Chapter 35
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
ESTEE
T he moment Theo tells me what happened during the pack run, a fury unlike any I’ve ever known ignites in my chest. My blood boils, and my wolf snaps her jaws in frustration, her senses prowling through the trees, searching for our enemy, ready to battle without hesitation.
Clueless, the pack is left to enjoy the night beneath the stars, Theo sending our mental goodbyes as we race back to the castle. I shift before we even reach the stone steps, the transition happening so fast that my muscles scream in protest, but I don’t care. I need to touch him, to see him, to make sure he’s truly here with me and not some illusion left behind by that dreadful god.
Theo stands before me as I approach, still dressed in his royal suit, the silver crown sitting proudly atop his dark hair. Yet my focus isn’t on his regal appearance; it’s on his eyes. I search their depths for shadows, for signs of Orix’s lingering presence. I reach out tentatively, brushing his chest, my senses pushing through the bond, probing for any fractures.
I find none.
All I feel is Theo—his warmth, his love, his strength. It floods through our connection, steady and unyielding, as though he’s reinforcing it for my benefit.
Relief crashes over me, and I collapse into his arms, gripping the fabric of his tunic. “I won’t lose you to him.”
He wraps his arms around me tightly, his voice a soft promise against my ear. “You won’t. I don’t know how he managed to reach me, but it won’t happen again. I swear it.”
A familiar voice interrupts us, carrying a sharp edge. “What won’t happen again?”
I turn, and Elyn is standing in the doorway. Or rather, what’s left of the elder wolf I once knew. Her silver hair now gleams with vibrant life, cropped neatly around her face. Her lavender eyes glow faintly, brimming with power, and her skin, once marked by time, is now smooth and youthful.
“You…you look…” I stammer, struggling to reconcile this version of her with the one I’ve come to know. Theo told me about her changes, but seeing them is something else entirely.
“Like someone who can finally get stuff done without feeling like my bones are about to break,” Elyn replies, a wry smile curving her lips. She steps forward and hands Theo a wooden box, the Selaris insignia etched intricately into the lid. “Aurora might not return, so we need to be prepared. This will help you end Orix. Permanently.”
Theo’s hands hover over the latch, curiosity flickering across his face, but Elyn smacks his fingers away.
“If I wanted that out in the open, I wouldn’t have put it in a box,” she snaps. “This is your secret weapon. With this?—”
Without thinking, I slap my hand over her mouth, rougher than I intend, and yell, “Stop!”
Elyn’s lavender eyes narrow as she pulls my hand away with surprising ease. “If you weren’t days away from being my queen, you’d be on your ass right now.”
“I’m sorry, but Theo’s mind isn’t safe.” I’m not actually sorry, considering this woman took joy in killing me before, but I’d rather pretend with her for the moment.
Her expression hardens, her gaze shifting to Theo. “What does she mean? Aurora’s shield is still in place. I can feel its energy. No one should be able to penetrate that, except the goddess herself.”
My mate’s mood plummets, and I already know it’s because if Orix managed to do so, he might not be as weak as we were told.
“He spoke to me,” Theo admits. “We were out on the pack run and everything was perfect then his voice was in my head and his presence was nowhere to be found. His connection to me is still intact.”
Elyn mutters something under her breath before stepping forward and flicking Theo on the forehead.
“Ow—what the?—”
“Do you know nothing of power, young king?” she scolds. “When Aurora shielded your mind, it was just that— your mind. But you were in your wolf form. Orix’s connection isn’t to you alone. It’s also to your wolf. Two separate entities, two separate vulnerabilities. As long as you don’t shift, he can’t reach you.”
The logic is sound, yet it feels too simple. Still, I can’t ignore the truth in her words. Our wolves, though bound to us, have their own souls. Something I didn’t consider until she so blatantly pointed it out.
“Now, if everyone can keep their hands to themselves,” Elyn says tersely, gesturing back toward the box. “I’ve brought you a dagger with a special ability. One that will only work once, so you don’t want to open this until you’re ready. I’ve disguised the weapon as one of the royal scepters. Break the casing and stab Orix with the blade. The stones on the hilt will take care of the rest.”
“Where did you get this?” Theo asks, eyeing the box suspiciously.
Elyn smirks, a hint of mischief in her gaze. “I stole the dagger from King Airik. I found out he was planning to…well, that doesn’t matter now. I just knew I needed it more than he did, and now I know why.”
“How did he get away with being so despicable for so long without any of the other alphas knowing?” I ask, more to myself and not really expecting an answer, but she gives me one anyway.
“Just as Orix has been siphoning Theo’s god energy, Airik was doing that to his wolves,” Elyn explains. “He kept everyone in place in exchange for their sanity. The ones who questioned him too many times usually ended up losing their minds. Some of them disappeared, some died, often without anyone willing to openly wonder why.”
“And you, a wolf who has the means to interfere, just allowed all of this to happen?” The bitterness within me grows. How could someone of her strength, even before Aurora boosted her energy, stand by, knowing all that and doing nothing?
“I was waiting.” Her voice is devoid of regret as her gaze falls on Theo. “I had my fun, and I protected all I could, but I knew something better was coming. Selaris didn’t need a war, and we certainly didn’t want to be overtaken by Polaris, which is what would’ve happened. We might’ve appeared to be a weak pack, but it took strength to keep our faith. There’s a reason the people haven’t revolted against you, King Theo. You were everything we were hoping for, even when you were hiding.”
That makes my heart clench, and emotions burn behind my eyes. There was a dire need here when I arrived, but I had no clue these people had been surviving on their beliefs alone for this many years.
Our kingdom is much stronger than anyone’s given it credit for, and I won’t forget that.
A tear falls down Theo’s cheek, and he reaches for Elyn’s hands, holding them between his. “Thank you for that.”
“You needed to know.” She briefly closes her eyes then slowly pulls away from Theo. When she looks back up at us, the moment is gone. “Just don’t screw this up, because if Orix wins but doesn’t kill you, I will.”
There’s the Elyn I’ve come to know.
I chuckle as she slinks into the shadows, off to go do who knows what. “Are we even sure she’s a wolf?”
He shrugs, shaking his head. “The alpha part of me says yes, but I honestly don’t know. Aurora called her ‘my child’ when she was here. There could be something to uncover there, but I doubt it’s worth our time as long as she remains on our side.”
“Maybe Elyn is like you will be,” I say with a smile. “More god than wolf. Let’s just be thankful she doesn’t also carry the alpha gene.”
“The entire world should be thankful for that.” Theo shudders and wraps an arm around me. “Let’s go discuss our plans to kill a god and keep the pack safe.”
“About that… I have a slight change we should consider.”
His charcoal eyes brighten, and he takes my hand, his grip solid and unwavering. “Tell me more.”
As dawn begins to stretch her colorful rays across Selaris, we finally make our way back to the royal suite. The night unfolded better than I could’ve hoped. The moment we found Queen Sloane, the plan to defeat Orix spilled out of me, to be refined by Sloane and Theo’s sharp minds. Together, we built a strategy that feels as unbreakable as the bond I share with Theo.
We discussed not only the final touches for the ball but how to ensure it would be a night etched in the pack’s mind—not just because Orix will show but because of the hope and magic we aim to infuse back into the hearts of the shifters.
There will be delicious delicacies, live entertainment, and dancing for however many hours we have, but most importantly, we’ll be telling the pack what to expect.
Hiding the impending battle from the pack never sat well with me. I understand the argument—that if they don’t know, Orix won’t see them as a threat—but I disagree. They are a threat. This pack is fierce, resilient, and brimming with untapped strength. They’ve endured horrors and come out stronger. They’ve earned the right to know what’s at stake and decide how they wish to face it.
While a team selected by Jerome and Cecil meticulously designs the evening’s grandeur, the two advisors work with Orion and the guards to quietly inform the pack of the truth. They’re given three choices: take shelter in the underground bunker with Queen Sloane as their guardian, join the celebration—but be prepared to escape when Orix arrives—or stay and fight alongside us.
Theo’s hands find my temples as I rinse my toothbrush, and his deep voice cuts through the haze of my thoughts, making me jump. “Your mind needs an off button.”
I tilt my head, having no clue what he means, and he laughs. “You just spent ten minutes barely moving that toothbrush or hearing me when I called your name.”
“Oh.” I reach for a towel to wipe my mouth, but he grabs it first, turning me to face him.
He pats the cotton over my mouth, grinning at me. “You did good tonight. You acted like the queen you’re soon to be, you put the good of the people first, and you thought as the warrior I already know you are. We have a plan. One that includes dozens of guards, an informed pack, and our secret weapon. Didn’t we already agree that anything else that might happen can’t be predicted and getting rest is more important?”
I nod, but the gears in my mind keep turning as if racing toward the world’s most vital finish line.
His brow arches knowingly. “Then why isn’t my mate in bed yet?”
“Because as you just said, she doesn’t have that off button.” I grin, trying to be cute, but he doesn’t seem to agree.
In one swift motion, he scoops me up and throws me over his shoulder as if I weigh nothing. “I’m going to find one.” His hand lands on my backside with a resounding smack, the vibrations sparking heat low in my belly.
I tighten my grip on him as he strides into the bedroom, the raw strength in his movements igniting a fire within me. He tosses me onto the mattress, his shadow falling over me like a protective shield. For a moment, he doesn’t move—just watches me, his gaze piercing and unyielding.
Which is when I see what I should’ve already known: the worry he’s been hiding beneath his confident exterior. This isn’t just about the pack or the battle tomorrow. It’s about us. About what we stand to lose. And in that instant, every doubt, every second-guessing thought slips away.
My skin pebbles from his intensity, and I reach for him, needing to feel the heat that radiates from his bare chest. “We’re going to be okay.”
His jaw tightens, but he nods. “There’s no other choice. I won’t lose you.”
“You never will.” My fingers splay over his abs, my touch inching to settle over his heart. “Not in this life or any that come next.”
“My Starlight.” The rumble that echoes from his chest has me pulling on him, and he doesn’t hesitate to press the lower half of his body over mine.
He pushes the silk fabric of my robe to the sides, leaving me exposed to his powerful gaze.
Theo kisses me, his tongue sweeping through my mouth and the hum of his alpha power rippling through the room in waves. His strength surrounds me, a cocoon of safety and love that drowns out every fear.
No matter what happens tomorrow, win or lose, Orix can never take this away from us. Not this moment, not our bond, and not the future we’ve fought so hard to claim.
I’ll fight to the death for this man and this pack, whether it’s the end of Orix or me. This stops for all of us within the next twenty-four hours.
But for this moment, as Theo touches me, loving me with every ounce of his being, I know this is only the beginning for us. Tonight will come soon enough, and when it does, we’ll be ready.