A KING'S DILEMMA
Cassius's POV
The city gates loomed ahead, their black iron edges slick with morning dew. Rain had passed through earlier, and the stone paved streets still carried its scent—wet soil, and burnt out torches.
As Magnus and I rode through the quiet roads of the kingdom, I could feel the weight of my absence pressing heavier with every step my stallion took.
We had found her.
Celene.
Or at least, we'd found where she had been taken.
To Balthazar.
Just thinking his name made my jaw tighten. My hands curled around the reins. We'd searched every crevice of the underground—threats and bribes were used. Even blood was spilled when needed, and in the end it had led us to him.
A ghost among Alphas.
A savage rogue with no ties, no rules and no loyalty to the crown, and now he had my sister.
My stallion came to a sharp stop in the courtyard. Gravel scattered under its hooves as I dismounted in one swift movement. Urgency flared through me like fire beneath my skin. Magnus followed closely, his expression as grim as mine.
As soon as we entered the castle's main hall, the scent of rose and jasmine greeted me like a warning bell.
My gut sank.
She was here.
"Three days, Cassius." came the crisp voice of Dowager Queen Lenore, slicing through the air before I could brace for impact.
I turned slowly.
"Grandmother." I greeted, taking off my gloves. "I see you've made yourself comfortable."
She stood near the hearth, dressed in a high-collared day gown the color of midnight storms. Silver streaks coiled through her black hair pinned back in elegant braids behind her head.
She was as regal as ever. Her gaze was as cool and cutting as she took in my appearance from my head down to my toes.
She didn't look angry. Not yet.
She looked disappointed.
"Do not test my patience You left without a word," she said, arms folded. "No guards, no escorts and for what? A reckless hunt that led nowhere?"
I tensed. "I wouldn't call finding your granddaughter's whereabouts reckless. And I did find something. "I found where Celene was taken. She was sold to Balthazar by the Lycan traders."
A flicker of pain crossed her face—brief, but real. "Celene's abduction wounds me deeply but abandoning your throne, and duty, to chase after her endangers far more."
"Mind you, Balthazar is a mad man who leads a pack of rogues and dabbles in dark magic. You should not confront him unprepared."
I stepped forward. "So, you expect me to sit idle? To rule while my sister is out there alone, possibly—"
"I expect you to act like a king," she interrupted sharply. "Not a grieving brother with a sword and a temper."
I turned away, running a hand down my face. I had a soft spot for my grandmother—I always had. She was the only mother figure I had ever known. But by the gods, she could be infuriating.
I gritted my teeth, trying not to snap. "You don't understand."
"I do," she said, stepping closer. "I've known loss deeper than most men dare imagine and I know what rage does to men who carry crowns."
Her hand rested gently but firmly on my arm. "But I will not lose this kingdom because you couldn't control yours."
I inhaled deeply, throat tight. "Then give me another path."
She held my gaze, her silence thoughtful.
Then she nodded once. "You will secure your power first."
I knew what was coming before she said it.
"The banquet."
A satisfied smile touched her lips. "It's time the court remembered why they bend the knee. You will show them strength, Cassius. Stability. And you will take a mate."
My fists clenched at my sides. "You expect me to court while Celene is in danger?"
"I expect you to be smart," she said, voice firm. "If you charge after Balthazar without your court behind you, you'll lose more than a sister, you'll lose your crown."
Her words were daggers—sharp, cold, and unfortunately true.
So I nodded, even though every bone in my body screamed against it. "I'll attend but the moment I have a chance, I'll deal with him. Throne or not."
She didn't argue. Didn't scold.
She simply turned and walked away, her voice trailing behind her.
"Good. Then go. Rest. The court expects their king at his best."
I watched her go, mind already turning. Already planning.
I would play their game for now.
But when the time came Balthazar would pay.
Magnus came up beside me, stretching the stiffness from his shoulders. "That went better than expected."
I let out a slow breath. "Let's not get used to it. We're far from done."
----
The war chamber was dim and quiet, its air carried the scent of wax and old parchment papers. Candles burnt low, maps lay spread across the table, paths and patrols marked in deep red ink but I barely noticed them.
My focus was on the body laid out on the stone table in the center of the room.
Of a small boy. Maybe thirteen. Maybe younger. He was twisted—limbs bent at angles no body should endure, mouth gaping wide like he died screaming.
I stepped forward, the sight stopping me cold.
This was not a normal corpse. Far from natural.
His skin was grey, almost translucent. Clawed hands. The sharp, wolf-like shape of his jaw. Symbols—no, carvings—marred his skin in chaotic spirals.
Dark magic.
My stomach turned.
"What in the name of the gods is this?" I asked.
Magnus was silent for a beat. Then he said, "One of the scouts found him near the edge of the Cursed Forest."
I dragged my gaze away from the corpse and met his eyes.
"They saw more," he said. "A pack of them. Half-beasts. Rabid. They fought like wolves, but in a way that made no sense. No instincts. No tactics. Just madness. Like they had no will of their own."
My blood ran cold.
"How many?"
"Too many," he answered. "The scouts barely made it back. This is the only one they managed to drag out."
I looked at the twisted thing on the table again.
The lifeless eyes. The unnatural look of it.
"What is he?" I asked quietly.
Magnus shook his head. "Not sure. But he wasn't born this way, he was made."
A heavy silence filled the chamber.
A sickening thought creeped its way into my mind.
Was this what Balthazar had done to Celene?
Had he twisted her into one of these?
The thought nearly broke me.
I turned back to Magnus. "We need to get through that forest."
He exhaled slowly. "Then we'll need a mage."
My jaw clenched. We both knew that was a problem.
The crown had made enemies of every mage in the realm. After generations of fear and slaughter, few still lived and fewer still offered help.
"They won't work with us," Magnus said, reading my silence.
I clenched my fists.
We were at a dead end, with no way forward.
And all the while, Celene still was out there.
With him!
And we were running out of time.