Betrayed By One. Bound To Three Chapter 57: If She Dies

The mont Selena collapsed, the room seed to move in a blur of instinct.

Ronan reacted first. His arms ca up around her shoulders, pulling her firmly against his chest as though sheer force of will could keep her conscious.

"Selena," he muttered again, his voice rough with worry.

Her head lolled slightly against him. Her breathing remained shallow, but at least it was steady.

Across the room, Edris rose quickly from his seat. The calm composure he normally carried had returned to his face, but the tension in his posture betrayed the urgency beneath it.

"We take her to the healer," he said.

Kael nodded imdiately.

Ronan didn’t argue. He adjusted his hold on Selena, lifting her more securely into his arms before rising to his feet.

The mont he stood, "Sothing about her weight felt wrong.

She felt too still.

Too limp.

Kael moved swiftly to Ronan’s side, slipping one arm beneath Selena’s legs to help support her while Ronan carried most of her weight.

Edris crossed the room and opened the door ahead of them.

"Careful," he murmured.

Together, the three of them stepped into the corridor.

The hallway beyond was quieter than usual, but the mont they appeared, several nearby servants froze where they stood.

Their eyes dropped instantly to the unconscious woman in Ronan’s arms.

Whispers began almost at once.

Edris ignored them.

"Straight to the courtyard," he instructed quietly.

Kael shifted his grip slightly as they began moving down the corridor.

They had taken only a few steps when a familiar voice cut sharply through the hallway.

"What is the aning of this?"

The tone was sharp.

Accusing.

All three brothers stopped.

At the far end of the corridor stood Silas, several ard guards stationed behind him.

His gaze locked imdiately onto Selena’s limp form.

For a split second, surprise flickered across his face.

Then the surprise twisted into fury.

"What have you done to her?"

Ronan’s jaw clenched.

"Move," he said coldly.

But Silas was already striding toward them.

The guards followed.

By the ti he reached them, the hostility in his expression had hardened into sothing openly confrontational.

"You rogues think you can just carry the princess through the pack house like a corpse?" Silas demanded.

"She’s unconscious," Kael replied evenly.

"She fainted," Ronan added.

Silas scoffed.

"And I’m supposed to believe that?"

He stepped closer, extending a hand toward Selena as if he intended to take her.

"Give her to ."

Ronan shifted instinctively, turning his body slightly away from the outstretched hand.

"No."

Silas’ eyes narrowed.

"You are in no position to refuse ."

Edris stepped forward just enough to place himself partly between them.

"We’re taking her to the healer," he said calmly.

Silas’ lip curled in disdain.

"You expect to trust the wolves who kidnapped her once before?"

Ronan’s temper flared instantly.

"We didn’t—"

Edris cut him off with the slightest glance.

Silas gestured sharply toward the guards behind him.

"Take the princess."

None of the brothers moved.

The guards hesitated, and Kael shifted his stance, placing himself squarely between them and Ronan.

Silas noticed the movent.

His voice dropped lower, colder.

"You dare resist?"

Ronan’s grip on Selena tightened.

"You’re wasting ti," he growled. "She needs a healer."

Silas ignored him completely.

"Guards," he repeated.

This ti the guards stepped forward cautiously.

The corridor was no longer quiet.

Several pack mbers had begun gathering nearby, drawn by the rising tension and raised voices.

Murmurs spread through the hall as they watched the confrontation unfold.

Edris’ eyes flicked briefly toward the growing crowd.

Then back to Silas.

Without another word, he gestured toward the stairs.

"Keep moving," he said to his brothers.

Ronan hesitated for half a second.

Then he obeyed.

The three of them started forward again, walking past Silas as if he no longer existed.

Silas’ face darkened instantly with fury.

"Stop them!"

The guards moved again, this ti surrounding the brothers as they descended the stairs.

But none of them dared reach for Selena.

Not while she remained in their arms.

By the ti they reached the courtyard, the commotion had spread through much of the pack house.

Dozens of wolves had gathered.

So watched with confusion.

Others with open suspicion.

A cart used for transporting supplies stood near the entrance.

Edris gestured toward it.

"Lay her down carefully."

Ronan and Kael lowered Selena onto the cart, arranging her gently so her head rested comfortably.

Silas pushed through the gathering crowd monts later.

His voice rang sharply across the courtyard.

"Arrest them."

The murmurs grew louder at once.

"They have endangered the princess."

The guards shifted uncertainly.

Ronan straightened slowly.

His eyes burned with restrained fury.

"You want to try that again?"

Kael stepped forward beside him, his expression colder than usual.

"Let them try," he said quietly.

Several guards instinctively stepped back.

The tension in the courtyard thickened.

One wrong move and everything would explode.

Edris stepped between his brothers.

"Enough."

Ronan glanced at him sharply.

"We can take them."

"I know," Edris replied calmly.

Kael’s voice was low.

"Then why aren’t we?"

Edris’ gaze flicked briefly toward Silas, who stood with his arms folded, watching them closely and clearly anticipating a fight that would give him the perfect excuse.

Edris exhaled slowly.

"Stand down."

Ronan stared at him.

"You’re serious?"

"Yes."

Kael’s jaw tightened.

But after a mont, both brothers stepped back.

The guards moved forward cautiously, placing restraints on them.

Silas smiled faintly.

Just as he stepped closer to the cart to inspect Selena—

Edris moved.

In one swift motion, he seized Silas by the collar and slamd him hard against the side of the cart.

The wood rattled loudly under the impact.

Gasps erupted across the courtyard.

Silas barely had ti to react before Edris leaned close, his voice dropping to a low, deadly whisper ant for Silas alone.

"If anything happens to her," Edris murmured, "you won’t live long enough to regret it."

Silas’ breath hitched.

For a brief mont, genuine fear flickered across his face.

Then Edris released him.

Silas stumbled slightly before regaining his footing.

"Take them away!" he snapped furiously.

This ti the guards did not hesitate.

The brothers allowed themselves to be led away.

The dungeon beneath the pack house was cold and dim.

The heavy iron door slamd shut behind them with a tallic echo.

For several seconds, silence filled the cell.

Then Ronan exploded.

"Are you out of your mind?"

He turned on Edris, fury blazing in his eyes.

"We could have fought them!"

Kael paced the small space like a caged wolf.

"Ten guards at most," he said sharply. "We would have had them down in minutes."

Edris remained seated against the stone wall, his posture completely calm.

"Exactly," he said.

Both of them stared at him.

"That’s what Silas wanted."

Ronan frowned.

Edris t his gaze evenly.

"He wanted a fight."

Kael slowed his pacing.

"To prove we’re dangerous."

Edris nodded once.

"To prove we’re monsters."

Ronan dragged a frustrated hand through his hair.

"And now?"

"Now," Edris said quietly, "we’re prisoners who obeyed his authority."

Kael leaned against the wall, thinking it through.

"So he looks paranoid."

"Exactly."

Ronan still looked uneasy.

"What if sothing happens to Selena?"

The question lingered heavily in the air.

For the first ti since entering the cell, Edris’ expression hardened.

Slowly, he stood.

His voice remained calm.

But sothing far darker lay beneath it now.

"If anything happens to her," he said,

"the Blood Moon pack will bleed."

Ronan and Kael watched him carefully.

Edris’ eyes were cold now.

"And Silas," he finished quietly,

"will end with his head on a stake."

The dungeon fell silent.

And for the first ti that night—

The brothers began to wait.