Chapter Ninety Seven - Sky

Chapter Ninety Seven - Sky
Eron's Pov

“You say your King thinks himself my equal? Me?” my father asked, his tone flat.

“Yes, Your Majesty.” Rendall answered, his head a little bowed.

That statement from his mouth was enough to earn an audible gasp from the elders.

My hand twitched at my side as even I felt the tension spike. The guards along the walls shifted subtly, hands brushing hilts, eyes locked on the intruders.

Mira, perhaps sensing the danger, stepped forward, her voice gentler now. “Forgive my companion’s bluntness. The Alpha King means no insult. He only seeks alliance, or at least understanding, before blood is needlessly spilled again.”

Her eyes flicked briefly to me. Not long, but long enough to notice.

Something inside my chest stirred from that, confusion perhaps or maybe even curiosity, a trace of something else I couldn’t place.

My father must have noticed the glance, because his gaze shifted between us. His tone lost none of its iron, though. “You speak of peace, Priestess. Yet the last time your Alpha crossed our borders, he left half my guard wounded.”

“The last time your warriors ambushed him,” Rendall corrected quietly, “he spared half your guard.”

That silenced my father again.

The councilmen shifted nervously in their seats, waiting for the King to erupt. But he didn’t.

He just looked… tired.

Finally, he said, “You said your King asks to cross through my lands. Why now? Why not send a messenger, a written request like any civilized envoy?”

Rendall bowed his head slightly. “Because he wanted to show respect, by sending us instead. To stand before you, not hide behind words.”

My father exhaled through his nose, slow and deep. “Respect,” he echoed, then rose from his seat. The motion was small, but it filled the room with presence. “Tell me, High Priestess, Advisor… has your King already crossed into my borders? If so, then this little act, this charade was just to sway us?”

Mira shook her head. “No, Your Majesty. Not yet. He awaits your consent.”

He studied them both for a long moment, long enough that I started to feel the tension crawl under my skin.

Then, slowly, he turned his eyes toward me.

The unspoken question hung there.

Why me?

Why would the Alpha King, of all people, call me by name?

I didn’t know the answer, and maybe that was what made my father’s silence so unbearable.

He finally nodded, the decision settling across his face. “Very well,” he said, his voice quieter now but no less firm. “Leave us, Eron. Attend to whatever it is that's so pressing and get back to me.”

I nodded once and then bowed, my gaze shifting from my father to his visitors. “Yes, your Majesty.” I said quietly and left right after, calling after the servant who stood not too far off.

“The answer your King demands,” my father's voice carried on, filling the room once more as I walked out. “as you can see, is not one I can decide without proper and careful consideration.”

The door closed behind us and she followed me into the corridor, her steps light and hurried.

“How did you get that message?” I asked, my voice still tight from everything that just happened inside.

The girl flinched, fumbling with the edge of her sleeve before answering. “I… I was outside the walls, my Prince. With a few others. The High Priest sent us to gather fresh herbs for the temple’s stores.”

My brow furrowed. “And?”

She swallowed. “I might have wandered a little farther than I should have… just past the southern edge of the border field. That’s when they appeared.”

“They?”

“The Alpha King,” she whispered, eyes darting up at me for a split second before lowering again. “He was with a lady, my Prince. He didn’t harm me, I swear it. He only asked me to carry his message here, said it was urgent.”

My heart thumped once, heavy, against my ribs. “A lady?”

“Yes, my Prince,” she said, voice trembling. “She stood beside him, quiet, but… she had this presence. It’s hard to explain. Like she wasn’t afraid of him at all.”

I leaned in slightly. “Describe her.”

The girl blinked fast, searching her memory. “She was young… with hair like moonlight and eyes that looked… sad, I think. But strong too.”

That was all I needed.

I didn’t wait for her to finish. My body moved on instinct before my mind could even catch up. I turned sharply and sprinted down the hallway, the startled voices of guards echoing behind me.

The corridors blurred as I moved fast. The air grew colder crossing into the outer chambers, down the stone stairways that led to the lower courtyard.

My thoughts were a mess, a chaos of dread, curiosity, and something deeper I couldn’t name.

The Alpha King. Here.
And her?

No, it couldn’t be. It shouldn’t be.

But every beat of my heart screamed that it was.

I pushed through the side gate, ignoring the startled guards who tried to call after me. My boots hit the dirt path leading to the forest beyond the palace walls. The scent of pine and damp soil hit me like a wave.

And beneath it… a faint trace of her scent.

I ran faster now. Branches whipped against my shoulders and face, but I didn’t stop. The night air was thick, the moonlight filtering through the trees like scattered shards of silver.

By the time I reached the small cabin, the one I used to nurse her back when we first met, my chest was burning, but I didn’t feel the pain.

Because standing there, by the old wooden railing, was him.

Kael.

The Alpha King himself.

He looked different from the last time we met, he was calmer now, but no less dangerous. His presence filled the space around him like a storm waiting to break.

Then slowly, his eyes locked onto mine.

For a moment, neither of us spoke. The only sound was the faint rustle of the wind.

Then his voice came, low and sharp. “Why did you do it?”

My pulse jumped but I didn’t answer. Not immediately at least, because honestly, I wasn’t sure which part he meant, the border fight, the deal, Sky.

He took a step closer, his tone harder this time. “You broke into my lands, sent your wolves to infiltrate my palace, risked war. Why, Eron?”

I clenched my jaw, forcing my voice to stay level. “You think I’d explain myself to you here? Alone?”

I took a half step back, instinct flaring, ready to shift, to fight, to flee if I had to. Maybe he threatened the maid, maybe he wanted me alone.

But then… I caught it.

That scent again and I was sure I was making it up.

I froze, and before I could speak, the door of the cabin creaked open.

My breath hitched when she stepped out.

Sky.