Chapter 61

Logan

I didn’t say a word the whole ride back. What could I say? There was no way to describe my pressing sense of shame and fear.

So I did not speak. Not to Alex or to the guards who trailed us in grim silence. I didn’t even speak to instruct the horse I’d borrowed and half-destroyed galloping out of rogue territory. Every step that took me closer to the palace was another nail in the coffin of my pride.

Evelyn was gone.

We’d had no choice but to leave her behind. My stomach clenched as I thought of how we had traded her like a pawn in a game I thought I was strong enough to win.

But I wasn’t. Jesse had cheated and thrown me out with the clear threat of harming Evelyn if I tried again. And he had proven himself to be a decent fighter, even if he had not won fairly. He was faster, dirtier, and unpredictable in the way that came from fighting for your life instead of an instructor.

He must have learned how to fight the way most people did on the streets, where rules of honor and chivalry had no place. Jesse was used to fighting for survival and would use anything at his disposal to achieve his goals. Even other people.

Jesse had used his rogues against me like a blade or a set of claws. He had overwhelmed me and unfairly won. And Evelyn was the price we’d paid for it.

When we finally crossed the palace gates, Alex gave me a long look, jaw tight, his usual boyish ease gone. We both knew what was coming, even if we didn’t put the words to what impended. The only thing we didn’t know was just how bad it would be.

Until we stepped into the Alpha King’s study.

The Alpha King didn’t look up when we entered. He stood behind his desk, his hands gripping the edge like he needed the polished wood to keep from tearing something apart.

I had seen him after devastating rogue raids and terrifying battles. But I had never seen him appear so distraught or furious.

Alex cleared his throat. “Father—”

“Where is she?”

The words dropped like a cleaver. The Alpha King’s eyes swept fruitlessly behind us as though Evelyn might be standing at our backs.

I stepped forward. “Jesse bet her freedom in a duel. He cheated and banished me and he… he kept her.”

Silence. It was shocking how much those words had hurt leaving me, like they were made of razors, slicing their way up and out.

Then the Alpha King’s head snapped up. “You lost?”

The rage in his eyes was molten, and for a moment, I wondered if he’d come across the desk and strike me himself.

“As I said, he cheated. It was not a fair fight. And she initially entered the rogue camp willingly under the assumption that she would remain as his hostage,” I said. “To protect the peace. To protect us.”

“She was your wife!” he roared. “Your responsibility! You were supposed to keep her safe! Not hand her over to that bastard boy like some... consolation prize! How dare you bet her life on your pride like she is some trophy. She is a person and you stripped her of her autonomy for your own failed display of arrogance. Both of you… Her imprisonment is entirely at your feet.”

Alex flinched at the words. The Alpha King rarely raised his voice like this. And not over someone he had always called “a common healer.” But this was utter, undeniable fury.

I frowned. “With respect, Your Majesty… why do you care about this healer so much? She is my wife, and I am devastated by these recent events. But to you, she is another casualty of war. Or at least she should be.”

The Alpha King’s jaw locked. His nostrils flared.

“Because Evelyn represented stability. A possibility for an alliance. A future this realm needs. Her vision for peace was fresh and unexplored. And now, because of your failure, she’s in enemy hands.”

That wasn’t the full truth. I could see it in his eyes. There was something deeper beneath the surface, something personal he wasn’t ready to admit. But I didn’t press it. It wasn’t my place to, and I was already too deep in shame to fight him on the matter.

Alex stepped in before the King could spiral further. “We’ll get her back.”

“How?” the King growled. “You’ve already lost once. You think Jesse’s going to hand her over now that she’s in his grasp?”

“No,” I said, lifting my head. “But that doesn’t mean we won’t try. We’re going to fight like hell to free her. I can promise you that.”

The Alpha King scoffed. “Like you promised to keep her safe?”

“Jesse won’t harm her,” I said. “He knows that it would be a death sentence to hurt her. I’ll tear out his throat with my teeth before I let that happen. And besides… For what it’s worth, I think he’s taken a liking to her.”

The King studied me with narrowed eyes. Then he slowly sat back down, the leather of his chair groaning under his weight. His face was still flushed with fury.

“That is of no comfort to me. I don’t care if he likes her or not. She should never have been there in the first place. I would chastise her for her own folly, but she’s not here to hear it. So I have to take out my frustrations on you. I want her back,” he said, voice low and venomous.

“Whatever it takes. If you fail again, don’t bother coming back into this palace. Either of you. If she is not returned safely and soon, you are both banished. Now get out of my sight.”

Alex and I left the study in silence, the heavy doors thudding closed behind us.

The prince turned to me as we reached the hallway. His face was pale, and his features were drawn taut with stress. I almost felt bad for him, but I found I did not have an ample supply of pity to dole out just then. I was too busy feeling enough for myself.

“We’re going after her,” he said quietly. “No more waiting on orders. No council debates or excessive conversations. We don’t have the time for it. We do this our way.”

I nodded. “Whatever it takes. We’ll get her back, I’m sure of it. Together.”

He arched a brow. “You trust me?”

I smirked. “Not even a little.”

He grinned, wry and bitter. “Good. Because I don’t trust you either. But healthy skepticism might work to our advantage. Better than blind trust.”

“What works best is that we have a common goal,” I said.

He nodded. “Get Evelyn out no matter the cost.”

“Or die trying.”

We shook on it, sealing our promise. We would be successful, or I would gladly end my time in this world. If I could not even protect those closest to me, I had no authority to call myself a protector or leader.

The prince and I walked forward side by side, for once united in something that mattered more than rank or rivalry.

We would rescue Evelyn. And this time, when Jesse and I faced off, I was not going to lose.