Chapter 32

Von

I could still hear Landon’s voice in my head. His pleas, his pathetic excuses.

Even after I had him dragged out of my sight, his betrayal lingered like a wound that refused to heal.

I had spent the past few days locked away in my study, drowning in paperwork, anything that would keep my mind from replaying that moment.

But it never worked.

The memory returned, and I was back to reliving what happened yesterday.

I had hauled Landon out of the car, roughly.

His lips parted, but I was already speaking.

"Your games are over," I growled.

Landon swallowed hard. “Von, listen—”

“No.” I cut him off, my patience long gone. “Silas is dead.”

He froze, his breath hitching.

I bared my teeth, letting him see the blood that still stained my fangs. My claws flexed, gleaming under the moonlight. “If you don’t confess to being behind this, I swear, you’ll be joining him.”

Landon took a shaky step back. “I—Von, please, I—”

“Don’t waste my time.” My voice was ice. “Say what you need to say before I rip your throat out.”

His chest rose and fell rapidly. He gasped for air like it was slipping from his grasp. “I’m sorry,” he finally choked out.

I laughed, but there was no humor in it. “Sorry? It’s too late for that.”

Landon looked at me, desperation in his eyes. “I—Silas forced my hand. I swear! You have to understand—”

“Stop lying that he’s behind it. You were the one that planned.” I took a step closer, and he flinched. “You betrayed me, Landon. There’s no going back from that.”

The tension between us grew as I stared at him.

I wanted to kill him.

I should have.

But I couldn’t.

Not because he deserved mercy. No, he deserved worse. But because I couldn’t bring myself to spill the blood of someone I had once called my friend.

Instead, I exhaled sharply and straightened. “Landon of the Midnight Pack, I hereby banish you from my kingdom. If you ever set foot here again, I’ll personally make sure you don’t walk away alive.”

His eyes widened. “Von—”

“Get out.”

My oldest guard stepped forward. “I’ll escort him across the border.”

I nodded once. “Make sure he doesn’t come back.”

Landon opened his mouth like he wanted to say something else, but I had already turned away. He was dead to me.

I didn’t look back as the guards took him.

I only turned when I felt Rae’s gaze on me. She had been silent the entire time, watching everything unfold.

I met her eyes, searching for anger, for disappointment. But there was none.

“I’m sorry,” I said quietly. “For not believing you.”

Rae tilted her head slightly, then sighed. “It’s fine, Von.”

I shook my head. “It’s not.” I hesitated, then added, “Anna came to me after you were kidnapped. She tried to tell me the truth. I didn’t listen. I had her locked up.”

Rae’s eyes flickered with something unreadable. “Where is she?”

I glanced toward the dungeon. “Let’s go get her.”

Together, we made our way to the lower levels of the palace.

After freeing Anna, I gathered my oldest guards and issued my next order. “Flush out the new recruits. Every last one of them. I don’t trust them, and I don’t want them in my kingdom.”

They nodded in agreement, and by nightfall, every new recruit was gone.

Back in the present, I sighed and leaned back in my chair, realizing that drowning myself in work had done nothing to push these thoughts away. My mind was a battlefield, and I was losing.

By the end of the week, I called for a meeting.

The councilmen gathered in the grand hall, murmuring among themselves. They looked wary like they weren’t sure if I had summoned them for another purge.

“I know you may be wondering why I called you here,” I began, standing at the head of the table.

Their eyes were fixed on me, waiting.

“I want to discuss our plans for Solstice Night.”

A few exchanged glances, surprised. I knew it was because it wasn’t something I had shown much interest in before.

“Are you certain, Your Majesty?” one of the councilmen asked carefully. “With everything that has happened, perhaps it would be best to delay the celebration.”

“No,” I said firmly. “We need this.”

Another councilman leaned forward. “Then what are your plans, Your Majesty?”

I crossed my arms. “Security will be doubled because of the rogue issue.”

Another councilman nodded. “Agreed. We can’t afford to let anyone slip through the cracks.”

“And the guest list?” another chimed in. “Will we be inviting outsiders, or will it remain an internal affair?”

I considered this. “No outsiders. This year, it will be strictly within the kingdom.”

The council murmured in agreement.

We spent the next hour discussing logistics—decorations, the feast, the rituals. It was the first time in days that my mind felt somewhat clear.

When the meeting ended, the councilmen filed out, leaving me alone once again.

I stepped out onto the terrace, watching the sky darken. The weight of everything pressed down on me, but I forced myself to stand tall.

I was still lost in thought when I heard a voice behind me.

“Your Majesty, dinner is ready,” a maid announced.

“I’m not interested,” I muttered, my mood souring again.

The maid hesitated, then quickly scurried away.

But before I could return to my solitude, another set of footsteps approached.

I turned, expecting another servant, but froze when I saw who it was.

It was Rae.

She held the same tray the maid had been carrying.

“What are you doing here?” I asked, my voice gruff.

She simply raised an eyebrow. “Remember when I didn’t eat, and you came to my room?”

I didn’t smile. But she did.

I shook my head. “Why are you trying to get a monster to eat?”

Rae stepped closer, setting the tray down on the railing. She met my gaze, unwavering.

“Because,” she said softly, “I’m starting to realize the monster isn’t really a monster.”

I scoffed, looking away. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

But Rae wasn’t finished. “Monsters don’t get broken over a lost friendship.”

I clenched my jaw.

“And monsters,” she added, “don’t save the girl who drives them crazy.”

I finally looked at her. She was right in front of me now, close enough that I could feel the warmth of her presence.

For the first time in days, I didn’t feel completely alone.