Chapter 5 Episode 5

The man before her could only be Lord Darius's youngest son, Kaius veyne Thorn.

The Alpha had once praise him as the fearless young Lord, and the court often spoke of him in awe.

A genius in strategy, possessing the makings of a great general even in his youth.

Handsome, well versed in language and lite, skilled in all arts, chess.

His character as white as a snow.

Truly the most outstanding Young Lord of the Palace.

But never, not even in her worst nightmares, had Raina imagined that this paragon of virtue would be the one to lead troops against the royal palace.

She pulled the heavy black cloak tighter around her naked body.

Then!

Two soldiers rushed in.

They hesitated for a brief moment, taking in the state of the room, then grabbed her without a word.

She was dragged outside.

Her feet scraped against the rough stone courtyard, and when they finally threw her down, the cold ground stung her bare skin.

Blood.

There were bloody footprints in the dirt, staining the hem of the cloak around her.

A pair of black and gold boots stepped into her vision.

Slowly, she looked up and saw Darius.

The Alpha's younger brother.

His age showed in the silver at his temples and the fine lines at the corners of his lips. But he still carried himself with undeniable authority, his tall, powerful form exuding an aura of experience and battle hardened strength.

Even standing beside his son who was young, sharp, and commanding in his own right, he was no less imposing.

Darius.

The once great Lord of the Pack. The warrior who had defended the kingdom's borders against the northern tribes.

Now, the traitor who had turned against his own brother.

And as Raina's gaze swept past him, she saw a familiar figure standing to the side.

Kai.

His hands were bound, flanked by two warriors.

His gold eyes burned with fury as he glared at Darius, like a wolf ready to rip out a rival's throat.

This man was his uncle.

His own blood.

And yet, he had betrayed the royal family.

"Kai!" Raina's voice broke as she called out to him.

The young heir turned sharply, his piercing gaze landing on her.

Then he saw her state.

The torn cloak. The bruises peeking from her shoulders. The bare skin of her ankles.

His expression darkened.

"Raina! What... what happened to you?!"

"I'm fine!" She forced the words out.

She knew what he was thinking. He saw the marks on her skin. He would assume the worst.

"I'm fine, Kai! I swear!"

But his breathing was ragged, his hands clenching into fists.

And then.

Schhhnk!

A sword was drawn.

The sharp gleam of steel reflected in the bloodied courtyard.

And the tip of that blade was pointed directly at Kai's forehead.

"No!"

Raina lunged forward.

She threw herself in front of him, arms spread wide.

"Don't hurt him!"

A heavy silence fell over the courtyard.

Darius gazed at her coldly, his expression unreadable.

"You're just a servant," he said, his voice calm, almost amused. "Is he really worth it?"

Then, his tone hardened.

"You value his life more than yours?"

Raina's breath was shallow, but she didn't move.

She met his eyes head on.

"When the Luna passed, she entrusted me with one duty..."

She clenched her fists.

"To protect Kai."

Her voice didn't shake.

"I know you hold absolute power now, Lord Darius. I am no match for you. But if you insist on killing the Crown Prince.."

She straightened her back, staring him dead in the eye.

"Then kill me first."

The air in the courtyard was thick with blood and tension.

Darius stood rigid, his sharp, bloodshot eyes locked on Raina.

For a moment, she thought she could feel the pressure of his sword already piercing her chest, imagined the sickening warmth of blood spilling from her body.

Then, his snarl cut through the silence

"Filthy wretch!"

The words struck like a slap.

Raina barely had time to react before she saw the flash of steel.

Her breath caught her instincts screamed...

She squeezed her eyes shut.

And then a force slammed into her.

She was shoved backward.

Her body hit the ground, but the pain barely registered because in front of her, standing between her and the sword...

Was Kai.

His chest rose and fell raggedly, his stance wide in defiance.

"You will not touch her!" he growled.

His voice rang through the courtyard.

"Kai!" Raina gasped.

The stand off lasted only seconds before another voice cut through the air..

"Father, wait."

A cold, measured tone.

It was veyne.

He had been standing there the whole time, an outsider in the chaos, calm, composed, unmoving.

Now, he stepped forward.

Without so much as a glance at Raina or Kai, he bowed his head slightly, addressing his father.

"The palace may be in our hands, but the court and other pack members outside this palace are not." His voice was emotionless, a blade wrapped in silk. "And other pack Alpha lingers beyond the borders."

The entire courtyard fell silent.

veyne continued.

"If the Crown prince is killed now, the court and the people may revolt."

He spoke as if this were a discussion of political strategy, not life and death.

"If war breaks out again," he said smoothly, "it will cost far more than it gains. We would do better to let him live. For now."

Darius's eyes narrowed.

He turned slowly to his son.

The silence was dangerous.

Then!!

"Go on."

veyne nodded.

"The late Alpha is dead. As long as the Crown Prince issues an official decree renouncing his claim, admitting that he is young, ignorant, and unworthy of the throne.." he paused, letting the words sink in, "then him renouncing to be the Alpha will be justified."

Raina froze.

This was... manipulation at its finest.

A carefully woven lie.

veyne continued, his voice never wavering.

"As for the accusations of treason, we will declare that it was Son of the late Alpha of the Blackthorn pack who rebelled and forced the late Alpha's death. You only return to the palace only when you heard about the treason but it was too late when you arrived." veyne paused then added almost immediately "After all, it's no news how the son of the late Alpha of the Blackthorn pack hated the Alpha for killing his parent.."

A clean rewrite of history.

With these words, everything, the bloodshed, the betrayal would be swept away, repackaged as justice.

Raina felt a chill crawl down her spine.

She looked at veyne, at his composed face, his icy eyes.

This man had been praised as the most brilliant Young Lord of the pack.

A prodigy in strategy. A man of discipline. The perfect son.

But this?

How could someone so calm, so untouched by emotion, decide the fate of an entire kingdom with just a few sentences?

How could the same man who had thrown his cloak over her bare shoulders stand before her now, completely indifferent to her suffering?

Even standing among the gathered wolves, he felt distant.

Untouchable.

A long silence followed.

Then!

Kai exhaled heavily.

He stared at Darius for a long time, then finally he let out a quiet, bitter laugh.

"Fine."

Raina's heart stopped.

Kai turned to her.

His face was unreadable.

"Raina, do you really think..." he murmured, almost to himself, "that even if I refused, they wouldn't take the throne anyway?"

She shook her head.

"No, Kai, you can't just...!"

"It's already over."

His voice was empty.

Darius let out a satisfied grunt.

"Good."

A cruel smile tugged at his lips.

"Obey, and I will allow you to live peacefully within these walls," he said. Then his gaze flicked toward Raina.

"Both of you."

Raina's fingers dug into the fabric of the cloak.

Something was not adding up!!

Lord Darius would have thought about the perfect lie to tell the court and pack members before betraying his brother....

So Why?

Why would he suddenly listen to his son so easily?