Chapter 45: Chapter 45

~ ROWAN

After telling Aria that I asked Nyssa to leave, she turned on her heels and walked out of the room.

She didn’t speak to me, didn’t yell, she just walked away like I hadn’t said a word.

I cursed, pulling on some clothes and running after her but she’d already disappeared by the time I stepped out.

I could’ve looked for her, but in all honesty, I was glad for the reprieve. I didn’t have to explain anything with her. This was my palace and I could send anyone away as I pleased.

It was far too late to join the general on the workout mat, so I freshened up and headed straight to the office.

The day after the bonfire was always a mess to deal with; drunk people in the streets, missing jewelry and wallets that would somehow show up at the other side of town, a few burned clothes and people who’d wake up in the wrong houses.

The guards had their work cut out for them and I had to make sure that everything else ran smoothly.

It was arguably the most exhausting day of my life, but I looked forward to it every quarter because the more hectic the day, the happier the people were.

I got a message once Nyssa had been dropped off at her pack, but I ignored it. The mere thought of her brought back the memory of her scent and the softness of her skin.

It was etched into my mind permanently, and nothing I ever did would get rid of it.

There were some errands I needed to run in the pack, but there was too much work to be done here. I tried mind linking Aria, but her wall was put firmly in place, and when I tried to call, she sent it straight to voicemail.

I pushed down my annoyance and went out in search of her.

It didn’t take long to find her seated in one of the lounges, her legs crossed on the table in front of her as she shoved fruits into her mouth.

“I called,” I said simply.

Her response was instantaneous. “I know, I ignored it.”

“There’s work that needs to be done.”

“Do it yourself. You love to be alone don’t you?” she turned to me, a brow raised mockingly. “You want to be alone so badly. I’m granting your wish.”

I fought the urge to growl. “I don’t have time for your passive aggressiveness, Aria. You can be pissed all you want but you have a fucking job. You know what is expected of you-”

“I know what’s expected of me, Rowan?” she snapped, standing to her feet and looking up to me. “You’re the older one here but it seems like I’m the one always fixing your problems and getting you out of trouble.”

I scoffed, crossing my arms over my chest. “I think the lab you burned down in college would like to disagree.”

She let out a sound that was more animalistic than human, ran her hands down her face in frustration and sighed. She opened her mouth to speak but decided against it at the last minute and threw her hands up in defeat.

“You know exactly what I mean,” she said finally. “Why are you doing this, Rowan? Why did you send her away?”

I said nothing.

I had no interest in recanting my sexual life to anyone, much less my little sister, the same one whose diapers I’d changed when she was a child.

After a long minute of silence, she scoffed. “I don’t know how to help you, Rowan. You were given on a silver platter what most lycans spend their entire life fighting for and you just threw it away. Nyssa is a good—”

Someone cleared their throat behind us, cutting of whatever it was that Aria wanted to say.

I turned to find one of the generals standing a few feet away, his hands folded behind his back.

He bowed low, his face carefully blank. There was no sign that he overheard any part of our conversation.

“I apologize for the interruption,” he began slowly. “But there is important news that you must hear, Your Majesty.”

My spine straightened instantly. A general wouldn’t be delivering the news unless it was something bad. “What is it?”

“The news came from one of our guards at the pack, Your Majesty. Apparently he thinks we may have reason to worry about an attack.”

“That’s absurd,” Aria cut in. “Henry is stupid, but even he isn’t that stupid. He wouldn’t risk an attack on our pack. He doesn’t have the men to spare and he doesn’t have the supplies.”

“That might be true, but he does have information.” He cleared his throat. “It isn’t a frontal attack. He thinks it might be internal.”

“What exactly are you saying?” I snapped, getting fed up by the parables. “Spell it out.”

“He overheard the Alpha and his Beta talking. The Alpha was asking her for information regarding the palace. He saw her leaving with a notepad to write it down for him. He thinks that she may have been a spy.”

The betrayal hit like a bullet and tasted like ash on my tongue.

I tried to tell myself that it wasn’t possible, but I suppose it added up How stupid was I to think that it was a coincidence that she was here that day? I’d given her a map of the palace for fucks sake. How could I have been so stupid?

“Nyssa would never,” Aria began but I was done.

“Keep me updated on any developments,” I told the general. “And keep an eye on Nyssa. If she moves wrong, I want to know.”

I made to leave but Aria was by my side in an instant. “Rowan, you can’t possibly believe that she is a spy. I’ve spent time with her, I know-”

“You don’t know her, and you’d be stupid to believe that you do. I believe the facts,” I said simply. “I don’t have any reason to believe otherwise.”

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