Chapter Twelve: Kendal Returns

Cassius POV

I am in the throne room when she arrives.

The doors slam open.

I do not turn around. I already know who it is. I can smell her perfume from across the room. Heavy. Cloying. Like flowers left in the sun too long.

Kendal.

She storms in like a hurricane. Her heels click against the stone floor. Her skirts swish. Her guards scramble to keep up.

"You," she says.

I turn.

She stands in the middle of the room. Her face is red. Her eyes are wild. Her hands are clenched at her sides.

She is furious.

Good.

"Good morning, Kendal," I say.

"Do not good morning me."

"Then what would you prefer? Good afternoon? It is not afternoon yet."

"Do not mock me."

"I am not mocking. I am asking a question."

She stalks toward me. Her guards hang back. They know better than to get between us when she is like this.

"I heard about the slave," she says.

"Which slave?"

"Do not play dumb with me. The werewolf. The one in your bed. The one you assigned a personal guard to."

"I have many slaves."

"I am talking about Emerald."

Hearing her name in Kendal's mouth makes my blood hot.

"Do not say her name," I say.

"Why? Because it hurts your feelings?"

"Because you do not have the right."

Kendal stops in front of me. Her chin lifts. Her eyes narrow.

"I am your fiancée."

"Temporarily."

Her face pales. "What did you say?"

"You heard me."

"You cannot break the engagement. The contract is binding. The families agreed."

"The families agreed to a marriage. They did not agree to you controlling my life."

She laughs. It is sharp. Bitter. "Controlling your life? I am trying to save your reputation. The entire court is talking about you. The great Dragon King. Falling for a slave."

"I am not falling for anyone."

"Then send her away."

"No."

"Cassius—"

"I said no."

She stares at me. Her chest rises and falls. Her hands shake.

"You are making a mistake," she says.

"Am I?"

"She is a werewolf. Our enemy. She could be a spy. An assassin. A—"

"She is a slave. Bought on the black market. She has been here for weeks. If she were a spy, she would have done something by now."

"Maybe she is playing the long game. Maybe she is waiting for the right moment."

"For what? To kill me? She has had plenty of opportunities."

Kendal steps closer. Her voice drops. Becomes dangerous.

"You are blinded by her. I have seen the way you look at her. The way you watch her. The way you touch her."

"I do not touch her."

"You put your hand on her stomach. In front of the guards. In front of everyone."

My jaw tightens.

She saw that.

Of course she saw that. She sees everything.

"Explain yourself," Kendal says.

"I do not owe you an explanation."

"I am your fiancée."

"Temporarily."

She flinches. Like I slapped her.

"You are cruel," she whispers.

"I am honest."

"You are cruel."

"There is a difference."

"No." She shakes her head. "There is not."

Kendal walks to the throne. Sits on it. The nerve of her.

I do not stop her. Let her play her games.

"You need to send her away," she says again.

"I need to do nothing."

"If you do not send her away, I will."

"You will do no such thing."

"I am the daughter of Lord Vance. I have influence. I have allies. I can make her disappear."

My blood turns cold.

"If you touch her," I say quietly, "I will destroy you."

Kendal's eyes widened.

"You would choose a slave over me?"

"I would choose justice over cruelty."

"That is not an answer."

"It is the only one you are getting."

She stands from the throne. Walks toward me. Her face is close to mine. Close enough that I can see the tears in her eyes.

"I have loved you for years," she says. "I have waited for you. I have defended you. I have protected you from your enemies."

"I did not ask you to."

"I did it anyway. Because I love you."

"This is not love. This is obsession."

"What is the difference?"

I look at her.

For a moment, I see her. Not the angry woman in front of me. The girl I grew up with. The one who used to laugh. The one who used to hold my hand when I was scared.

That girl is gone.

I do not know when she left.

But she is gone.

"Send her away," Kendal whispers. "Please. I am begging you."

"No."

"Why?"

"Because she is mine."

Kendal stares at me.

Then her face changes. The hurt disappears. The anger returns. But colder this time. Sharper.

"You will regret this," she says.

"Maybe."

"You will come back to me. They always come back."

"I am not them."

"No." She steps back. Straightens her dress. "You are worse."

She walks to the door. Pauses.

"One more thing."

"What?"

"The slave. Emerald." She spits the name like poison. "She is hiding something. I do not know what. But I will find out."

"Stay away from her."

"I will do whatever I want. You are not my king. Not anymore."

She leaves.

The doors slam shut.

I stand in the empty throne room.

My hands are shaking.

Emerald POV

I am in my room when I hear the shouting.

Rina is by the door. Her hand is on her sword.

"What is that?" I ask.

"Lady Kendal."

"How do you know?"

"Because no one else in this castle shouts at the Alpha."

I walk to the door. Press my ear against the wood.

Rina grabs my arm. "Do not."

"Why?"

"Because if she sees you, she will blame you."

"For what?"

"For existing."

I pull away. Open the door.

The hallway is empty.

The guards are gone. The servants are hiding. The shouting echoes from the throne room. Faint. But clear enough to hear the words.

I am your fiancée.

Temporarily.

You would choose a slave over me?

She is mine.

I freeze.

She is mine.

He said that. Cassius said that.

About me.

Rina pulls me back inside the room. Closes the door.

"You should not have heard that," she says.

"I heard it anyway."

"Forget it."

"I cannot forget it."

"You must."

I walk to the window. Stare out at the mountains.

She is mine.

The words echo in my head.

He did not say I am his property. He did not say I am his slave.

He said I am his.

There is a difference.

I do not know what to do with that.

Cassius POV

Massimus finds me in the garden.

I am standing by the fountain. Staring at the water. Watching the fish swim in circles.

"You heard?" I ask.

"The entire castle heard."

"Kendal made a scene."

"Kendal always makes a scene."

I sit on the edge of the fountain. Run my hand through the water.

"She threatened Emerald," I say.

"She threatens everyone."

"This was different."

"How?"

I look at him.

"She said she would make Emerald disappear."

Massimus's face hardens.

"She cannot do that. Emerald is under your protection."

"Kendal does not care about protection. She cares about winning."

"Then we need to watch her closely."

"I already have Rina watching Emerald."

"Watch Kendal too. Assign someone to follow her."

I nod.

Massimus sits beside me. Rare for him. He usually stands. But today, he sits.

"You care about the slave," he says.

"Her name is Emerald."

"I know her name. I asked if you care about her."

I stare at the water.

"Yes," I say finally.

"Do you love her?"

"I do not know."

"Then what do you feel?"

I think about her. Emerald. Her green eyes. Her stubborn chin. Her sharp tongue. The way she flinched when I touched her stomach. The way she said thank you for the flowers.

"I feel like I am drowning," I say. "And she is the only one who can pull me out."

Massimus is quiet for a long time.

"That is love," he says.

"No. That is need."

"Sometimes they are the same thing."

I stand. Walk to the edge of the garden.

"Keep Kendal away from her," I say.

"I will try."

"Do not try.Make sure of it"

Massimus nods.

I walk back toward the castle.

Emerald POV

The sun sets.

Rina lights the candles. The shadows dance on the walls.

I sit on my bed. Wrapped in the blue blanket. The one that smells like him.

"Rina?"

"Yes?"

"Is Kendal dangerous?"

Rina is quiet for a moment.

"Yes."

"To me?"

"Especially to you."

"Why?"

Rina walks to the window. Look out at the darkness.

"Because she loves him," she says. "And she knows he loves you."

"He does not love me."

"He told the entire throne room that you are his."

"That does not mean love."

"In his world, it does."

I pull the blanket tighter.

"What do I do?"

"Stay alive. Stay hidden. Stay away from her."

"And if I cannot?"

Rina turns to face me.

"Then you fight."

  

That night, I dream of Kendal.

She is standing over my bed. Holding a knife. Her eyes are red. Her smile is sharp.

You took him from me, she says. Now I will take everything from you.

I wake up screaming.

Rina is beside me in seconds. Her hand on my shoulder.

"Just a dream," she says. "Just a dream."

I nod.

But my heart does not stop pounding.

Because I know.

It was not just a dream.

It was a warning.

Chapter Thirteen: Kendal's Revenge

Emerald POV

The servants' hall is crowded.

I do not know why I came here. Rina told me to stay in my room. She told me it was not safe.

But I am tired of hiding.

So I walk down the corridor. Past the kitchens. Past the pantries. Past the servants who stare at me like I am a ghost.

I am not a ghost.

I am not a slave either.

I am something in between. Something they do not understand.

"You."

I freeze.

Kendal stands at the end of the hall. Her guards flank her. Her smile is sharp as a blade.

"Well, well," she says. "The little wolf comes out of her den."

"I am not a wolf."

"No. You are less than a wolf. A mongrel. A stray. Something Cassius picked up off the street."

I say nothing.

She walks toward me. Her heels click against the stone floor. The servants scatter like leaves in the wind. No one wants to be near her when she is like this.

"Did you think I would forget?" she asks.

"Forget what?"

"That you took him from me."

"I did not take anyone."

"You breathed. You existed. That was enough."

She stops in front of me. Close enough that I can smell her perfume. Heavy. Overpowering. Like flowers rotting in the sun.

"You are nothing," she says. "A nobody. A slave. A piece of meat he bought for one night."

I keep my face still. "Is that what you think?"

"I know it."

"Then why are you so scared of me?"

Her eyes flash.

"Scared?" She laughs. "I am not scared of you."

"Then why are you here? Why are you threatening me in front of all these servants? If I am nothing, why do you care?"

She slaps me.

The sound echoes through the hall.

My cheek burns. My ears ring. But I do not cry. I do not flinch.

I have been hit before. By worse people than her.

"I am going to destroy you," she says. "Piece by piece. I will take everything you have. Everything you are. And when you have nothing left, I will throw you out like the garbage you are."

"Good luck," I say.

"Excuse me?"

"Your threats are empty. You are loud. But you are not powerful. If you were, I would already be gone."

She raises her hand again.

"She is right."

I look up.

Rina stands at the end of the hall. Her face is hard. Her hand is on her sword.

"Step away from her," Rina says.

Kendal laughs. "Or what?"

"Or I will show you what happens to people who touch the Alpha's property."

"I am the Alpha's fiancée."

"Temporarily."

Kendal's face goes white.

Rina walks toward us. Slow. Deliberate. The servants part for her like water.

"Emerald," Rina says. "Come with me."

I do not move.

"Emerald. Now."

I look at Kendal. Her eyes are burning with hatred. Her hands are shaking.

"Goodbye, Lady Kendal," I say.

I walk away.

Her screams echo behind me.

Rina leads me to my room. Closes the door. Locks it.

"She will not forget this," Rina says.

"I know."

"You should not have gone down there."

"I know."

"She will try again."

"I know."

Rina looks at me. Her face is hard. But her eyes are soft.

"You fought back," she says.

"Yes."

"Most people do not."

"Most people are not me."

She almost smiles.

That night, I lie in bed.

My cheek still stings. My heart still pounds.

But I do not regret it.

Kendal is not my enemy.

She is just a woman who cannot accept that she lost.

I close my eyes.

And for the first time in weeks, I sleep without dreaming.