Chapter Two

Blair’s POV

I turned and raised my right arm.

“Warriors of the Silver Moon Pack, listen to my command!”

Hundreds of fully armed Wolf Vanguard stood along both sides of the Hall of the Golden Throne. They drew their swords in unison.

“We will follow the Crown Princess to the death!”

“We’re leaving.”

Without another glance at the shameless pair on the dais, I strode toward the doors.

“Stop her!” Grant roared. “Who gave you permission to leave?”

A squad of Dragon Guards blocked the exit.

I drew my silver sword and pointed it straight ahead.

“Stand in my way, and you die.”

Silver light swept toward the guards like a violent storm.

They never even laid a hand on me. The attack sent them crashing to the floor, leaving deep gashes across their heavy armor.

The hall fell silent.

They thought I was nothing more than the devoted woman who followed Grant everywhere and used her own blood to heal him.

They had forgotten that I, Blair, was the Silver Moon Pack’s greatest warrior in a hundred years.

Grant stood in front of the Golden Throne, his expression shifting between rage and hesitation.

He looked ready to fight me himself. Then he glanced at the Wolf Vanguard behind me, their eyes glowing red, and thought better of it.

“Blair! If you walk through those doors today, I’ll never let you set foot in Dragonhold again, even if you come crawling back to beg me!”

I didn’t look back.

Beg you?

This time, we would see who ended up begging for mercy.

I led my people out of Dragonhold and traveled through the night to the Silver Moon Pack’s territory, the Darkwood.

The moment we crossed into our territory, I summoned every elder and commander.

“Your Highness, have you truly severed ties with Grant?” the High Elder asked, his face lined with worry. “Our pack has always relied on the dragons’ protection under the Protection Pact. If their army comes for us now, how are we supposed to stop them?”

My chest tightened as I looked at his weathered face.

In my previous life, my stupidity and weakness had condemned these people to slaughter.

I would never let that happen again.

“You’re wrong, High Elder.” I looked around the room. “We never needed the dragons to survive. We are the Silver Moon Pack. Grant sees us as nothing more than a Blood Supply he can discard whenever he pleases. If we keep serving him, he’ll drain us dry and wipe out our entire pack.”

The commanders exchanged looks, their expressions hardening with anger.

“Pass down my orders!”

I drew my sword and drove it into the stone floor before me.

“Seal every entrance to the Darkwood and activate the Ward immediately. No one enters or leaves without my permission. The entire pack will enter the highest state of battle readiness.”

“Yes, Your Highness!”

In the days that followed, I stopped thinking about Grant and Lacey. I put all my energy into strengthening myself and reinforcing our defenses.

I trained in the Forbidden Grounds, honing my strength over and over in the bitter cold.

Meanwhile, Grant was having a miserable time in Dragonhold.

In the past, whenever he showed the slightest sign of losing control, I cut open my wrist without hesitation and used my blood to suppress the frenzy coursing through his veins.

Now that I was gone, his Dragon Frenzy began striking more often.

Lacey tried to soothe him with her Light Magic, but her limited power was no match for the fury of a golden dragon.

Less than two weeks later, my scouts brought back news.

Grant had lost control during a Supernatural Council meeting and injured more than a dozen Council members. The newly appointed Consort, Lacey, had overused her magic while trying to treat him and suffered a backlash. Not only had she failed to cure Grant, but she had also coughed up blood and fallen unconscious. Strange gray patches had appeared across her once-fair skin.

I had just finished training and was wiping down my sword when I heard the report.

“Your Highness, Dragonhold is in complete chaos,” the Captain of the Guard said, barely hiding his delight at their misfortune.

I smiled.

They had brought this on themselves.

It had nothing to do with me.

A sudden surge of magic came from outside the Ward.

A sentry rushed toward me.

“Your Highness, Grant sent envoys from the Gold Dragon Clan. They claim they have urgent business with you.”

I slid my sword back into its sheath and scoffed.

“Business? They’re probably here to come begging. Come on. Let’s see what they want.”

At the edge of the Ward, several Gold Dragon Clan envoys in elaborate armor paced anxiously.

The moment they saw me, the lead envoy’s anxious expression vanished, replaced by his usual arrogance.

“Your Highness, in consideration of your history together, our clan leader has graciously sent us to bring you back.