Chapter 81
XADEN POV
Patrolling the rest of the area went by well enough.
Once Nicholas had said what he needed to say, he’d calmed down significantly and otherwise left me alone for the most part, unless to point out certain parts of the border that had been weakened during the attack.
Nor did he bother to question me about my decision to hide the bracelet for the time being.
Good. This was my business, and my business alone.
I wasn’t sure what I would do if Maeve’s necklace was somehow actually tied to this confounded bracelet we stumbled upon. Maybe there was a logical explanation for it to be in the middle of scenic nowhere, where a battle just so happened to take place. Maybe it was pure coincidence that they happened to look the same.
30D
But maybe it wasn’t.
I rubbed my temples with tense fingers. All this damn thinking was making my head throb. This was an obstacle for another time.
Before long, we circled back to the rendezvous point, where Henry and Lucas were waiting for us.
“So,” Henry drawled, straightening himself back up as we approached, “the kingdom’s Golden Boys return unscathed and unharmed.”
I pushed my hair out of my eyes, letting out a low exhale. His sly tone didn’t slip past me.
“Yes, yes,” I muttered, “perhaps you should tone down that overwhelming enthusiasm of yours.”
Meanwhile, Nicholas chuckled, unfazed by the nickname. “We could say the same about you two,” he remarked, gesturing to my brothers‘ relatively clean appearances. “No valuables left behind for you to find?”
“Not a damn thing. What about you? Did you two happen to find anything?” Henry asked, directing the question to Nicholas, who didn’t even so much as sneak a glance at me.
I, on the other hand, said nothing but paid close attention. Whether he would cover for me or not was up to him.
And then Nicholas shook his head.
“Nothing, I’m afraid,” he said, sounding so nonchalant that, if I hadn’t been the one to give him the order, I never would have guessed he was lying through his teeth. “Just foliage and wildlife.”
I let out a breath I wasn’t aware I was holding.
He kept his word, after all. Maeve’s secret was safe for now, and I could investigate the matter without worry.
Despite his previous recklessness, he was a good, trustworthy man. Perhaps it was worth letting go of this petty grudge I held against him. After all, he was now an accomplice in hiding this from my family. From my father–the Alpha King, himself–of all people. All to prove himself and his loyalty.
What a noble alpha–to know where his loyalties and priorities lay.
Something I could resonate with.
“What,” Nicholas pressed, talking to Henry, “were you expecting another showdown so soon?”
“It would’ve made things interesting, that’s for certain,” Henry answered. “It’s been a while since I’ve seen any sort of action around here. You’re lucky, you know that? You’re the only one of us all to knock the shit out of those brutes in months.”
“Perhaps you should’ve volunteered to lead the patrol, rather than shack it up in the palace with that wife of yours,” Nicholas quipped.
“Children-” Lucas mockingly scolded, bringing the two alphas to a slow stop. “Don’t you have better things to do than engage in locker room talk?”
“And who are you to talk, Mr. Arranged Marriage?” Henry taunted, ruffling the hair of our stiff little brother. I watched carefully as Lucas‘ face fell a little with the reminder. “You’re only a few weeks away from meeting your little vixen bride.”
Fidgeting under the sudden scrutiny, Lucas shoved Henry’s hand away, “I know, I know,” he mumbled, avoiding all of our gazes.
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11:52 AM
Chapter 81
Before long, we found ourselves surrounded by upwards of thirty troops, all sent by Father to aid us at the border. Many were new recruits, but there were a few familiar faces from last week’s banquet. We were quick to show them where to focus their attentions and strengthen the edge of our territory.
At one point, I heard some of the newer recruits engage excitedly with Henry.
“What an honor to be in your presence, Your Highness! I’ve always been inspired by your ambition and courage, even when the going gets tough!”
“That’s the only way to live,” Henry boasted. “There’s nothing I wouldn’t do to keep our kingdom at the top of the pack.”
There was very little that I actually agreed on with my exceptionally opinionated eldest brother, whether it be the politics we supported or the company we kept or…. or really anything for that matter, but we did have one thing in common. One thing that, I thought, mattered more than any squabble we might have.
We cared about our kingdom.
If anything posed even the slightest threat to our home and those we loved, we would not hesitate to rain down hell to keep them safe. Differences aside, I knew I could always count on him in the heat of battle.
That damn silver, however, threatened to burn a hole through to my skin. Its very presence gnawed at the back of my mind like a pest.
Was I… a traitor for withholding the bracelet?
No–I firmly thought. I just need to know more. For Maeve’s sake. Then, I’ll know how to act.
While my brothers were still preoccupied with oodles of excited troops, I thought I was able to sneak a private moment for myself when a small group of young men approached me, eyes bright.
“And what about you, Prince Xaden, sir?” one of them asked.
“Me?”
“How do you plan to end the war?”
Ah, yes.. that was the question any alpha in the council had trouble answering, one no one could really seem to agree on. All of us alpha princes were tasked with answering it, because this war very well could bleed into any of our tenures once my father’s reign came to an end.
This would one day be our responsibility to undertake.
I knew Henry was eager to see our enemies burn, and Lucas wanted to ensure they paid for any and all pain they inflicted on our men, but I was not convinced their solutions were the correct ones.
Yes, what the bear shifters had done was wrong… but were we completely innocent in all of this? Relations with the neighboring kingdom had been fine for ages, up until some ten–odd years ago.
Would there ever be a chance to regain that alliance?
“When I am king,” I said, feeling a sudden burst of inspiration, “I’ll make sure that, whatever I decide, we won’t have any enemies to worry about, and everyone will be able to come home, safe and in one piece.”
My answer was vague and not very well thought out, but it seemed to appease the boys well enough.
Once they felt satisfied and left me alone, I stepped away, preparing to head back towards the kingdom, when I heard someone address
me.
“Don’t tell me you mean to settle this diplomatically.”
I glanced toward the sudden voice, where I saw Henry standing a short distance away, his face creased with deep disapproval.
“And what’s so wrong with that?” I asked.
Henry scoffed. “If you truly believe your little peacekeeper plan will work, you’re even more incapable than I thought. We might as well just roll over and expose our vulnerable little bellies and give them the kingdom keys.”
“Don’t you think we’ve been at this for too long?” I questioned. “If there is a chance to call a ceasefire and bring everyone home once and for all, then we should take it.”
“Victory can take however long it needs,” he retorted curtly. “There’s no way I’d ever let the enemy get the better of us.”
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Chapter 81
“Figures you’d think that. Of course, the most boorish of us would rather lay waste to every single one of our enemies than actually put in the hard work to establish what could be our strongest alliance. How f*cking predictable.”
“Well, look who’s suddenly all interested in political affairs once again,” Henry sneered, leering closer to me, “Last I thought, all you could think about was that girl you brought in.”
The way he talked about her made my blood boil.
“She’s going to be my mate,” I spat. “She’s not just any girl.”
He hummed, unconvinced as he loomed closer to me. “By the way, Xaden,” he said, his voice brushing over my shoulder, “I caught wind of that little press conference Samson held.”
I couldn’t help but stiffen from the unwanted reminder.
“I can’t imagine how your little mate must be feeling, to hear what the kingdom thinks of her. It’s truly a shame a nice girl like her must endure such deplorable treatment because of you,” Henry said, and, to my surprise, I detected sincere pity for a moment, however fleeting it might have been. “Though, I suppose one can’t help but wonder if there’s a hint of truth to any of the rumors?”
In a flash, I grabbed him by his forearm, squeezing with painful intent. He did not so much as flinch, which pissed me off even further.
“You,” I growled under my breath, “will leave her out of this.”
“Whoa, whoa-” Lucas suddenly came out of nowhere, trying to intervene. “Time and place, guys! Can’t you at least pretend to-
“Don’t interfere,” I snapped, not looking at my little brother. “I’d kill to teach him a lesson.”
Henry rolled his eyes. “First of all, knock that ego down a peg. Secondly,” he muttered, prying my hand away from his arm, “whether you believe me or not, I have no personal qualms with the girl. But if you are hiding any secrets from me, you’d best be certain I will find them.”
He leaned in closer.
“And I will use them to bring you down?
I bristled, locked in a staredown with my eldest brother for the longest of moments. Was he bluffing…? Was it all a ruse to get a rise out of me? I did not care what he did to me… but using Maeve to strike at me was dirty, even for the likes of him.
She was not to be a pawn for anyone–not anymore.
And then, he suddenly pulled away.
“But that’s all in good nature, little brother,” he said, smiling as he walked away, as if nothing had happened. “All I want is my birthright.”
As he strolled away to join the rest of the troops, Lucas let out a particularly exhausted sigh. “Can’t you two get along for just ten minutes?” he mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck. “It’s not particularly fun always having to play the mediator.”
“Then don’t,” I answered simply. “I don’t like it either, but I don’t see an end to it.”
“Unless….” he trailed off, looking me in the eyes, “one of you becomes king.”
I set my jaw. “No. He will only stop if he wins.”
If I wanted any sort of peaceful future with my small, growing family, then I could not let that happen under any circumstance. If he were to find out that Maeve was possibly connected to the bears, he would not be so forgiving. But he was not the only threat. If he saw that damned press conference, then others surely did.
Others who knew the true identity of my intended Luna.
Right now, her father and that wife of his could be walking around, exposing the truth for all to hear. Maybe they discovered newfound pride in their daughter, carrying the child of an alpha prince. I certainly wouldn’t have put it past them.
It was decided.
I had much to talk about with Moonstone’s alpha… but I wanted to hear from Maeve herself when I returned home.
Maybe she could give me some much–needed answers.
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