Page 24 of The Alpha's Crimson Vow (Eternal Oath Saga #2)

Alex

It’s been two days since I returned. And every minute since I got back has led to this moment. The air is thick with anticipation as I stride down the grand corridor, Jack walking in step beside me. The doors to the war council chamber loom ahead, tall and imposing, gilded with centuries of power. The guards stationed outside straighten the moment they see me approach. Then, with perfect synchronization, they push the doors open.

Inside, the grand hall is already filled. Military chiefs. Council members. The highest ranking officials in my kingdom, all gathered around the massive central table. As I enter, a wave of motion ripples through the room—every single person rises, heads bowing in respect. A chorus of voices greets me.

“Your Majesty.”

I barely acknowledge them. My eyes sweep the room, taking in every face. I walk to the center, where a sprawling digital map of my kingdom glows across the table. The room stills again, waiting. Watching. I let the silence hang for a moment, then, my voice cuts through the air.

“Give me an update.”

The head of my military, General Vaughn, steps forward.

“Our scouts have picked up movement on the outskirts,” he begins. “A growing force. The numbers are rising, and we’ve confirmed sightings of certain… individuals.”

I don’t need to ask. I already know what he’s about to say.

“The corrupt council members,” I murmur.

Vaughn nods. “The same ones who took bribes and stood against your claim to the throne. We’ve seen them with the enemy forces.”

I exhale slowly, pressing my hands against the table as I lean over the map. My eyes scan the terrain, the flickering markers that represent enemy movements.

“How many?” I ask.

Vaughn doesn’t hesitate. “Thousands. Possibly more. We don’t yet know if their numbers will continue to grow or if this is the full extent of their force.”

I lift my gaze, meeting his eyes. “And our army?”

His lips twitch slightly, a ghost of a smirk. “More than capable of wiping them out, Your Majesty. If you give the order, we can crush them before they have a chance to act.”

A sharp, decisive nod is my only response.

“Your Majesty,” Vaughn continues, voice tightening. “There’s something else.”

I already know before he says it. Jack has informed me.

“Valerian,” I state.

Vaughn’s jaw tightens. “He’s been seen among them.”

A slow, simmering heat spreads through my chest. The room is thick with tension, the air itself brimming with anticipation. I take a step back from the table, my gaze sweeping across the gathered officials. They’re waiting for my command.

“We all know what’s at stake,” I say, my voice steady, firm. “A war will mean casualties. It will mean innocent lives lost. I won’t let that happen.” I pause, letting my words settle. “We end this before it begins. We crush them, and we bring Valerian and his treasonous allies to justice.”

A chorus of agreement murmurs through the room. But before I can say another word, the doors burst open.

A scout stumbles in, breathless, his chest heaving as he struggles to catch his breath. The entire room turns toward him. Every eye is locked on the soldier who looks like he’s just sprinted across half the kingdom.

I straighten. “Speak.”

He takes a second, inhaling sharply. “They’re gone,” he blurts out. “Valerian’s forces. They’ve dispersed.”

The room falls into absolute, stunned silence.

I narrow my eyes. “Dispersed?”

The scout nods frantically, still panting. “Their entire encampment has vanished. They abandoned their positions, scattered in different directions. No formation, no coordination… it’s as if they just left.”

A sharp unease courses through me.

Behind me, Vaughn is already barking orders, demanding immediate surveillance updates. The other generals are exchanging glances, some murmuring among themselves. Jack, standing beside me, frowns deeply, his arms crossing over his chest.

“Doesn’t make sense,” he mutters under his breath. “Why the hell would they run?”

I don’t answer. My mind is already racing. Valerian isn’t a fool. He’s a strategist, a man who plays the long game. He wouldn’t just flee without reason.

Within seconds, reports start coming in from the generals. Every single one confirms the same thing. The enemy forces are gone. I turn to Jack, our eyes meeting. He sees it too—the unspoken question hanging between us.

Something is wrong.

Without hesitation, I make my decision. “We’re going there,” I say firmly.

Jack nods. “I’m with you.”

I turn to the generals. “Gather a small unit. We’re heading to the outskirts now. I want to see this for myself.”

No one hesitates.

I don’t wait for further discussion. Without another word, I turn and stride out of the hall, Jack and a handful of my best men falling into step behind me.

And I need to know exactly what the hell is going on.

In a matter of seconds, we’re out of the palace and on our way. The convoy cuts through the city. Jack sits beside me in the lead vehicle, his jaw tight, eyes locked on the road ahead.

When we arrive, I step out first, boots hitting the dirt with purpose. The air is eerily still, unnervingly quiet. No movement. No sound. Just the remnants of a military camp that’s been wiped clean. Tents have been flattened, fires long extinguished, a half eaten meal rotting on a makeshift table. But there’s no sign of them.

Jack steps up beside me, arms crossed over his chest as he surveys the area. “Hell of a magic trick,” he mutters.

I don’t respond right away. My entire body is tense, my mind running through a hundred different scenarios. None of them make sense. Valerian had an army here. Thousands. He was preparing for war. And now, without so much as a whisper, they’ve vanished into thin air?

No. That’s not how this works.

I exhale sharply, turning to Jack. “Get the generals on the line. Anyone with intelligence. I want eyes everywhere. I want to know where they’ve gone, and I want to know now.”

Jack pulls out his phone, already dialing. “Alex, they didn’t regroup somewhere else. They scattered.”

“And that’s exactly what worries me,” I snap. “They’re planning something, Jack. I need to know what.”

Jack doesn’t argue. He knows I’m right. He lifts the phone to his ear, stepping away as the call connects. I rake a hand through my hair, the unease in my chest growing by the second.

This isn’t just a retreat. Valerian isn’t running. He’s moving the game pieces into position. And I have no idea where he’s going to strike next.

Just then, my phone buzzes in my pocket. I pull it out, frowning at the screen. The number is unfamiliar, blocked. Something cold slithers down my spine.

I answer. “Who is this?”

The voice that slithers through the receiver turns my blood to ice.

“I have something that belongs to you, little nephew.”

Valerian.

My teeth clench so hard my jaw aches. “Where are you?” My voice is low, lethal.

A soft chuckle. Amused. Like this is a game to him. “It’s not about where I am. It’s about what—or rather, who—I have.” A pause. Then, smooth as silk, he adds, “I’m offering you a fair trade. You relinquish the throne that is rightfully mine… and I’ll spare the life of your mate.”

For a second, I can’t breathe. The world around me ceases to exist. The air in my lungs vanishes. My pulse roars in my ears.

My grip on the phone tightens until my knuckles burn. “You’re lying,” I growl.

But before I can demand proof, the call cuts out. A second later, a message pings. I look down. And the moment the image appears on my screen, a sharp, murderous rage detonates inside me.

Katherine.

She’s unconscious, her dark lashes resting against pale skin. Her wrists are bound, her mouth gagged. She looks lifeless. Helpless. A red haze clouds my vision. My hands shake.

The phone shatters in my grip, the screen splintering into a thousand useless shards.

Jack turns at the sound. “What the hell—”

But one look at my face, and his expression changes. His entire body tenses. “Alex… what happened?”

I can barely hear him over the roar of my own blood. My breathing is ragged, my fingers curled into fists so tight my nails dig into my palms.

“He has her,” I grind out, my voice. “Valerian has Katherine.”

Jack’s entire body goes rigid. His jaw tightens, his brows pull together.

“He fucking took her, Jack!” I explode, my chest rising and falling in quick, furious breaths. “And he’s using her to get to me. He wants me to abdicate. Give up the throne.”

Jack drags a hand down his face, exhaling sharply. “Son of a bitch.” He starts pacing, his boots kicking up dust as his mind races through the implications. “We knew something was off about them disappearing. I knew this was a setup, but this—this is a whole different level of fucked up.”

I shake my head, my hands gripping the back of my neck as I try to think, try to breathe. But all I can see is that image. Katherine. Bound. Gagged. Unconscious. She’s caught in this because of me.

“Where is he, Jack?” My voice is raw, seething. “Where the fuck is he?”

Jack exhales through his nose, his fingers already flying over his phone. “We need to get back to the war room. We can run satellite surveillance, track any private flights, cross-check movement reports—”

“We don’t have time for that!” I snap, but even as the words leave my mouth, I know he’s right

Jack holds my gaze, unflinching. “Let’s go.”

I don’t argue. I shove the panic deep, bury it under layers of fury, and move.

I register nothing of the ride back to the palace. And by the time we get back to the war room, it is pure chaos. Every screen is alive with information—satellite feeds, intelligence reports, communications tracking. My men are working at a breakneck pace.

“Could he be holding her back in the States?” My voice is rough, my patience thin. “I left her there. If Valerian had people watching her, he could’ve taken her.”

Jack exhales through his nose. “It’s possible, but we don’t know yet.”

I rake my hands through my hair, my mind a snarl of rage and guilt. Katherine is innocent. She’s done nothing. She doesn’t deserve to be caught in this goddamn war.

Then Jack turns to me, his face grim, his phone clutched tightly in his grip. “Another message,” he says.

A muscle ticks in my jaw. “Show me.”

Jack hesitates for just a second. Then he holds out his phone. I snatch it, my eyes locking onto the screen. And my heart stops.

It’s another picture.

This time, Katherine isn’t just unconscious. She’s lying limp, her body slumped over, her hair splayed out across a concrete floor. And standing over her, his expression smug, is Valerian. Beneath the image, a single message:

“You have 24 hours to announce your abdication, Alex. Otherwise, she dies.”

The war room fades. The sounds of my men working disappear. The air in my lungs vanishes. All I can hear is the deafening roar of my own fury.

Jack watches me carefully. “We’re running an analysis on the image now,” he says. “Trying to pinpoint the location.”

“It’s not enough,” I say, my voice eerily calm, deadly. “None of this is enough.”

Jack straightens. “We’re doing everything we can, Alex. But tracking him down in twenty-four hours—” He exhales sharply. “We might need more time.”

I don’t have more time.

I turn away, my mind spinning, my pulse hammering against my skull. I feel the walls closing in. The weight of my crown. The weight of my choices. “Everyone out. Now!” I bark out. They don’t even take a second to think about it, the room empties in a flash. But Jack waits behind, he stays with me like he doesn’t want to leave me alone in this moment.

He allows me a few seconds by myself, then he steps closer, lowering his voice. “Alex.”

I don’t look at him.

“What are you thinking?”

I inhale deeply, forcing my lungs to expand against the crushing weight in my chest. Then I turn to him.

“I’m going to give him what he wants.”

Jack freezes. “No.”

“I have to.”

“Alex, think—if you surrender the throne, you hand the kingdom back to Valerian and the corrupt council. You know what that means. You know what they’ll do.” His voice is sharp, urgent. “I get that you need to save her, but we still have time. We can find her before—”

“What if we don’t?” My voice rises. “What if we run out of time and she dies because I was too fucking proud to make a deal?”

Jack shakes his head. “We’ll find her. We’ll—”

“If I lose her, Jack, nothing else fucking matters.” My chest heaves. “We can live to fight another day. But right now? Right now, I need to make sure she’s alive.”

Jack’s face is set in hard lines. “And if you abdicate, Valerian won’t just let you walk away. He’ll kill you.”

I hold his stare. “Then so be it.”

Silence. Thick and Heavy. Jack swallows, his fists clenching. “Don’t do this.”

Before I can respond, the doors swing open again. I whirl, my fury igniting. “I said I wanted the room cleared—”

A guard bows sharply. “Forgive me, Your Majesty,” he says quickly. “But there is an important guest. One who demands to see you immediately.”

I don’t have time for this. “Send them away.”

The guard hesitates. “It’s Queen Alice of the American Wolf Kingdom.”

My brows lift. And then, the doors burst open. Alice storms in, her presence crackling with energy, her heels clicking sharply against the marble floor. She moves with purpose, her sharp eyes locking onto mine like she’s ready to tear me apart.

“Alex,” she snaps, stopping just inches from me. “We need to talk. Now.”

I rise to my feet the second Alice storms in, my body humming with barely restrained adrenaline. I don’t have time for this. Not now. Not when Katherine’s life hangs in the balance.

“Alice, whatever this is, it has to wait,” I say, my voice tight. “I have urgent matters to attend to.”

“I know what’s happening, Alex,” she snaps. “Katherine has been taken.”

I stiffen, my fists clenching at my sides. “Then you understand why I don’t have time for whatever the hell this is.”

But Alice doesn’t move. Doesn’t back down. Instead, she steps right into my space, her face inches from mine. “I warned you,” she hisses. “I told you—no harm must come to her.”

Before I can even react, Alice’s body shifts. Not fully, but just enough to remind me exactly who she is. Her fangs elongate. Her claws sharpen. Her pupils narrow into razor-thin slits.

Normally, my wolf would react instinctively to something like this. Any shifter, when confronted with hostility, would half shift in response. My body should be tensing, my own teeth sharpening, a low growl tearing from my throat.

But… nothing. I feel nothing. No stirring from my wolf. No instinctive aggression rising to meet hers. That realization scratches at the edges of my mind, clawing at something I don’t quite understand. But I don’t have time to dwell on it. Because Alice isn’t wrong.

A sharp guilt pools in my stomach. She did warn me. She made it clear—no harm should come to Katherine. And now she’s in Valerian’s hands… Because of me.

My throat tightens, but I force my voice to stay steady. “Valerian…. My Uncle has her,” I tell Alice. “He sent me a message—24 hours. Either I abdicate the throne, or he kills her.”

Alice’s fangs retract, her claws dulling back into human form, but the fire in her gaze doesn’t fade. She crosses her arms. “I know she’s been taken.” Her voice is lower now but no less furious. “I was with her. We spoke minutes before she was taken. When I went back to her office to grab my purse, she was gone.” She exhales sharply, then pulls out her phone. “So I tracked her.”

My entire body goes still.

“You know where they are?” My voice is sharp, edged with sudden, violent anticipation.

Alice nods, tilting her phone toward me. “I followed the signal from her phone. They’re on an island not far from here. The Miagani.”

The Miagani.

An abandoned island. A place left to rot, untouched for years. It makes sense. It’s isolated enough that no one would think to check.

Jack steps closer, peering at the screen over my shoulder. “That’s where they are?” His tone is already tilting, calculating.

Alice nods. “I would have gone myself,” she says. “But it’s heavily guarded. And since it’s in your kingdom’s territory, I couldn’t bring my forces without causing a diplomatic fucking disaster.” Her eyes meet mine, unrelenting. “But you can.”

I don’t hesitate. “Jack, get the men ready. We move now.”

Jack nods sharply and strides out of the room without another word.

My mind is already ahead, already there, envisioning every step of what’s to come. The storm is building inside me, rage and adrenaline colliding, sharpening into a singular, unrelenting purpose.

I’m going to find him. I’m going to end him. And I’m going to get her back.

But just as I turn to leave, Alice grabs my arm.

I whip my head toward her, my patience razor thin. “Alice, we don’t have time—”

“There’s something you need to know,” she interrupts. Something in her tone makes my stomach twist. There’s a hesitation in her eyes. A flicker of something beneath all the anger and urgency. And I realize—she’s not just angry. She’s holding something back.

“What is it?” My voice is low, wary.

Alice’s lips press into a thin line. “It’s Katherine,” she says. “She’s pregnant.”

The words detonate in my skull. I go completely still. My breath stops.

Katherine is pregnant.

The world around me dims, the war room, the chaos—it all fades into white noise.

That’s why she’s been asking me how I feel about having children. It’s why she was so upset when I suggested we would be happy without children. It’s why it meant so much to her.

Oh, fuck.

“Are you sure?” My voice is barely above a whisper.

Alice nods.

My entire chest tightens.

This isn’t just about my fated mate anymore. Not just about Katherine.

Valerian has my child.

A violent, visceral protectiveness explodes through me.

Alice holds my gaze. “You need to get to her. Now.”

I swallow hard, pushing through the storm raging inside me, locking onto the one thing that matters.

I nod once. “We’re leaving.”

Alice follows without question. The time for talking is over.

Now, I move. Now, I hunt. And now, I end Valerian once and for all.