Chapter 10: Fractured Loyalties
1203 Words
KADE’S POV
“He’s late,” Aria muttered under her breath.
I leaned against the stone pillar beside her, arms crossed. “Jax isn’t the punctual type. He likes the drama of arriving last.”
She glanced sideways at me. “You trust him?”
I didn’t answer right away. I used to. I would’ve staked my life on Jax Thorn, just as he had mine during the siege of Harlow. But lately, his silence was louder than his words, and the shift in his gaze told me something had cracked between us.
“He was my brother in everything but blood,” I said. “Was.”
Aria nodded. “That’s not an answer.”
Before I could respond, the heavy oak doors creaked open. Jax strode in, cloak billowing behind him, eyes sharp and unreadable. Two of Aria’s guards tensed. She lifted a hand to signal them down.
“You came,” I said, stepping forward.
Jax stopped in the center of the room. “I don’t ignore invitations from the Moonfall estate. Not when they come dressed in desperation.”
Aria narrowed her eyes. “This isn’t desperation. It’s strategy.”
Jax smiled—mocking, bitter. “Is that what you call it now? A marriage under a blood contract? A kingdom cracking at the seams? Sounds more like a suicide pact.”
I stepped between them. “Enough. You agreed to this meeting. Speak, or leave.”
He reached into his cloak, slowly. Aria stiffened, and I could feel the hum of tension spike like lightning in the air. But instead of a blade, he pulled out a small scroll.
“This is from the Rogue Council. You’ve been asking for a meeting. They’ve answered.” He tossed it onto the table. “Midnight. Eastern Ridge. Alone.”
I stared at the scroll. “You’re delivering their messages now?”
“I’m trying to prevent a war,” he snapped.
Aria stepped forward, voice low. “You’ve chosen a strange way to show it.”
Jax’s hand twitched—so subtle it would’ve gone unnoticed if I hadn’t known him for years. “You don’t get to lecture me. You weren’t the one watching friends bleed while your supposed allies vanished into the woods.”
“I buried my entire family,” Aria said. “Don’t pretend you’ve bled more than me.”
His eyes darkened. “You buried your family because of him.”
He pointed at me, and the room dropped into silence.
“I trusted you, Jax,” I said, jaw clenched.
“And I trusted you to lead us, not fall for the daughter of the very clan you once swore to destroy.”
“She’s not the enemy.”
He reached for his side.
“Jax, don’t—” I moved.
But the dagger was already flying.
Aria twisted just in time, the blade nicking her shoulder instead of piercing her throat. She cried out, stumbling back.
“NO!” I roared and tackled Jax to the ground.
We crashed into the table, parchment flying, splinters slicing skin. I punched hard, once, twice, before he shoved me off and rolled away. Blood ran from his nose. His eyes—those damn familiar eyes—were empty.
“You’ve gone soft,” he said. “You let your guard down, and she’ll be the end of us all.”
Aria pressed her hand to her shoulder, eyes fierce despite the pain. “Then why didn’t you finish it?”
He didn’t answer. He looked at me for one long second—something sorrowful in his face—and bolted through the archway.
I took a step, ready to chase.
“No,” Aria said, her hand grabbing mine. “Let him go.”
“We can’t—”
“We need to stop chasing ghosts.”
My chest heaved as I looked at the blood on her fingers. “You’re bleeding.”
“I’ve bled worse.” She gave a shaky smile, trying to joke, but her lips trembled.
I helped her to the nearest bench, grabbing a cloth to press against the wound.
“This is insanity,” I said. “First my men turn on me. Now Jax. What next?”
She didn’t answer. Instead, she handed me a slip of parchment from the floor.
“What’s this?”
“I don’t know. It fell from Jax’s cloak when you hit him.”
I unfolded it, eyes scanning the writing.
“This marriage was never meant to save us. It was to bind you.”
I looked at her. “What the hell does that mean?”
Her voice came out quiet, but steady. “It means someone planned this from the beginning. Us. The contract. The bloodline. The curse.”
“But who?”
“Not the Council,” she said. “They’re too chaotic. This... this feels older. Deeper.”
I stood, pacing. “If Jax knows more—”
“He’s not going to tell us.”
“Then we find someone who will.”
I glanced at her shoulder again. “That wound’s deeper than you’re letting on.”
“Let me worry about it. You’ve got enough guilt on your back already.”
I crouched in front of her. “Don’t do that. Don’t shut me out now.”
She blinked, surprised at my tone.
“I’m not Kade the commander here,” I said. “I’m just... me. And you’re the only thing keeping me from becoming everything I swore I wouldn’t.”
Her hand brushed my cheek, gentle, uncertain. “You’re not him. Not yet.”
“I don’t want to lose myself,” I whispered.
“You won’t.” Her fingers slid down to my neck, her forehead pressing against mine. “Because I won’t let you.”
We stayed there—just breathing, pressed together like the world hadn’t tried to destroy us again and again. It felt stolen like all our moments did. Fragile. Fleeting.
“I wish we had met differently,” I murmured.
“So do I,” she said. “But then maybe I wouldn’t have looked twice at you.”
I gave a soft laugh. “You’re probably right.”
“Let’s not die for this contract, Kade.”
“We might not have a choice.”
She pulled back slightly, her expression sobering. “Then let’s die on our own terms.”
I helped her to her feet. The room was a mess—upturned chairs, broken glass, blood on stone. It felt like a reflection of everything between us.
As she limped toward the door, I noticed something glinting beneath the edge of the bench.
Another note.
I picked it up, frowning.
“Kade,” Aria called. “What is it?”
I read it silently, the words scrawled in the same jagged hand:
"The Blood Moon wasn’t the beginning. It was the price. The curse lives in your veins, not the contract. You were chosen long before you signed it."
Aria froze as I read it aloud.
Her eyes met mine, wide, unblinking. “Who’s really controlling this game? And will we ever be free?”
- Writer
