14

RHYS

The camp hadn’t slept in two nights. Word of the stolen food had spread, and even though I’d ordered silence, rogues always had a way of finding something to whisper about. Sienna’s name carried through the air like smoke…soft, poisonous, impossible to grab hold of.

I’d been standing outside my chambers since morning, staring at the gray sky, pretending I didn’t hear it. The truth was, I didn’t know what I believed anymore.

Elira’s voice broke through my thoughts. “You’re brooding again.”

She stood by the entrance, dressed in a deep green gown, every inch the Luna she wanted everyone to remember she was.

“I’m thinking,” I said flatly.

“That’s what brooding men tell themselves.” She smiled faintly, but her eyes were sharp. “You should rest.”

“I’ll rest when things stop falling apart.”

Her smile slipped, just barely. “If you’re referring to your little healer, perhaps you should ask her why she’s always in the center of your storms.”

I turned to face her fully. “She was nearly killed, Elira.”

Her expression didn’t change. “And yet she wasn’t.”

The cold in her tone made something in me tighten. “You think she did that to herself?”

“I think she’s clever enough to know that suffering earns sympathy,” she said simply. “And you’ve always had a soft spot for the wounded.”

I stepped closer, lowering my voice. “Be careful, Elira. You’re walking a fine line.”

She tilted her head, her lips curving slightly. “So are you.”

For a moment, neither of us spoke. The rain began again, tapping lightly against the roof of the tent. I wanted to ask her what she was hiding because she was hiding something but I already knew how that would go. Elira never lied. She just told the truth in pieces and left you to hang yourself with it.

When she finally left, I found I couldn’t shake her words.

By midday, I was at the training grounds, watching the men spar. Anything to distract my thoughts. The air was thick with sweat and dust. The clang of steel was a language I understood better than conversation.

Then I saw her. Sienna.

She shouldn’t have been there. She was still pale, still too fragile. Yet there she was, arguing with one of the guards, the same one who’d pushed her the day of the accident.

I was across the yard before I even realized I’d moved.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” I barked.

The guard stepped back instantly, his face draining of color. “Alpha, I was just…”

“Leave,” I ordered. He didn’t hesitate.

Sienna crossed her arms, glaring at me. “You didn’t have to do that.”

“I didn’t have to let you live either Goldie,” I said before I could stop myself.

Her eyes flashed, hurt flickering across them like lightning. “Then maybe you should’ve saved yourself the trouble.”

I exhaled, dragging a hand over my face. “That’s not what I meant.”

“Then what did you mean, Rhys?” Her voice shook, but not from fear. “You think I’m the problem? Fine. But stop pretending you care.”

“I don’t care,” I said, softer now. “That’s the problem, you think because I talk to you and worry about you, you think that’s caring?”

The words hung between us, raw and unplanned. Her lips parted slightly, like she wanted to say something but couldn’t find the words.

Finally, she said quietly, “Just find out who’s doing this. Because if you don’t, I will.”

I stepped closer. “You’re in no shape to go chasing ghosts.”

“Maybe not,” she said, meeting my eyes. “But ghosts are the only ones telling the truth around here.”

Before I could answer, she brushed past me and walked away. I stood there for a long time, listening to the sound of her footsteps fade.

*************************

That night, I gathered the council in the main hall. Six of my oldest rogues…men I trusted, or at least used to.

“We’re bleeding from the inside,” I said, pacing before them. “Someone’s setting traps and turning the pack against itself. I want names.”

No one spoke. Finally, one of them…Tarek cleared his throat. “People say it’s the healer. That she’s been taking more than she gives.”

I slammed my fist against the table. “People say a lot of things.”

“She’s not one of us,” another said. “Maybe she’s a spy. Maybe she’s working for the Silverfang pack.”

“She’s with child, a solution to my problem,” I snapped before I could stop myself.

The room fell silent.

I realized, too late, what I’d said.

Tarek’s eyes widened. “Your…?”

“Enough,” I barked. “You heard nothing. This doesn’t leave this hall.”

They nodded, though I could already see the questions forming behind their eyes.

When they left, I stayed behind, staring at the flickering candlelight. The walls felt too small, too heavy. I didn’t know if I was more furious with them or with myself.

I’d tried to keep that secret buried, but Sienna’s presence had torn open every part of me I’d buried long ago. I left the hall and went to the watchtower. The rain had stopped, leaving the night sharp and cold. From up there, I could see her room, its faint light glowing like a heartbeat in the dark.

A voice spoke from behind me. “You care for her more than you should.”

Elira again.

I didn’t turn around. “You shouldn’t be here.”

“Neither should you.” Her tone was calm, almost amused. “You think your men won’t talk? That secret won’t stay buried long.”

“She’s carrying my heir,” I said. “They wouldn’t dare touch her.”

“They won’t have to,” Elira said softly. “Not if she keeps walking into danger.”

I turned then, meeting her eyes. “What are you saying?”

“Only accidents have a way of finding her,” she replied. “And people will stop believing they’re accidents soon.”

“You wouldn’t…”

Her smile didn’t reach her eyes. “I don’t have to, Rhys. The pack already wants her gone. You can’t save her from what they believe.”

She brushed past me, leaving behind the faint scent of lilac and something colder…metallic, final.

I stared out into the dark, my heart pounding. Sienna was right. Someone was playing a game and Elira wasn’t the only one holding the cards.

If I didn’t stop it soon, I was going to lose more than a pack. I was going to lose her. And the worst part? I wasn’t sure I could save her without destroying everything else.