Chapter 53: Just A Different Crest
One word. Just one syllable. But it pierced her soul like a lightning bolt, striking straight down to where River lay panting in the dark.
A single tear escaped her lashes and rolled down her pale cheek as the truth sank into her bones. For a long, agonizing beat, no one in the chamber breathed. Even the torches seemed to stop flickering.
Then Adam let out a slow, heavy sigh, his harsh features softening with a rare tenderness as he held her gaze. "Yes, Rhea. He is alive. Well, too."
Rhea instantly clutched her chest, her fingers digging into the fabric over her heart as if trying to physically hold her shattering pieces together. The news rushed down her spiritual bond like a cool, healing river, washing away the toxic rot of fear and months of agonizing uncertainty.
He was alive. Not just surviving. Adam said he was whole, he was well. She closed her eyes for a brief second, more tears streaming freely down her face, washing away the grime of the trail.
"My boy is alive," she murmured to the stones, the words tasting like sweet rain after a drought. Then she snapped her eyes open, locking onto Adam’s amber gaze, searching every line of his face. "Did you take him?"
Every eye in the room pinned to the BloodVeil King. Even River went dead quiet inside Rhea’s head, standing perfectly still, waiting for him to answer.
"Please, Adam," Rhea whispered, her voice fracturing. "Just give me the truth."
Adam remained completely motionless for three long, agonizing seconds, the silence stretching until it bled. Then, he bowed his head in a slow nod. "Yes. I took him."
A collective, sharp gasp filled the room like a rushing wind.
"There you have your answer!" Kaleb spat, leaping half an inch out of his seat, his finger wagging wildly. "There is your answer!"
"Shut your jaws, Duskbane!" Elder Magnus snapped, unleashing a sharp spike of Alpha pressure that instantly slammed Kaleb back into his chair.
Rhea did not peel her gaze away from Adam for a fraction of a second, nor did he break the connection. She stared into his amber eyes, her mind racing as she searched for the malicious intent she expected to find, but found nothing but a steady warmth.
"I need you to understand that I did not take him to inflict pain on you, Rhea," Adam said, his baritone dropping into a soft, private register that seemed to isolate the two of them in the massive room. "I took him to ensure that no other wolf could claim his head. To make sure that no one else could ever hurt him again."
Rhea swallowed down the thick lump of unshed tears rising in her throat, her brows furrowing slightly as she tried to make sense of the pieces. "Why?" she whispered.
Adam looked at her, letting out a ragged sigh as his broad shoulders fell. "The trueborn heir of Ironfang is worth a massive fortune across the borders, even as a sickly toddler, and—"
"Is that why you took him?" Rhea interrupted, her silver eyes drilling straight through his defenses, demanding the raw truth.
Adam pulled his dark brows together. He stared straight into Rhea’s flashing silver eyes. He did not blink or flinch away from her angry look.
"No," he replied. His deep voice rumbled in his chest. "That is why I knew someone else would."
Rhea’s eyes widened. She gasped and put her hand over her mouth. Her trust in him broke completely. Hot tears filled her eyes and blurred his face.
"Is he lying to us?" River asked inside Rhea’s mind. The strong she-wolf suddenly sounded small and broken. "Did the BloodVeil King keep our pup to use him as a pawn?"
"I took the boy to protect him, Rhea," Adam said quickly. His scent changed as he grew desperate. He held her gaze. "I did it so no one in the western territories could use his life against you."
"Then take me to him right now," Rhea demanded. Her voice became quiet and deadly. She pointed a shaking finger toward the heavy iron doors. "Let my wolf smell his scent."
Adam stared at her. A muscle twitched in his jaw under his dark stubble. He shook his head slowly. "I cannot do that."
Rhea’s shoulders sagged. The anger left her body, and she felt completely empty and cold. She let out a bitter, broken laugh. "You are doing it again," she whispered. Her chest heaved. "Keeping the truth from me."
Adam looked at her. His amber eyes showed deep pain, but he kept his mouth shut.
"You knew," Rhea said. She took a step toward him. He could smell her heartbreak in the small space between them. "You knew that was the first thing you should have told me when I woke up in your territory. I do not understand why you are doing this, Adam. I thought you were different."
Adam breathed out sharply through his nose. His chest rose beneath his heavy furs. "If I had told you your pup was alive, would you have stayed back? Would you have rested and healed if I told you to?" he asked in a rough whisper.
"Of course not!" Rhea shot back immediately. Her silver eyes flashed with anger.
"There is your answer," Adam said. He threw his hands out. "Even without the truth, you acted recklessly. You broke into Ironfang territory while you were half-dead. You ran on broken ribs and anger. The guards almost killed you."
Rhea scoffed. She threw her head back, and a tear ran down her cheek. "You should have told me! No Alpha has the right to keep a mother from her child!" she shouted. Her voice echoed off the stone walls.
"I would not have rushed to Ironfang if I knew my boy was safe. I went back to that valley for two things, Adam. I wanted to find the truth about my son, and I wanted to take back what belongs to me from the pack that stabbed me. But you kept my son away from me intentionally."
She took a step closer and whispered sharply, "You, Adam, deprived me of my son."
Adam’s face grew dark. He clenched his large hands into fists, and his nostrils flared. "What exactly are you trying to say to me, Rhea?"
Rhea stared at him for one last, painful second. She saw the stubborn alpha pride on his face. She slowly turned her back on him. Her shoulders were stiff as she looked away.
"You took my choice away," she whispered into the cold air. "You’re no different. You just wear a different crest."