Breaking Point

Mira's POV

Dawn came too early.

I woke to darkness and the sound of someone shaking my shoulder roughly.

"Get up," Clara hissed. "The King expects you before sunrise."

I bolted upright, my heart hammering. "What time is it?"

"Late enough that you're going to be in trouble if you don't move." She thrust a candle at me. "Margot's already looking for you. Said something about the King being in a foul mood."

Perfect. Just perfect.

I dressed in record time, splashed cold water on my face, and ran through the corridors like my life depended on it.

Which, knowing Killian's reputation, it probably did.

I burst through the door to his chambers, breathless and disheveled, to find him already awake and standing by the window.

"You're late," he said without turning around.

"I'm sorry, my Lord. I didn't "

"I don't care about excuses." He turned, and the look in his eyes made my apology die on my lips. "I care about obedience. When I say dawn, I mean before the sun touches the horizon. Not after."

"Yes, my Lord."

"Draw my bath. Lay out my clothes. And next time you're late..." He let the threat hang in the air. "Don't be late again."

I hurried to obey, my hands shaking slightly as I worked the pump to fill the massive copper tub. The water was freezing at first, but I added hot water from the kettle hanging over the fire until steam rose in lazy curls.

Killian watched me the entire time, his presence a weight on my shoulders.

"Tell me about Evergreen," he said suddenly.

I nearly dropped the kettle.

"What?"

"Your pack. Before I took it." He moved closer, his footsteps silent on the stone floor. "What was it like?"

This was a test. It had to be.

"It was... peaceful," I said carefully, focusing on the water. "We had good land. Strong walls. A fair Alpha."

"Fair?" He sounded amused. "Alpha Kael is many things, but fair isn't one of them."

My jaw clenched.

"You know him?"

"I know of him. Weak. Indecisive. More concerned with keeping everyone happy than actually leading." He paused. "Though I suppose that made my job easier."

I wanted to defend Kael. Wanted to tell him that Kael had been a good leader once, before everything fell apart.

But I couldn't. Because Killian was right.

"The water's ready," I said instead.

"Good." He began unbuttoning his shirt, and I quickly turned away. "You can go."

"Don't you need "

"I can bathe myself, Thea. I'm not an invalid." There was something almost mocking in his tone. "Though your modesty is noted. Most servants would jump at the chance to see their King naked."

My face burned.

"I'm not most servants."

"No," he agreed. "You're not."

I fled before he could say anything else.

The rest of the morning passed in a blur of tasks. I changed his sheets, organized his desk, polished his armor until it gleamed. Normal, mundane things that should have been boring but somehow felt dangerous because they brought me deeper into his world.

I found letters addressed to other Alphas threats, demands, promises of protection if they bent the knee. I found maps with territories marked in blood-red ink. I found a journal written in a language I didn't recognize, filled with symbols that made my skin crawl.

And I memorized every detail.

This was information I could use. Later. When the time was right.

I was dusting the bookshelf when the door burst open and a man strode in tall, brutish, with eyes that reminded me of a predator sizing up prey.

Damon.

I'd been warned about him, but nothing could have prepared me for the sheer malevolence that radiated from the eldest Lycan prince.

"Well, well," he drawled, looking me up and down with undisguised interest. "So you're the little pet my baby brother's been hiding."

I straightened, gripping the dust cloth like a weapon.

"I'm the King's maid. Nothing more."

"Is that what he told you?" Damon laughed, a sound like breaking glass. "How sweet. How innocent." He moved closer. "Tell me, pet. Has he bedded you yet?"

"That's none of your concern."

"Oh, but it is." He was right in front of me now, close enough that I could smell the whiskey on his breath. "You see, everything my brother has, I want. It's a sibling thing."

My wolf surged forward, but I forced her back.

"The King said I was to scream if you touched me."

"Then scream." He reached out, his fingers brushing my cheek. "Let's see if he comes running."

I opened my mouth to do exactly that when a voice cut through the room like a blade.

"Get. Away. From her."

Killian stood in the doorway, and the rage on his face was terrifying.

Damon stepped back lazily, hands raised in mock surrender.

"Easy, brother. Just getting acquainted with your new toy."

"She's not a toy." Killian's voice was deadly quiet. "She's under my protection. Touch her again, and I'll take your hand."

"Ooh, protective. How unlike you." Damon smirked. "Must be something special about this one. What is it? The way she smells? The fire in her eyes? Or maybe "

He didn't get to finish. Killian moved faster than my eyes could track, slamming Damon against the wall with enough force to crack the stone.

"I said. Get. Out."

For a moment, I thought Damon would fight back. His eyes flashed with rage, his body tensing for attack.

But then he laughed.

"Fine. Keep your little secret." He shoved past Killian toward the door. "But when you're done with her, brother... I call next."

The door slammed behind him.

Silence filled the room, heavy and oppressive.

Killian stood with his back to me, his shoulders rigid with tension.

"Are you hurt?" he asked finally.

"No."

"Did he "

"He touched my face. That's all."

He turned, and the concern in his eyes surprised me.

"I should have killed him."

"Why didn't you?"

"Because he's my brother. Because the council would object. Because..." He ran a hand through his hair, looking suddenly exhausted. "Because I've killed enough people."

The admission hung between us.

"I can handle myself," I said quietly.

"I know." He looked at me then, really looked at me. "That's what worries me."

"Why?"

"Because women who can handle themselves don't usually end up as maids." He moved closer, his eyes searching mine. "They end up as Lunas. Warriors. Leaders."

My heart stopped.

"I told you. I was a farmer's "

"Stop lying to me."

The command in his voice made my wolf whimper.

"I'm not "

"You are." He grabbed my wrist, holding up my hand between us. "These calluses. I know what made them. Hours of sword work. Years of training." He traced a finger along my palm, and despite everything, I shivered. "You're no farmer's daughter, Thea. So tell me. Who are you really?"

I could feel the walls closing in. Could feel my carefully constructed lies crumbling.

"I'm no one," I whispered. "Just another refugee trying to survive."

"Liar."

He pulled me closer, until we were almost touching, until I could see the gold flecks in his inhuman eyes.

"I'll find out the truth," he promised. "One way or another. And when I do..." He leaned in, his lips brushing my ear. "I'll decide whether to keep you or kill you."

He released me and walked away, leaving me shaking.

"You're dismissed for the afternoon," he said without looking back. "I have matters to attend to."

I practically ran from the room.

I found myself in the courtyard, needing air, needing space, needing to think.

This was getting too dangerous. Killian was getting too close to the truth. I needed to be more careful, more convincing.

Or I needed to run.

But where would I go? Every pack within a hundred miles either bowed to Killian or lay in ruins. I had no allies, no resources, no

"Mira."

The voice made me freeze.

No. It couldn't be.

I turned slowly, and my heart nearly stopped.

Standing in the shadow of the wall, hidden from casual view, was a face I never thought I'd see again.

Ramona. Kael's sister. My sister-in-law.

My friend.

"Moon goddess," I breathed. "You're alive."

She rushed forward and grabbed my arms, her eyes wild with relief and fear.

"I thought you were dead. When I heard about the attack, when I couldn't find you " She pulled back, looking me over. "What are you doing here? Why are you dressed like a servant?"

"It's a long story."

"Then tell me. Quickly. Before someone sees us."

I glanced around, making sure we were alone, then pulled her deeper into the shadows.

"The night of the attack... Aria killed Magnus."

Ramona gasped, her hand flying to her mouth.

"No. No, she wouldn't "

"She did. Right in front of me. And then she let Killian's army in. She betrayed us all."

"That's impossible. Aria is just a maid. She's "

"She's working with Killian. Has been for months." The words poured out of me in a rush. "She seduced Kael to distract him. Opened the secret passages. Murdered my son. And now she's here, playing Luna while I " I gestured to my servant's dress. "While I hide in plain sight."

Ramona was crying now, silent tears streaming down her face.

"Mira, I'm so sorry. Magnus was... he was such a sweet boy."

"I know." My voice cracked. "And I'm going to make them pay. All of them. Aria. Killian. Everyone who took part in destroying Evergreen."

"How? You're one woman against an army."

"I don't know yet. But I'll find a way." I gripped her hands. "Ramona, please. You can't tell anyone who I am. If Killian finds out I'm the Luna "

"He'll kill you."

"Exactly."

She nodded, wiping her eyes.

"Your secret is safe with me. But Mira... be careful. This place is full of vipers. One wrong step and "

"I know." I squeezed her hands. "How did you survive? Where have you been?"

"I escaped through the servant's tunnels. Lived in the forest for days before Killian's patrols found me. They brought me here with the other refugees." She glanced around nervously. "I work in the stables now. It's safer there. Less attention."

"Good. Stay safe. Stay quiet. And if you hear anything anything about Killian's plans, about the other packs "

"I'll find a way to tell you."

We stood there for a moment, two women who'd lost everything, clinging to each other in the darkness.

Then footsteps echoed in the courtyard.

"Go," I whispered. "Quickly."

Ramona disappeared into the shadows just as a guard rounded the corner.

"You there," he called. "What are you doing out here?"

"Getting some air," I said calmly. "The King dismissed me for the afternoon."

He grunted, apparently satisfied, and moved on.

I leaned against the wall, my heart racing.

That was too close.

But at least now I had an ally. Someone who knew the truth. Someone I could trust.

It wasn't much.

But it was something.

Killian's POV

"You're being reckless."

I looked up from the maps spread across my desk to find Kennedy standing in the doorway. My second-eldest brother, quieter than Damon but twice as dangerous.

"Good evening to you too, brother."

"I'm serious, Killian." He closed the door behind him. "Damon told me what happened today. You threatened him. Over a servant."

"He touched what's mine."

"Since when do you care about servants?"

I didn't answer. Couldn't answer. Because I didn't know.

There was something about Thea something that got under my skin, that made me act in ways I didn't understand. Protective. Possessive. Interested.

It was dangerous. Distracting.

Exactly what I didn't need right now.

"The Ancient One is growing impatient," Kennedy continued. "He wants to know when you'll move on the next pack. When the ritual will be complete."

The Ancient One. My master. The creature lurking beneath Redmoon, pulling all our strings.

"Soon," I said. "I'm waiting for the right moment."

"He won't wait forever."

"Then he'll have to learn patience."

Kennedy's eyes narrowed.

"You're playing a dangerous game, brother. The longer you delay, the more suspicious he becomes. And if he thinks you're planning something..."

"Let him think what he wants. I'm still the Lycan King. I make the decisions."

"For now."

The threat was subtle but clear. Kennedy wanted the throne. Just like Damon. Just like Rogers.

They were all waiting for me to fail. To slip. To give them an excuse to take what was mine.

"Is there anything else?" I asked coldly.

"Just a warning. About the girl."

"What about her?"

"She's not what she seems. I can smell the deception on her. The lies." He moved closer to the desk. "Whatever she's hiding, it's big. And if you're not careful, it'll destroy you."

"I can handle one servant."

"Can you?" Kennedy smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Because from where I'm standing, she's already handled you."

He left before I could respond.

I stared at the maps, at the territories I'd conquered, at the packs still standing.

And I thought about gray eyes and hidden calluses and lies wrapped in truth.

Kennedy was right about one thing.

Thea was dangerous.

But that's exactly why I couldn't let her go.

Mira's POV

That night, I lay in bed staring at the ceiling, my mind racing.

I'd survived my first full day in the lion's den. Barely.

But I'd also found Ramona. Found an ally. Found hope.

It wasn't much. But it was enough.

Enough to keep fighting.

Enough to keep planning.

Enough to remember why I was here.

For Magnus. For my parents. For everyone we'd lost.

I would make them pay.

All of them.

Starting with the monsters who thought they could break me.

They had no idea who they were dealing with.

I wasn't just Thea, the frightened servant.

I was Mira, daughter of warriors, Luna of Evergreen Pack.

And I was coming for them all.