Chapter 493: Completely mine!
Vincent.
The heavy steel plates of my shoulder guards clanked softly as I adjusted my sword belt, pulling the leather strap tight around my waist. The morning air inside the command tent was freezing, but the cold didn’t bother me. I was already fully dressed in my heavy black armor, prepped and ready for the blood spill to come.
Outside, the faint rumble of my war bands checking their weapons echoed through the camp.
The heavy fabric of the tent flap was tossed aside, and a young scout hurried inside, bowing his head sharply. "Alpha!" He called out hurriedly. "A messenger pigeon just arrived from the moon bridge pack." He paused again, as though trying to process his words. "It carries Daniel’s personal seal."
"Bring it here," I said, my voice smooth and relaxed.
The scout stepped forward, handing me the small rolled parchment before bowing out of the tent. I unrolled the thin paper with two fingers, running my eyes over Daniel’s hasty, desperate handwriting.
I let out a short, quiet chuckle, shaking my head as I turned around.
"Alaric," I called out, casually tossing the letter across the map table toward my chief general. "Look at this."
Alaric caught the parchment cleanly in midair. He was already fully armored as well, his dark cape pinned with the iron crest of the Lycan royal guard. He unrolled the letter and read through the lines, his brow furrowing deeper with every second.
"I didn’t actually expect Daniel to pull it off," I said, leaning back against the wooden edge of the table, resting my hands comfortably on the hilt of my broadsword. "The sniveling fool actually managed to lock down the pack."
Alaric didn’t smile. He just kept nodding his head slowly, his sharp eyes scanning the letter over and over again as he held it in his calloused hand.
"He claims the quadruplets are trapped," Alaric muttered, his tone cautious as he finally looked up from the paper. "He says Maria is subdued, and that they are preparing to march out under a white flag to hand her over to us at dawn."
Alaric stepped closer to the table, laying the letter down beside our battle map. He kept his eyes fixed on me, waiting for the command.
"So, what do we do next, My Prince?" Alaric asked, his hand resting on the pommel of his dagger. "Do we advance the vanguard to the meeting point as planned?"
I stroked my chin, a calm, cruel smile playing on my lips as I looked at the map laid out between us.
"No," I said smoothly, shaking my head. "We pause."
Alaric raised an eyebrow. "Pause?"
"We don’t march into their valley like eager fools," I explained, my tone entirely relaxed. "We wait right here at the border line. Let the quadruplets carry out their little surrender. We pause our push and wait for them to march toward our territory with Maria."
"And when they arrive at the border line?" Alaric pressed.
"The moment they enter our sight, kill them," I commanded, my voice dropping into a flat, lethal tone. "Kill every single Alpha in that party. Do not leave a single brother breathing."
"Understood," Alaric said, nodding sharply. "And the girl?"
I looked up at him, my eyes narrowing into a stern, unyielding glare. "Make sure the men know: Maria is not to be touched. Under no circumstances is anyone to harm her. Once she is spotted in their ranks, pull her out immediately and bring her straight to my tent."
"I will personally ensure the front line knows, Alpha," Alaric replied, bowing his head respectfully. His voice was firm and certain as he accepted the order. "She will be brought to you completely untouched."
"Good. Go assemble the outer guards and keep them stationed along the border ridge," I said, waving a hand to dismiss him. My tone left no room for hesitation or argument.
Alaric gave a crisp salute, his posture straightening immediately. Without wasting another word, he turned sharply on his heel and strode out of the command tent. His footsteps faded as he moved away, and the heavy curtain behind him swayed briefly before falling shut, sealing the tent once more in silence.
Once the quiet settled back into the room, I walked over to the small wooden washbasin near my cot. I looked at my reflection in the dark water, a dark, self-satisfied smirk slowly spreading across my face.
’At the end of the day, Maria, you are still going to return to my side,’ I thought inwardly, my heart pulsing with a quiet, triumphant pride.
The quadruplets thought they could just storm my keep months ago and steal her back. They thought they were rescuing her. They had no idea that every single meal, every glass of water, and every dose of medicine she consumed while trapped in my territory had been spiked with refined wolfsbane. I had personally made sure of it, watching her drink it down day after day while playing the part of her gracious captor.
’I hope you enjoyed the wolfsbane I fed you, my sweet mate,’ I mused, letting out a dark, silent laugh.
She was never going to be strong enough to run again. She was never going to be able to survive without the specific counter-tonics only my royal alchemists knew how to brew.
’You won’t have a choice anymore,’ I thought, gripping the edges of the washbasin as my eyes glowed a faint, predatory gold in the dim light. ’You will have no choice but to rely on me for life now.’
I turned away from the basin, pulling my heavy fur cloak over my armored shoulders and letting the iron clasp click firmly into place. The sun was just beginning to touch the horizon outside, lighting up the morning mist.
Let the quadruplets march out with their weapons and their pathetic pride. By midday, their blood would soak the border snow, and Maria would be right back where she belonged: broken, helpless, and completely mine.