Chapter 6 I Was Ready

Silence fell over the clearing. The tension in the air was suffocating.

Kieran's golden eyes were still locked on Ronan, but the fear in them was unmistakable. The way his warriors stood frozen, their hands trembling at their sides, only confirmed what I had suspected.

Ronan wasn't just some rogue.

He was someone powerful. Someone dangerous. Someone Kieran had thought was dead.

My heart pounded as Ronan released Kieran's throat, letting him stumble back.

"I don't want to kill you tonight," Ronan said, his voice cold. "But if you don't leave, I will."

Kieran's face twisted with anger, but he didn't attack. He knew better. His gaze flickered to me, and something dark crossed his face.

"This isn't over, Selene," he muttered.

I lifted my chin. "It was over the moment you rejected me."

Kieran's jaw clenched, his hands curling into fists. For a second, I thought he might fight Ronan anyway, but then he turned away. With a sharp nod to his warriors, he disappeared into the trees, his pack following behind him.

The moment they were gone, I let out a shaky breath. My body felt like it had been wound too tight, ready to snap.

But Ronan didn't move.

He stood there, staring after Kieran, his silver eyes dark and unreadable.

I swallowed hard. "Who are you?"

He didn't answer.

Instead, he turned on his heel and walked back toward the cabin, leaving me standing there in the cold night air, my mind racing with questions.

Who was Ronan? And why did Kieran react like that?

I followed him inside, slamming the door shut behind me. "Ronan."

Still, he didn't speak. He grabbed a cloth, wiping the blood from his hands, his movements slow and controlled.

"Ronan," I tried again, stepping closer. "Kieran knew you. He feared you."

Ronan's silver eyes flickered up to me, a storm raging within them.

Then, finally, he spoke.

"He should."

His words sent a chill through me.

I took a deep breath. "Are you going to tell me why?"

Ronan hesitated, his fingers tightening around the cloth. For a moment, I thought he might push me away again, but then he exhaled slowly.

"You've heard the stories," he said. "About the rogue prince?"

I frowned. "You mean the Alpha prince who vanished years ago?"

Ronan's lips curled into a humorless smirk.

"The one who was supposed to be dead?"

Realization slammed into me like a storm.

"No," I whispered.

But Ronan just held my gaze, his silver eyes steady.

"Yes."

I stumbled back, my heart racing. I had heard the stories. Everyone had.

The Alpha King's firstborn son. The heir to the strongest pack in the kingdom. A warrior stronger than any Alpha before him.

And then-gone. Killed in an ambush.

Or at least, that's what everyone believed.

But if Ronan was telling the truth... if he was the rogue prince...

That meant he was the rightful heir.

And that meant Kieran-who had taken over the kingdom after the king's death-was nothing but a thief.

My breath came fast, my mind spinning. "Why... why didn't you come back?"

Ronan's smirk faded.

"Because the people who were supposed to protect me tried to kill me instead."

The weight of his words sank deep into my bones.

His own pack had betrayed him.

I shook my head, trying to piece everything together. "And now Kieran knows you're alive."

Ronan nodded. "Which means he won't stop coming."

I swallowed hard.

Because I knew what Kieran was capable of.

And he wouldn't just come for Ronan.

He'd come for me, too.

---

The next morning, I woke up to the sound of Ronan moving around the cabin.

I pushed the blanket off and sat up, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. "Where are you going?"

Ronan didn't look at me as he strapped a dagger to his belt. "Hunting."

I frowned. "For food?"

"For information."

I stood up. "Then I'm coming with you."

Ronan's head snapped toward me, his silver eyes sharp. "No."

I crossed my arms. "I can fight."

"You're still healing."

I scowled. "That didn't stop me last night."

Ronan sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Selene-"

"I'm not staying behind." I met his gaze, my voice firm. "Not when Kieran is out there."

A muscle ticked in Ronan's jaw. He stared at me for a long moment before exhaling through his nose.

"Fine."

I blinked. "Fine?"

He grabbed an extra dagger and tossed it to me. "Try to keep up."

I barely caught the blade before he was already out the door.

What the hell did I just get myself into?

---

We moved through the forest like shadows.

Ronan was fast. Faster than any wolf I had ever seen. He barely made a sound as he weaved between the trees, his senses sharp, his body moving like he was made for this.

And maybe he was.

I pushed myself to keep up, my muscles burning. I had been trained as a Luna, but this was different. This wasn't about grace or poise. This was about survival.

Ronan suddenly stopped, holding up a hand. I froze beside him, straining to listen.

Then I heard it.

Voices.

Low and rough, just like the rogues from before.

Ronan's expression darkened. He moved silently toward a thick cluster of trees, motioning for me to follow. I crept beside him, peering through the leaves.

Three men stood in a clearing, their faces twisted with frustration.

"She's not here," one of them muttered.

"The Alpha wants her alive," another growled. "If we fail again-"

He didn't need to finish.

I already knew what Kieran would do to them.

Ronan didn't hesitate. In a flash, he moved.

One second, he was beside me. The next, he was behind the first rogue, snapping his neck in one swift motion.

The other two barely had time to react before Ronan lunged at them, his movements fast and brutal.

One of them managed to shift, his wolf snarling as he leaped toward Ronan-

But I was faster.

I drove my dagger straight into his side, twisting the blade. The wolf howled before collapsing.

The last rogue turned to run, but Ronan caught him, slamming him against a tree.

"Who sent you?" Ronan demanded, his voice deadly.

The rogue coughed, his eyes wide with fear. "Y-you know who."

Ronan's fingers tightened around the man's throat. "Then tell him this-"

His silver eyes flashed.

"I'm coming for him."

And with one final, brutal twist-

He snapped the rogue's neck.

The forest fell silent.

I stood there, breathing hard, my hands covered in blood.

Ronan turned to me, his expression unreadable. "Still think you should've come?"

I wiped the blood off my dagger. "Absolutely."

A flicker of amusement crossed his face, but it disappeared as quickly as it came.

"We need to move," he said. "It won't be long before Kieran sends more."

I nodded, gripping my weapon tighter.

Because I knew one thing for certain.

This wasn't just about survival anymore.

This was war.

And I was ready.