Chapter 157

“My people!” Samuel calls, his voice hushing the crowd in a way that Tristan would have never expected from an Alpha as weak-willed as Samuel. He never impressed Tristan much at the capital. Has he been hiding this charismatic side of himself all this time?

“My people!” he calls again. “Together, we work towards a new world order! One where each man is not beholden to a ruthless tyrant king.”

The crowd begins to boo. The man beside Tristan, his false-friend, is especially loud.

“Soon, my friends,” Samuel continues. “Soon we will overwhelm the capital like a great flood and bring justice to the Alpha King for all he’s done.”

The boos immediately turn into cheers. My soldier faux-friend notices that Tristan isn’t cheering and starts to look at him strangely. Tristan tries to cheer on the next go round, but by then, it’s too late. He’s already raised suspicion.

“That’s the leader,” the soldier says. “He’s brave and fearless. Do you know him?”

“No,” Tristan says smoothly, but the soldier seems unsure.

In a pause in the speech, the soldier calls out, “Leader! Look here!”

Samuel looks down. At the same time, Tristan looks up.

Their eyes lock.

Shit, Tristan thinks.

“You,” Samuel gasps.

Tristan wastes no time. As he’s in the front of the group, moving forward is his only means of escape. Darting forward, he attempts to disappear around the tower, but the walls there remain strong. He can see no way of scaling them.

“That man is the King’s Beta! He’s loyal to the throne!” Samuel cries out. “Get him! Kill him! Before he can return to the King!”

Tristan presses himself flat against the wall as several soldiers run by. This spot won’t hide him forever though, especially from any alphas that happen to catch wind of his scent.

He waits for an opening, then sees it, stepping out in a lull of passing soldiers. He tries to keep his step in pace with the others, not drawing attention to himself.

Unfortunately, one of the soldiers nearest him is the one that had thought himself Tristan’s friend.

“That’s him!” the soldier yells.

Suddenly, the eyes of forty or so armed men turn on Tristan.

There’s a break in the wall not far away. Tristan has a chance of meeting it before he is killed, but only if he shifts. He doesn’t use his wolf form often, he’s protective of it, as the anonymity helps him maintain his undercover work.

But he doesn’t have a choice now. If he doesn’t use his wolf form, he will be easily killed. As a wolf, he could still be killed but he might have a chance.

Cursing loudly, Tristan turns and shifting, dashes as fast as his four legs can take him toward the opening in the wall.

As soon as he clears it, he’s hit with a flood of relief. Its short lived.

Glancing backwards, Tristan sees a darkness of arrows lift high up into the sky. Then they start to fall – straight onto him.

They pierce his body, and yelping, he collapses into the dirt.

His last thought is of his King, and of Harper.

Someone needs to warn them…

Don’t trust… Samuel…

Caleb is supposed to have dinner with Annabelle, but he cancels again, choosing instead to eat alone in his room. Too much has happened, and all of it unsettles him. He doesn’t trust himself to eat with Annabelle, worried about the harsh things he might say or do.

With his father gone, Caleb has been thinking more about this marriage. Yes, a Luna would help with his image, but the entire thing was his father’s idea.

Is Annabelle the right person? Is now even the right time to be getting married? Caleb just isn’t sure.

Caleb is ready to forget the entire thing.

But there’s another issue plaguing his mind, one even more troublesome than his engagement.

His mother. Kira.

She’s still here. Caleb sent guards to confine her to her own quarters, which he only realized after his fight with Hector were not the same quarters his father had been staying in.

The two are supposed to be bonded, yet they seem strained.

Caleb must speak with her himself to properly determine the truth.

No time like the present.

He’s not hungry anyway. Pushing away his dinner, Caleb leaves his room and treks to the guest wing. There he walks until he finds the rooms his guards are blocking. They step aside at the sight of him, and Caleb walks right in.

Kira looks up from where she sits on a plush sofa. She has knitting needles in her hands and a ball of yarn beside her. She looks at Caleb with a steady calm, as if she has no worries about the day’s events.

“Father escaped,” Caleb says.

“You will catch him soon,” Kira replies. “He’s too boisterous and prideful. He’ll never be able to hide.”

“You aren’t upset that we will catch him?” Caleb asks.

“Why should I be upset?” Kira asks. “The man has been unkind to me for a long time. And know that I’ve learned… Well…” She sets aside her knitting. “I had no idea he was responsible for my Evan…”

Her gaze drops to the ground, compelling Caleb to take a step closer to her. He doesn’t trust her – he doesn’t trust anyone – but neither does he like to see his mother distressed.

“Hector and I have been divorced for some time,” Kira says. “Years. He’s even taken other lovers…”

“I thought you were mates,” Caleb says.

“We are, unfortunately. We’re bond, though not by love. Not anymore. We keep the mate sickness at bay by staying physically near each other, though even that repulses me anymore. He is a treacherous man, who takes what he wants without thought for others. I’m glad he’s gone.”

Caleb doesn’t know what to believe, but it’s nice to hear his mother side with him, even if she is pretending for his sympathy.

Enjoying the moment, he sits down in a nearby tall-backed chair. His mother smiles at him for a moment, and he feels like a kid again.

Too soon, the feeling fades and he remembers his responsibilities.

“I’ve been thinking of breaking my engagement,” Caleb says.

“Oh, no! You mustn’t do that!”

“Why not?”

“Annabelle is such a kind soul. She’s like a second-daughter to me, and her softness is such a good balance compared to your more… tough strategies. Together, you would bring the best of both worlds.”

Caleb frowns a little. “I don’t love her, and I don’t think I ever will.”

“Darling, love has little to do with marriage. Not for people like us. We mate and marry for the good of the kingdom. Annabelle might not be to your personal preference but she is the best match for you politically. She softens some of your edges, and I think her appeal will help the people accept you once more as your King.”

“I’ve never stopped being the King.”

“I know that, and you know that. But the people have lost faith. Don’t look so surprised, Hector and I heard everything where we lived. The people’s trust in you is fading, Caleb. To unify your quickly dividing kingdom, you need to marry Annabelle. And soon.”