Page 76 of A Reign of Malice
When we step into the wide cavern, over a hundred wolves are already gathered, each of them falling silent as we approach.
Children tucked against parents. Elders gathered near the fire. Warriors and caretakers alike, all staring at Julian and me, their expressions ranging from awe to disbelief to tentative hope.
Julian hesitates beside me for only a breath. Then his spine straightens, and his voice cuts through the hush like a drumbeat. “My name is Julian,” he begins. “Some of you know me. Some of you may not. Though by now, you’velikely heard whispers. Maybe that I was the prince who died or the traitor who vanished. Either way, it’s time for you to know the truth.”
The room is still. Tension coils in the air, thick and ready to snap.
“For two centuries, you were told I was dead. That I betrayed the crown. That I turned my back on the pack I once called my family. But that’s not what happened.” His voice deepens. “I was imprisoned beneath the castle by my own brother. Cursed. Silenced. Forgotten. Aeson did it to keep the throne for himself, and for two hundred years, he ruled with lies. I was nothing more than a memory to him. A threat he intended to leave buried.”
A murmur ripples through the pack, several wolves shifting on their feet. Eyes widen. Nods pass between some of the older ones. Garron stands near the edge, his arms crossed, jaw set in grim pride.
Julian reaches for my hand again before continuing. “But I survived. And I’ve returned to make things right, because it wasn’t just my life stolen all those years ago. You might find this hard to believe, and I won’t fault you for doubting what I’m about to say, but I do ask you to consider the possibility of it.”
I’d forgotten about Lira, but it seems Julian hasn’t. I didn’t expect him to give the whole truth, but it seems there’s no hiding any part of this reprehensible past.
“Aeson will have told you I murdered his mate. That in some jealous rage, I killed Lira. But that’s another lie. She witnessed what he did to me, how he chained then cursed me. And for that, she paid with her life. Not by my hand, but by his.”
The silence turns taut. Some wolves glance at each other. Others drop their gazes, ashamed or afraid.
“He twisted the truth into a weapon. And he wielded it against all of us.” Julian’s voice softens. “I’m not here to demand your loyalty. I won’t even ask you to fight beside me, but I do ask that you don’t stand in my way.”
I step forward beside him, letting my voice join his. “I’ll be fighting alongside Julian. I know my pack has heard, but for the rest of you, when I arrived here, I began to sense Julian’s presence. I didn’t know who he was, but once I found him, chained beneath the castle, I knew what I’d found. Not only did I learn that Julian is my mate but why I’d had my own reservations about Aeson.”
Murmurs move through the people, but nobody has outright interrupted, so I keep going.
“Your king is good at what he does—convincing others he has only the best intentions—but every decision he makes always connects back to helping him acquire more power. Very little has stood in Aeson’s way. He’s been patient, calculating, waiting for the moment to execute his plan in becoming the most powerful Alpha King. Which he thought would happen once our packs joined, but that all came to halt once I learned the truth and refused to bend to his will.”
My eyes flash up to Julian’s. I know he’ll ask about my time with Aeson, but that’s not information he needs to live with. Neither does the pack need to know.
“I was threatened into submission, and if it wasn’t for the alphas from the other packs, I can all but guarantee we wouldn’t be standing here of our own free will today. Julian might not ask you all to fight, but I will. While we won’t force your hand, especially when we know that your friends and family might be against us, we can certainly ask. I know this has been a lot for all of you, but I promise, as Alpha Queen, my intentions will always lie with the best interest ofthe pack. I will do whatever it takes to keep you all safe, and I know Julian feels the same.”
The voices from the crowd get louder, and we wait them out. There’s no rushing their loyalty. Not with so much on the line.
Finally, one sounds louder than the rest. “What’s your plan if we agree to join you?”
Julian nods at me to continue, and I meet the gaze of the elder wolf I’ve yet to meet, along with several others, before I answer.
“I intend to draw Aeson out. Alone. He wants me, that much we all know. If he thinks I’ve turned my back on Julian and the rest of the alphas, he’ll come for me. And when he does, we’ll strike. Away from the castle. Away from the innocents.”
Julian takes another step closer to the gathered crowd, voice compassionate but steady. “We’re not just fighting Aeson. We’re fighting for our future. For our children. For a world where no one has to live in fear of the crown.”
There’s a long silence.
Then someone steps forward. An older woman with silver in her hair, scars along her arms, and fire still in her bright gaze. “I remember you, as many do. While I might not have been among those trying to keep your memory alive, I know what I’ve seen over the years.” She lifts her hand into the air. “If the rest of you think I got these scars because I deserved them, you’re just as foolish as our current king.” Then, she kneels, one hand over her heart. “I’ll fight beside you, Julian, the rightful Alpha King.”
A younger man joins her next then two more wolves then five, until the cavern is full of murmured oaths and bowed heads. Not all kneel. Some remain back, conflicted. But they’re not shunned. No one is. That’s what matters.
Julian nods. “We leave at sundown. For those of you who choose to fight, we’ll welcome you. For those who cannot, we understand. We do this for all of you, whether you raise your claws in battle or not.”
The crowd breaks into soft movement. A ripple of purpose. A hum of something long dormant now stirring to life.
Hope.
I feel it pulsing in my chest, just like the bond between Julian and me, alive with strength and certainty.
Tonight, everything changes.
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
