Chapter 2 You're awake

Caspian walked over to his mother.

"Now, I want this to remain between you and me," he said. "No one is to know about it."

Maravelle studied him for a moment before inclining her head.

"As you wish."

Without another word, she turned and left the throne room.

The heavy doors closed behind her.

Caspian remained where he was, his gaze fixed on the doors long after his mother had gone.

Something about the girl troubled him.

Not in a bad way, but in a way he could not explain. Why was she fighting in her human form.

I didn't scent her wolf, Jax, his lycan, suddenly said inside his mind.

Caspian frowned.

Neither did I.

A wolf's scent was unmistakable. Even the weakest wolf carried it.

Yet, when he had lifted the girl into his arms, all he had smelled was lilies and cinnamon—his mate's scent. The scent that had led him to her. Nothing else.

Could she be wolfless? Jax asked.

The possibility made Caspian's jaw tighten. A wolfless mate for him, a Lycan King? The Goddess sure was being funny.

"I don't know," Caspian replied.

Turning away from the throne room, he strode down the corridor toward the war chamber. Perhaps the reports waiting for him would distract his mind, although, somehow, he doubted it.

The King's war chamber was quite tense. Caspian stood at the head of the table, both hands braced against its edge. His eyes were fixed on the map before him.

Kaelen, his brother, leaned against a nearby pillar and folded his arms. "Three outposts in less than two weeks," he said. "This isn't random anymore. Someone is coordinating these strikes."

Caspian frowned. "They're becoming bolder," he said.

"And smarter," Evanda, the commander, added.

He stepped forward and pointed to a location along the northern border.

"They attacked Ashin Post most recently. If it falls, they'll have a direct path into our inner provinces."

Silence settled over the room. The three of them understood the consequences if that should happen.

"We'll reinforce it," Caspian said. "Double the patrols. Increase the guard rotations. I want scouts stationed throughout the surrounding forests."

Evanda nodded. "It will be done, Your Majesty."

Kaelen continued studying the map. Something about it bothered him. Finally, he looked up.

"These tactics are too precise."

Caspian's gaze shifted to him. "What are you suggesting?"

"I'm suggesting that rogues don't fight like this."

The room fell silent. Kaelen pushed away from the pillar and walked toward the table.

"They attack supply routes. They strike isolated positions. They retreat before reinforcements arrive. Every move is calculated." His expression darkened. "Rogues are savage, but they're not disciplined."

Evanda frowned. "You think someone is leading them?"

"I know someone is."

Caspian stared at the red markings scattered across the map. A cold feeling settled in his chest, because if Kaelen was right, then they weren't facing a pack of mindless rogues; they were facing an enemy with a plan.

Back in the King's chambers, Freya slowly opened her eyes.

For a moment, she didn't know where she was. The bed beneath her was softer than anything she had ever slept on. Thick furs and silk blankets covered her body, and the scent of burning cedar drifted from a nearby fireplace.

She blinked and looked around. A high ceiling stretched above her, and dark stone walls surrounded the room, decorated with carved wooden panels and banners bearing the crest of a silver wolf.

Panic shot through her. She pushed herself upright, but the sudden movement sent pain tearing through her body. She gasped and fell back against the pillows.

Memories flooded her mind: the rogues that had attacked her and the monstrous figure that had emerged from the darkness to save her. Her heart began to pound. Why was she here?

A soft click interrupted her thoughts as the door opened. Freya immediately tensed.

An older woman stepped inside carrying a tray of food.

"You're awake," she said with a warm smile.

"Where am I?" she asked nervously.

"You are in the royal palace."

"The palace?" she asked.

The woman nodded. "More specifically, the King's chambers."

Freya froze. Of all the answers she had expected, that was not one of them.

"The King brought me here?" she asked.

"With his own hands."

The woman placed the tray on a small table beside the bed. The aroma of warm bread and roasted meat filled the room.

"Eat," she said gently. "The healers said you've lost a great deal of blood."

Freya looked at the food but didn't reach for it. Instead, she lifted her gaze to the woman.

"Why would the King bring me here?"

The woman paused. For a moment, she seemed unsure how to answer.

"That is a question only His Majesty can answer."

The woman noticed the fear in her eyes and softened her voice.

"Whatever the reason, you're safe here."

Freya wasn't convinced. "Safe" was not a word she associated with palaces.

"Please eat," the woman added. "If the King returns and finds you've refused food, he'll blame me for it." A hint of amusement touched her face. "And I don't like getting scolded."

Freya nodded slowly.

"Thank you. Who are you?" she asked.

The woman smiled. "My name is Eleanor. I was the King's nanny when he was a child."

Freya blinked. "The Lycan King had a nanny?"

A soft chuckle escaped Eleanor. "Even kings start out as babies." For the first time, genuine amusement lit her eyes. "I practically raised him. Fed him, chased him through the palace halls, and patched him up whenever he got into trouble. He was the most adorable child."

A fond smile spread across Eleanor's face.

"Truth be told, I still think he is."

Freya stared at her. The terrifying warrior who had faced down an entire pack of rogues didn't look adorable.

Eleanor caught the look on her face and laughed.

"Oh, don't let that stern face fool you. His Majesty is much softer than he lets people believe."

The fondness in her voice was impossible to miss.

"He trusts me. That's why I am here. Which is why everyone in this palace is wondering who you are, and why he asked me to take care of you. So tell me child, who are you?"