Chapter 74 CHAPTER 74
Ethan finally settled into his chair and folded his hands on the table. The morning meeting with the Elders had clearly worn him down; faint exhaustion lined his eyes, but his voice remained steady. “So,” he said, studying Liam with quiet seriousness, “what brought you here so early? You said you had something to discuss.”
Liam nodded and leaned forward slightly. Now that the moment was finally here, the weight of everything he had gathered pressed against him in one heavy breath. “I’ve been investigating,” he began. “Every odd thing that’s been happening since Lisa came home. Every unusual movement in Silverpine, every strange story from the human realm, every unexplained pattern. And the more I look at it… the more everything seems to point toward Lisa.”
Ethan’s expression didn’t shift - didn’t widen in surprise or narrow in suspicion - but Liam knew the king well enough to see when he was paying full attention. “Point toward her how?” Ethan asked.
“That’s the problem,” Liam said. “I see the patterns, but I still can’t map the meaning. There are too many coincidences for this to be random. Her abduction. Her return. Nolan finding her before we did. The witches reappearing. Sarah. Kael collapsing. The spell. And now…” He hesitated, deciding how best to reveal the next piece. “Now humans are involved.”
Ethan frowned. “Humans?”
“Yes.” Liam’s tone dropped. “Last night I saw something on the human news - something we can’t ignore anymore.”
He explained the disappearances: the young men aged eighteen to twenty-six, vanishing without a trace. The supernatural-themed parties. The fact that the police had absolutely no leads. The empty streets. The terrified parents. The increasing numbers.
Ethan’s brows drew together. “Do you think the witches are behind it?”
“It feels connected,” Liam said. “I don’t believe they’re just targeting wolves anymore. I think they’re widening their net to include humans. Strengthening something. Building something. And whatever it is… it’s big.”
Ethan leaned back, the fire in the hearth reflecting in his eyes. “So you believe the witches intend to affect both realms.”
“Yes.” Liam nodded firmly. “And we still can’t get anywhere near their stronghold. They’ve shielded their village, and they’ve broken every trail I try to follow. The only link we have is Sarah. And Lisa.”
Ethan stiffened slightly at his sister’s name, though his voice remained calm. “Are you suggesting we bring Sarah in for questioning?”
Liam shook his head immediately. “No. That’s the worst thing we could do. After the spy killed herself the night of Lisa’s first shift, we lost our only direct connection to the witches. If we confront Sarah and she senses danger, she might do the same. And then we’ll lose the second link.”
“So what do we do instead?” Ethan asked quietly.
“We watch her,” Liam said. “We let her think she’s safe. We don’t alert her in any way. If she believes she’s undetected, she might lead us straight to the witches. Or slip up. Or reveal something. As long as she doesn’t know we know, she’s useful.”
Ethan considered this. “And Sebastian? His wolf?”
“Rex found a healer in the wolf realm,” Liam said. “Kael is in the realm now, away from Sarah’s influence. As long as Kael is treated there, Sebastian’s physical body might weaken, but it won’t collapse entirely. When Kael gains strength, he’ll pull Sebastian back up with him. It buys us time.”
Ethan exhaled slowly. “So what’s the next step?”
“School,” Liam said simply. “Classes at Lunaris School open in a week. Lisa will be attending. And Sebastian and Sarah will be there too.”
Ethan nodded slightly. “You’ll accompany her.”
“Yes.” Liam’s voice was steady. “As her bodyguard. I’ll stay with her throughout the day, shadow Sarah, and watch every move she makes. If anything suspicious happens, I’ll catch it.”
“And Silverpine?” Ethan asked. “They’ll learn the truth about her.”
Liam didn’t hesitate. “It’s time. They treated her as a slave. They mocked her. They beat her. They left her to die. It’s overdue for them to see who she truly is. And if I glare at them or snap at them, they’ll simply think it’s because of her past - not because we know the truth about Sarah.”
Ethan’s expression softened in a way only Liam ever saw. “Thank you,” he said quietly. “I trust you with her life.”
Liam’s chest tightened - not with guilt this time, but with a fierce, protective certainty. “I won’t let anything happen to her. I care about Lisa.”
“I know,” Ethan said gently.
For a moment, the room fell into a thoughtful silence, the fire crackling between them like a soft heartbeat.
A knock broke the quiet.
Ethan straightened. “Come in.”
One of Liam’s own court staff stepped inside, bowing respectfully. “Your Majesty, there is someone here to see you.”
Ethan gestured. “Send them in.”
The staff member stepped aside, and the doorway filled with the tall, broad figure of an Alpha - one from a pack deep within Ethan’s territory. His clothes were travel-dusted, his hair slightly disheveled from the road. But it was his expression - tight, worried, shifting between Liam and Ethan - that made both men rise to their feet.
“Your Majesty,” the Alpha greeted with a bow. Then he turned to Liam and gave a respectful nod. “Commander.”
Ethan stepped forward. “Alpha Reed! What a surprise! You rarely come to these sides of the kingdom. What brings you here unannounced? Not that I’m not happy to see you but you look troubled. Is everything okay at Red valley?”
The Alpha swallowed, his throat bobbing once before he spoke.
“Your Majesty… Commander… I come with news from my pack. Disturbing news.”
Liam narrowed his eyes. “Disturbing in what way?”
The Alpha’s voice dropped. “Whatever I say… involves you both. And it cannot be delayed.”
Liam and Ethan exchanged a sharp, silent look…