Chapter 18 Cannon
CANNON
The sound of sparring filled the training hall—weapons clashing, boots sliding against the stone floor, and the spark of magic lingering in the air. The hall smelled faintly of steel and wood polish, the light filtering through the windows tinted blue from the snow outside.
Two days had passed since Maize woke from her slumber after our fight with Oberon.
Somehow, we’d already managed to slip back into our rhythm, even returning to teaching today.
The world no longer felt weighted down by tension or uncertainty; instead, we were finally able to look forward to what came next.
Even if that ‘next’ was as simple as a long day of teaching.
“Make sure to adjust your grip as you spar. Don’t assume that the hold you have on your weapon at the start of battle will give you the same momentum as your opponent grows more desperate and angrier,” I said to the group of fourteen-year-old academy recruits, who were sparring with real swords today instead of training ones.
This was the part of teaching that I loved—the confidence I saw building in each of the recruits as they moved from sluggish and uncertain to steady and sure, growing used to the heavier weight of a true weapon.
I moved down the row of pairs, correcting stances and grips as I went. The steady repetition of running drills allowed me to breathe easy.
When I heard Maize’s laughter fill the hall, my eyes skipped across the room to find her. She stood near Vegas and Brielle, observing the drills in their quarter of the training hall.
My mate was dressed in a dark training uniform, a small notebook and pen in her right hand as she occasionally jotted down notes between rounds.
Despite chatting and smiling with the others, I knew Maize was taking everything in—watching how we taught, how the students responded, and how she might handle things herself once she began teaching.
She was set to start her own classes in the summer session and was shadowing each of us this season to build her coursework.
Vegas had already pulled her into recruitment meetings, especially for new female trainees—something the academy had needed for years but hadn’t truly prioritized, if we were being honest. Maize had a ton of new ideas and I couldn’t help but feel proud of how seamlessly she’d already melded into the academy’s culture.
Especially when she had once been so hesitant about it.
“Cannon!” Charm called out, breaking me from my thoughts. “Want to do a swap?”
I nodded, calling for half of my class to switch with Charm’s so they could practice with students they weren’t familiar with.
The change brought a fresh wave of competitive energy, blades clashing louder as they pushed themselves to impress.
Only a few minutes later, though, my focus drifted back toward Maize, who was smiling again at something one of her friends had said.
Never in a million years would I have imagined we’d end up here—especially after receiving the note that had once read “contain, not train.”
“Seem distracted, buddy,” Chait mused as he passed by, heading toward Maize.
I grunted in agreement and forced my focus back on calling out drills. Fortunately, it was nearly lunchtime, and when the academy bell rang I felt a quiet wave of relief as the students filed out to eat, leaving the hall calm again.
I made my way toward the others, watching as Maize set down her notepad to help Brielle’s youngest sister and her brothers practice holding a sparring sword. They were too young for official class placement, so they’d be training with us personally for now.
“Good,” Maize praised, crouching beside Brielle’s youngest sister. “Make sure you shift out of the way after your strike. The dummy isn’t moving, but whoever you’re fighting will be.”
Even I had to admit that Brielle’s sister swung at the dummy with a level of focus and determination that was impressive for her age.
Vegas shot us a look before turning to leave, calling out behind her, “If she’s not teaching by summer, I’ll riot.” Maize laughed, and a smile tugged at my lips.
I doubted she’d be the only one. Any hostility toward Maize that had once existed at the academy had been extinguished, at least publicly. And Queen Gray’s move to tell everyone of her heroic deed? It had helped a ton.
When Maize finally finished, Brielle led her sister off to grab food, and my mate made her way back to where Chait, Charm, and I stood waiting for her.
“Hungry?” I asked.
Before Maize could respond, the doors to the hall flew open and Jude and Jackson tumbled in. My brother was covered in snow and laughing about something until he caught the look I was offering him. He froze mid-step, eyes going wide.
“Where are you off to?” I asked, already knowing he wasn’t heading to the damn dining hall. Judging by the snow and the guilty look, he’d been planning to cut through here on his way to—
“The castle,” he blurted.
Maize laughed, trying to hide it behind her hand. I had to give credit where credit was due: my brother may have gotten in his fair share of trouble, but he wasn’t a liar.
“Can you go with us?” Jude added quickly.
“Kid’s smart,” Charm muttered, and Chait nodded in agreement. Jude knew exactly what he was doing—if we went with him, there’d be no chance of getting in trouble for skipping his afternoon classes. Astronomy and math were his least favorites.
“How many classes have you missed this week?” I asked, glancing between the two before narrowing my eyes on Jackson.
“None—only last week! And it was one time!” Jackson said quickly. Jude groaned beside him, shaking his head.
“Why the castle?” Maize asked.
“Luna,” I answered before either of them could, earning quick nods of agreement from both boys.
“If you’re cool with it,” Maize said, looking up at me, “that actually works perfectly. Gray mentioned wanting to hang out, and I’ve been meaning to go.”
Jude brightened instantly, bouncing on his toes. I caught the small smile Maize tried to hide as she looked over at him—the same kind of expression she used with her brothers.
“Alright,” I sighed as Jude and Jackson sprinted past us toward the door leading outside. Tugging off my jacket, I draped it over Maize’s shoulders, earning a small, sweet smile from her. “Kids are going to kill me.”
Or more likely, Luna’s fathers would kill me.
“I would never let that happen,” she said with a wink, and I barked out a laugh.
As we started after them, Maddox and Chait called out that they’d let the others know and catch up with us later. I wasn’t sure if they meant to give me some one-on-one time with Maize, but I appreciated it nonetheless.
The academy grounds were quiet, blanketed in thick white snow that continuously fell from the sky. We followed the main path toward the castle, the sound of our boots muffled by the drifts. Maize walked beside me, her gloved hand brushing mine every few steps.
Ahead of us, Jude and Jackson ran through the snow, arguing over who would reach the gate first, their laughter echoing off the stone walls.
I glanced sideways at my mate. She looked at peace today—cheeks pink from the cold, a few strands of hair caught in the wind. I’d seen her furious, bleeding, even breaking…but this? This relaxed version of her was my favorite.
“You’re staring,” she said, her lips pressing up into a small smile.
“Absolutely. Can’t help it.”
She smiled fully but didn’t tell me to stop, and for a while, we walked in comfortable silence.
My thoughts drifted to the past, to everything it had taken to get here.
I thought of the years before her, of nights that felt too long and too empty, when family had seemed like a story meant for other people.
But now, walking beside her, hearing Jude’s laughter ahead, it hit me just how much had changed.
She caught the small pull at the corner of my mouth. “What are you thinking about?”
I exhaled, watching my breath cloud the air. “You,” I said quietly. “Us. The future. Spending our life together. Building a family of our own.”
She stopped walking and turned toward me, her eyes widening slightly as a deeper color rushed to her cheeks. “A family?” she asked, her tone caught somewhere between teasing and shy.
“Yeah.” My voice came out rougher than normal. “A family. We may need a bigger home, but I want all of it—with you.”
Maize’s lips parted in surprise before she offered me a teasing look. “You know the minute we try to start a family—let alone, when I get pregnant—you’re all going to turn into complete nutcases.”
As if we weren’t already. A deep rumble slipped from my chest at the thought of her pregnant, an idea my wolf loved entirely too fucking much.
I couldn’t even deny that I felt the same.
I stepped closer, close enough to feel the warmth of her breath in the cold air. “A nutcase that loves you,” I murmured.
Maize’s expression softened, her voice dropping to a whisper. “I love you too, Cannon.”
That was all it took. I cupped her face in my hands and kissed her, infusing every ounce of certainty and affection into the simple touch. The cold didn’t matter. Just my mate. The taste of her lips. The way her fingers curled into my coat, holding me close.
When we finally pulled apart, Jude and Jackson were standing about thirty feet away, pointedly pretending not to watch. Maize laughed quietly, melting against my chest as I pressed a kiss to the top of her head.
“Come on,” she said, nodding to the two of them. “Before they freeze out here.”
The walk to the castle felt shorter than usual, or maybe I was so captivated by the simple presence of my mate that I didn’t notice time passing.
The castle lights glowed warm and gold through the windows, smoke curling lazily from the chimneys as we approached.
The Horde had changed since Queen Gray had taken the throne, but now, with Maize here, I saw beauty in the land that I’d never been able to appreciate before.
“Jude! Jackson!” Luna’s voice rang out as we reached the front entrance. “I had a feeling you’d be coming—I made cookies!”
She’d barely finished speaking before the three of them disappeared down the hall toward the sitting room. I squeezed Maize’s hand, already planning to follow and keep an eye on my brother.
Maize slipped off her gloves and brushed the snow from her hair, her gaze lifting toward the high ceilings, the flicker of candlelight, and the faint sound of laughter echoing through the hallways.
The castle should have been intimidating, considering who lived here, but it almost always felt welcoming.
“I’m going to find Gray. Are you going to follow them?” she asked, as if she wasn’t entirely ready to leave my side yet.
“Yes,” I said, leaning in. “Make sure to enjoy yourself, just don’t stay too long—tonight we have plans.”
“We do?” Maize asked. It was rare to catch her off guard, rarer still to actually surprise her, and I couldn’t help but savor it. A smirk pulled at my lips as I brushed a strand of hair from her face.
“We do,” I said quietly, enjoying the way curiosity flickered in her expression.
She tilted her head, studying me before giving that soft, knowing smile that always made my heart ache. “You’re not going to tell me, are you?”
“Not a chance,” I murmured. “You’ll find out soon enough.”
With an amused shake of her head, she turned and headed down the corridor toward Gray’s chambers, my gaze following every step and sway of her hips.
I watched her go, my mind already on the night ahead—on the promise we were ready to make.