Chapter 54
“You’ve been poking where you don’t belong,” he said, his voice rough and threatening.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I replied, tightening my grip on the dagger.
He laughed, a harsh, grating sound. “Don’t play innocent. Someone in the castle doesn’t like you asking questions. They don’t want you here. They want you gone.”
My blood turned cold, but I refused to let it show. “Who sent you?”
He didn’t answer. Instead, he lunged.
I sidestepped, slashing out with my dagger. The blade caught his arm, and he hissed in pain, retreating for a moment before coming at me again.
This time, I was ready. I dropped low, sweeping his legs out from under him. He hit the ground with a grunt, but before I could press the blade to his throat, he rolled away and scrambled to his feet.
“You’re tougher than you look,” he muttered, clutching his bleeding arm.
“And you’re sloppier than I expected,” I shot back, my voice steady despite the adrenaline coursing through me.
“Whoever sent you, should have sent someone more experienced. You’re a novice. And you are bad at fighting.”
He didn’t reply. Instead, he turned and bolted into the night, disappearing before I could stop him.
I stood there for a moment, my chest heaving as I tried to catch my breath. Whoever he was, he wasn’t acting alone. Someone in the castle wanted me gone.
I sheathed my dagger, my mind racing as I made my way back to the castle. This wasn’t just about Lucian or the Queen anymore. There were bigger forces at play, and if I wasn’t careful, I’d end up as nothing more than a pawn—or worse, a casualty.
But if they thought they could scare me into submission, they were wrong.
By the time I slipped back into my chambers, the first rays of dawn were beginning to creep over the horizon. My hands shook as I locked the door behind me, but my resolve was stronger than ever.
They wanted me gone, but I wasn’t going anywhere. Not until I got what I came for.
.........................
The next morning, I found myself standing before Prince Lucian in his study, my hands clenched into fists at my sides. I hadn’t slept much after the attack last night.
If someone was hunting me, they knew too much. And if not for the self defense exercises that Kaelin had taught me before I came back for my revenge I would have been seriously hurt. The shadows of the hall, the man’s harsh words, still haunted me. But this wasn’t about me. It was about what I needed to do next.
“Your Highness,” I said, my voice sharper than I intended. I didn’t bother with pleasantries. “I need to report something to you.”
Lucian barely looked up from the papers on his desk. “What is it, Arin? I’m rather busy.” His tone was dismissive, as usual.
I forced myself to stay calm. “Someone tried to attack me last night. Someone is after my life. I believe someone wants me gone.”
At that, he finally glanced up, his expression showing just a flicker of interest before he leaned back in his chair, resting his chin on his fingers. “Who?” he asked, his voice sounding more bored than concerned.
“I don’t know.” My frustration was building. “I was out for a walk at night and I was attacked, I was lucky to run away in time. But I’m not imagining this, Lucian. Someone wants me out.”
Lucian waved a hand dismissively. “Why would you ever think of taking a walk so late in the night? It was probably nothing.”
I stared at him, unable to mask my disbelief. “Are you even listening to me? I was attacked. This is serious.”
He let out a sigh, clearly uninterested. “Yes, yes. But you know what’s even more serious?” He leaned forward, eyes glinting with that familiar look of hunger. “Our wedding. You need to undergo the initiation ceremony with my pack before we marry. It is a serious requirement. Have you thought about that?”
The sudden shift in focus made my anger flare. My stomach twisted, and I felt my fists clench again. “You’re not listening to anything I say, Lucian. Someone tried to kill me, and all you care about is whether I’m ready for the wedding?”
Lucian didn’t seem to notice my frustration. “What do you want me to say? The ceremony is important to me only. We have our laws in place, you need to be properly initiated into the pack. It’s tradition.”
“Tradition?” My voice was a low growl now. “What about my safety? What about my life? Do you think I care about your pack’s initiation ceremony when there are people trying to kill me?”
He shrugged, uninterested. “Kill you? Oh don’t bore me Lady Arin. Why would anyone want to kill you? Can you just focus on our coming wedding? I want us to get married before the next full moon.”
I stared at him, stunned by how little he cared about what had just happened to me. It was like the attack meant nothing to him. All that mattered to him was that I went through with his ceremony, that I became part of his world. His world that I didn’t even want to be a part of.
“I don’t care about the wedding,” I snapped. “I care about my life, my safety.”
Lucian just smiled, unfazed. “Well, I care about it. And if this wedding and our plans are to work, we have to do everything right. My brother would be looking for a reason to ensure that we wouldn’t marry. We must get married soon or he will find a way to prevent us from getting married.”
I stood there, struggling to keep my anger in check. His indifference was like a slap in the face. I wanted to shout, to make him understand how serious this was. But instead, I turned on my heel, unable to stand another moment in his presence.
“I don’t need this. If you will not agree to my terms, then, the wedding is off.” I muttered, practically storming out of the room.
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