Chapter 22 – THE JOURNEY

“Malia is the one going.”

I stared at the Blackridge Luna. For a moment, I thought I had heard her wrong.

Aria was the first to react.

“What?” she asked.

The Luna did not even look at her. “You heard me.”

“But she refused,” Aria said quickly. “She said she did not want to go.”

“And yet she is going.”

Aria’s face twisted with anger. “Mother, you cannot be serious.”

“I am completely serious.”

I looked between them. “Why?” I asked.

The Luna turned her attention to me.

“Because you are the Luna of Blackridge. You were chosen to stand beside Deucalion, whether you like the position or not. Tomorrow, you will represent this pack with him.”

I almost laughed. “After everything that happened?”

Her eyes hardened. “Especially after everything that happened.”

I touched my cheek. Deucalion’s eyes followed the movement. The moment our eyes met, he looked away.

I noticed.

So did the Luna.

Aria stepped forward. “But I can go. I know Deucalion better than she does.”

“That is exactly why you are staying here.”

Aria froze. “What does that mean?”

“It means you should learn to know your place.”

Her face reddened. “I only wanted to help.”

“No. You wanted to replace her.”

Aria opened her mouth, but the Luna cut her off. “You will remain here.”

Aria looked at Deucalion. “Deucalion?”

He was silent. She waited. “Say something.”

His eyes moved toward her. “My mother has spoken.”

Aria looked betrayed. “You are really going to let her take you away?”

I frowned. “Take him away?”

Aria ignored me.

“You know how much I care about you.”

Deucalion’s expression remained cold. “This is not about that.”

“It is always about her now.”

The room went quiet. I did not know what to say.

The Luna pointed toward the door.

“Malia, prepare yourself. You leave at dawn.”

I wanted to argue. Instead, I nodded.

“Fine.”

I walked out before anyone could stop me.

I had no desire to turn around. That night, I barely slept. My cheek still carried a dull ache, but my heart hurt more.

I kept remembering Deucalion’s hand against my face. I had expected cruelty from him in many forms.

I had not expected that. By dawn, a black carriage waited outside the main entrance.

I stepped outside with a small bag in my hand. Deucalion was already there.

He wore a dark coat, his expression unreadable. His eyes moved over me briefly. “Ready?”

“No I'm not.”

His brow lifted. “But I’m going anyway.”

He said nothing. I walked past him and climbed into the carriage.

A moment later, he entered. The door closed.

Silence filled the space between us. The carriage started moving.

For the first hour, neither of us spoke. I looked through the window at the trees passing outside.

Deucalion sat opposite me, his arms folded. Finally, he spoke.

“Your cheek.”

I didn't look at him. “What about it?”

“Is it still hurting?”

I gave a bitter smile. “You already know the answer.”

His jaw tightened. “I was angry.”

“That does not excuse it.”

“I know.”

I turned and look at him carefully.

Those two words surprised me. “You know?”

“Yes.”

“And?”

He looked away. “I should not have hit you.”

I said nothing. It was not an apology. But it was the closest thing I had heard from him.

The carriage continued along the rough northern road. Then the mark on my neck suddenly burned.

I pressed my fingers against it. My breath caught.

Deucalion immediately noticed. “Your mark.”

“It is fine.”

“It doesn’t look fine.”

“I said it is fine.”

His eyes narrowed. A moment later, his own hand went to his neck. He winced.

I stared at him. “Does yours hurt too?”

He slowly lowered his hand. “Yes.”

Neither of us spoke again.

The pain came in waves throughout the journey. Sometimes it was a dull ache.

Sometimes it felt like fire beneath my skin. Each time, I noticed Deucalion touching his own mark.

Neither of us understood why it was happening.

Or perhaps we both understood and simply refused to say it.

Hours passed.

The northern territory became colder. The trees grew taller, and the road became rougher.

Deucalion finally broke the silence. “When we arrive, stay close to me. The northern pack ate dangerous people.”

I looked at him. “I thought you didn’t care where I was.”

His expression hardened. “This is a meeting with another Alpha. You are my Luna.”

“Only when it is convenient.”

He looked away. “You don’t have to like me.”

“I don’t.”

His eyes returned to mine. “But you will still stand beside me.”

I stared at him for a moment without a word

The carriage continued.

Behind us, far back at Blackridge, Aria stood at the gates watching them disappear.

She was furious. She had failed to get what she wanted. And she blamed Malia for it.

“I will not let this continue,” she whispered.

But Malia knew nothing about her anger. She only watched the road ahead.

By late afternoon, the carriage finally slowed.

I saw stone walls rising in the distance.

The northern territory.

Guards opened the massive gates, and we entered. The carriage stopped before a large fortress.

Deucalion stepped out first. I followed.

Several warriors stood waiting. Then the doors of the fortress opened.

A tall man walked toward us. He carried the presence of an Alpha. The moment his eyes found me, he stopped.

His gaze moved slowly over my face, then lower, lingering on my neck, my body, my scent.

He inhaled sharply. I felt my wolf stir under his stare.

The northern Alpha’s eyes darkened with open, unmistakable lust.

He looked at me like a man who had just found something he wanted to claim.

His entire body went still.

Then he whispered, voice low and rough with hunger,

“Her.”