Chapter 6:The Northern border.
1589 Words
The moment Lucas stepped out of the Council Chamber, the palace changed.Guards rushed through the corridors.
Orders echoed from one end of the palace to the other. Within minutes, the quiet halls of Ashford had become a storm of movement.
Lucas descended the grand staircase without slowing.
“Cassian.” he called
The Supreme Beta caught up with him. “Your Majesty.”
“How many royal warriors are stationed in Ashford?”
“Two hundred and forty.” he replied
“Take one hundred.” Cassian nodded.
“The rest?” he asked
“Remain in the capital.”
Lucas stopped at the bottom of the staircase.
“Double the palace guard.”
Cassian's expression tightened. “You expect another attack?”
“I expect the rogues to know exactly what they're doing.”
Cassian studied him for a moment. “You think Red Moon was a distraction?”
Lucas looked toward the palace doors.
“I think nothing about tonight was accidental.”
Kael approached from the opposite corridor, already dressed for battle.
“The Royal Guard is assembled.” he reported
Lucas nodded. “Then move.”
Kael turned immediately. “Your Majesty.”
He hesitated before leaving.
“Should we take the royal healers?”
Lucas's expression remained unreadable.
“Three.”
“Only three?”
“If we need more, we're already in trouble.”
Kael nodded and disappeared down the corridor.Cassian remained beside the King.
“What about Lady Isabel?”
Lucas's expression hardened. “She stays here.”
“She was in the Council Chamber when the attack was reported.”
“I know.” he responded
“She may want to come.” Cassian said
“She isn't coming.”
Cassian raised an eyebrow. “You're certain?”
Lucas looked at him. “I gave an order.”
Cassian's mouth closed. “Yes, Your Majesty.”
They continued toward the palace entrance.
Behind them, the Council Chamber remained crowded with Elders and advisers attempting to understand the attack.
No one noticed Isabel standing near the doorway.She had heard every word, especially the last one.
She stays here.
Her fingers curled around the handle of the tactical knife beneath her blazer.She watched Lucas disappear through the palace doors.
He hadn't even looked back.
---
Outside, the palace courtyard was already filled with activity.
Royal warriors mounted horses while others climbed into armored vehicles.
The silver wolf crest of Blackthorne gleamed beneath the courtyard lights.Lucas stepped toward the lead vehicle.
A warrior immediately opened the door.“Your Majesty.”
Lucas stopped. “Where is the messenger who delivered the report?”
The warrior hesitated. “He returned to Red Moon.”
“Find him.” he ordered
The warrior blinked.
“He already left?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.” he bowed apologetically
Lucas's gaze sharpened. “Then bring him back.”
The warrior immediately turned. “Yes, Your Majesty.”
Cassian watched him carefully.
“You think the messenger knows something?”
“I think we ask questions before we make assumptions.” Lucas climbed into the vehicle.
Cassian followed, Kael entered the vehicle behind them with the remaining royal warriors.
The convoy began moving.As the palace gates opened, Lucas looked through the windshield toward the distant city.
Ashford continued as if nothing had happened.Cars moved through the streets, buildings glowed beneath the night sky.
People walked beneath the lights, unaware that warriors were already racing toward the northern border.
Lucas's hands tightened around the armrest, the scent of blood was already reaching him.
His wolf stirred, not because of the full moon...because something was wrong...Very wrong.
---
Back inside the palace, Isabel returned to the East Wing. Kai was waiting outside her room.
The moment he saw her expression, he straightened.
“What happened?” he asked
“Red Moon was attacked.” she said
“I heard.” he replied
She walked past him. “They're going to the northern border.”
Kai followed. “Lucas?”
She stopped. “The King.”
Kai nodded.
“He's leading the royal forces.”
“Of course he is.” kai said
She turned toward him. “I want to go.”
Kai stared at her. “No.”
Isabel frowned. “You didn't even think about it.”
“Because I don't need to.”
“I can fight.” She muttered
“I know.”
“Then why am I staying here?” Isabel asked irritated
“Because this is a royal military operation.”kai explained
“And?”
“And you're not part of the Royal Guard.” he replied
Her eyes narrowed. “I've trained since I could hold a weapon.”
“That doesn't make you a royal warrior.” he countered
“It makes me capable.”
Kai sighed. “lady Isabel.”
She folded her arms and poutedher lips. “You're doing exactly what everyone else does.”
“What?” he asked confused
“Deciding what I can and can't do before I get the chance to prove myself.”
Kai's expression softened. “This isn't Silverwood...”
“I know.” She replied
“...People are dying.” he continued
“I know.”
“...then don't turn this into a challenge.” he stated
Her anger faded slightly.
Kai stepped closer. “You don't know this kingdom yet.”
“I know enough.” she argued
“No, you don't.” He glanced toward the windows.
“This attack could be bigger than what we heard.”
Isabel followed his gaze. “What do you mean?”
Kai hesitated. “I don't know.”
“Then why did you say it?” She creased her brows
“Because I've seen the way warriors move when they're preparing for something serious.”
He looked back at her. “They're afraid.”
Isabel went quiet. For the first time since hearing the news, the reality of the attack settled over her, this wasn't simply another border skirmish.Something had frightened the people who were supposed to protect the kingdom.
And she had no idea why.
---
The Northern Border
The convoy reached Red Moon territory shortly after midnight.The first thing Lucas noticed was the silence.
Red Moon's northern villages should have been filled with movement.Instead, the roads were nearly empty.Smoke rose in the distance.
Lucas stepped out of the vehicle. Cassian joined him.
A Royal Warrior approached “Your Majesty.”
“What happened?” he asked
“We found the outer patrol.” the warrior reported
“Alive?”
The warrior shook his head.
Lucas's expression didn't change. “How many?”
“Twenty-three.” The warrior replied
“Rogues?” Lucas asked
“No.”
Lucas turned toward him. “What?”
The warrior swallowed. “We found no rogues.”
Cassian's eyes narrowed. “What do you mean you found no rogues?”
“They disappeared before our scouts arrived.” The warrior reported
Lucas looked toward the dark forest beyond the road.
“How convenient.”
A distant howl echoed through the trees, every warrior immediately reached for a weapon.
Lucas raised one hand. “Hold.”
The warriors froze.Another howl followed, closer this time.
Cassian looked toward the forest. “Could be a pack warning.”
Lucas shook his head. “No.”
His eyes narrowed. “It's a lure.”
The forest suddenly erupted.Rogues burst from between the trees.
“Attack!”
The Royal Warriors charged forward. The night exploded into chaos.
Lucas moved through the battlefield with brutal efficiency.
He didn't shout...he didn't waste movement. unlike the other warriors he didn't transform into his wolf, but his claws could be seen at the tip of his fingers.
something not everyone could do.
Every command came sharp and immediate.
“Left flank.”
"Protect the healers.”
“Do not let them reach the village.”
Cassian moved beside him, following every order.
Kael led a group of warriors toward the eastern side of the battlefield.
For several minutes, the attack seemed almost manageable,then Lucas stopped. His eyes moved across the battlefield. Something was wrong.
There were too many rogues. Too organized.Too coordinated.
“They're driving us somewhere,” he said.
Cassian looked at him. “Where?”
Lucas turned toward the forest. Before he could answer, a deafening howl rose from deep within the trees.
Every rogue suddenly withdrew.The warriors hesitated.
“Don't pursue them,” Lucas ordered.
Kael looked toward him. “But Your Majesty—”
“Let them run.” Kael stopped.
Lucas stared into the darkness. The rogues had come to attack. But they hadn't come to win.
They had come to measure Blackthorne's strength.
And now they knew exactly how many warriors the King had brought.
---
Back at the palace, Isabel stood awake beside her bedroom window.She couldn't sleep.
The city lights stretched beneath her, bright and distant.She touched the crescent pendant resting against her chest.
For some reason, it felt unusually warm, she frowned.
Then—A sharp pain shot through her fingers.
Isabel immediately pulled her hand away, the pendant fell against her palm.For a brief second, the silver crescent seemed to glow beneath her fingers.
She stared at it. “What...?”
The light disappeared.Isabel's brows drew together.She looked toward the window.
Far beyond Ashford, beneath the same moon that hung over the northern battlefield, something ancient had begun to stir.
And neither Isabel nor Lucas knew that the attack on Red Moon was only the beginning.
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