Chapter 59

Elouera

The strong smell of burning pitch crept through the cracks in the stone walls. The heat rising from the maintenance vaults below made it clear just how far Callan’s madness had gone.

I stood in the dimly lit map room, rubbing another thick layer of ash-grey suppression paste onto the exposed skin of my neck. My hands were shaking so badly that the small tin jar nearly slipped from my fingers.

I rubbed the bitter-smelling paste into my skin, spreading it over the glowing golden lines of my mate bond. I desperately waited for the cooling effect to numb my skin.

But nothing happened.

The paste didn’t cool my skin at all. Instead, it made a soft hissing sound as soon as it touched me, melting into a greasy mess.

No. No, no, no.

I grabbed a small crystal bottle filled with strong mint and clove oil. I poured the dark liquid into my palm and pressed it hard against my throat.

Then I scrubbed my jaw, my collarbones, and the inside of my wrists, trying anything I could to hide the powerful scent coming from deep inside my body.

But nothing worked.

The small dose of Catalyst-7 I had taken hadn’t just made my blood immune to the drug. It had also destroyed the suppressants that had hidden my true nature for ten years.

The barrier was gone.

My real scent, a powerful mix of wild honey, rain-soaked lilies, and the sharp smell of electricity in the air, was no longer escaping little by little. It was pouring out of my body nonstop, filling the small room until even the candle flames seemed to struggle in the thick, sweet air.

I stepped away from the mirror, breathing quickly as panic took over.

“It’s not stopping,” I whispered, my rough voice breaking. “The salves aren’t working anymore, Stirling. The paste is useless.”

Stirling moved away from the brass communication pipe. His amber eyes widened as he took a deep breath. The strong scent of his Alpha nature, like crushed cedar needles and freezing winter air, grew stronger in response. His jaw tightened as he fought the instinct to pull me against his broad chest.

“Your body is burning through the chemicals in those salves as soon as you apply them, little bird,” Stirling said in a rough voice. He lowered his tone, struggling to control himself. “The Catalyst didn’t just trigger your heat. It permanently changed your biology and unlocked your true nature. Herbs and ointments can’t hide it anymore.”

“I have to stand before the High Council in less than two hours,” I said desperately, gripping the torn collar of my velvet tunic. “The moment I walk into the gallery, every Alpha within fifty yards will smell me. Callan won’t even need to search the vaults. He’ll follow my scent straight to me.”

The heavy oak door of the map room flew open and slammed against the stone wall with a loud thud.

Commander Jace Corowa stepped inside with his short sword drawn. His face was cold and serious. He didn’t pay attention to the maps or the smoke coming from the ventilation grates. The moment he entered, he caught my scent. His nostrils flared, and his hazel eyes immediately turned completely black.

The golden mark on my neck suddenly glowed a bright, burning amber as soon as he came near. Our mate bond pulsed strongly between us.

“The lower maintenance tunnels are on fire,” Jace growled, his rough voice echoing through the room. “Callan’s executioners are burning the East Wing from below, section by section. We have ten minutes before the floors collapse.”

“We have a bigger problem, Commander,” Stirling said calmly, pointing toward me. “Look at her.”

Jace turned to face me. He didn’t need to see the empty ointment jars scattered across the floor or the greasy paste covering my collarbones. He could already sense my scent so strongly that it felt as if he could taste it.

A deep, possessive growl rose from his chest. Every muscle in his large body tightened as his instincts urged him to lock me away somewhere safe and kill anyone who dared come near me.

“The salves aren’t working anymore,” I told Jace. My hands were shaking, but I forced myself to stand straight and look strong. “I can’t hide my scent with those medicines anymore. The moment I walk toward the High Council chamber, everyone will discover the truth.”

Jace crossed the room in two long strides and stopped just inches away from me. He ignored Stirling completely, focusing only on my pale face, which was covered in sweat.

Slowly, he raised his hand. He hesitated for a moment before placing his large, black-gloved palm firmly on my shoulder.

“Then we won’t use the salves,” Jace said quietly. His voice was rough but strangely calm.

I looked up at him, confused.

“What?”

“An Alpha’s scent is strong,” Jace said in a rough voice, staring directly into my eyes. His gaze was so intense that I almost forgot how to breathe. “A powerful Alpha can leave a scent that is much stronger than any medicine or ointment. If you walk between two dominant Alphas, and our scents cover your clothes, cloak, and hair, they will hide your sweet scent beneath the smell of cedar, frost, and ozone. Anyone who passes us in the hallway will simply think you are walking with two commanders who refuse to leave your side.”

I stared at him, my heart pounding hard against my chest. The closeness of his suggestion made me feel overwhelmed.

To make it safely to the High Council chamber, I would have to let Jace and Stirling cover me with their scents. Their powerful Alpha scents would surround my body like an invisible cloak, hiding the sweet Omega scent I could no longer control.

It was a dangerous kind of surrender. Everyone who saw us would also smell us and assume I belonged to the two most dangerous men in the kingdom.

I turned toward Stirling.

The Northern Lord stood beside the oak table, his amber eyes filled with conflicting emotions. He looked troubled, but he didn’t step away from me.

Slowly, he removed his thick wool cloak. It carried the strong scent of winter air and cedar. Then he stepped closer and placed it over my narrow shoulders.

“Stay close to me, little bird,” Stirling whispered. His rough fingers brushed my jaw as he pulled the thick fur collar up to my chin, covering my neck with his scent. “Closer than you’ve ever been to any other man.”

Jace didn’t object. He moved to my left, standing so close that his shoulder touched mine. His heavy black coat pressed against my tunic, and his strong scent surrounded me.

Trapped between them, with their broad shoulders, powerful bodies, and strong Alpha presence on either side of me, I could barely feel the space around me.

The sweet scent of wild honey and rain disappeared beneath their much stronger scents of cedar, winter frost, and lightning.

My chest rose and fell quickly. My skin burned wherever their heavy coats touched me, and the closeness sent shivers through my body. It was suffocating, but it was also intoxicating. Most importantly, it was the only protection I had left.

“Let’s go,” I said in a rough voice.

I took my first step between them, and together, we passed through the secret door leading to the High Council gallery.

We walked through the long, narrow stone passage in complete silence. Jace stayed on my left while Stirling walked on my right. Our footsteps echoed together as we moved forward. Through the stone walls, we could hear the distant screams of guards fighting to control the fires Callan had started below.

Soon, we reached the tall archway leading into the Grand Antechamber outside the council hall. Dozens of high lords, foreign visitors, and royal officers stood in anxious groups, waiting for the Empress to arrive.

The moment the three of us stepped through the archway into the bright torchlight, every conversation in the room stopped.

People turned to look at us. Their nostrils flared as they caught our scents. Several high lords looked uncomfortable and stepped backward when the powerful scents of Jace and Stirling hit them.

To everyone watching, it looked as though the Second Prince was being escorted to his seat by two extremely dangerous men who wouldn’t allow anyone near him.

We walked thirty paces down the carpet in the middle of the room. The crowd quickly moved aside to let us pass.

Then a cold voice rang out from the top of the marble staircase at the far end of the hall.

“Stop.”

Crown Prince Callan stood at the top of the stairs. His dark military uniform was torn, and his chest armor was covered in soot and blood from the fires in the maintenance tunnels. He held a drawn sword, with fresh blood dripping from its blade.

Callan slowly walked down the stairs. His eyes were wide and completely black, filled with a frightening madness. He stared directly at me as I stood with my head slightly bowed.

He didn’t even look at my face.

Instead, he took a deep breath through his nose, searching for my scent. Beneath the powerful scents of Jace and Stirling, he caught a faint trace of wild honey.

Callan stopped just five steps away from me. His mouth opened slightly, revealing his growing fangs. A cruel smile spread across his face, which was still covered in soot.

“You smell wonderful, brother,” Callan whispered.

He raised his blood-covered sword and pointed its sharp tip directly at my throat.

“Now tell me,” he continued, his smile growing darker. “Which one of them gets to watch me take you first?”