Chapter 32 Wolves in Silk
Rhea POV
The garden still smelled like rain when Garran appeared under the stone archway, his his expression carved from worry. The way his boots clicked against the marble told me before he opened his mouth that something was wrong.
“Alpha,” he said, his eyes darting between Rhett and me. “Lord Malrec of the Vampire Court has arrived. He’s demanding audience.”
The air left my lungs.
“Malrec?” I repeated, my voice hoarse. “You’re serious?”
Rhett’s whole body went rigid. Garran only nodded once.
Cold realization slid through me like a blade. “You weren’t lying. They’re really coming....all of them.”
Rhett turned to me. “Rhea....”
But the panic was already spilling out. “First the dragons, now vampires. You think this is coincidence? They’re circling, Rhett. They know I’m here.”
“They don’t,” he said firmly. “Not yet.”
“Not yet,” I shot back, “isn’t a comfort.”
He ignored the jab. “Garran, contact the Lunar Guard and double the perimeter guard. Lord Malrec doesn’t step foot inside without my order. I want archers on every tower.” Then his gaze snapped to me. “And I want three guards on her at all times.”
I stared at him. “You’re not serious.”
He didn’t even blink. “If anyone touches her, they die.”
“Rhett....”
He cut me off. “No arguments.”
I wanted to fight, to claw some autonomy back from the chaos, but his eyes were wild and his scent was threaded with fear. Genuine fear. It hit me then that this wasn’t about control. He was terrified of losing me again.
“Fine,” I said tightly. “But if one of them so much as breathes in my direction, I’ll set them on fire.”
His mouth twitched. “Aim low. Armor’s expensive.”
A few minutes later, I had an escort, three towering wolves in dark armor. They didn’t talk....they just surrounded me in a moving wall of muscle and silent obedience as we wound down through the castle’s lower levels.
The deeper we went, the more the air smelled of stone and cedar polish. My boots echoed against the steps until the corridor opened into a vast underground den. The ceiling soared above us, carved with runes that glowed faintly gold. Rich carpets covered the floor, and soft light flickered from wall sconces shaped like wolf heads.
It was beautiful, and wrong. Like luxury built on bones.
I barely had time to take it in before I noticed them.
Four women lounged near a long table, all gleaming hair, polished claws, and sharp smiles. The scent of wealth and wolf magic hung around them like perfume.
I recognized only one. Lira Vane.
Her pale hair was braided tightly, threaded with wolf teeth. Her eyes, ice-blue and cutting, ran down my body like she was inspecting a stain.
The other three I didn’t know.
Lira’s lips curled. “Well, well. The ghost herself.”
I forced a smile. “And here I thought the frost queen was a myth.”
The tallest of the strangers set down her glass of wine and looked me over, unbothered. “You must be the one everyone’s whispering about,” she said. “I’m Gamma Elisa Graymont, wife of Gamma Cayle Graymont. These are Lady Gianna Levette and Lady Stacia Humboldt, both wives of council wolves.”
“Pleasure,” I said, my tone dry as dust. “You all look terrifying.”
Lira laughed, a brittle, perfect sound that didn’t touch her eyes. “She thinks she’s funny.”
Elisa smirked. “She thinks she belongs here.”
My guards stiffened, the nearest one moving half a step forward. Lira’s gaze cut toward him, offended. “Why are the Alpha’s personal guards attending a guest?”
“They’re not attending,” I said, stepping around the guard. “They’re protecting.”
Elisa arched a brow. “Protecting you?”
Gianna gave a low, musical laugh. “From what? His hospitality?”
“From people with too much free time and not enough spine,” I said sweetly.
That earned a hiss of breath from Stacia. “You will show respect, girl. These are noble women of the Dominion.”
“Respect is earned,” I replied. “Not inherited.”
Lira’s eyes flashed like ice catching sunlight. “Careful, little Ghost. You’re far from your rebellion holes now.”
“Right,” I said. “And yet somehow, you all still look scared.”
For a heartbeat, no one moved. Then Elisa’s expression hardened. “The Alpha may pity you, but he cannot change what you are. A rebel. A killer. A woman who belongs in a cell, not a castle.”
I smiled faintly. “You must be fun at parties.”
Gianna leaned back in her chair, swirling her wine. “You’re bold, I’ll give you that. It won’t last long. Wolves don’t take kindly to outsiders, especially ones sleeping in their king’s bed.”
I froze. “Excuse me?”
Her grin was pure poison. “Oh, you didn’t think it was a secret, did you? This whole castle smells like you.”
My cheeks flared with heat, not embarrassment, but anger. “Careful what you say,” I murmured.
Gianna’s brows rose. “Is that a threat?”
Lira stood smoothly, her gown catching the light. “Oh, let her threaten,” she said. “It will only make her fall harder when the council learns who she really is. The Alpha brought home a rebellion assassin, and they’ll demand her execution.”
“Guess you’ll have to get through me first,” I said, stepping closer.
Her lips curved. “Gladly.”
The tension snapped tight as wire. My magic hummed under my skin, warmth blooming down my arms, ready to ignite. The air between us shimmered faintly, and one of the guards muttered under his breath, his hand on his sword.
Then a voice thundered from the doorway.
“Enough!”
All four women turned. Garran stood there, tall and battle-worn, his eyes glowing faintly gold. The command in his voice left no room for defiance.
“The Alpha has given orders,” he said. “Luna Rhea is to be protected by his personal guard at all times. That is not negotiable.”
The room went still.
Gianna blinked in disbelief. Stacia made a small noise, half gasp, half prayer. Elisa looked ready to spit fire. But Lira....Lira didn’t move. She just stared at me, her beautiful mask cracking into something sharp and dangerous.
Luna Rhea.
Gods, she hated that.
“Protected?” Elisa repeated slowly. “By decree?”
“By his command as King of the Wildlands,” Garran said, his tone final.
The words sank into the air like a stone in water.
I smiled. Slowly. “You heard him. Try not to choke on it.”
Garran nodded to my guards. “Escort her to her quarters. And make sure no one disturbs her. If anyone asks, she answers only to the Alpha.”
The guards surrounded me again, leading me toward the exit. Behind me, I heard whispers rising, sharp, furious, and hungry.
At the threshold, I glanced back once. Lira’s blue eyes locked on mine, blazing with icy promise.
I didn’t need wolf hearing to know what she was thinking. This isn’t over.
As the heavy door closed behind me, the murmurs faded to silence. My pulse didn’t. It thudded in my throat, too fast and too fucking loud.
The guards escorted me through another corridor, dim and quiet now. I caught one muttering under his breath, “Apologies, my Luna. We didn’t know they’d be there.”
“It’s fine,” I said automatically.
But my thoughts wouldn’t settle. The moment the door to my room shut and the lock clicked, I pressed a hand to my chest, feeling the rhythm beneath my skin, four steady beats, four lives tangled into mine.
Each one thrummed in warning, restless, protective, and furious.
The Wildlands might have given me a room and a title, but I knew better than to call it safety.
The nobles smiled like predators. The dragons were watching. The vampires were at the gate.
And for all Rhett’s growling and promises, I had the uneasy sense that the only thing truly keeping me alive… was the fire burning inside me.