though we were the only ones inside. I could sense his men, and mine too just out of reach.
Platters were laid before us — succulent meats, oil-drizzled vegetables, bread still warm from the ovens. Wine as dark as blood-filled crystal goblets. The aromas were intoxicating, a cruel difference to the tangle of worry in my stomach.
I had no cravings despite the delicious meal set before us. In the presence of Aurelius, all my senses worked on overdrive. Muscles taut. My mind was racing, thinking of all the ways he could try to pull something off, and all the ways I would be forced to react.
Breathing the same air as he rubbed me in all the wrong ways. His strong, once irresistible scent repulses me. In the time I’ve been forced to sit here, unable to think about anything but him, I have dreaded each second more than the last.
I watch — all the ways I could attack him now playing like a memory in my head — as he lifts his goblet, the crystal catching the firelight and even the room itself seemed to hold its breath.
“A toast,” he announced, his voice smooth as the velvet he wore, yet carrying to every corner of the silent hall.
He raised the goblet higher, his cold eyes fixed not on the wine, but on me, then Casper like a hunter sighting prey. “To wisdom found in this old proverb; He that buys land buys many stones, He that buys flesh buys many bones, He that buys eggs buys many shells…”
His gaze swept over us, the unspoken threat clear to anyone who had ears as he uttered the final line; “But he that buys good ally buys nothing else.”