Chapter 120

Evelyn

By the time the pack’s camp crested into view, it was the afternoon of the following day. Yet it was hard to miss it, with the way the travel-worn path we had been following weakly twisted and disappeared into the cluster of homes that cropped up.

The houses were made from timber walls braced with stone, and they dotted the surrounding area in various shapes and sizes. Small stores were still selling wares for the day, and the smell of freshly baked goods wafted on the breeze. Guards flanked the gate that separated us from this settlement, their stares sharp as blades as they watched us approach.

Logan rode a little ahead of me, shoulders taut, and his head swiveling from side to side, assessing any potential threats. I could feel his protectiveness rolling off him like heat, but I kept my chin high as we approached. This was diplomacy. I needed to lead. I was the princess, after all.

After exchanging a few words with the guards and revealing who we were, the gates groaned open, and we were ushered inside the little town. Men and women milled about, hauling supplies or otherwise going about their days, their eyes cutting to us with naked curiosity.

I could not tell if they realized who I was. It seemed unlikely, but if they did, I was certain they would not appreciate our appearance in their pack’s town. We had just overcome a devastating war and had rivaled with this northern pack for years. Tensions would be high with all who recognized us in our approach.

One of the guards led us from our gate to a long, low building in the center of the camp. It had a few small windows and a single door. One way in and one way out.

The guard guided us inside and took us to a dimly lit room where the Alpha awaited us.

I had read quick briefings on the Alpha before we departed and otherwise pulled on my years of knowledge of the northern pack to fill in the gaps. His name was Lucas, and even at a glance, it was clear that he was a mountain of a man with arms like tree trunks. He had a thick beard that hung in a scraggly, dark tangle. He sat sprawled across a chair that seemed barely capable of holding him, his thick fingers drumming against the armrest as though already impatient with us.

When his eyes landed on me, they swept me head to toe, and something cold flickered in the irises. “You’re the envoy?” His voice rumbled like thunder, rolling through the room with clear authority.

“I am Evelyn, heir to the Kingdom,” I said evenly. “And this is Logan, my… my husband.”

His brows shot up, a bark of laughter escaping him. “A woman introducing her husband, here to parley. Times really have changed.”

Logan stiffened beside me. “Careful how you speak,” he growled, his voice already deepening in warning. “Do not forget that she is the princess.”

I touched his arm lightly, a warning. It was also an attempt to quell him. Perhaps what we had done the night before—and what I had agreed to do after Scott was gone—had put him on edge. His muscles stayed coiled, but he bit back the rest of whatever threats simmered on his tongue.

Turning back to Lucas, I allowed a thin smile to quirk my lips. “Yes, times have changed. Packs adapted. As you know, our pack and kingdom has gone through much to get to this point, and especially recently, we have been particularly aware of what it means to change with the times.”

A hush fell, and tension made the air taut. Lucas’s eyes narrowed, and for a moment I thought he might leap across the table. Then he threw back his head and laughed, the sound booming. “You’ve got teeth, I’ll give you that. Glad to see that the kingdom still has someone with a spine at the helm. It’s been too long since I’ve checked in to see.”

“I can assure you that my father’s kingdom does, indeed, still have spine. It was what so recently won us the war, after all.” I took a step closer, and Lucas didn’t visibly react. His expression was placid, with only vague interest and humor sparking through his dark eyes.

“But not all our enemies are defeated. We are here looking for the last culprit in this war. A one-armed man named Scott was headed here, and if he is in this town, we mean to find him and end this once and for all.”

The mirth faded from Lucas’s face slowly, only to be replaced with a deeply serious look. “You’ve heard, then,” he said.

“I’ve heard rumors and speculation,” I said. “But I want the truth. Is he here?”

His jaw worked, stubbornness thickening the silence. For a long, tense moment, I thought he might refuse to answer me outright. We were in his territory and had no leverage to pull on. If he had already allied with Scott, this might be the end of our road.

Then, Lucas exhaled through his nose.

“He came to us a day ago,” Lucas admitted. “He was weak and could barely stand upright as he spoke of a potential alliance. He told us of your war, his exile, and at length about all his bleeding-heart vengeance and reclamation.” His lip curled as though he had smelled something particularly foul. “I told him no. Peace suits us just fine, and I’ve no interest in your squabbles to the south.”

Relief trickled through me. We had not made an enemy of this pack just yet. But that relief only lasted for a second before another question dawned on me. “Where is he now?”

“We kept him,” Lucas said flatly. “I couldn’t just let him run free after he threatened to have me killed with wolfbane for refusing his alliance. A man like that stirs trouble wherever he steps. We were weighing up his execution, but were going to send word to you beforehand to let you know he was in our custody.”

My heart thudded once, hard. They have him. After days of shadow and blood, Scott was within reach.

“I want to see him,” I said, my voice steel.

Lucas’s brows lifted, amused. “Do you, now? This man who wants you tortured and dead?”

I took a deliberate step closer, my voice low enough that only he could hear. “I have nothing to fear from him. He is a crazy, unhinged rogue who is willing to destroy even himself in his petty pursuit of revenge. All I want is to eliminate his threat, and in my hands, I can ensure that he no longer bothers either of our packs again.”

The huge Alpha studied me for a long beat, something calculating in his gaze. Finally, he gave a sharp whistle to one of his men. “Bring the prisoner here.”

“I appreciate it,” I said as his guard left to retrieve Scott.

Lucas gave me a humored look. “Don’t be too grateful yet. He has threatened to rally others against you. You may be trading one threat for two.”

I sighed. “That has been the way of it this whole war,” I admitted. “But for now, it will have to do.”

Lucas gave me a lingering look before nodding once. “Then it will be done.”