"How bad?" Kieran asked in a low voice.
Erald’s eyes lingered on The Rogue King across the cave, where he still lounged with his back against a jagged wall, golden eyes half-lidded like a predator resting only because he chose to.
"Bad enough," she said quietly, "that he’s not playing by any of the rules the rest of you intend to follow."
There was a beat of silence.
Then: "Well, you two have gotten awfully close," Adrien said as he approached, arms crossed. His tone was casual, but the fire in his eyes said otherwise. "So that’s why you kept asking about Kieran, huh?"
Erald tensed. "Adrien—"
He pressed. "You love him more now? That’s it?"
"This is not the ti or place," she replied through gritted teeth.
Lucien, who stood nearby, interjected. "Maybe it is." He stepped forward, arms folded, his tone calm but not soft. "He has a right to ask. So do I. So does everyone here."
Erald swallowed and tried not to glance over, but she felt it, the weight of The Rogue King’s eyes, watching her like he was amused, or waiting for her to fumble.
Erald turned back to Lucien, exasperated. "Not now, please."
Lucien tilted his head. "Would you have ever told us at all?"
"I didn’t know I had to start filing daily reports of my private life to my mates," she snapped. "I wasn’t under the impression I had to tell you everything."
Adrien scoffed. "So that’s it then? You and Kieran?"
Erald closed her eyes for a mont. "We had sex. What more do you want to hear?"
Kieran shifted uncomfortably. Adrien’s brows lifted in disbelief. Lucien’s face remained impassive, but Erald could see the flicker of sothing beneath the surface.
Adrien crossed his arms. "How? When? Where?"
Erald opened her mouth, then shut it again.
Kieran straightened. "A few days ago. I saw her leaving the estate barefoot, like she’d just been through hell. I followed her to a cave."
Erald’s eyes widened. "Kieran... don’t..."
He glanced at her. "They want honesty. I’m giving it."
Lucien’s eyes narrowed. "What cave?"
Kieran glanced at her, then back at Lucien. "East ridge. The one with the underground spring. She was crying. I gave her my coat."
Erald shut her eyes as Lucien looked at her.
The change was subtle. A twitch of his brow, the smallest tightening of his jaw. But she saw it. Felt it.
"You took there first," she said softly. "I know."
"I never took anyone else there," Lucien said in a cold voice. "Not in my whole life."
"Lucien, it wasn’t like that—"
He shook his head once and turned away.
Then, silence.
Adrien broke it with a sardonic grin. "Well, this isn’t fair. You can’t expect us to just smile and nod while the frost prince gets all the glory. We ought to even out the scales."
Erald turned to him, narrowing her eyes. "And I ought to reject the lot of you."
That shut him up... all of them.
She stepped back, her hands trembling with restraint. "This isn’t why I ca to this summit. You think this is easy? You think juggling four Alphas is so fantasy?" She asked, her eyes scanning theirs, as if daring them to respond.
None did and she continued.
I ca here as Alpha, not so prized oga you all need to mark like territory. I’ve got enemies trying to kill . I ca here to speak on behalf of my people, to lead. Not to babysit four grown n tearing at each other because I didn’t alphabetically schedule you into my bed."
Lucien looked away. Kieran was quiet. Adrien scratched the back of his neck but didn’t argue.
The Rogue King stood and crossed toward her at an unhurried pace. "I can take care of them for you," he said softly. "Then, we’ll leave right now. Just say the word."
Erald didn’t reply. Her eyes flicked toward the collapsed tunnel again.
Viola stirred. "Where the hell is Darius?"
She didn’t have an answer. But she prayed he was coming.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw The Rogue King wince slightly. Blood stained the edge of his sleeve.
She stepped toward him.
"Are you injured?" she asked warily.
He blinked at her, surprised.
She folded her arms. "You shielded during the collapse. Are you hurt?"
"When did you start caring?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I don’t," she said bluntly. "But you saved , that’s all. And I’m not inhumane."
His eyes studied her for a long beat, then he smiled. "You say that... but you’re soft where it counts."
She didn’t get the chance to reply as a voice echoed from beyond the stone.
"Erald!"
Her heart leapt. "Darius!" She sprinted toward the blocked tunnel. "We’re inside! All of us!"
There was muffled shouting on the other side. After a tense few monts, the rock wall shuddered. Pieces began to shift, pulled away by claws and tools.
"We’re clearing it!" Darius called. "Stand back!"
Erald turned to The Rogue King. "You’re coming with . You need those wounds checked."
He gave her an unreadable look... but nodded.
It took several minutes, but eventually the barrier gave way. Fresh air rushed into the tunnel as slabs of rock were pried loose. Sunlight streaked in through the opening.
The mont the exit was wide enough, Lucien, Adrien, and Kieran helped her out. Several guards and two healers rushed forward, checking her over.
Kieran and Adrien were imdiately by her side. "Are you alright?" Kieran asked.
"She’s fine," Adrien said, brushing dust from her shoulder like he had the right.
"I’m fine," she said, brushing them off gently. "Really."
More people had arrived with Darius: guards, scouts and a few curious Alphas. But one presence made her breath catch.
Rick.
He was watching her with an unreadable expression, arms folded, lips tight.
She looked away, her eyes searching for The Rogue King, but he was... gone. Vanished.
She glanced around, heart pounding. "He was just..."
"Gone again?" Adrien asked, clearly unimpressed.
Kieran looked at her. "This is what you’ve been dealing with?"
She nodded faintly.
Viola spoke quietly. "We need to get ahead of this, Erald. He’s not going to stop. And now they all know."
"I know," she murmured.
Darius reached her, scanning the group. "You’re all alive. I thought..."
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