Chapter 59 - The Scout Returns
Dusk had barely settled over the fortress when the doors to the main hall burst open.
Boots struck stone in hurried rhythm.
Athena looked up from where she stood near the long table with Elara, startled by the sudden rush of movement. A scout stumbled in, chest heaving, dirt streaked across his clothes.
"Alpha," he called.
Silas was already moving before the word finished leaving the man's mouth.
The shift in him was immediate.
Gone was the quiet observer from the healing wing.
Gone was the gentle presence she had grown used to.
In his place stood something sharper. Colder. Commanding.
"Speak," Silas said.
His voice didn't rise.
But it filled the entire room.
The scout swallowed hard.
"They crossed the boundary line. Three mages. Moving south through the ridge."
Silence dropped heavily.
Athena felt it in her chest.
"They're not watching anymore," Rowan said from behind her.
Silas's eyes hardened.
"No."
He turned slightly, already thinking three steps ahead.
"Double the patrols along the eastern pass. No one moves alone. Kael, take the northern watch yourself."
Kael nodded once without argument and moved immediately.
Everything happened quickly.
Efficiently.
Like this wasn't panic.
This was preparation.
Athena watched him.
The way everyone responded to his voice without hesitation.
The way his posture changed - shoulders squared, eyes sharp, presence dominating the space without trying.
Something in her stomach tightened.
Not fear.
Something else.
Something warm.
Dangerous.
She found this side of him incredibly attractive.
The authority. The control. The quiet power.
Her breath caught for a second before she forced herself to look away.
You are still married, she reminded herself sharply.
The thought grounded her immediately.
Silas turned toward her then.
His expression softened slightly when his eyes met hers, but the tension remained in his posture.
"They're coming for her," Rowan said quietly.
Athena felt the words settle into her bones.
Not theoretical.
Not distant.
Real.
She straightened.
Her voice was steady when she spoke.
"Then we don't let them take me."