270 Uneasy Alliances
Lucian
Mara and I returned to our room after the broadcast. My hands were still trembling. We had just set the world on fire, and now we were waiting for the flames to spread.
Five hours in, the outrage came like a wave. People weren’t just angry, they were livid.
They were calling for Alaric’s head. His supporters were scattering like ash in the wind. Many of the Alphas who once pledged loyalty to him had shifted to neutral ground. Only three territories still stood behind him: Kentville, Goldenpeak, and Eboncrest. Just three. The rest had either turned away or vanished altogether.
We could’ve crushed him now and been done with it. But no, we had issued a challenge, and honor bound us both to see it through. Rules were rules. Even if every instinct screamed to strike while he was weak,
we had to hold the line.
The public fury worked in our favor. Recruits were pouring in, eager to fight. But I wasn’t about to let just anyone in. For all I knew, Alaric had sent wolves in sheep’s clothing.
Martha’s confession had done more than we expected. It broke hearts, and opened eyes. People didn’t hate her; they admired her. She had survived hell, and now they saw her as a warrior. Strong. Unshaken.
Her pain had given our cause a soul.
It was time to plan the journey to Neev. I was about to summon everyone to the office when my phone
rang.
I picked up without hesitation.
“Hello?”
“Good morning, Alpha Lucian. I’m Alpha Ighor Smirnov, the current Alpha of Neev.”
I froze for a second. Ighor? The son? He couldn’t be more than twenty. I remembered him as a boy, always
trailing after his father like a shadow.
“How can I help you?” I said, keeping my voice steady, hiding my surprise.
There was a pause before he answered. “We’re…, uneasy about the duel taking place on our land. Alaric has a reputation, and frankly, we don’t trust him to play by the rules. We can’t afford another war here.”
The weight of his words hit me hard. I remembered the last war all too well. His father and mine had left
blood in the soil of that land.
Still, this wasn’t his call. Neev may have its own Alpha, but I still owned the entire island. That hadn’t changed.
“What are you saying, Ighor?”
1/3
He hesitated. “We want to know… will you be bringing your troops to Neev? To protect us?”
I exhaled slowly, already knowing how this would sound.
“No, Ighor. This isn’t a war, it’s a duel. And by those rules, I won’t be marching an army onto Neev.”
Silence.
And in that silence, I could hear everything he didn’t say. The fear. The doubt. The shadow of history repeating itself.
“What if Alaric doesn’t follow the rules?” Ighor pressed, his voice tight with concern. “How will we protect ourselves? Mooncrest hasn’t funded our military in years. Our weapons are outdated. We don’t have the
numbers to hold off an attack.”
I closed my eyes briefly, already knowing what he was really asking for.
“You have my word, it won’t come to that,” I said, firm but calm. “We trust Alaric to honor the terms. If he cheats, the duel becomes void. He loses any right to claim leadership. The fight will be televised, Ighor.
The world will be watching.”
There was silence on the other end, heavy and uneasy.
“Alright, Alpha Lucian,” he said at last. “But remember, our safety, our people, that’s your responsibility now.
“I haven’t forgotten,” I replied. “Neev is part of me too. My blood runs through that soil. I’d never risk my
own people. That’s why we’ll hold the duel in the battleground, far from the civilians.”
He thanked me and ended the call.
Mara emerged from the bathroom, drying her hands, her expression calm but unreadable. I waited for her
to get dressed, then we made our way to the office for our final meeting before departure.
Everyone was already there, standing in quiet formation, waiting.
“We leave for Neev in three days,” I said, my voice echoing through the room. “But I want our troops to
start moving in two. Quietly. By road. As ordinary travelers. I want three hundred armed soldiers there before we arrive, with enough ammunition to hold a war.”
Heads nodded. No one questioned it.
“I don’t trust that man,” I added, and they didn’t need me to explain who.
“Who’s going officially?” Darian asked.
I looked around the room, eyes landing on each of them in turn. “Myself. Darian. My father. Denis. Rowan.”
Behind me, Mara’s sharp intake of breath gave her away.
“What about Martha and me?” she asked. “Don’t we deserve to be there?”
I shook my head. “You need to stay here. You and the women warriors you’ve trained. Your job is to hold
213
273 sty lines
Mooncrest. If Alaric’s going to strike, it won’t be where we expect.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Why do you think that?”
“Because he’s not an i,” I said flatly. “He won’t attack where the world is watching. The Alpha of Neev just called, nervous about security. He practically begged for weapons. That means Alaric already knows he’s not welcome there. He’ll be cautious. He’ll behave. But here? Here, no one will expect it. Mooncrest is
the softer target.”
Mara stared at me, then gave a short, bitter laugh.
“You really think I’m that stupid, Lucian.”
The temperature in the room dropped.
I turned toward her slowly, my brow creasing. “What are you talking about?”
She crossed her arms. “You’re not protecting me. You’re sidelining me. Again.”
“That’s not what this is,” I said, trying to stay calm. “This is about strategy,”
“No. This is about control,” she snapped. “You’d rather trust old soldiers and diplomats than the woman who’s bled for this cause.”
My jaw clenched. The others looked away, uncomfortable.
I took a slow breath. “You’re the most capable warrior I know, Mara. But if we divide our strengths, yours
here, mine there, we cover both fronts. That’s not a demotion. That’s war logic.”
She didn’t respond. She just stared at me, furious but silent.
And somehow, that silence cut deeper than anything she could’ve said.
Comments
Get Bonus (Ad) >
H
Vote
427
