Chapter 164 The King’s Response
CJ
The messengers arrived breathless, the damp night air clinging to them like a second skin. I knew before they spoke that the news wasn’t the victory we’d hoped for. Rynn’s eyes darted toward me as if weighing how much truth I could take in one breath.
“Lexy’s team engaged Adrian and Kael,” he reported, his voice low but urgent. “They were close to capturing them… but Adrian’s men arrived before they could finish it. She ordered a retreat to keep her people safe. They’re holding position now, waiting for your reinforcements.”
I exhaled slowly, my jaw tightening. Retreat was not in Lexy’s nature. If she’d pulled back, then the situation had truly been too dangerous to hold. That alone made my gut churn.
“Is everyone unharmed?” I asked, already walking toward the command table spread with maps of the region.
“No injuries or fatalities, my king,” Sol answered. “Two are with her now, two were send to contact us, and Tarria went back on the trail with one of the warriors.”
I glanced at the map, my finger tracing the terrain where she’d likely taken position. “The ridge near the southern bend of the river?”
“Yes, my king. Good sightlines, but only one escape route.”
Lexy. Always balancing risk with calculated positioning. She was holding the line, but the choice of terrain told me she was expecting more trouble before morning.
I turned to my captains. “Rally twenty of our best and make ready to move within the hour. We’ll take the western crossing and meet her at first light.”
One of them hesitated. “The river’s high from the storms. Crossing in the dark—”
“Is better than leaving them exposed for another half-day,” I snapped. My tone was sharper than I intended, but I didn’t care. Every moment Adrian roamed free, more damage could be done — not just to us, but to the fragile unity of the packs.
As the captains dispersed, I stayed bent over the map. My mind wasn’t just on troop movements; it was on Lexy herself. She’d been pushing hard for weeks, ever since the first whispers of Adrian’s plotting reached us. Each day the noose tightened around him, but he always managed to slip away at the last moment. This time, she’d been close enough to taste victory — and had it torn from her hands.
I knew what that felt like.
The sound of steel buckles fastening and the stomp of boots echoed through the camp as warriors prepared. I armed myself methodically: breastplate, bracers, the sword that had served me since my first battle. I didn’t intend to sit back and wait for reports. If Adrian wanted to play this game, I would meet him on the field and end it myself.
Rynn returned as I finished strapping my belt. “My king, scouts report movement near the old mining pass — could be Adrian.”
That pulled my gaze sharply upward. “Alone?”
“Not exactly. A smaller group than before but moving fast.”
So, he was splitting forces. I didn’t have to ask to know what Lexy would do — she’d already be choosing which snake to follow, knowing she couldn’t crush both at once without reinforcements. And if I knew her, she’d choose Adrian over Kael without hesitation.
“Send word to the eastern patrol to keep Kael in their sights but not to engage,” I ordered. “All priority is on Adrian. Lexy will be heading for the mining pass at dawn — we’ll be there before she is.”
Rynn nodded and jogged off to deliver the orders.
We set out within the hour, the night pressing close around us. The river was swollen from the recent rains, its black surface reflecting the torchlight in broken streaks. Crossing was treacherous; twice the current nearly swept a man downstream, but we held the line, linking arms and bracing until every one of us made it to the other side.
I didn’t let them rest. We pushed on through the dense forest, following the narrow deer trails that cut time from our march. Every rustle of leaves, every snap of a branch had my hand ready on my sword hilt.
My thoughts kept circling back to Lexy’s last decision — retreating. I knew it wasn’t weakness. It was control. The kind of control that came from knowing when to take the hit in order to win the war. Still, part of me burned with the urge to charge forward without hesitation. That’s why she and I balanced each other — her patience, my aggression. When it worked, we were unstoppable. When it didn’t… well, Adrian was still breathing proof of that.
Around midnight, we made camp in a small hollow to let the men rest. I didn’t sleep. Instead, I studied the map again by the light of the fire, marking potential ambush points along the mining pass. If Adrian thought Lexy was licking her wounds, he’d be vulnerable there.
By the time the horizon bled pale gray, we were already on the move again. The forest lit with dawn, mist curling low along the ground. My warriors moved like shadows, every step deliberate.
Halfway to the ridge where Lexy had been holding, we caught movement ahead — her signal banners tied low in the trees. She’d left them for us, proof she was still in control and expecting our arrival.
We found her and her team breaking camp. She looked tired but unbowed, her hair pulled back, eyes sharp as ever. Relief hit me, but I didn’t show it.
“You’re early,” she said as I approached, her mouth twitching into the ghost of a smile.
“You’re welcome,” I replied. “Rynn told me you had to pull back.”
Her jaw tightened. “They were reinforced. Staying would’ve been suicide.”
I nodded, stepping closer so only she could hear. “You made the right call. Now we finish it.”
She gave a short nod toward Tarria, who was already briefing my captains on the enemy’s split. I studied the woman — dust on her boots, eyes bright with that dangerous spark that meant she’d been running close to the fire all night.
“Northwest,” Lexy said. “Adrian took the mining pass. Kael went east. I want Adrian.”
“Then Adrian it is,” I agreed.
We merged our forces quickly, moving as one toward the pass. The terrain grew rockier, the air cooler. Birds scattered as we approached, their sudden flight warning of our presence — or perhaps of what lay ahead.
By midday, we reached the first choke point. I ordered half our men to circle and cut off the northern route while Lexy led the forward team with me at her side. The plan was simple: press Adrian toward the dead-end cliffs where he’d have nowhere to run.
But plans rarely survived first contact.
As we approached where Adrian was hiding, we noticed he had more men than reported. Adrian regrouped faster than expected.
Lexy’s eyes met mine. No fear. Only readiness. “We finish it,” she said.
“We hold our position muñeca. The alliance reinforcements will arrive by night fall and then we will finish it” I responded to her.
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