Chapter 172
I hated it—but I nodded.
Once Aldric was gone, silence fell over the outpost again. Miriam helped me sit near the hearth inside a small stone building. She cleared away some broken wood, found an old blanket, and laid it over the dusty floor.
"Here, sit," she said softly.
I settled down, careful not to wake the baby. His fever had gone down a little, but he was still weak. I loosened the front of my dress and tried to feed him, but he didn't latch.
Miriam moved closer. "Let me help."
She guided his little head gently. "Try again, slowly."
I winced, tired and sore, but I let her guide me. Eventually, the baby latched and began to feed, soft sounds of sucking breaking the silence.
"There you go," she whispered with a smile. "He's strong."
I sighed, resting my head back against the wall. "I'm so tired, I just hope all this can end soon."
"I know. Me too." Miriam leaned her head on my shoulder.
We sat there in silence, watching the baby feed. When he finally pulled away, he looked up at me, his eyes clearer than before. I just noticed the color of his eyes and how similar they looked to mine.
Amber eyes.
"He's cooler," I said in surprise, touching his forehead. "His fever's broken."
Miriam beamed. "Thank the gods. They must have decided to give us a break after everything we've gone through."
I kissed the top of his head, tears stinging my eyes. "We made it, Miriam."
"Almost," she said. "But I still don't trust any of it. We still have to find a way to get out of this mess. What if there is no good news from the battlefield?!"
I nodded, about to respond when a low growl echoed from outside.
We froze.
Then I heard the soft crunch of paws against dirt. A wolf emerged from the tree line, large, gray, with a white mark above its eye. He shifted mid-step, fur pulling back into skin until a man stood before us.
"I come baring news," he said, raising his hands. "Please, don't be afraid, I could smell the baby from a mile away. His scent is similar to the alpha king's"
Miriam stepped in front of me. "Who are you?"
"I'm Davin," he said. "One of the Alpha King's guards. I was sent to find survivors, check the outposts for any other wolves and bring them back home."
My heart beat faster. "Rowan? He's alive?"
Davin nodded. "The war is over. The Emperor of Braam is dead. Rowan infiltrated his camp, killed him with his own claws. Braamin soldiers surrendered. Our wolves are on their way back."
Miriam gave me a sideways glance. "That is a convenient story."
"I swear it's the truth," Davin insisted. "The Alpha King will be at the castle in less than two days, if he's not there already. He left the battlefield immediately to go back to the castle."
"We haven't seen you before," Miriam said sharply. "How do we know you're not one of Prince Lucian's?"
"I fought beside our Alpha King. I took an arrow for him!" Davin cried, frustrated. "You think I'd risk my life just to lie to you?"
Miriam's expression didn't budge. "We've been through a lot. We've been hunted. Betrayed. Forgive us if we don't believe every stranger who walks out of the woods with nothing but empty words."
He looked at me. "Please, my Queen. Let me take you back. I can get you horses, faster than walking."
I studied him. His eyes were honest. His voice trembled with urgency. But... I still couldn't trust it. Not yet.
"We appreciate your words," I said carefully. "If you are truly who you say you are, then send for the alpha king. Tell him I am here."
Davin sighed and nodded. "I understand. I'll be back. You'll see."
He shifted again and disappeared into the trees.
Miriam let out a breath. "You believe him?"
"I don't know," I whispered. "I want to. But we can't take risks. Not with the baby."
We waited. Hours passed. I tried to sleep, but my thoughts kept racing. Was Rowan really alive? Was it truly over?
Then the door creaked open, and Aldric stumbled inside.
"Aldric!" Miriam cried, rushing to help him. "You're back!"
He was out of breath, but smiling. "It's over," he gasped. "Your Majesty! You won't believe it! We won! Rowan infiltrated the enemy camp, killed the mad Emperor. Soldiers are coming back. Braam has retreated from our territory, the soldiers who haven't left have been captured."
I stood slowly, clutching my baby. "You're sure?"
"I saw their flags burning. I spoke to survivors. They're on their way."
A laugh of disbelief escaped me. "He did it."
Miriam clutched my arm. "Then we can go back?"
"Yes," Aldric said. "It's time. The alpha king must be on his way to the castle now, by my calculations, he should be there already. He would be worried about you your Majesty, we must leave immediately!"
Just as he spoke, hooves thundered from the woods. We turned toward the sound, and Davin returned, this time with three horses.
"I told you I'd be back your majesty," he said with a grin.
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