LOGINIf that piece of cloth belonged to one of the visiting delegations, then somehow, Zara was connected to them. I just didn’t know how. We reached the fortress without saying much. The moment we entered through the servant passage, Jace pulled the cloth from his sleeve and unfolded it in his palm. Alma leaned closer. “Are you sure this is the same one?” “Of course it is,” I said. “The other one is still in my chest in Lucian’s chambers.” Alma looked between Jace and I . “But how did Zara get it?” “That is what I want to know.” Jace folded the cloth again. “We need to be careful.” I frowned. “Careful?” “Zara is not stupid.” “I know.” “No, my Lady. I mean she is very smart. If she was involved with that man, she would know exactly what this cloth could expose.” Alma’s face tightened. “You think she knows we took it?” “I think she probably knows already.” My stomach twisted. I looked back toward the door, hoping that no one could hear us. “You think she was pretending?” Al
~Cressida’s POV~ Jace had gone ahead of us to the infirmary. The place was already crowded by the time Alma and I got there. The moment we stepped inside, every slave moved out of our way. Some lowered their heads. Others quickly bowed before returning their attention to the bed in the middle of the room. Jace was waiting for us. The moment he saw us, he walked over. “My Lady.” I looked past him. “Where is she?” He stepped aside. “She’s over there.” My eyes found Zara immediately. She lay on a narrow wooden bed, her skin pale against the white sheets. A bandage was wrapped tightly around one wrist, another around the other. Fresh blood had soaked through part of the cloth. A physician was still working beside her. I walked closer. “How is she?” The healer didn’t look up. “She was fortunate her grace.” “Fortunate?” “If they had found her ten minutes later, she would have died.” I stared at Zara’s still face. “She cut both wrists?” “Yes.” Alma came to
Thorne and I continued down the corridor. Neither of us spoke. The guards stationed along the hallway straightened the moment they saw me. Some bowed. Others stepped aside so quickly that their shoulders nearly touched the walls. I barely noticed them. My thoughts were still on Rowan. I had spent years believing that name was buried with the men who had betrayed my father. I had been wrong. “Thorne.” “Yes, my King.” “Tell me everything you know about Rowan.” Thorne glanced at me. “He has been a slave in Blackthorne for several years.” “How many?” “I’m not certain.” “Find out.” “Yes, my King.” I continued walking. “Who brought him here?” “We are still checking the records.” “Still?” Thorne’s expression tightened. “The slave records are old, my King. Some were damaged during the war.” “Then find the ones that survived.” “I will.” I stopped walking. Thorne stopped too. “Does anyone know he is a Gilead?” He hesitated. “Elara, obviously.” “Besides her.” “I don’
I stared at her. Something inside me shifted. Not the anger. That was still there. But beneath it was something heavier. Something I didn’t know what to do with. “You were afraid of me?” Elara lowered her head. “Yes.” I looked away. The words shouldn’t have surprised me. Yet they did. I had spent years believing my sister knew me better than anyone. Apparently, I had been wrong. “You should have told me.” “You should have come to me. Why didn’t you?” Her shoulders shook. “Because I knew what you would think.” I looked back at her. “And what exactly do you think I would think?” “That you would hate him.” My jaw tightened. “I do hate him. His father caused my father’s death.” Elara flinched. I immediately regretted the words. But I couldn’t take them back because they were Infact true. I had spent years hating the Gileads. Hating the name. Hating everything it represented. The betrayal. My father’s death. The blood that had been spilled because of their ambitions.
I stared at him. “Gilead.” The name left my mouth like a curse. Rowan lowered his eyes. That only made my anger worse. I had spent years believing that name was buried with the rest of them. Every Gilead I had found had been dealt with. Every last one. Or so I thought. Thorne looked between us. “My King…” I raised my hand. I stepped closer to Rowan. “Look at me.” Slowly, his eyes lifted. There was something different in them now. He knew I remembered. He knew exactly what his name meant to me. “You are a Gilead.” My jaw tightened. “And you’ve been living in Blackthorne all this time?” Rowan didn’t answer. “Answer me.” “Yes, my King.” A bitter laugh escaped me. “My King.” I looked him over. A man I had believed was dead. A man who had somehow survived everything. And this was the man Elara had chosen. I turned away for a moment. Thorne stepped closer. “My King, if he is truly a Gilead…” “I know.” My voice stopped him. I looked back
Thorne stepped forward. “The Alpha King has come to make an inquiry.” The slaves remained silent as he continued. “His Majesty has ordered every male slave assigned to this quarter to return immediately.” He paused. “So I assume every male slave of Blackthorne is here present.” There was silence. Thorne’s eyes narrowed. “I asked a question. Is everyone is here?” “Yeh…yes, Beta.” The shaky answer came from an older slave. Thorne looked at me. I gave him a slight nod. He turned back. “Then we will begin.” Confusion spread across the room. Thorne’s voice remained calm. “His Majesty is looking for someone.” The slaves looked amongst themselves in confusion. They must be fearing the worst. Thorne continued “Every male slave in this quarter will step forward.” “One at a time. You will remove your shirt, and you will show your back to the King.” One of the slaves finally found the courage to speak. “Beta… May we ask what’s going on? Thorne’s face harde
Cressida’s POV I lay on my narrow bed staring at the stone ceiling. Two whole nights had passed and Lucian had not sent for me. The silence felt heavy and suffocating. My wolf paced inside my chest, restless and jealous. What was he doing? Was he with another woman? The thought made my stomach
Lucian’ POV The door slammed behind Cressida with a finality that echoed through my chambers longer than it should have. How dare she? The words still burned on my tongue. She had slept in my bed, curled against me like she belonged there, and the very next morning she asked for a favor as if
The days began to blur inside the stone fortress. After the first brutal night, the routine shifted in small, almost imperceptible ways. The guards no longer dragged me through the halls like a prisoner. Instead, they escorted me with detached politeness. My meals improved. I started eating more
Before I could utter a single word, the stranger turned and gave a sharp nod. “Take her.” Rough hands dragged me forward. I twisted and struggled, but it was useless against their iron grips. “No—please! Let me go!” I was completely ignored and dragged through the dark woods back toward my pack.







