Chapter3:TheWarning
1583 Words
Kieran’s POV
I woke up before sunrise to the sound of voices downstairs.
At first, I stayed still, listening. The house was usually quiet at that hour, with only the occasional movement from the kitchen as my mother began preparing breakfast. These voices were different. Low and serious.
I dressed quickly and stepped into the hallway.
My father stood near the front door with one of the territory guards. The moment he noticed me, their conversation stopped.
“What happened?” I asked.
“Nothing.”
I looked at the guard and he immediately glanced away.
That was enough to make me suspicious.
“Father.”
My father sighed and motioned for the guard to leave. Once we were alone, he turned toward the window overlooking the eastern forest.
“There was movement near the border during the night.”
My thoughts went straight to Rowan.
“Did someone attack him?”
“No. The guards did not find anyone.”
“Then what happened?”
“Someone was there.” I frowned.
“How do you know?”
“The eastern patrol heard movement beyond the trees. By the time they reached the area, whoever it was had disappeared.”
“Could it have been an animal?” My father gave me a look. “The patrol knows the difference.”
I leaned against the wall.
“Did they find tracks?”
“Very little. Whoever was there knew how to move without being noticed.”
His answer made me uneasy.
“Could it have been bandits?”
“Perhaps.”
He paused before adding, “Or someone looking for something.”
I glanced toward the stairs.
“Do you think it has something to do with Rowan?”
My father did not answer immediately.
That silence told me enough.
“You don’t trust him.”
“I don’t know him.”
“He’s injured.”
“That does not tell us why he was near our border.”
I frowned.
“You think he lied about the attack?”
“I think you should stop assuming that everyone who needs help is harmless.”
I wanted to argue, but Skyler had been saying almost the same thing since we found Rowan.
Before I could respond, my mother entered the room.
“Rowan is awake.”
My father turned toward her.
“How is he?”
“His fever has gone down. He’s still weak, but the wound is responding well to treatment.”
I relaxed.
“Can I see him?”
My father looked at me.
“Briefly.”
I headed upstairs before he could change his mind.
Rowan was sitting beside the window when I entered. Morning light had only just begun to spread across the valley, leaving most of the room in soft shadow.
“You’re awake early,” he said.
“So are you.” He smiled.
“I slept enough.”
I looked at his bandages.
“How does it feel?”
“Better than yesterday.”
“You should tell my mother if that changes.”
“I will.”
I pulled a chair closer and sat across from him.
For a moment, neither of us spoke.
Then I remembered my father’s questions.
“My father wants to know how you ended up near our border.”
Rowan’s expression remained calm.
“I told you that Bandits attacked me.”
“I know.”
“Then why ask again?”
“Because someone was near the border last night.” His eyes shifted toward the window.
It was brief, almost too quick to notice, but I noticed it.
“Did you see anyone?” I asked.
“No.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
His answer came without hesitation.
“You don’t seem surprised.”
“Should I be?”
“If someone was watching the territory?”
Rowan looked at me.
“I’ve been traveling alone for a long time and I’ve learned not to be surprised by strangers.”
There was something about the answer that made me pause.
“You should rest,” I said eventually.
“I will.”
I stood. “Kieran.”
I turned.
He was watching me with an expression I couldn’t quite read.
“Thank you.”
“You already thanked me.” “I know. I wanted to say it again.”
I smiled.
“You’re welcome.”
I left the room and found Skyler waiting in the hallway.
He looked at me.
“You believe him?”
“I don’t know.”
Skyler raised an eyebrow.
“That isn’t what you said yesterday.”
“I know.”
He glanced toward Rowan’s door.
“There is something strange about him.”
“You’ve said that already.”
“And I’m still right.”
I sighed.
“You don’t trust anyone.”
“I trust you.”
I looked at him.
He shrugged. “Most of the time.”
I laughed.
“That is supposed to make me feel better?”
“It should.”
We headed downstairs together.
Outside, the territory was beginning to wake. Hunters gathered near the outer paths while families moved between the houses. Children ran across the clearing, their voices carrying through the cool morning air.
Everything looked ordinary.
I found myself thinking about what my father had said.
Someone had been near the eastern border, and nobody knew who they were or what they wanted.
Skyler glanced at me.
“You’re thinking about Rowan.”
“I’m thinking about the border.” “You’re thinking about Rowan.”
I gave him a sideways look.
“Why are you so determined to believe he’s dangerous?”
“Because he appeared near our territory injured, alone, and unable to tell us which road he had been traveling on.”
“He said bandits attacked him.”
“And you believed him.”
“I wanted to.”
Skyler stopped walking.
I turned back.
He lowered his voice.
“That’s different.”
Before I could answer, a guard came running across the clearing.
He stopped in front of my father, who had just stepped outside.
“Alpha.”
My father straightened.
“What happened?”
“We found something near the eastern border.” The guard held out a small piece of dark fabric.
My father took it.
I stepped closer.
“Where did you find that?”
“Caught on a branch near the same area where Kieran found the human.”
My father’s eyes moved toward me.
“What else?”
“Footprints.”
“How many?”
“We couldn’t determine that. The ground was too dry, and whoever left them seemed to know how to move through the forest without being detected.”
Skyler looked at me and I looked back at him.
My father handed the fabric to one of the guards.
“Prepare another patrol. Take two trackers and search the entire eastern boundary.” “Yes, Alpha.”
The guard turned to leave.
“Father,” I said.
He looked at me.
“Can I come?”
“No.”
“I know that forest better than most of the guards.”
“And that is exactly why you should stay here.”
“I can handle myself.”
“I know you can.”
His voice softened, but his expression remained firm.
“That is not what concerns me.”
“Then what does?” “You are too close to this.”
I frowned.
“How?”
“You found the stranger, you brought him here and now someone is watching the same part of the territory.”
“So you think Rowan is involved?”
“I said no such thing.” “But you think it’s possible.”
My father held my gaze.
“I think we know too little to make accusations.”
I had no answer to that.
He turned back toward the guards.
“Stay away from the eastern border until I tell you otherwise.”
I wanted to protest, but I knew from his tone that it would be pointless.
“Fine.”
I walked away with Skyler.
We had barely crossed the courtyard when he spoke.
“You should listen to him.”
“Don’t start.”
“I wasn’t going to say anything.”
“You were.” He smiled.
“Maybe.”
I shook my head.
When we reached the training grounds, I stopped.
My attention had been drawn back toward the house.
Rowan stood at the upstairs window.
He was looking toward the forest then his eyes found mine and he smiled.
I returned it automatically.
Rowan stepped away from the window.
I kept staring at the empty space.
Skyler followed my gaze.
“You see something?”
“No.”
He studied me but didn’t push.
We continued toward the training grounds, but my thoughts remained behind.
I had no proof that Rowan had anything to do with the stranger near the border. I didn’t even know whether the person the guards had heard was human.
Still, when I remembered Rowan’s hesitation that morning, I found myself wondering why his answer had come so quickly.
I picked up my training sword.
Skyler raised an eyebrow.
“You’re distracted.”
“Then give me something else to think about.”
He grinned and lifted his own sword.
“Gladly.”
The first clash of wood against wood echoed across the training ground.
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