Chapter 213: Carry the whole burden
"Why didn’t you tell me Ronan left to search for the moonstone?" Kieran demanded the moment he and Leia returned to the palace, having excused her so they could speak privately.
"You were in a rut," Lucien replied calmly. "Besides, I have another task for you. The Alpha King has summoned me to his palace. I suspect he has an idea of who is staying under our roof. Keep a close watch on Leia and stay by her side at all times."
Kieran frowned in confusion. "Don’t worry, I will. But if he already suspects something, shouldn’t you have refused the summons?"
"It is necessary for me to go," Lucien pronounced. "I must find out exactly what he wants from me. What prompted him to join his hands with the witches. What kind of powers he wanted from me."
Kieran caught the shadow of concern crossing his brother’s face. "Then go and see what he wants. Just don’t walk straight into a trap."
"I will be careful," Lucien said. "However, if something goes wrong and I am captured, your sole priority must be Leia. Do you understand me?"
Kieran frowned. "I hear you, but I won’t just leave you there. I will come for you."
"No," Lucien insisted. "You will take Leia and run. The Alpha King must never get his hands on her. She is the last surviving she-wolf of her bloodline, and if her dormant abilities fall into his hands, he will turn them into a weapon. She is our mate, Kieran. Our duty is to keep her safe, no matter the cost."
"And what about our people?" Kieran countered, stepping closer. "If you fall, the Alpha King will order the execution of everyone in this pack. Do you expect me to abandon them to that fate? And Leia will never agree to run while you are in danger. I respect you as our Alpha, Lucien, but I will not leave you behind. Neither will she. You are overthinking this. Stop trying to carry the whole burden alone. Our best chance at taking down the Alpha King is standing together."
Lucien’s eyes shifted away for a second, but before he could respond, Leia stepped back into the room.
"I heard everything you were saying," she said, catching him off guard.
Lucien stared at her, genuine confusion crossing his face. "What? How?"
"You marked me," she explained, holding his gaze. "I can finally hear your mind link, even when you aren’t right next to me. And Kieran is right. We are not going to run away and abandon you." She closed the distance between them and took his hand.
"That is what we need to do," Kieran said, stepping up beside them. "We stand and fight together instead of running. Ronan will find the moonstone. This time, the Alpha King’s true nature will be exposed to the whole world, and we will bring him down together."
Leia reached out with her free hand, taking Lucien’s other hand in hers. "Have faith in us, too. My dormant abilities might awaken at the exact moment you need them most."
Lucien looked down at their joined hands, a faint smile breaking through his serious posture as he nodded.
A short distance down the hall, Grayson and Renzo stood watching the three of them.
"Look at them," Grayson said softly. "They are each other’s strength."
"All I want is for Leia to live a peaceful life," Renzo replied, his eyes fixed on the trio. "Now that I see she has three mates who will protect her with their lives, I can finally stop worrying."
~~~~~
"Alpha Ronan, the map says we need to head straight to the east," the warrior behind him said, scanning the ancient parchment, the only surviving map of its kind in the world.
"But the eastern ridge has no path ahead," another warrior pointed out, gesturing toward the drop. "Look."
Ronan and his men turned to gaze across the rocky cliff, consulting the compasses in their hands.
"Strange," the first warrior muttered, looking to Ronan for a decision. "The map wouldn’t lie to us, especially one as old as this."
"Leander is right. The map won’t lie," Ronan answered. He took the parchment from the warrior’s hand and studied the faint markings himself. "Unless it was drawn to fool anyone who managed to claim it. What if the true path is hidden?" he murmured.
The four warriors exchanged puzzled glances, unsure of what he meant.
Ronan pulled a lighter from his pocket and sparked the flame. He held it just beneath the ancient leather, keeping it at a careful distance so it wouldn’t burn.
As the heat spread over the surface, secret lines began to burn visible against the old hide, tracing a completely new route.
Ronan extinguished the lighter, leaving the four warriors staring at the revealed path in silent shock.
"This is the true map," Ronan stated. "We aren’t supposed to head east. The real path leads north."
"Yes, Alpha," the warriors answered in unison.
Ronan turned and set off toward the north, the men falling into line behind him. The trail narrowed considerably, tapering into a tight ledge, but it remained passable compared to the sheer drop at the eastern ridge.
Cautiously, they pressed forward along the mountain’s edge, keeping their eyes locked ahead to avoid looking down into the deep cliff below.
Ronan kept his eyes locked on the map, refusing to stop until they finally crested the peak of the mountain. "We cross the bridge now."
"It’s broken. Look," Batley warned, pointing toward the crumbling, weathered wooden planks suspended over the chasm.
Ronan hurried to the edge, examining the wide gap. Frustration flared in his chest as he realized only Lucien, with his teleportation abilities, could have effortlessly reached the other side.
"It’s too far. We won’t be able to go there," said Leander.
"Indeed. I will take my wolf form now. I think a good jump can lead me to that side. He folded the map and put it between his teeth."
"But it’s risky, Alpha Ronan. You may lose your life. It’s better to go back and tell Alpha Lucien about this."
"We don’t have enough time for that," Ronan pronounced and took many steps back before transforming into his wolf form.