10 – The King’s Command
845 Words
The great hall had never felt so tense.
No one moved.
No one spoke.
The fallen dagger still lay on the stone floor between Elara and King Alaric, its silver blade glinting under the light of the massive chandeliers above.
The entire court stared at it.
A weapon thrown in the presence of the king.
Inside the royal court.
It was more than an attack.
It was treason.
Alaric’s expression darkened as palace guards dragged several suspects forward from the crowd.
“Search every entrance,” he ordered coldly.
“Seal the palace gates.”
The captain of the guard bowed immediately. “Yes, Your Majesty.”
Armored warriors rushed from the hall, their heavy boots echoing through the corridors.
The court remained frozen.
Because everyone could feel it.
The king’s anger.
It hung in the air like a coming storm.
⸻
Elara still stood behind him.
Her heart had not stopped racing since the dagger flew past her.
If Alaric had moved even a second slower…
She pushed the thought away quickly.
“You saved me,” she said quietly.
The words were barely above a whisper.
But he heard them.
Of course he did.
Alaric turned slightly, though he didn’t fully face her.
“I saved a healer valuable to my soldiers,” he said flatly.
The response felt like ice.
Yet the bond between them pulsed again.
Stronger.
Elara could feel something else beneath his cold words.
Fear.
Not for himself.
For her.
⸻
Marcus stepped forward, examining the dagger on the floor.
His brow furrowed.
“This blade is not ordinary.”
He lifted it carefully.
The metal gleamed strangely under the light.
Marcus turned the blade slightly and revealed a small engraving near the handle.
A wolf crest.
But not the royal crest.
A different one.
Older.
More dangerous.
The murmurs in the hall immediately grew louder.
“That mark…”
“I recognize it.”
“Impossible…”
Marcus’s voice dropped slightly.
“It belongs to House Varkos.”
A ripple of shock passed through the court.
House Varkos was one of the most powerful noble wolf houses in the kingdom.
And one of the most ambitious.
Alaric’s eyes slowly moved across the room.
“Step forward,” he commanded.
The authority in his voice was absolute.
From the crowd, a tall man finally walked forward.
Lord Darius Varkos.
He was broad-shouldered, with sharp features and cold grey eyes.
He bowed slightly.
“Your Majesty.”
The hall became completely silent.
Darius glanced briefly at the dagger in Marcus’s hand before looking back at the king.
“Surely you do not believe my house would attempt such foolish treason in the middle of your court.”
Alaric studied him.
Long.
Carefully.
The king’s golden eyes revealed nothing.
But inside, his wolf growled.
Because something about this situation felt wrong.
Too convenient.
Too obvious.
Elara felt the tension building again.
The entire room seemed ready to explode.
Darius’s gaze slowly shifted toward her.
His expression remained calm.
But his eyes were calculating.
“So,” he said quietly, “this is the healer who caused so much commotion.”
Elara felt a chill run through her spine.
Alaric noticed immediately.
And that was enough.
His patience snapped.
In one swift movement, he stepped forward and placed himself between Elara and Darius.
The court gasped softly.
The action was small.
But its meaning was enormous.
The king had just positioned himself protectively in front of the healer.
Alaric’s voice turned dangerously low.
“You will not address her.”
Darius’s eyebrow lifted slightly.
“Interesting,” he said slowly.
Around them, whispers erupted again.
Because now it was becoming obvious.
The king’s reaction was not normal.
Not political.
Not strategic.
It was instinct.
Protective instinct.
The instinct of a wolf defending something precious.
Elara felt the mate bond surge again.
Stronger than before.
And for the first time since arriving at the palace…
She realized something terrifying.
The entire court was starting to notice.
Darius smiled faintly.
“A healer arrives from nowhere,” he said softly.
“Captures the king’s attention.”
“And now someone attempts to kill her.”
He tilted his head slightly.
“How fascinating.”
Alaric’s eyes flashed.
But before he could respond—
The palace doors burst open.
A guard rushed inside, breathless.
“Your Majesty!”
The hall turned toward him.
“We found the assassin.”
The entire court held its breath.
The guard continued.
“He’s dead.”
A wave of shock swept through the room.
“Poison,” the guard explained.
“Before we could question him.”
Silence followed.
Because now it was clear.
Someone powerful had planned this carefully.
The assassin had been meant to die before revealing anything.
Alaric’s gaze darkened slowly.
This was no random attack.
It was the beginning of something bigger.
Something dangerous.
His eyes drifted briefly toward Elara.
The bond pulsed again.
And deep inside, his wolf whispered the same warning.
Protect her.
Because whoever was behind this attack…
Would not stop here.
- Writer
