Chapter 252
Chapter 252
Nolan POV
By the time my shoulder stopped reminding me it had been cut open, the kingdom had already decided who I was supposed to be
My days filled quickly again-meetings stacked atop meetings, advisors cycling in and out of my office, public appearances carefully spaced so I could be seen without seeming overexposed.
The campaign had shifted into something relentless. Momentum had a way of demanding constant attention, and the moment you stopped feeding it, it turned on you.
I understood that.
Still, every hour away from the nursery felt wrong.
I told myself it was necessary. That this was the price of securing a future where August and lan wouldn’t grow up under the same shadow I had. A crown meant stability. Authority. Protection that didn’t depend on goodwill or fragile alliances.
It meant no one could touch my family without consequences.
That was the justification I repeated to myself as I stood in front of another crowd, smiled at another camera, shook another hand that lingered a little too long.
The people loved a story.
A wounded alpha. A returned Luna. Hidden heirs brought into the light.
They didn’t see the nights I stood outside the nursery door longer than I should have. Or the way my wolf paced restlessly whenever I left the packhouse grounds without them.
Lance noticed.
“You’re distracted,” he said one evening as we reviewed schedules in my office.
“I’m busy,” I replied without looking up.
He leaned against the desk, unimpressed. “You’re thinking about the boys p>
I paused.
“That obvious p>
“Yes,” he said. “You’ve started checking the time every fifteen minutes like you’re worried someone’s going to steal them p>
I snorted quietly. “Given recent history, that’s not paranoia”
Lance sobered. “Fair p>
I pushed the tablet aside and rubbed at my jaw. “This won’t last forever. Once the election’s settled p>
“You’ll still be busy,” he cut in gently. “You’ll just be busy with different things p>
I sighed and ran my fingers through my hair. I didn’t argue He wasn’t wrong.
A knock interrupted us before the thought could sink deeper.
The guard outside my office didn’t bother with formality. His expression was tight, shoulders squared.
1/3
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“The prisoner is requesting to see you,” he said. “Again p>
I stiffened.
The rogue had been quiet for weeks. Too quiet. After the initial interrogation-after the truth of what he’d done had been dragged out of him-he’d withdrawn into something like resignation.
He’d spoken rarely, eaten little, stared at the walls as if waiting for something no one else could see.
And this was the second time he’d asked to see me since the boys returned. It felt wrong, made my wolf pace behind my ribs.
“What does he want?” I asked.
“He says he has a warning p>
Lance straightened. “That’s new p>
I exhaled slowly. My wolf stirred uneasily, a low ripple of awareness moving beneath my skin. More cryptic messages for Ellie to decipher, most likely. Still, ignoring any warning now could be a fatal mistake.
“Fine,” I said. “I’ll go p>
The prison wing sat beneath the eastern tower, carved deep into the stone. It was cold there year-round, the air heavy with iron and old magic meant to suppress volatile wolves. I never wanted to be, if I could help it. It unsettled me.
The guard unlocked the cell and stepped back.
The rogue sat hunched in the corner, chains loose but present, his hair long and
matted, his eyes too bright in the dim light.
He looked up the moment I entered.
And smiled.
The sight sent a chill straight down my spine.
“You’re late,” he rasped.
I didn’t respond. I remained near the door, arms crossed, posture deliberately relaxed.
“You asked to see me,” I said. “Speak p>
He laughed softly, a sound like dry leaves scraping stone. “ou’re busy now.
Important. Everyone loves you p>
My jaw tightened. “If you’re here to mock me p>
“You think this ends with applause?” he interrupted, eyes harp. “With banners and cheers and a shiny crown p>
My wolf bristled. The sound of his snarl echoed in my mind I felt my posture stiffen in response.
“Say what you have to say,” I growled.
The unease I felt was only growing. It was the feeling of danger, of impending doom.
It made the hair on my arms stand on end. I knew that the feeling wasn’t coming
from the rogue. He was harmless to me. But something else was at play.
Something old and unavoidable.
The rogue leaned forward as far as the chains allowed. His pice dropped, losing its mockery, becoming frantic.
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Choprar 265
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