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Erik sighs before filling me in on what he has learned.

“The Silver Ring Organization has been around for far longer than we thought. They were responsible for the murder of the previous king and queen of the North, Cedric Raine’s parents, and given that they were both warriors, nobody is safe.

The Eastern royal family was in cahoots with the organization, and they’ve been wiped out except for their king, a young child whom Cedric and his mate Leanna are raising alongside their own son. ”

He leans back, a strained expression on his face. “You don’t remember why you went out that day, the argument we had. So, let me tell you. Quentin came to you with a tip. He said the rebel leaders had begun crossing the Veil. I told you not to go, but you were determined.”

The anguish in his eyes is thick. “When I went to find you, there was blood. The guards I’d sent with you were dead. No sign of you. We searched for months, for any trace of you, but there was nothing.”

“You thought I was dead,” I say quietly.

He nods. “There was so much blood, Griffin. And no trail. Quentin must have made sure of it. But I hoped you were alive. The brother I knew wouldn’t have died easily. So, I kept looking. Any word, any tip, and I would chase it down. I—I protected your throne for you, Griffin.”

My hands curl into fists. “Quentin was always ambitious. He was envious, greedy, vying for things he had no business aiming for. Like the throne.” I shake my head.

“What about Maya? How was Cassian able to kidnap her? How did you let such a key member of the Silver Ring Organization infiltrate the palace?”

Erik’s jaw twitches. “Cassian went to the Eastern Kingdom to pursue his education, and he insisted on joining the palace when he returned. It’s evident now that he was recruited by the Silver Ring while he was in the East.”

“I am not blaming you, Erik. You trusted Jerry, and you had no reason not to trust his nephew.” I get to my feet and walk over to the window that overlooks the palace gardens. “At this point, either the organization is going to come at us with full force or they will lie low now that I am back.”

My brother agrees, but he has another question on the tip of his tongue. “Does Maya—Does she know?”

“No.”

The word causes a silence to fall over the room, and for a moment, Erik says nothing. Then, he lets out a slow breath. “You’re going to have to tell her at some point. She doesn’t like being kept in the dark.”

“She doesn’t like you very much, either.” I crack a smile. “But I don’t want to overwhelm her.”

“Is that really the reason?” Erik leans forward now, staring at me.

My lips part, and then I turn my attention back to the view. “No,” I admit. “I’m afraid she doesn’t have a very positive opinion of our kind right now. I don’t want her to run away or think I am trapping her.”

My brother sighs. “Well, you’re going to have to get this past the elders first. They will fight you on having a human queen. It’s never been done before.”

“You mean the same elders who pushed you onto the throne?” I look over my shoulder at him.

Erik stands and walks toward me. “They may not want you back anymore, but I do.”

“You’ve ruled in my stead.”

“Because I had to.” He looks at me again, gentler now. “I never wanted the crown.”

“You wore it well.”

He chuckles. “I learned quickly. I had to. I couldn’t be the grieving younger brother forever.”

“No,” I agree. “You had to become the king.”

“I did.” He goes back over to our chairs, his voice steady. “But now that you’re here, it’s time I stopped pretending.”

“You’re not pretending,” I mutter. “You did well. This place isn’t falling apart. You’ve held it together, and that takes resilience and effort. You would have made Father proud.”

His eyes glisten for a moment. “Maybe, but now that you’re here, I want to step back and focus on the Silver Ring Organization. And you, you take back your crown. It’s too heavy for me.”

I smile at him. I understand how he feels.

A silence stretches between us before Erik opens the door and calls to a messenger in the hall.

When a young wolf steps into the office, Erik gives the order: “Send word to the North. Queen Leanna—tell her Maya has been found. She’ll want to come immediately.”

The messenger bows and vanishes into the corridor, closing the door behind him.

I open my mouth to say something when the door opens again and someone else appears there. It’s Maya, freshly showered and changed. She walks in.

“My mother is resting. Jerry is with her. I thought this was the best time to come talk to you, Erik. Am I interrupting?”

“You’re not interrupting,” I say immediately, crossing the room toward her.

I can feel my brother roll his eyes. I know he sees it: the tension coiled in my shoulders, the way my hand hovers near her waist like I can’t quite bear the space between us.

She lifts her chin to look at me. “Is everything okay?”

I glance at Erik.

“Depends,” he says, smiling faintly. “Did you come to rescue him?”

Maya arches a brow. “He doesn’t need rescuing. But he does need food and a trip to the healer’s.”

I can’t help but notice that she has become strangely possessive since she first saw Erik. I can see it in her eyes. I wonder if she realizes it.

Erik watches us both for a moment, then nods. “Food will be ready soon. We were just talking about old enemies and new threats.”

Maya steps closer to me. Not touching, but close enough that I can feel the pull between us. And I know, even without the bond spoken, that she feels it, too. But her eyes hold a soft confusion, a resistance, and I know she is not ready to know of our bond.

Not yet.