Chapter 34
THIRTY-FOUR
NAVIRA
As they finished dressing, Navira’s unease continued to grow. Whatever waited for them at the docks, she had the sinking feeling it was going to be far more complicated than a simple pirate raid.
Minutes later, they left his chambers side by side, Alpha and Luna united in purpose, heading toward whatever trap—or truth—Sylar had waiting for them.
Before long, their sleek vehicle hummed to a stop at the territory’s ship docks, and Navira stepped out into the salt-tinged air, falling in step beside Thalric.
Her boots hit weathered wooden planks that stretched into the pink ocean, creating a maze of piers and moorings where the pack’s vessels bobbed gently in the current.
The twin suns cast dancing reflections across the water’s surface, but something felt off about the peaceful scene spread before them.
Through their completed bond, she felt Thalric’s alertness spike as his eyes swept the area. His body radiated that controlled tension she’d come to recognize—the Alpha assessing a potential threat.
But there was no threat. No pirates. No evidence of battle or conflict.
Just Sylar standing alone at the end of the main pier, his massive frame silhouetted against the horizon. His auburn hair caught the light as he turned toward them, and Navira immediately noticed the way his sharp blue-gold eyes narrowed when he spotted her beside Thalric.
Why would he call for help if there’s nothing happening?
The thought whispered through her mind as they approached, her instincts prickling with mounting unease. Every dock looked pristine, undisturbed. No scattered cargo, no damaged vessels, no signs of the pirate raid Sylar had reported.
“Where are the pirates?” Thalric’s voice carried that unmistakable Alpha authority as they closed the distance. “What happened?”
Sylar’s expression shifted, a flicker of something—annoyance?
frustration?—crossing his weathered features as his gaze lingered on Navira.
She watched his nostrils flare slightly, the shifter’s enhanced senses picking up on the change in their scents.
The completed mate bond had clearly altered their pheromones, marking them as fully claimed, and Sylar’s jaw tightened as recognition dawned.
He looked increasingly agitated, his powerful frame tense as if he were fighting some internal battle. Navira’s competitive instincts, honed through years of reading opponents in the pool, screamed that something was off about his entire demeanor.
“I was finally able to handle the pirates,” Sylar said, his words coming out stilted.
“They just left. I apologize for calling you all the way here.” He ran a hand through his hair, the gesture uncharacteristic of the usually composed enforcer.
“It’s just—the last three days while I’ve been leading the war efforts, handling everything while you tended to Navira—I’ve been overwhelmed. I overreacted to needing your help.”
Liar.
The word blazed through Navira’s mind with crystalline certainty.
She’d coached enough athletes through high-pressure situations to recognize when someone was fabricating explanations on the fly.
This whole scenario felt orchestrated, designed to get Thalric here alone—except now she was here, and Sylar’s plans had clearly gone sideways.
“Don’t apologize,” Thalric said, his voice warming with what sounded like genuine appreciation. “You did the right thing by calling me for help. I’m just glad you were able to handle the issue without any further problems.”
Navira bit back the urge to shake her mate.
His blind trust in Sylar made perfect sense—thirty years of loyalty, practically raising Thalric from a child—but it created a dangerous blind spot.
She understood the dynamic, but that didn’t make it any less frustrating when her instincts were screaming warnings.
Her gaze drifted past Sylar to the water beyond the docks, and her Olympic-trained eyes caught something that made her blood run cold. Movement beneath the surface—subtle, deliberate. Not the random patterns of fish or the gentle sway of seaweed.
Something was down there. Waiting.
“What’s that movement in the water?” she asked, her voice sharp with concern.
Sylar’s composure cracked for just an instant, his eyes darting toward the spot she’d indicated before snapping back to her face. “Oh, that’s just the residual effects from the little skirmish I had with the pirates. The water’s just trying to settle down now.”
Bullshit.
Navira had spent her entire life in water, understood its physics and patterns better than most people understood their own heartbeat. Water didn’t behave that way after a fight. Those movements were too purposeful. Something living was down there, and it wasn’t settling—it was positioning.
Before she could press the issue, Sylar stepped forward, clearly desperate to redirect the conversation.
“I didn’t have time to mention it on our call earlier, but I heard from Graven.
He wants to speak to you, Thalric. He’s proposed an ultimatum—meet him near Rocky Point Island this afternoon and accept his terms, or he’ll escalate his war efforts against our territory. ”
Thalric’s entire body went rigid, his Alpha instincts flaring. “Why didn’t you tell me this sooner?”
“I was dealing with the pirate issue,” Sylar replied, his words tumbling out faster now. “Graven just reached out this morning with the terms.”
Every alarm bell in Navira’s head was clanging at maximum volume. Her competitive nature had always made her excellent at reading strategies, recognizing when opponents were setting traps.
This was a trap.
“I’ll go to Rocky Point Island and meet Graven this afternoon,” Thalric declared, his voice carrying unmistakable Alpha finality. “End this war once and for all.”
“No.” The word burst from Navira’s lips before she could stop it.
Through their bond, she felt Thalric’s surprise at her vehemence, but she pressed on.
“If you’re going, I’m going too. And we’re bringing Kaelen and all fifty enforcers.
Just for backup,” she added when she saw Sylar’s face darken with frustration.
Thalric’s storm-grey eyes met hers, and she felt his consideration through their connection. The strategic part of his mind was already processing her suggestion, recognizing its wisdom.
“That’s a great idea,” he said finally, and pride bloomed warm in her chest at his immediate acceptance of her input. “Great contingency plan in case things go sideways.”
Sylar’s mask of composure was slipping further now, irritation radiating from his powerful frame. “Fine. I’ll gather the enforcers.”
“Actually,” Navira interjected smoothly, her instincts screaming at her not to let Sylar control the situation, “how about we split the efforts? You gather half, we’ll get Kaelen and the other half. Meet back here in an hour. It’ll be faster and more efficient that way.”
The look Sylar shot her could have melted steel, but Thalric was already nodding. “That approach is very smart given the time constraint.”
“Sure thing,” Sylar ground out, his frustration barely contained now.
As they prepared to separate, Navira kept her expression neutral even as her mind raced.
She couldn’t voice her suspicions about Sylar yet—not without more concrete evidence than gut instinct and a lifetime of reading competitive strategies.
But she’d be damned if she let him manipulate their backup situation.