CHAPTER SIX

SKYE'S POV

The roar echoed through the valley long after the Lycan King fell silent.

Every leaf on the towering pines trembled. Even the horses pulling the escort wagons stamped nervously against the earth, refusing to move.

I couldn't.

My fingers had gone numb where they clutched the edge of the seat.

The creature standing in the middle of the road barely resembled a wolf.

He towered over the rogues, his midnight-black fur glistening beneath the morning sun. Muscles rippled beneath his coat with every measured breath he took. His silver eyes burned with an intelligence that made him far more terrifying than any wild beast.

He wasn't simply larger than ordinary wolves.

He was something else.

Something older.

Something born to rule.

The rogues realized it too.

Their confidence falved.

One by one, they slowed until only their leader remained several paces ahead of the others.

"You've grown arrogant, Your Majesty," the rogue sneered, though his voice lacked the confidence it had carried moments earlier. "Traveling with only a small escort."

The Lycan didn't answer.

He merely watched.

Waiting.

The silence stretched until it became unbearable.

Then the rogue lunged.

He never landed the strike.

The Lycan vanished.

My breath caught.

No...

He hadn't disappeared.

He had moved so quickly that my eyes couldn't follow him.

A scream ripped through the forest.

The rogue lay crumpled against a tree, his sword buried several feet away in the undergrowth.

The others stared.

For one heartbeat, no one moved.

Then chaos erupted.

Half the rogues charged.

The other half tried to flee.

Neither decision saved them.

The Lycan fought with terrifying precision.

There was no rage in his movements.

No reckless violence.

Every strike was deliberate.

Every enemy fell after a single blow.

Within minutes the road was silent again.

Only one rogue remained alive.

He dropped to his knees, throwing his dagger into the dirt.

"Mercy!"

The enormous beast stood over him.

For several seconds neither of them moved.

Then black fur receded.

Powerful limbs shifted.

Bones cracked softly beneath skin.

The massive Lycan gradually became a man once more.

Eryx rolled his shoulders as though the transformation required no effort at all.

One of his guards hurried forward carrying a long black coat.

"My King."

Eryx slipped it over his shoulders without taking his eyes off the kneeling rogue.

"Stand him up."

Two guards obeyed immediately.

The rogue trembled so violently that I wondered whether his legs would support him.

Eryx walked forward.

He stopped barely an arm's length away.

"Who hired you?"

"No one."

Eryx sighed.

"I dislike lies."

The rogue swallowed.

"We—we saw the royal convoy and thought—"

Before he finished speaking, Eryx reached forward.

He didn't strike him.

He simply placed one hand against the man's chest.

The rogue screamed.

A sickly silver glow spread beneath Eryx's palm.

The man collapsed, gasping for air.

I stared.

"What..."

One of the guards beside the carriage noticed my confusion.

"His Majesty is forcing the truth."

"That's possible?"

"For Lycans."

I had never heard of such a gift.

The rogue clawed desperately at the ground.

"Stop..."

"Then answer."

"I don't know his name!"

Eryx's expression remained unreadable.

"Who contacted you?"

"A hooded man."

"What did he offer?"

"Gold."

"How much?"

"Enough to feed my pack for years."

Eryx crouched until they were eye level.

"And what exactly were your orders?"

The rogue hesitated.

Fear flickered across his face.

Not fear of Eryx.

Fear of whoever had hired him.

Finally he whispered,

"Kill the King..."

His breathing became uneven.

"...and bring back the girl."

The world seemed to stop.

The girl.

Me.

I stepped out of the carriage before anyone could stop me.

"What?"

Every head turned toward me.

The rogue lifted frightened eyes.

"You..."

He looked as though he'd seen a ghost.

"It really is you."

My heart pounded.

"You know me?"

He shook his head quickly.

"No."

"Then why did they want me?"

"I don't know."

His voice cracked.

"We were only told she would be traveling with the King."

Eryx slowly stood.

The warmth disappeared from his expression.

Someone knew.

Someone had expected him to leave Silvercrest with a different woman.

Yet they had specifically ordered Skye to be captured.

That meant one thing.

This attack had not been planned overnight.

It had been arranged long before the wedding.

Before anyone should have known Skye would become his mate.

His jaw tightened almost imperceptibly.

Interesting.

Very interesting.

"My King?"

His captain stepped closer.

"What shall we do with him?"

Eryx looked toward the frightened rogue.

"Blindfold him."

The rogue's eyes widened.

"No! Please!"

"Take him to Blackstone Keep."

The guards immediately obeyed.

As they dragged the man away, he began shouting.

"You don't understand!"

"He's watching!"

"He's always watching!"

"You've already lost!"

His voice echoed through the trees until distance swallowed it.

Silence returned.

I wrapped my arms around myself.

"What did he mean?"

Eryx didn't answer immediately.

Instead, he looked toward the dense forest surrounding us.

His expression had changed.

For the first time since meeting him...

He looked concerned.

Not afraid.

Concerned.

He finally turned back to me.

"This wasn't an ambush."

I frowned.

"It wasn't?"

"No."

He walked toward the carriage.

"It was a message."

Before I could ask another question, he opened the door for me.

"We're leaving."

I climbed inside, still trying to process everything.

Once the convoy began moving again, neither of us spoke for several minutes.

The road wound deeper into unfamiliar mountains.

The air became cooler.

The forests denser.

Eventually I gathered enough courage to break the silence.

"Who wants me?"

Eryx's gaze remained fixed on the passing landscape.

"I don't know."

"You don't sound convinced."

"I'm not."

He rested one arm against the window.

"I don't believe in coincidences."

"You were rejected."

"The Moon Goddess gave you a second chance."

"I arrived at your pack on the very same morning."

"Then, before we've even reached home..."

His eyes met mine.

"...someone tries to steal you."

A chill raced through my body.

"You think all of those things are connected?"

"I know they are."

Outside, towering black mountains finally came into view.

Their snow-covered peaks disappeared into the clouds.

Nestled high among them stood an enormous fortress carved directly into the cliffs.

Its silver towers caught the sunlight like polished blades.

I leaned forward without realizing it.

"It's beautiful."

A softness entered Eryx's eyes.

"Welcome home, Skye."

My breath caught.

Home.

No one had ever used that word for me before.

Yet somehow...

Hearing it from the Lycan King made me want to believe it could be true.