Page 72 of A Reign of Malice
Still, my own pulse thrums unevenly in my throat.
They’ll recognize me. They’ll remember the stories, which include so many lies.
Sloane brushes her hand against mine, a quiet reassurance that keeps my heart from spiraling. One gentle touch, and I remember who I am. Who I’ve become.
A voice, deep and familiar, breaks the stillness. “Alpha King.”
The title strikes like lightning.
I turn, breath stalling.
From the shadows steps a wolf I never thought I’d see again. Silver-haired and standing tall despite the weight of his years, he is still as sharp as a blade’s edge.
“Garron,” I whisper. The name stirs something within me. He was always more than just a soldier. He was a mentor and a keeper of history and honor. A wolf who fought beside myfather, who taught me how to listen before I spoke, how to lead with more than just force.
He’s dressed in black now, a blade strapped across each hip, posture straight and ready. Not the keeper of lore any longer. A warrior once more.
“I knew it,” he says softly, voice thick with emotion. His pale blue eyes shine with something I don’t quite understand—relief, maybe, or even hope. “I knew the truth would find its way back.”
I steel myself, unsure what he means. Unsure how much he really knows.
Garron steps closer, gaze flicking over the rest of our group—Sloane, Isla, Asher, Estee, Theo, Clara, and Noen—before returning to me.
“My wolf knew,” he says again. “The day you disappeared, the air turned rancid. It was wrong in so many ways. Aeson claimed it wasyourdarkness, your betrayal, but my instincts said otherwise. I couldn’t prove it. But I never forgot. The young prince I knew wouldn’t fall to corruption. Not without a fight.”
He gestures to the sanctuary around us.
“So I began preparing. Quietly. Carefully. Waiting for the day you might return. I didn’t know if I’d live to see it, but I built this place anyway. For you. For all of us.”
Emotion lodges in my throat. Not grief, not fear, but gratitude.
“Thank you,” I manage. My voice is lower than I intend, but Garron hears it. “For remembering me when it would’ve been easier to forget.”
He nods once then his expression sobers. “You came back at the right time. Things have grown worse, Prince Julian. Much worse.”
Without another word, Garron turns and motions for usto follow. We trail behind him through another branching tunnel until it opens into a broader chamber. Several wolves look up from the low-burning fires scattered throughout the space, their conversations dying instantly. Suspicion, curiosity, and cautious hope flicker in their eyes.
Garron glances back, catching me observing the other pack members. “They should know the truth. Your truth. Some won’t need it, but others will. Especially after what happened when you all vanished three days ago.”
“When the runes were destroyed?” Isla asks softly as we pause.
Garron nods solemnly. “The energy across Venaris shifted. Barely noticeable to most, but those of us who pay attention to our instincts, we felt it. Something otherworldly stirred. According to my contacts still inside the castle, Aeson felt it too. He panicked. Believed it was an omen. He called his inner circle, ordered them to prepare for war. But when he couldn’t find Sloane…that’s when he lost control.”
Sloane’s jaw tightens, and I reach for her hand, hoping she isn’t taking on any guilt. We had no choice in leaving when we did. This isn’t her fault.
Garron’s lips flatten briefly as if reliving that morning. He turns away to continue walking down the dirt corridor but keeps speaking as we move together. “Aeson demanded the pack to bow before him. He didn’t offer an alternative, which we all knew what that meant.”
“Obey or die,” Sloane mutters and then looks up at me. “My instincts told me he was evil. I felt it in my core, but besides his treatment toward me, I had no proof. It doesn’t feel good being right about this.”
I hold her tighter, whispering as we walk. “And that’s why you’re an incredible queen.”
Garron continues, “I sent those I trusted most to rescueas many as we could, but it wasn’t easy. Aeson raved about betrayals. Said Sloane was conspiring with the other alphas to destroy Venaris from within. That the unity of kingdoms was a ruse. Most didn’t believe it, but fear doesn’t require logic. It requires control. So they followed him. Not out of loyalty, but to protect their families.”
“How many?” Sloane demands, her grip on my hand nearly enough to crack bones. “How many did you get out before they were given no other options and what’s happening to them now?”
“Just over three hundred,” he replies stiffly. “But almost two hundred of the pack remain inside the castle grounds. A mix of both packs. Not all of them are trapped there, though most of them are confused. Some believe Aeson. Some think they were abandoned. All of them are divided.”
Garron pauses and lowers his voice. “Those not willing to fight now that they’re seeing this version of their Alpha King are being restrained, but most of them have agreed to stand by Aeson’s side, preparing for a battle.”
