MAXIMUS’S POV
Chaos erupted around me the moment Lucien spoke the words ‘rogues are trying to break through the east border.’ My mind went into overdrive—every piece of the puzzle snapping together into something dark, something dangerous, something that tasted like betrayal.
Soraya gone.
Emilia missing.
Rogues attacking.
It wasn’t a coincidence. It couldn’t be.
My pulse thundered so violently I could feel it echoing in my teeth. My chest was so tight it hurt to breathe, and a cold, sharp panic crawled down my spine.
But I didn’t let it take over.
Not when I still had a kingdom to protect.
Not when Emilia was out there—alone, scared, taken.
I forced myself to inhale. Once. Twice. Enough to keep from snapping completely.
Then I straightened, turned to Lucien, and said the words t
