Chapter 15

DANTE

I stood at the edge of the training grounds, arms folded across my chest, my sharp gaze never leaving Leah. The early morning mist curled around our feet, swirling with each of her forceful movements. She had been relentless these past few weeks, throwing herself into training as if trying to purge something from within, and I loathe the fact that I didn't know what it was.

Sweat gleamed on her skin, strands of damp hair clinging to her forehead as she struck the training dummy with measured, precise hits. Her breath was controlled, even, but I saw past the surface. I saw the war raging inside her, the ghosts in her eyes that refused to be tamed.

I had trained many warriors, watched them fall and rise, but watching Leah was different. It stirred something deep within me, something I didn’t dare name. I threw my head backwards trying to get a hold of my mind.

It was too fucking early, but I couldn't let her go alone

She was growing stronger, her movements sharper, her confidence more pronounced, but there was still something fragile in the way she hesitated before delivering her final blow. Something haunted. She was terrified of something and I didn't know what it was.

A muscle ticked in my jaw as she turned to meet my gaze. There was defiance there, yes, but also something else, something unspoken that neither of us had the courage to address.

“Not bad,” I said gruffly, striding toward her. “But you’re still hesitating.”

Leah wiped the sweat off her brow, her eyes narrowing slightly. “I’m not hesitating. I’m being careful.”

“Careful?” I pull myself off the tree as I looked at her with a dark glint in my eyes. “Careful gets you killed. You need to trust your instincts more.”

She frowned deeply before taking a deep breath and nodded, stepping back into position. I moved behind her, adjusting her stance carefully so she wouldn't fall again. The warmth of her skin against mine sent a pulse of heat through me, an unwelcome sensation I quickly buried while clearing my head to focus.

“Again,” I ordered, my voice a low command.

She obeyed, striking forward with more certainty this time. The force behind her blows was raw, fierce, but controlled. I could see the transformation happening before my eyes. Leah was no longer the broken woman Darren had tried to destroy. She was becoming something else. Someone else. Someone unstoppable.

Darren.

My hands curled into fists at the mere thought of him. That bastard had done something to Leah, something vile that I still didn’t fully understand. But worse than Darren’s past sins was the way he lingered in Leah’s shadow, like a problem she couldn’t quite shake.

I had expected retaliation after our last encounter, but not this, Darren digging into Leah’s past, pulling at invisible strings that even I couldn’t see. The unease in my gut only grew stronger with each passing day.

Leah exhaled sharply and lowered her fists. “I need a break” I nodded with a sigh of relief, finally she was taking a rest.

I watch as she walked over to grab a towel. There was something different about the way she moved now, less like someone running from their past and more like someone preparing to face it head-on and honestly, I couldn't be less proud, I want her to face her fears more than anything, I wasn't always going to me here.

The walls between us were slowly crumbling, brick by brick. She trusted me more now, allowed me into her space, her thoughts. But I knew there were still secrets between us. On both sides.

Tonight, I had decided to tell her one of my own and I hope she's able to take it in

After an extra hour of training, I ended the training and forced her to go in. Leah was really a stubborn woman, I couldn't even try to deny her, but I've grown surprisedly used to it.

I spend the afternoon digging through papers trying to make sense of the numerous rogue attacks and what scout to send out to each pack for help

The rogues location seems impossible to find and… Hold on a second.

“Gareth” I called out and the door immediately flew open, “... Kelly. Use her as a scapegoat” He gave me a wary look.

“Scape goat?”

“I lure for the rogues. She would be lost in the forest and eventually when they approach her, she lies and claims she's lost and offers to do anything for them”

“Your majesty, are you sure you want to go through with this plan? Kelly…"

“Are you pleading for her case?” My voice cane out colder than I expected, and I could feel the stare of tension in the air, and he dropped his head down.

“No”

“Do your job” He nods bus head before stepping outside

Kelly was my right-hand man before Gareth until she let everything go down the drain and put the entire at risk. My fist clenched in annoyance at the thought of what she had done, but she has been in jail ever since then and no punishment went past her.

That evening, after a quiet dinner, I led Leah to the library, where the fire crackled warmly against the stone walls. The scent of aged parchment and burning cedar filled the air, creating an almost suffocating intimacy. Leah settled into the couch across from me, watching as I poured us both a drink. The flames cast shifting shadows across her face, making her look both softer and sharper all at once.

“There’s something I need to tell you,” I said, my voice lower than usual.

She straightened slightly, a flicker of worry crossing her features. “What is it?”

I exhaled slowly, swirling the amber liquid in my glass before finally looking up. “You’ve asked before why I never talk about my past. About my previous queens.”

Leah stiffened slightly but nodded. “You never answered.”

“Because it’s not an easy story to tell,” I admitted. “But you deserve the truth.”

The firelight danced in her eyes as she studied me, waiting. I took a slow sip of my drink before setting it down with carefully.

“I’ve had eleven wives before you, Leah. And they all died.”

A sharp inhale. Her fingers tightened around her glass. “How?”

I leaned forward, resting my elbows on my knees while studying her face quietly

“The first, Blaine, was my childhood betrothed. It was an arranged union, but we grew to care for each other. She was strong-willed, kind. But she was murdered. Assassinated by a rival pack.”

Leah swallowed hard but remained silent.

“The second, Seraphina, was different. Cunning. Ambitious. But she wasn’t meant to be Luna. She married me for power, and she paid for it with her life.” My voice turned cold, an edge of steel in my tone. “She betrayed me. Conspired with my enemies. And when I found out, she tried to kill me. So I killed her first.”

Leah’s breath hitched, her knuckles white against the glass. “You… killed her?”

I met her gaze unflinchingly. “Yes. I did.”

Silence stretched between us, thick and suffocating. Leah’s eyes searched my face, looking for something, fear, regret, remorse. But I wasn’t sure what she saw. After a long pause, she finally exhaled and looked away.

“Why are you telling me this now? And what about the rest?”

“Because you deserve to know who you’re married to.” I leaned back, my expression unreadable. “And because I need you to understand something. I protect what’s mine, Leah. At any cost. The remaining nine would be told to you later, and you might find your answers here”

Something flickered in her expression, something unreadable. But before she could respond, a sudden, deafening explosion rocked the castle.

The windows rattled. The chandelier above us swayed. Books tumbled from their shelves. Leah gasped, nearly dropping her glass as she scrambled to her feet.

I was already moving, my instincts screaming. I caught Leah by the wrist and pulled her behind me, my Lycan rising to the surface. “Stay close.”

A second explosion echoed in the distance, followed by the unmistakable sounds of grunts, shouts, metal clashing, the snarls of wolves.

What in the world was going on? I looked out the window and rogues invade the borders as they fought with warrior and the weak members ran to the safe house.

My blood ran cold. I had expected enemies, but not this soon and certainly not this large.

My mind snapped into action. I turned to Leah, my grip firm but not unkind. “Go to the safe room. Now. Don’t argue. Don’t stop. Do you understand me?”

Her eyes were wide with… Anger? But she nodded. “Dante…"

“Go!” I turned and towards the stairs, letting my transformation take place.

As Leah disappeared down the hallway, I stormed toward the chaos. Whoever had come here just made the biggest mistake of their lives and I knew too well that they were here because of her.