Ch. 31| The Battle Line

ADONIS AUGUSTUS 

“We found these!” Icarus reported as a guard stepped forward and laid a folded bedsheet and a few pieces of clothing on the ground.

I had just finished talking to the soldiers, ordering them to stay alert and prepare for the unexpected. They should guard the boundary between our pack and the neighbouring territories. I have this hunch that Dominus would soon make a reckless move. He's short-tempered and capable of doing anything to get what he wants.

I don't want to be caught off guard by him.

That was why I decided to act first, making sure our defences were in place before he had the chance to strike. My pack could not afford blind wars. Blind wars destroy packs faster than any enemy could and the members end up as slaves to the conquering pack. It’s like my tricky card games, it’s not always about playing faster, it’s about playing smarter.

I sat back on my throne, my eyes moving between Icarus and Nikko. They had been searching the woods, and as I listened to them, a part of me remained unsettled. Because my brother isn't sitting beside me.

Since last night, after our heated argument in the office which ended with me walking out first, I haven't seen Adonai. Normally, I wouldn’t worry too much. He had always been calm and collected, the silent one who knew when to let me cool off. But this time felt different. Too different. I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong.

Icarus gestured to the pile of belongings. “We found them in a cave down the path of the late Alpha’s hunting grounds,” he explained.

I frowned. Clothes and a bedsheet… They belonged to either Cedar or Deklan, because their scents filled the air the moment the guards arrived.

“Did you mount guards around the perimeters?” I asked quickly, thinking hard. “If they don’t have shelter, they’ll be hiding nearby, waiting for you to get tired and leave.”

“Yes, Alpha,” Icarus replied. “As we speak, our men are still searching every corner of the forest. Even if they’re hiding in a hole, it won’t take long before we dig them out.” His voice carried a savage certainty that made him sound almost eager for blood.

I gave him a curt nod, then asked the question that weighed on me more than anything else: “Did Adonai lead the troop in search of them?”

Nikko shook his head. “No. I haven’t seen him since we left your office last night.” He glanced at Icarus, who nodded affirmatively.

An adrenaline rush pulled me off the seat. “Alright. I’ll join the hunt later. For now, I need to find my brother.”

I left Icarus in charge of the men and made my way back to our chambers. The room was empty. His bed hadn’t been touched since yesterday. He hadn’t returned at all.

I stood there for a long moment, my jaw tightening. Adonai wasn’t the type to act without telling me. He had always been my balance, the calculating, thoughtful half of us. While I was the impulsive, hot-headed brother, he was the calm, strategic one. There has to be an explanation for his disappearance.

It can't possibly be because of our quarrel, it's not the first time we've disagreed on something and it's always about Cedar! 

Throwing on a jacket from the rack, I stormed out of the house and crossed the compound toward the luna’s residence. Maybe he'd gone to visit our mother.

The morning air was hot, which was very surprising since it had poured last night, as I rounded the attic and approached her door. One of her maidservants stood outside, bowing when she saw me.

“Where is the luna?” I asked.

“She left with Helena before sunrise,” the servant replied softly, still bowing, her hands folded neatly in front of her. “They have not yet returned.”

My eyes narrowed. “And my brother? Have you seen him?”

The servant shook her head quickly. “No, Alpha.”

I studied her for a moment. She was just like most Omegas—submissive, careful never to meet my eyes, desperate not to make a mistake that would earn punishment. Most of them spent their lives surviving under the wrath of others in the pack. Some rose through the ranks, some crumbled under the weight of cruelty, and a rare few… like Cedar… refused to stay down at all, pulled by fate.

Cedar had always been stubborn. Especially when she was stripped of her rights and rendered an Omega since she couldn't even shift. Even now, I could still feel the memory of her presence lingering at my feet, like a shadow that refused to vanish. She had escaped death, survived against all odds, and somehow returned stronger. Except she made the mistake of signing her life to the devil in desperate need for freedom and justice.

“Inform me the moment they return,” I ordered the maid.

“Yes, Alpha.” She bowed again.

I turned and walked back to the office, still pondering. Without Adonai by my side, every decision felt heavier. Where had he gone? Why hadn’t he told me? And what of Cedar and Deklan—where could they be hiding? What was Dominus planning?

Inside the office, the silence pressed in around me. With nothing else to do while waiting, I turned to the desks where dozens of dusty books stared back at me. We had spent days trying to dig through them, hoping for something useful, anything that could explain Yarrow’s vision, the prophecy, or the secrets the council elders were holding over us. But so far, the pages had given us nothing but faded ink and foreign languages.

Still, I picked one from the table and perched on the edge of my desk. My fingers leafed through the brittle pages. Maybe this time…

A sudden, urgent knock interrupted my thoughts.

I sighed, the book slipping slightly from my hands. No one ever knocked on this door unless it was important. Icarus and Nikko had just left. And Adonai… Adonai would never knock.

A hiss escaped through my teeth as I stood and slapped the book over the other books, wrinkling my nose as dust rose to pollute the air. 

I moved to the door, but before I could even touch the handle, Nikko’s voice rang out, breathless and broken.

“Alpha! Dominus and his army are at the boundary!” His words tumbled out in a rush. “He has captured Alpha Adonai, the luna, and her maidservant!”

The world seemed to tilt under me. My blood turned to ice and I forgot how to breathe as I swung open the door with a violent shove.

I glared at Nikko as a growl rose from deep inside me, making Nikko step back instinctively.

Dominus had taken my brother and mother! He brought war to Crystal Moon… He's drawn the battle line like I expected!