Chapter 544 - We can always set another trap for him
Killian jolted awake so hard the mattress bounced under him, his heart slamming against his ribs like it was trying to break free when his eyes landed on Voren standing in the middle of his room. Every drop of blood seemed to drain from his face at once.
"Alpha Voren... what are you doing here?" Fear tightened his voice until it came out thin and shaky.
King Jaron had made it crystal clear that only the Alphas competing for Athaliah’s hand were allowed inside the Silver Moon Pack until further notice.
Voren wasn’t supposed to be anywhere near this place, and the fact that he was standing here right now turned Killian’s insides to ice.
Voren’s expression stayed ice-cold as he walked toward the bed, each step slow and deliberate in the quiet of the room. "We can do this the easy way or the hard way." His voice stayed frighteningly calm, the kind of calm that promised nothing good. "Either way I’m not leaving without one of your eyes. If you decide to make this difficult, I’ll take both."
Cold sweat soaked through the back of Killian’s shirt in seconds. He didn’t dare scream for help. Making a scene would render him a coward and destroy every last chance he had of marrying the princess, and that truth sat heavy in his throat.
"Alpha Voren, I didn’t mean what I said before." Panic poured from every word, his voice climbing higher with each breath. "I would never try to take your wife away from you."
He scrambled off the bed so fast he nearly tripped over his own feet, stumbling toward the door in pure desperation. He never made it. Voren’s hand shot out and locked around his neck, yanking him backward with enough force to leave him gasping and clawing at the air.
Voren’s claws slowly extended, the sharp tips glinting under the low lights of the room like polished knives.
"Alpha Voren!" Killian choked out, the words scraping raw from his throat. "I have important information. Please spare me."
’No. We take his eye,’ Bloodfang snarled inside Voren’s mind, the demand rolling through him like thunder.
’Don’t worry. We can always set another trap for him,’ he calmed his wolf. Right now, any information connected to his wife or daughter mattered more than the revenge already burning under his skin.
His grip loosened just enough for Killian to collapse to the floor in a coughing heap, shoulders heaving as he fought for air.
"Talk." Voren’s eyes never left him, the stare cold enough to freeze the blood in a man’s veins. "But if what you’re about to tell me isn’t worth my time..." His claws extended another inch, the threat hanging heavy in the air. "I’ll take both of your eyes."
Killian swallowed hard, the sound loud in the tense silence. He had never imagined things would spiral this far out of control.
If Voren hadn’t stopped him from speaking to Athaliah last night, he never would have gotten angry enough to reveal as much as he already had. Taking a shaky breath that rattled in his chest, he forced the words out.
"From what I heard, King Jaron doesn’t want your daughter for himself."
Voren’s eyes narrowed to dangerous slits, the temperature in the room seeming to drop.
"He was paid to deliver her to someone." Killian rushed through the rest before Voren’s patience snapped completely. "He accepted the money because he believed marrying you to Princess Athaliah would earn your trust. Once he had that trust, he planned to hand your daughter over to them."
A dangerous silence filled the room, thick enough to choke on. The only sound was Killian’s ragged breathing under Voren’s weight.
"Who are they?" Voren asked, his voice barely above a whisper yet somehow more terrifying than a full roar.
Before Killian could force another word out, a loud knock shook the door hard enough to rattle the frame. "Alpha Voren!" King Jaron’s furious voice echoed through the room, sharp with authority and rage. "You’re trespassing! Come out right now, or I’ll report you to the council!"
Voren didn’t even glance toward the door. His eyes remained locked on Killian, the claws on his fingers growing longer with every second of silence. "Who are they?"
Another heavy bang rattled the door, the wood protesting under the force, but Voren didn’t care. The threat outside meant nothing compared to the answers he still needed.
"I swear, Alpha Voren." Killian lowered his voice to a nervous whisper, eyes darting toward the door and back again. "King Jaron keeps everything secret." He licked his dry lips, the motion quick and desperate. "The only thing I heard him say was that whoever marries his daughter will learn the secret of the crown."
Voren’s expression never changed, the cold mask staying firmly in place. "Honestly... I heard the crown has special powers." Killian lowered his head, the admission tasting bitter even to him. "That’s why I wanted it."
Voren stared at him for several long seconds, the weight of that gaze pressing down until Killian’s shoulders curled in on themselves. "And you won’t be getting it."
Another furious slam shook the door hard enough to make the hinges groan. "Alpha Voren!" King Jaron roared, the sound vibrating through the walls. "Come out now, or I’ll break this door down and let my warriors deal with you!"
Killian hesitated, hope flickering for half a second. Help was right outside. If he stalled long enough maybe someone would force the door open in time. But one look at Voren’s cold red eyes shattered that hope like glass under a boot. He knew he wouldn’t survive long enough for anyone to save him.
"For the information you gave me, I’ll leave your eyes intact." Voren’s voice remained terrifyingly calm, the kind of calm that promised the opposite if the man ever crossed him again. "But if I find out you lied..." His eyes burned with rage, the light catching on the edges of his claws. "I’ll come back for your head."
He turned toward the door without another glance at the sorry of a man. Just as his hand reached the handle, Killian found the last scrap of courage he had left. "Alpha Voren, how did you know I was here?"
He had expected Voren to go looking for him at his own pack. He had felt completely safe hiding inside the Silver Moon Pack, certain no one would track him this far. Who could have guessed Voren would follow the scent all the way here?
Voren looked over his shoulder, a mocking smile tugging at one corner of his mouth. "Why would I tell you?"
Without another word he unlocked the door and pulled it open. The timing couldn’t have been more perfect. Several warriors who had been throwing their full weight against the wood lost their balance and crashed face-first onto the floor in a tangled heap.
Groans filled the hallway as they scrambled to their feet and quickly backed away, forming a wide, uneasy circle around Voren.
King Jaron stood at the front of the group, fury burning so hot in his eyes it looked ready to spark into open flame. "Alpha Voren." His voice echoed through the hallway, sharp enough to cut. "You’ve trespassed onto my territory." His jaw tightened until the muscle jumped under the skin. "Tell me, what punishment do you think you deserve?"
Voren let out a cold, humorless laugh that held no warmth at all. He knew he had violated pack law. But none of this would have happened if Jaron hadn’t forced his hand in the first place.
His gaze locked onto the Alpha King, steady and lethal. "I won’t leave this pack..." His voice rang through the hallway, clear and unyielding. "Without taking the arm of the man who tried to kidnap my daughter."
The color drained from King Jaron’s face in an instant, every trace of authority flickering like a candle in a hard wind.