Chapter 6 6. His Prey

CASSIAN'S POV

"Solis," Smacking his lips together, he tasted the sound of her name on his lips as he stared out the window.

Glancing down at the report in his hands, he muttered, "Her father's name,"

"Yes, your highness." Jaron, one of his most trusted guards, answered.

"Is there trouble in her union? Why would she want to answer her father's name?"

And not the wolf she was married to.

"I didn't know she wanted to switch her name. She's registered under the name Thatcher though."

"It's not you, Jaron. It's something she said in passing."

His eyes narrowed as the image of her correcting him about her name flashed through his mind.

The fire in her eyes as she did so sparked something within him.

Curiosity? Maybe.

"There's no report on her gifts," he commented as he glanced through the report.

"It looks like she never announced it. That alone is pretty suspicious," Jaron said.

She did say it was unreliable. Yet, reliable enough to do something about his daughter.

"Was my location leaked?"

"No, sir. The palace is still calm. The fake is doing a good job keeping the council settled."

"That only validates the authenticity of her skill then," he glanced back at Jaron, dropping the report on his desk.

"Your highness, do you really believe her?"

"No." Clasping his hands behind him, he looked out the window. "There's something more about her, but I can't deny the result of her skill."

Suddenly, his wolf perked up as the door of the bar opened up.

From this room, and with his sharp sight, he had a clear view of the entrance of the bar.

His eyes narrowed as he watched her stumble out of the bar, falling to the ground.

The girl she had come with rushed to her side to aid her.

Closing his eyes, he pushed his hearing senses towards them.

'Let's return to the pack,' he heard her say.

Snapping his eyes open, he watched her lean on the girl and limp forward.

Did she get injured? He wondered.

"Have someone follow her." He ordered, "Watch her till she arrives at her pack."

"At your command," Jaron bowed and stepped out of the room.

His guts told him she had another hidden motive, and it was now his mission to find exactly what it was.

'If it was something that would harm his daughter,' his hands clenched at the thought, 'Then only fate would save her from his grasp.'

'After he made good use of her gifts, of course.' he smiled, nodding in agreement to his thoughts.

"Elana Solis of the South," he muttered under his breath.

Her pack was of no great significance to him, and yet.

Glancing down at his hands, he turned them over as the feel of her skin still lingered on them.

How could a petite woman out-rightly claim to not be interested in bedding the king, or even becoming a contender?

She-wolves would claw at themselves when given even the hint of opportunity to have him, and yet she used her mated status to stop him.

He smirked at the thought. 'Did she think he wouldn't notice?'

She could resist him with her words, but the way her body responded to his light touches spoke of something else.

Perhaps that mate of hers wasn't satisfying her enough.

"I wonder how she would respond when I actually decide to touch her," he muttered.

"Elana Solis," he called, his voice low as he closed his fist, "You willingly offered yourself as prey."

"Don't ever think you can escape my clutches," he added as he walked out of the room, heading to his daughter's room.

Pausing at the door, he released a sigh as he took a peek between the small gap in the door.

His gaze settled on the princess who was busy pushing at the extra plate of food that Myrra was offering her.

He glanced at the pile of empty dirty plates on the small table beside the bed.

Did she finish all that?

For the first time since what felt like forever, her eyes were clear and her lips were spread into a wide smile.

There was no look of pain or torment on her face.

His heart clenched at the scene before him.

How long? How long had he died each day while staring helplessly at her? Watching the royal healers shake their head in disappointment as yet another treatment failed.

He didn't want to admit it, but he was desperate. Desperate to see his daughter full of life, and this scene right here before him...

His entire muscles tightened as the desire to see it last forever pushed at him, threatening to swallow him whole.

Anyone that ever tried to take advantage of his ailing daughter just to get to him died on the spot, but the she-wolf had lived.

She had offered him a life-changing rope.

That Elana Solis could offer just a bit of relief to his daughter was more than enough for him.

He would hang on to the rope with all he had, and never let go.

His jaw clenched as he kept watching from the door, immersed in his thoughts.

But, he needed more power. That council of elders would surely poke at his decision, seeking ways to control him.

"Daddy!"

Lyra, his daughter, snapped her head towards him.

Opening the door wide, he stepped in, glancing at Myrra. Her eyes were wide with shock; she didn't sense him, but his daughter did.

So, not only was she a bit healthy, but her wolf senses were sharpened now. After just one treatment.

"You caught me," he raised his hand in surrender, a smile playing on his lips.

"How do you feel?"

"Great!" She answered as she moved to step out of bed.

"No, Daddy will come to you," he stopped her, zapping to her bed. "I don't want you to get tired."

"But, I'm fine now!" She pouted.

Drawing her close, he wrapped his arm around her. "Yes, I know," he murmured as he closed his eyes, basking in her scent.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

"Not much is known about the luna of the south,". Jaron started, as he glimpsed through the report he had prepared.

They were back in his office, his daughter asleep after demanding to take walks and play around the field.

Lyra? Playing?

Cassian closed his eyes, his back on his chair as he recalled the faces of the people around him. They had stared at the wonderful sight with their jaws dropped, and some close to tears.

A miracle, maybe?

He never thought, never imagined it would ever be possible.

"Her husband is rather..." Jaron continued, unaware of his thoughts. "Well, Darius Thatcher doesn't really amount to much. His contributions..."

"Cancel the prey hunt." Opening his eyes, he sat up straighter.

Jaron blinked at him, "Your majesty?"

"I'll need to bring the bridal hunt forward," he added, his voice firm.

"But..."

"Princess Lyra needs her treatment!" He growled as Jaron kept questioning him. "Nothing else is important."

"A ceremony where I camp out with those conniving elders in the name of strengthening the bond between us is meaningless to me," he added.

Nodding, Jaron closed the document in his hand, "Then, how are you going to keep her in the palace? She's a Luna,"

"I'll think of something," his fingers trailed his chin as he continued.

"I will need to give her a title or something more. So those pesky elders don't throw a tantrum,"

"But, what about our other plan?"

Cassian brows furrowed at Jaron's words.

There were two reasons why they had left the palace to come to the East while hiding their identity.

The first one had been taken care of.

"Update the others. Things have changed, but we can still use it to our advantage."

"Yes sir." Jaron nodded and left the office.

Standing to his feet, Cassian picked up the picture of Elana that lay on his desk, the one Jaron had printed out for him.

"What an old picture," he muttered as he studied it.

Her hair was different from the one in the picture, and her eyes...

Now, her eyes were full of fire and something else– like a flicker of defeated pain swimming in their depths.

"What happened to you, Elana Solis?" he asked, his voice low.

"And what are you scheming?"