Chapter 5

I left Darius’s tent with my heart still pounding. I could barely think about what had just happened. I only knew I needed to find Magnar and tell him that I had done what he asked. I had barely made it past the dungeon when one of the guards hurried toward me.

“Ayla!”

I stopped.

“The Alpha King has summoned you.”

I blinked. “Now?”

“Yes, you must come with me.”

I looked toward the place where I planned to meet Magnar, then turned to the guard. I wanted to see Magnar first, but the King had sent for me, so I had to go. I followed the guard quickly through the settlement until we reached the King’s hall. He opened the door and motioned for me to enter.

I stepped inside and immediately saw Magnar standing beside the Alpha King.

I lowered my head. “Your Majesty.”

The King looked at me.

“Did you succeed?”

I nodded. “Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Excellent. Then we can move forward with the next step,” the King said.

I looked toward Magnar, expecting to see him happy, but there was worry in his eyes as he looked at me.

I frowned.

He should have been pleased that I had succeeded.

So why did he look worried?

The Alpha King looked at me for a moment before speaking.

“Go and bring him to me. I want to speak to him personally.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

I turned immediately and left the hall. I didn’t want to keep the King waiting, so I headed straight back to the room where I left Darius.

When I entered, I found him sitting on the bed, free from the chains. His head hung low, but he looked up as soon as he noticed me.

“The Alpha King wants to see you,” I told him.

His expression changed. “Why?”

“I don’t know. The King sent for you.”

He studied my face for a moment.

“Did he say what he wants to discuss?”

I shook my head. “I don’t know.”

Darius seemed unhappy with that answer, but he didn’t ask anything else. He stood up and followed me. We walked back to the King’s hall together. As we reached the entrance, I was about to step inside when one of the guards moved in front of me.

“You stay here.”

I stopped and looked at him. “Why?”

“The King ordered that he speak with the prince alone.”

I glanced at Darius. He said nothing. He walked into the hall, and the doors closed behind him. I stayed outside, wondering what the King wanted to discuss. I waited for what felt like hours. The voices inside came through the doors too faintly for me to make out the conversation, leaving me with no idea what they were discussing.

Eventually, the doors opened, and Darius stepped out. The expression on his face made me pause a bit. He looked furious. His face was furious, and he clenched his fists as he walked past me without saying a word. I watched him leave, looking confused.

What had the King said to him?

I was still standing there when another guard came toward me.

“Ayla, His Majesty wants to see you.”

I quickly entered the hall. The Alpha King looked at me from his seat and said,

“Prince Darius will no longer be imprisoned in the dungeon.”

I stared at him.

“Your Majesty?”

“He’ll have a tent of his own. He remains under our watch, but he won’t stay underground anymore.”

I lowered my head. “Yes, Your Majesty.”

I kept thinking about what happened inside that room. Darius had refused to give in for weeks, even after everything they did to him. Now the King had suddenly let him out of the dungeon. I didn’t know what could have changed his mind.

I left the King’s hall and had barely taken a few steps when Magnar caught up with me.

“Ayla, wait.”

I stopped and turned around.

He came closer and looked at me carefully. There was still worry in his eyes.

“Come with me. I need to talk to you.”

I followed him away from the hall until we were far enough from the others that no one could hear us.

Magnar turned to me. “Are you in pain?”

I knew exactly what he meant. I looked down for a moment before shaking my head.

“I’m all right.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.” I looked at him. “I’m fine.”

He studied my face for another moment before gently touching my hair.

“I was worried about you.”

“You don’t have to be,” I said. “I knew what I was agreeing to.”

“I know.” He sighed. “But that doesn’t make it easy for me to watch you go through it.”

I gave him a small smile. “You’ve done so much for me. If this is something I can do to help you, then I’m willing to do it.”

Magnar pulled me into a hug and held me tightly.

“I love you, Ayla.”

“I love you too.”

He held me for a moment before slowly pulling away, but the worry remained on his face.

“The prince is finally wavering,” he said. “The King believes so too. That’s why he wants us to keep going while Darius is still uncertain.”

“What does he want me to do?”

Magnar hesitated before answering.

“He wants you to stay with Darius.”

I blinked. “Stay with Darius?”

“Yes. The King wants you to move into Darius’s tent and remain close to him. He believes that if Darius becomes attached to you and you carry his child, he may finally stop fighting us.”

I nodded slowly. “Then I’ll do it.”

Magnar looked at me for a long moment.

“You’re not afraid?”

“I was before.” I gave him a small smile. “But I’ve already made my decision.”

He gently stroked my hair.

“Then please be careful.”

“I will.”

Magnar looked toward the tent in the distance, then back at me.

“I don’t like sending you in there alone.”

“I’ll be fine. You should go before someone notices you’re gone.”

He refused but walked me toward Darius’s new tent. Magnar stopped at the entrance and looked at me again.

For a moment, he said nothing. I could see the worry in his eyes, and I knew he was thinking about what I was about to face.

“Magnar,” I said, “you should go. I’ll handle this.”

He didn’t move.

“Ayla, are you sure?”

“I am. You don’t need to stay here.”

He looked toward Darius’s tent, then back at me.

“I’ll be fine,” I said. “If something happens, I’ll come and find you.”

Magnar gave me a final look before turning away.

“Alright. Just come find me if you need me.”

I nodded. “I will.”

He gave me one last worried look before turning away.

I waited until he had walked a few steps before turning toward Darius’s tent.

I pulled back the tent flap and walked inside. I barely had time to look around before Darius was in front of me. His hand closed around my throat, and my back hit the side of the tent.

I grabbed his wrist, trying to pull his hand away as I struggled to breathe.

His eyes burned with anger.

“You.”

I forced the words out. “Are… you going to choke me every time you see me?”

He didn’t answer. I managed to take a breath and looked at the bandage around his side.

“Are your wounds already healed?”

His eyes narrowed.

I went on, “If they haven’t healed yet, you should stop. You could make them worse.”

His grip relaxed a little.

“You don’t look afraid of me.”

“I should be?”

“You should be terrified.”

I frowned. “You were bleeding the other time. Now you’re trying to attack me. If you reopen those wounds, you’ll be the one suffering.”

He finally released me. I rubbed my throat and took a breath. Darius watched me for a moment before asking, “My warriors.”

I looked at him.

“What about them?”

“The men taken with me. Are they still alive?”

“Yes, they are.”

His expression changed. “Then take me to them.”

“I can’t,” I said. “The King won’t allow it.”

Darius looked away for a moment. “Then what does he want?”

“A child.”

His eyes returned to me. “Pregnancy takes months.”

“I know.” I folded my arms. “Give me ten days. Cooperate with the King, and I’ll ask him to let you see your men.”

Darius considered it for a moment before nodding. “Fine.”

I stepped closer to him. “Now let me inspect the goods first.”