Kaelen's POV.
The camp was silent. I didn't stay in the hut, I waited until Fenrir's footsteps faded, then I slipped out the back. My arm throbbed, but I ignored it. I moved around the supply wagons, following the foot traces of General Jaxon's leather boots.
I found him near the edge of the tree line. He wasn't alone. Silas was standing there, his silk robes dragging through the mud.
"You're late," Jaxon growled.
"I had to dodge the Emperor's patrols," Silas replied. "He's tripled the guard around the Prince's hut."
"It doesn't matter," Jaxon said. "The assassin failed, but the plan hasn't changed. The Queen Mother is losing patience. She wants the boy's head and Fenrir's crown before the Blood Moon Festival ends."
I leaned against a wagon wheel, my breath shallow.
"The festival is in three days," Silas said. "The palace will be full of wine and distractions. The Queen Mother's faction has already bribed the inner gate guards. We strike when the moon turns red. That is when Fenrir dies."
"And the boy?" Jaxon asked.
"Kill him first," Silas spat. "I want him to watch as his protector falls. Then, I want him erased. He's a blight on this kingdom."
"The Shadow Wolves are ready," Jaxon said. "They've been mutated with dark magic. Even Fenrir can't fight ten of them at once. When the chaos starts, I'll lead the Imperial Guard away from the central courtyard. You ensure the Queen Mother's assassins are in place."
"Understood," Silas said. "I'll send the message to the capital tonight. We have three days."
I watched as Jaxon handed a small, sealed scroll to Silas. They parted ways, heading back toward the main camp from different directions. I waited until the sound of their footsteps disappeared before I moved.
I went straight to Fenrir's tent.
The guards tried to stop me. "The Emperor is resting, Your Highness."
"Move," I said.
"But—"
"I said move before I tell him you hindered his Consort during a time of war."
They stepped aside. I pushed through the flaps to find Fenrir sitting at his desk, his head in his hands.
"You're supposed to be asleep," he said.
"And you're supposed to be watching your back," I replied. I sat down across from him. "Jaxon and Silas just met again. They're working with the Queen Mother's faction."
Fenrir didn't look surprised. He looked hollow. "I suspected. I just... I didn't want it to be Jaxon. He saved my life at the Siege of Oakhaven. We've shared bread and blood for a decade."
"Bread and blood don't mean much when there's a crown on the table," I said. "They're planning a coup. During the Blood Moon Festival. Three days from now."
Fenrir stood up and walked to the entrance of the tent, staring out at the camp. "He's my best General. Half the army answers to him. If I arrest him now, the soldiers might revolt. If I wait, I risk having a dagger plunged into my heart."
"You don't arrest him," I said. "You let him think he's winning and lead him into the trap he's digging for you."
Fenrir turned back to me. "I've survived a dozen assassination attempts, Linus. But this... my own court, my own blood, my own General. I don't know who to trust anymore. Every face in this camp looks like a liar."
"Trust me," I said.
Fenrir let out a humourless laugh. "You? The boy who was sent to me as a bargaining chip?"
"I'm the only one who has no reason to lie to you," I said. "I don't want your crown, Fenrir. I want to live. And right now, our lives are tied together by more than just a bond. If you fall, I'm a corpse. If I fall, you've lost the only weapon that can see through their play."
He stepped closer, his shadow looming over me. "Why should I trust an Omega?"
"Alpha," I said, standing up to meet his gaze, "Trust the man who has nine lives. I've already died once, I won't waste the others on a losing side."
Fenrir reached out, his hand wrapping around the back of my neck. He pulled me closer until our foreheads touched.
"Your jokes about death," he whispered.
"I'm not joking." I said.
"Fine. We play their game. What do you need?"
"I need access to the underground tunnel maps of the palace," I said. "And I need a list of every guard stationed at the inner gate. If Silas thinks he can sneak assassins in, he's going to find a barricade at every turn."
"I'll get them," Fenrir said. He didn't let go of my neck. His thumb brushed against my pulse point. "If this fails, Linus..."
"It won't fail. I won't lose again."
Across the camp, in a small, private tent, Silas sat by a flickering candle. He held a quill in his hand, his fingers trembling with a mix of excitement and nerves. He began to write on a thin strip of parchment.
The target is marked. The General is ready. The Blood Moon will see the end of the tyrant and the rabbit. He will die in three days.
He rolled the parchment tight and slipped it into a silver tube. He walked to the back of his tent, where a messenger bird sat on a perch.
"Fly fast," Silas whispered, his eyes gleaming. "The Queen Mother is waiting for her prize."
He watched as the bird took flight, disappearing into the black sky.
I looked down at the dagger in my hand.
"Three days," I muttered.
I turned and walked back toward the command center. I had a war to win, a palace to purge, and an Emperor to keep alive. The original Linus would have been terrified. But as the wind blew into my face, I only felt one thing.
Hunger.
The Black Ridge was gone, but its King was very much alive.