Caspian’s POV
The morning air bit at my face as I stepped out of the castle, three black cars waiting in perfect formation.
Their engines purred like caged beasts.
Logan fell into step beside me, his silence as steady as always.
“You haven’t gone to see our mate.”
Beowulf’s voice slammed through my mind like a hammer blow.
I rolled my shoulders, already feeling the familiar irritation crawl up my spine.
“Don’t you have better things to occupy that thick skull of yours?
And who the hell decided Talia is our mate?”
“Deny it until your last breath,” Beowulf snarled back, his presence pressing against my consciousness.
“Won’t change what we both know.”
I let out a harsh laugh.
“If you’ve got this much spare time, use it to help me solve these damn murders in Rainwood.
Stop chasing fantasies about some woman.”
Another growl rumbled through my mind, darker this time.
“Ask about our mate.”
“We don’t have a mate.”
Beowulf’s frustration hit me like a physical blow.
“Fine.
Ask about Talia.”
My jaw clenched so hard I thought my teeth might crack.
I didn’t give a damn about Talia.
She wasn’t my concern, wasn’t my responsibility beyond what I’d already committed to.
Beowulf was losing his mind.
But the urge to ask about her came too easily, too naturally.
That pissed me off more than anything.
I shot a glance at Logan.
“What’s the situation with Talia?”
Logan didn’t miss a beat.
“The physician examined her this morning.
He took a close look at the scar on her cheek.”
My eyebrows pulled together sharply.
“Which physician?”
“One of your personal doctors,” Logan replied smoothly.
Something about that didn’t sit right with me, but I pushed it aside.
Results were all that mattered.
We reached the lead car.
A guard stepped forward, pulling the door open with practiced precision.
“Alpha.”
I slid into the leather interior, Logan following from the opposite side.
The convoy rolled forward, leaving the castle’s shadow behind as we headed toward the palace.
The drive took half an hour through winding roads that cut through dense forest.
When the palace gates came into view, those towering golden crests of the werewolf monarchy gleamed in the sunlight.
I’d seen them a thousand times.
They still didn’t impress me.
The chief of staff was already positioned at the entrance.
“Alpha Caspian, Beta Logan.
His Majesty is waiting.”
We followed him through halls lined with polished marble, our footsteps echoing off surfaces that cost more than most packs saw in a year.
The palace’s grandeur was nothing but expensive decoration wrapped in gold leaf.
In the grand sitting room, the chief of staff gestured toward refreshments.
I waved him off without looking.
“Not necessary.”
I hadn’t come here to make small talk or appear comfortable.
The longer I seemed at ease, the longer Osric would keep me here.
The doors opened with theatrical precision, and King Osric entered.
At sixty, the man still moved like a predator.
His sharp eyes locked onto mine immediately, lips curving into that knowing smile that always made my skin crawl.
Logan and I stood.
“Your Majesty.”
Osric nodded, then glanced briefly at Logan before looking back at me.
I took the hint and dismissed Logan with a subtle gesture.
Logan bowed respectfully before leaving us alone.
Osric settled into his chair and gestured for me to do the same.
“Caspian,” he said, his voice carrying that smooth authority that commanded rooms.
“Congratulations.
You’ve accomplished what no Alpha has dared in centuries.
Marrying a woman cursed by the Moon Goddess herself.”
I leaned back, spreading my hands with deliberate casualness.
“What can I say?
I’ve always excelled at breaking rules.”
He chuckled, but his eyes remained calculating.
“You had Sybil by your side for years.
If you wanted a wife, why not choose her?
She possesses every quality a Luna should have.”
My casual demeanor vanished instantly.
“There seems to be some confusion.”
Osric raised an eyebrow, waiting.
I held his stare without flinching.
“Sybil and I are friends.
Nothing more.
We’ve never viewed each other any other way.”
He shook his head, looking almost amused.
“No woman dedicates years of her life to another pack unless she has feelings for its Alpha.”
His assumption grated against my nerves like sandpaper.
I tried to think through my interactions with Sybil, searching for signs I might have missed.
But as far as I could remember, she’d never crossed any lines in that regard.
Had she?
Before I could argue the point, Osric shifted the conversation with practiced ease.
“Tell me, why did you choose a wolfless outcast as your bride?” His gaze sharpened like a blade.
“You’re no fool, Caspian.
I know you wouldn’t select a woman with no apparent value without good reason.”
I exhaled slowly, choosing my words carefully.
“Because she intrigued me.
She’s stubborn, resilient.
Most people in her situation would have broken completely.
She didn’t.”
Osric studied me with uncomfortable intensity.
Then he sighed, the sound heavy with warning.
“The council of elders will never accept her.
They’ll oppose you at every turn.
I hope you’re prepared for their resistance.”
I smiled, but there was no warmth in it.
“Let them try.”
The elders and their outdated opinions meant nothing to me.
They could petition until their voices gave out.
Osric chuckled, but his expression quickly turned serious.
“I didn’t summon you here just to discuss your marriage.”
I leaned forward, my attention sharpening.
“I figured as much.”
Osric’s posture straightened, all traces of casual conversation disappearing.
“The murders in Rainwood.
What have you uncovered?”
I didn’t hesitate.
“All victims were werewolves who’d relocated there.
Different ages, but all skilled workers.
One worked in heavy manufacturing.
I’m assuming his enhanced strength made him valuable as an employee.”
Osric’s expression darkened like storm clouds gathering.
“Could it be humans?
Are they harvesting werewolf hearts for experimentation?”
I kept my reaction neutral.
“That’s a dangerous accusation.
I doubt humans would risk shattering the truce between our species.”
He nodded, but the worry lines around his eyes deepened.
“Still, don’t eliminate them as suspects.
Humans are unpredictable creatures.”
I let out a measured breath.
“I won’t.
But humans can’t overpower a werewolf easily.
And extracting a heart from the chest requires significant skill and strength.”
Silence stretched between us like a taut wire.
Osric’s jaw twitched, his mind clearly working through darker possibilities.
Then his eyes met mine again.
“I’d rather believe humans are responsible for these killings than consider the alternative.”
My fingers drummed against the chair’s leather armrest.
I understood his meaning perfectly.
Because if humans weren’t behind this, then something far more dangerous was hunting us from the shadows.
Osric’s voice dropped to a grave whisper.
“If it isn’t humans, then we’re facing an unknown enemy.
A powerful one.”
I nodded, feeling the weight of responsibility settle on my shoulders like a lead blanket.
“I’ll launch a comprehensive investigation when I return to Rainwood.
I’ll end this.”
Osric held my gaze steadily.
“You must.
The survival of our entire race may depend on it.”
I drew in a deep breath, accepting the burden.
The stakes couldn’t be higher.
I would uncover the truth.
Whatever the cost.