Page 48

It was the smart move. We met at the base of the long table, where their Alpha stood waiting.

Alek Stoneforge—broad-shouldered, bearded, his skin weathered from years in the sun. His Luna, Maera, stood beside him, six months pregnant and radiant with that serene strength only true mated pairs ever possessed. Her hand rested on the curve of her belly as she smiled at me, no hint of fear in her gaze.

“Alpha,” I greeted with a nod and shook his hand. “Welcome to Blood Night.”

“Alpha,” Alek returned, his voice deep and warm. “You honour us.”

Garrick stepped forward, already gesturing to the side room prepared with food and firelight. “Come, the table’s ready. We don’t let allies go hungry in this hall.”

They followed, easy and relaxed, their Beta and two guards behind them. I watched their movements—measured but confident. These weren’t sycophants or soft-bellied diplomats. They might not train for war, but Briarhold could hold their own.

As we sat, I signalled one of my men forward and handed over a polished wooden box wrapped in dark cloth. The Betaplaced it on the table before Maera.

“A gift,” I said. “For your son. When he arrives.”

Maera’s eyes lit up. “That’s generous.”

She opened the box slowly, revealing a hand-forged dagger—silversteel, small and light, but wickedly sharp, the handle carved with runes for protection and strength.

“From our best blacksmith,” I said. “A warrior’s blade, should he need it. Or something to hang above his cradle, to remind him he was born into strength.”

Alek chuckled and nodded in appreciation. “He’ll need that reminder, with his mother watching his every move.”

We laughed, shared a toast, broke bread, and began. Talk turned to roads and patrols, shipping lines through old Crescent Moon territory, security along the rivers. They asked about tax, we discussed border terms, Garrick pointed out winter routes through the pass that wouldn’t freeze over before harvest.

Garrick continued talking. Something about new toll checkpoints. Alek was drawing symbols on the map with a bit of charcoal. Roran sat across from me, swirling his wine, sharp eyes watching with just enough interest to make my jaw clench. Garrick leaned forward, tracing the rough shape of the mountain pass on the worn wooden surface.

“We can move goods through the southern routes before the frost,” Garrick suggested. “Keep the supplies flowing without interruption.”

“And the taxes on human villages?” Alek asked carefully. “What's your stance?”

I opened my mouth to respond—

And suddenly,shetouched my mind.

It was faint at first. Like the soft brushing of fingers against the inside of my skull. A warmth—confused, restless. Distant, but familiar.

Lexa!?

Not hiding. Not avoiding me like she always had. This time, she was searching for me. Reaching down the bond with purpose. And gods, she was angry.

Fury rolled off her like waves crashing against a cliffside—cold and sharp and unrelenting. But beneath the rage, there was control. Intention. She wasn’t unravelling. No, she was aiming.

Her presence slid into my mind like the edge of a blade dipped in honey, slick and poisonous and hers.

“You’ll pay for this,”she whispered. Not out loud. Not in the room. But through the bond. Her voice slid into my skull, laced with venom and steel. “For what you did. For tying me down like an animal. For humiliating me. For making me yours.”

I sat up straighter, spine stiffening as a sharp jolt of heat surged through me. My jaw clenched tight, the muscle twitching beneath my skin, and for a fleeting second my vision narrowed into a tight tunnel of red and white.

Across the long stretch of polished wood, Maera was still speaking, something about the southern trade routes and the delays caused by snow blocking the mountain pass, but her voice faded, muffled and distant, like I was hearing it from underwater.

Because Lexa was in my head again.

Her voice slid into me through the bond, low and venomous, curling like smoke in my lungs. “I’ll make you suffer for that bond,”she hissed.“I’ll tear your mind apart if I have to.”

The corner of my mouth lifted into a slow, dangerous smile—just enough to draw Garrick’s attention from where he stood behind me. He didn’t speak, but I felt his eyes flick toward me, catching the shift in my expression. Still, he knew better than to interrupt.

“I’d love to see you try, stray,” I sent back through the bond, letting every word drip with challenge, with the sharp edge of command I knew she hated and craved in equal measure.