Chapter 5 A Deadly Game

Ophelia's heart hammered in her breast as she stood on the balcony, looking down over the shadowy expanse of the royal grounds below. Once calm and quiet, the courtyard now seemed charged with an electric tension she could not escape. Outside the kingdom's gates, rogue wolves were gathering; their howls were getting louder each day.

She had always thought of herself as a pawn in this game, but now, more than ever, she understood that she was the key to it all. She was right in the middle as the pieces shifted. Lucian had made it obvious she was his, but others wanted power over her, power over the knowledge she was just starting to grasp.

Lucian's voice cut through her reverie, "Ophelia." Turning, she saw his tall, imposing shape outlined in the entrance. Dark and stormy with the weight of what lay ahead, his eyes were You have to realize this is not only a fight for the future of the kingdom but also for your soul. Your soul is at stake in this fight.

Though her heart was about to betray her composure, she did not flinch. "I've heard enough of your speeches, Lucian," she murmured, her voice tense. I understand what is at risk.

Lucian's gaze softened for a brief while. Then why do I feel as though you are slipping from my grasp?

Ophelia turned her eyes to the far, shadowy trees beyond the palace walls. She had no solution for him. Not with Lucian, not with anyone, she no longer knew where she stood.

The air around her appeared to hum and she felt someone observing. Callum showed there as though called by her ideas; the sound of footfall got louder. His dark eyes met hers, the same glimmer of mischief and something deeper flashing in them.

Callum replied, his voice silky and sarcastic, "Lucian, you have kept her too near." Allow the girl to decide for herself.

Ophelia's gut clenched. The tension between them was obvious, sizzling in the atmosphere. Caught in the middle of their power battle, she found neither of them willing to let her go quickly.

Lucian looked at Callum, his voice low and menacing. Keep away from her. She is under my protection.

Callum's grin was bright and his eyes sparkled with mirth. Lucian, she's more than simply a pet. Not everything can be controlled by you.

Ophelia's pulse raced. The words caught in her throat even though she wished to interfere and claim control over her future. She was no longer only a pawn in their game; the stakes were higher than ever before. She was the front line.

Down the frigid stone hallways of the palace, Ophelia's footsteps reverberated. Though she had been called to Lucian's private study, the idea of seeing him again and listening to more of his orders made her stomach turn. Her bloodline, her significance, and Callum's statements kept coming back to her. What did it all stand for? She was not only a tool to be exploited, right?

She could not get rid of the impression that something was being kept from her. The way the guys around her behaved, was protective, and possessive, yet still, there was a chill to their acts, a feeling that they each had their purpose. Callum now, Lucian, and Tyler. Every one of them wanted a part of her; none appeared to have her best interests in mind.

Lucian was already in the study, resting against the desk, his eyes fixed on her as she stepped in. His gaze shot over her with a force that made her quiver.

Lucian said, his voice calm but concerned, "You seem troubled." Ophelia, what is it exactly?

Her arms were folded and her thoughts were racing. "I used to know who I was, but now I don't," she said, the words tumbling out before she could stop them. First Tyler, now you... everyone expects something from me.

Though his jaw grew tighter, Lucian's gaze softened a little. "I want your loyalty," he said softly, "but not at the expense of your will."

Her heart racing, Ophelia stared at him. She could not believe him. She was aware of that now. Still, she could not refute the draw she experienced to him. His words had force; a risky seduction in them promised to pull her inside.

Tyler has his justifications and Callum... Lucian hesitated, his look turning somber. Callum views you as just a means to an end. You are more than that, my dear Ophelia. You have a purpose here; you must acknowledge it.

Closing her eyes, she attempted to calm her rushing thoughts. What if Lucian was correct? What if her bloodline held the secret to either saving or destroying everything? Was she just a pawn, or was there something more she could govern?

Whispering to herself, she said, "This is my battle now," the weight of the words resting painfully on her chest.

Pacing the length of her room and attempting to understand all that had been spoken to her, Ophelia spent the next few hours in restless solitude. Her bloodline's weight, the power it held, and the men trying to dominate everything. How was she meant to negotiate this risky game?

The noise of hurried footsteps outside her door broke her train of thought. She opened it without hesitation and found one of the royal guards standing there, face pale.

"Your Highness," he responded, bowing frantically. The rogue wolves are advancing. They are no longer just outside the gates. They've broken through the walls.

Her heart missed a beat. The time for ambiguity has passed. "Where are they?" she asked.

Milady, at the northern gate. The leader of the foe has revealed himself.

Ophelia felt a shiver down her back. The head. The one who had been manipulating everything from the start. She had guessed for days, but now it was proven.

Who is it, please? She inquired her voice almost a whisper and a feeling of fear growing in her breast.

The guard hesitated before saying the name that would follow her for all time. It's that guy. Ophelia, your sibling. He is still living.

In that split second, Ophelia's world collapsed. She had thought he was dead and gone for all time. But suddenly, her greatest dread had come true. Her past had come back to get her; this time, it was not just her bloodline at risk but also her very existence.

Weak in the knees, she turned and rested against the doorframe. Her bro. The one individual who knew her better than anyone else. He was now in charge of a horde of rogue wolves stealing all from her.

His words reverberated over the corridors as though on cue. Ophelia, you were always meant for me. You will be.

The strength of the fight outside made the palace walls quiver. Ophelia stood in the great hall, her heart racing in her breast, as the far-off noises of howling wolves reverberated down the stone passageways. Every stare on her, Lucian's, Callum's, and even Tyler's, made her feel the weight of them all. This would define every one of them.

Lucian walked across the room, his towering presence drawing everyone's attention. In the low light, his armor shone and he exuded a menacing calm that made Ophelia's heart quicken.

Lucian's voice was harsh as he said, "Stay near." We have to be prepared now. The rogue wolves are moving now.

Ophelia hardly saw him; her gaze flicked to the window where shadows danced against the moon's feeble illumination. In this game, she was no longer only a victim. She was a player, a perilous one. The burden of her bloodline's power was impossible to overlook; now, with the future of the kingdom in the balance, she had to decide where her loyalty lay.

Callum's figure appeared from the shadows as the door to the hall creaked open, his presence resembling a storm on the horizon. His black eyes met hers, and a flare of something, something risky, passed between them.

Ophelia, are you ready to start playing? Though his tone was combative, Callum's voice was silky.

Ophelia faced him, her hands at her sides tight. You believe you can run me? Callum, I am not your pawn.

His grin was frigid. That remains to be seen.

Tyler walked up behind her, his face a mask of stress and his eyes darting between Lucian and Callum. Though none of the three men could save her from the decision she had to make, their destiny linked with hers, they were getting ready for war.

Ophelia moved ahead, her eyes determination shining stronger than ever. This was not only about making it through. It was about seizing her fate.

"That's enough," she said, her voice calm and slicing through the tension. None of you are required to save me. I will battle for what is rightfully mine.

Lucian's eyes softened for only a second, but only a little. Ophelia, you are playing a risky game.

Ophelia looked him in the eye. The risk doesn't bother me. That's the only way ahead.

As the air became thick with expectation, the room slipped into an unsettling quiet. The last fight was drawing near.

Ophelia had never seen the kingdom in such disarray; the war had lasted for hours. Led by her own blood, the renegade wolves savagely ripped through the defenses. The kingdom was teetering on collapse, and Ophelia was aware she had a role in all of this.

She had decided. Lucian, Tyler, or Callum didn't control the future of the kingdom; she did. But that decision's price had been more than she had ever thought it would be.

Ophelia stood on the bloodstained ground, her heart heavy with the weight of what had just happened as the conflict eventually started to calm down. Fighting for the crown and the tradition of her dynasty, she had lost more than she had won in the process.

Lucian came closer, his eyes dark with rage and something else she couldn't define. "You did what had to be done," he continued, his voice taut with control.

Ophelia, however, did not hear him. She was no longer paying attention to him. The only thing she could concentrate on was the figure at the battlefield's edge. The leader of the rogue wolf, the one who had planned it all. She had believed he was dead, but now, looking at him before her, she realized the real price of this conflict.

The stranger stepped forward, disclosing his identity, and her heart raced. Her sibling, the one she had assumed was dead. The one who had forsaken her.

His cold, calculating stare met hers and a shiver ran through her. "Ophelia," he yelled, his voice frigid and laced with scorn. You were always meant to be my property. You were always meant to be mine. You are now.

Ophelia's breath caught in her throat. The guy in front of her was not just her blood; he was the one who had left her when she needed him most, the one who had plagued her history. He was now the one who would bring down her dominion.

Her domain.

Her destiny.

Ophelia murmured under her breath, her heart racing with a mix of fear and resolve, "This is only the beginning."

Though the war was far from finished, the battle might have been won.