Page 73 of A Reign of Malice
I grit my teeth, heart pounding. “I need to see the pack.”
He lifts a brow as he glances back at me.
“I want to speak to them,” I clarify. “The ones who are here. Let them see me. Hear the truth from my own mouth.”
Sloane’s shoulder rubs against mine as she counters me. “We need to plan first. If Aeson knows we’re back, we need to be smart, and the pack needs to feel confident in our next moves. The only way to make sure of that is to have answers for them about what comes next.”
Clara speaks up from just behind Sloane. “I’ve eased the worries of our pack members, and their belief in you is helping to keep the peace for now. Having some sort of hope to give them when you address everyone is good, though. They haven’t had much of it in the last three days.”
“Let’s pause for a moment.” Garron turns away from us, guiding the way down the dirt corridor.
This tunnel is darker, tighter. There are no lanterns here, only the distant flicker of firelight at the far end. My wolf doesn’t hesitate, his enhanced senses coming to the surface as my eyes adjust quickly. The walls scrape against my arms, the passage narrowing enough that we’re forced to turn sideways to continue.
Then the corridor opens into a private room.
It’s small but warm. A shallow fire pit crackles at the center, surrounded by four worn chairs. A table rests against one wall, a modest bed tucked into the far corner. Small, hand-painted images line the stone walls. Drawings of moons and wolves, even one with a crown etched in shaky brushstrokes.
Garron has lived here. Not just prepared this space but lived and hoped in it.
Everyone finds a place. Some choose to stand, while the rest settle onto seats. Sloane and I remain together, standing directly across from Garron.
He studies me, the evidence of age and wisdom deep in the creases around his eyes. “You’re no longer part of the pack. This could pose a problem. With neither you nor Sloane technically ruling over Venaris, the wolves won’t have a connection to you.”
“But you’re still part of the pack,” Asher says from the other side of the fire. “You’ve earned their respect. Wouldn’t they follow your lead?”
Garron tilts his head. “Respect, yes. Loyalty in the face of fear? I can’t be certain. Aeson still holds the crown. That alone demands obedience from some.”
Sloane’s eyes flash with unwavering purpose. “Then we do what we must. I’m still linked to Alcaris, and I’ll lead thosewho will have me. If we do this right, we can reclaim what’s been stolen with the least amount of bloodshed.”
Their attention shifts to me. All of them waiting for answers I’m not sure I have. I’ve only just returned. For years, I didn’t think I’d survive, let alone lead. I’m not sure what they want from me.
“I’m not your Alpha King,” I start, voice rough. “I don’t have that power anymore. But I can stand beside Sloane.”
Theo’s voice cuts in, firm and sure. “That’s not enough. You can’t hide in her shadow. I tried to do something similar in my pack, and it failed. People don’t need perfection, they need the truth and for you to show thatyoucare. If you’re here to fight for your people, they need to see you, they need to hear you. Not as a ghost from their past, but as the king you were always meant to be.”
Hiding wasn’t what I had in mind, but I can see his point. If Garron has been able to convince even part of the pack that my return is a good thing, I have to find a way to be the leader I never thought I would be.
“Sloane should still act as the Alpha Queen in charge,” I say, knowing my lack of connection to the wolves will be a problem regardless. “But I’ll do my part by her side.”
She offers me a gentle smile, but there’s a tightness in her voice. “I can do that, but your speech to them is what’s going to bring everyone together. Aeson has convinced most people that he’s the epitome of kindness and strength.” Her eyes darken, and I hate that she’s been caught in all this. “From the outside looking in, Aeson’s done everything right for this kingdom, even for mine by inviting us here. His ulterior motives have either been overlooked or well-hidden. They need to hear what he did from you and decide for themselves what they want to believe.”
“I can do that,” I say. “I’ll share my story, but as Garronpointed out, I no longer have ties to the pack. Nothing I say will change the fact that I’m not an Alpha King.”
“Not yet,” Asher cuts in, his tone calm but unwavering. “But you will be. We all sense it.” His eyes lock with mine, filled with something between challenge and belief. “I can’t imagine what you endured down there, Julian, but at some point, you need to realize this wasalwaysmeant to be yours. You didn’t lose it. It was taken. And now, it’s yours to reclaim. This kingdom, these wolves, they’re all waiting for someone to fight for them, even if some of them don’t realize it yet.”
His words land with an unexpected force. I feel them dig past the scars and silence I’ve lived in, right down to the marrow. He’s right. I was born to lead—not because of blood or title, but because I never stopped fighting, not even when I had nothing left.
I know I have a long way to go, but I can’t allow the past to dictate the future. Long ago, I let Aeson convince me that this wasn’t the path I wanted, but I’m not the same man I was before. I can’t be. Especially not when so many people are relying on me. I’m the rightful Alpha King, and I’m Sloane’s mate. I want to be better for her. For all of them, but mostly her.
She needs someone strong by her side. I need to hold on to the fight I had in that cave, to remember that giving up was never an option before, and once I kill Aeson, my job here is far from over.
My wolf rises to the surface, his strength pulsing through me with approval. This is where we were always meant to be. With our mate, surrounded by other alphas, doing whatever it takes to keep our kingdom from falling.
Clara leans forward, her voice cutting through the silence. “Then I suggest you speak to the pack soon. We’llneed them unified before we strike. Tonight, if we can. Every day Aeson rules, the darkness spreads. Whatever he’s doing back at the castle isn’t just tyranny. It’s something worse.”
“He’s killing his wolf,” Estee says softly, startling the room with her first unprompted words since returning to life.
Everyone turns toward her.
