DEPARTURE

Scarlett pov

The first thing I heard that morning wasn’t birdsong.

It was the sound of boots—heavy, synchronized—marching through the pack grounds.

By the time I stepped outside, the sun was still low, burning pale gold across Oakwood. But the territory didn’t feel like mine anymore.

They came in black and silver armor, the Lycan King’s crest stamped over their chests—a crescent moon flanked by twin wolves. Their movements were precise, every step in unison, every glance sharp. There was no mistaking them for ordinary warriors. These were royal sentries. The kind of men who didn’t just defend a kingdom—they enforced it.

They came in black and silver armor, the Lycan King’s crest stamped over their chests—a crescent moon flanked by twin wolves. Their movements were precise, every step in unison, every glance sharp. There was no mistaking them for ordinary warriors. These were royal sentries. The kind of men who didn’t just defend a kingdom—they enforced it.

The air shifted as they spread out across the territory. Some took up watch near the gates, others along the tree line, and a handful posted themselves outside the packhouse. Even from a distance, I could feel the dominance rolling off them, thick and suffocating.

Oakwood was under guard now.

Under watch.

Under the Crown.

Lucian was already outside, speaking with one of the captains—a broad-shouldered Lycan with dark eyes and a voice that carried.

When Lucian turned toward me, there was pride in his posture, but something heavier in his eyes.

“They’re not here just for you,” he said once I was close enough. “They’re here to keep the whole territory from tearing itself apart.”

“And you?” I asked. “Where does that leave you?”

His jaw tightened, but before he could answer, Reed emerged from the packhouse, cloak dark against the pale morning light. The captain straightened instantly at his presence.

Reed didn’t look at me right away. He addressed Lucian first, his tone all command. “Until the Crown settles the succession dispute, Oakwood needs leadership. The council will defer to you.”

Lucian blinked. “Me?”

“They’ll follow you because you’re closest to Scarlett, and because you’ll lead without bias,” Reed said. “That’s what this pack needs right now.”

Lucian’s shoulders squared, though his eyes flicked briefly to me. “And if they don’t?”

“Then I’ll make them,” Reed replied without hesitation.

Something in my chest eased at that. Maybe it was relief. Maybe it was the knowledge that Lucian wouldn’t be left to fend for himself while I was gone.

Reed’s gaze held mine. “We leave in an hour.”

The words hit harder than I expected. I’d known they were coming. I just hadn’t realized how soon they’d feel.

Lucian stepped closer, lowering his voice so only I could hear. “You don’t have to trust him, Scar. But if you go, you’d better come back. And when you do—” His gaze hardened. “We’ll finish what they started. On our terms.”

I nodded, because my throat felt too tight for words.

We were nearly ready to leave when Kael found me.

I was standing near the stables, Reed a few paces away speaking with his men, when that familiar shadow fell across me.

“You’re really going with him,” Kael said. It wasn’t a question.

I turned slowly. “It’s not like I have much choice.”

“There’s always a choice.” His tone was sharp, almost angry. “You think the Crown’s going to hand you your life back? They’ll keep you in their gilded cage and call it protection.”

“You sound jealous.”

His jaw worked, and for a moment, he didn’t deny it. “I don’t trust him.”

“You don’t trust anyone who isn’t you,” I shot back.

He stepped closer, lowering his voice. “He’s not taking you because of duty. I’ve seen the way he looks at you.”

“And?”

“And you’ve been through enough without letting someone else decide your fate for you again.”

I held his gaze for a long moment. “Maybe I’m tired of having to fight everyone just to breathe.”

Something flickered in his eyes—regret, maybe. But he didn’t touch me. Didn’t try to stop me.

“Be careful, Scarlett,” he said finally. “If you fall for him, you’ll never see it coming when he decides you’re in his way.”

I didn’t answer. Reed’s voice called my name from across the yard, and I went to him without looking back.

The car waiting for us wasn’t like the ones I remembered. The car waiting for us wasn’t like the ones I remembered. Sleek and built for speed, its black frame gleamed under the morning light, reinforced with steel, windows tinted dark to conceal whoever was inside. The low purr of the engine promised power and distance.

Reed stood beside the door, speaking quietly to the captain of the guard. When he turned to me, his expression softened—slightly.

“You’re riding with me,” he said. “It’s faster—and safer.”

I glanced at the rows of armored men mounted behind us, their weapons gleaming in the morning light. “All this for me?”

His mouth curved faintly. “All this because you matter more than you realize.”

The words should have sounded like politics. They didn’t.

I stepped up into the car, the leather seat cool beneath my palms. Reed followed, the door shutting with a solid, final click. Outside, the captain barked a command, and the car speed forward.

Through the small, darkened window, I caught one last glimpse of Lucian. He stood at the edge of the yard, flanked by two royal sentries, his chin lifted and his shoulders squared.

Temporary Alpha.

My brother.

And then Oakwood was gone, the trees swallowing it from view.

Inside, the car was quiet but not calm. The bond hummed between us, stronger now that we were alone in the small space.

“You don’t have to look so tense,” Reed said, his gaze fixed on me. “The King won’t harm you.”

“That’s not what I’m worried about.”

His brow lifted slightly. “Then what?”

I looked out the window instead of answering. “Once I step into the capital, there’s no going back, is there?”

“No,” he said after a moment. “But maybe that’s not a bad thing.”

When I glanced back at him, his eyes were steady, unreadable. But beneath it, I thought I saw something else—something that wasn’t just duty.

The road stretched ahead, winding toward a future I hadn’t chosen. And sitting there beside him, I couldn’t tell if I was being taken toward safety… or deeper into the storm.