Chapter 7-Facing the Past

The rain poured in heavy sheets over the iron gates of the Royal Keep.

​Through the heavy, reinforced glass of the second-floor balcony, I stood silently in the dark, my arms crossed over my chest. Down below, illuminated by the harsh white floodlights of the security checkpoint, stood Alpha Jaxon.

​He hadn't changed much in five years. He still wore his expensive leather pack coat, his broad shoulders squared with the arrogant, unearned confidence of a man who had never been held accountable for a single mistake in his life. Behind him stood Beta Marcus and a squad of eight heavily armed Bloodwood enforcers.

​They were trespassing on royal grounds, and Jaxon knew it. But his pride was blinding him.

​The heavy iron gates hummed as they opened just enough to let a single figure step through.

​Ethan walked out into the pouring rain without an umbrella, without armor, and without a single guard at his back. He didn't need them. Dressed in his simple dark button-down shirt, the water glinted off his dark hair as he walked toward the Bloodwood Alpha with slow, deliberate grace.

​"Jaxon," Ethan’s deep voice echoed through the wet night, carrying effortlessly over the sound of the rain. "You are three miles past your permitted border boundary. And you brought armed enforcers to my gate at midnight."

​Jaxon stiffened, raising his chin, though I could see the slight tremor in his hands as Ethan’s sheer aura washed over the driveway.

​"Your Majesty," Jaxon said, trying to sound respectful while maintaining his dominant posture. "I apologize for the late arrival, but my scouts reported a dangerous rogue tracker fleeing toward your estate after raiding one of our border outposts. She stole high-value pack assets."

​She. Jaxon didn't even know my name was Shadow. He just knew a female rogue had humiliated his men.

​Ethan stopped five feet from Jaxon, his amber eyes completely devoid of warmth. "And you assumed this rogue took refuge on my land? Do you think my estate is a sanctuary for petty thieves, Alpha?"

​"No, Your Majesty," Beta Marcus chimed in nervously, taking a half-step forward. "We simply tracked the scent trail to the outer perimeter. We request permission to search your lower guest quarters."

​A cold, terrifying smile spread across Ethan’s face.

​The air pressure on the driveway dropped instantly. Even from the second-floor balcony, I felt the sudden, crushing weight of Ethan’s power. The rain surrounding the men seemed to freeze in mid-air as Ethan let a fraction of his true Lycan aura burst forth.

​Jaxon’s enforcers instantly gasped, dropping to their knees on the wet asphalt, clutching their chests as their lungs fought for air. Beta Marcus buckled, his knees hitting the ground so hard I could hear the crack from where I stood.

​Jaxon fought it. His jaw clamped shut, his veins bulging against his neck as he tried to stay upright under the King’s crushing weight. But Ethan took one slow step forward, his amber eyes flaring with a dangerous, golden light.

​"You dare ask to search my home?" Ethan whispered, his voice vibrating with enough power to rattle the iron gates. "You bring weapons to my doorstep, violate royal territorial laws, and demand to search my halls based on the word of your incompetent scouts?"

​Jaxon’s knees gave out. He slammed into the wet mud, forced to look up at the King from the dirt.

​"I... I meant no disrespect, Sire," Jaxon choked out, his teeth grinding together in pure humiliation. "We were... only securing our borders."

​"Your borders are a disgrace," Ethan sneered, looking down at the kneeling Alpha as if he were nothing more than an insect. "You cannot secure a single ranger cabin, yet you barge onto royal land like a feral dog. If I see you or your men within five miles of my gates before the official summit on Thursday, I will not just strip your title, Jaxon. I will dissolve the Bloodwood Pack entirely."

​Jaxon swallowed hard, his eyes burning with deep, bitter hatred, but he had no choice. "Understood, Your Majesty."

​"Get off my land," Ethan commanded softly.

​He turned his back on them, walking calmly back toward the grand entrance of the Keep without giving them another glance.

​On the ground below, Jaxon slowly pushed himself up from the mud, wiping the rain from his face. For a brief second, as he turned back toward his SUV, his eyes drifted up toward the dark balcony where I stood.

​For a horrifying heartbeat, I thought he saw me.

​I didn't move. I didn't hide. I stood right at the railing, letting the shadow of the balcony cover my features, staring down at the man who had ordered my death five years ago. He stared at the empty space for a moment, shook his head, and climbed into his vehicle, speeding away into the dark.

​A quiet step sounded behind me on the stone balcony.

​"He is weak," Ethan’s voice drifted through the cool night air. He stepped up beside me, leaning his tall frame against the stone railing, his wet hair slicked back. "He relies on brute force because he lacks authority."

​"He was always like that," I murmured, watching the taillights of Jaxon's SUV vanish into the fog. "He hides his weakness behind cruelty."

​Ethan turned his head, his warm amber eyes looking down at my pale face. "You didn't flinch when he looked up here."

​"I don't fear him anymore," I replied, turning to look directly into the Lycan King’s eyes. "Five years ago, he took everything from me. My home, my status, my brother. Tomorrow night, I take it all back."

​Ethan reached out, his warm, strong fingers gently brushing a strand of wet silver hair away from my cheek. The electric spark flared between us again, but this time, neither of us pulled away.

​"Not tomorrow night," Ethan whispered, a wicked, lethal glint flashing in his eyes. "Tonight."

​I blinked. "Tonight?"

​"Jaxon just moved his entire guard force to the outer roads to search for you," Ethan said, a slow smile touching his lips. "His main estate is completely undefended right now. The ledgers are sitting wide open in his study."

​I looked at him, a fierce, reckless excitement surging through my chest.

​"Get your gear, Shadow," I said, a dangerous smirk breaking across my own face. "We're breaking into the pack house."