Gilded Fate

CHAPTER TEN

Xhanes seemed to be setting perfectly with the Lanster wolves within three weeks of staying in the territory. Something Phaeryl has been struggling to achieve for a while. She didn’t want to remember how desperate she had been to associate with the pack’s strongests.

She tossed once more on her bed. She had already tried tricking her brain to sleep. During the last week, she was barely able to keep Xhanes from reading her mind by maintaining stillness in her mind. She knew one thing was sure. Xhanes was most likely wearing a mask to hide his intentions.

Phaeryl couldn’t stop the urge to step outside and receive fresh air. She quickly climbed down the stairs and sat on the cool bench of the manor's garden.

She was watching the stars when her gaze jerked to the shadows. The corner of her eye caught a glint along the pillars of the manor. She quickly figured out it was Xhanes. Perfect advantage of having werewolf characteristic enhanced night vision.

Her legs quickly gave into following him stealthily. She watched as he shifted into his wolf and was gone.

Doing the same, she jumped off the high walls of manor without a thought. She prayed inwardly that she'd be able to catch up to him.

Strange.

He was standing quietly in between the tall trees in the forest just beyond Lanster territory. He had already shifted back to his human form. Apart from wondering why Xhanes was here, she was more concerned with being quiet on top of the tree she had climbed. She took slow breaths in, trying to relax and conceal her presence from him.

Her eyes widened as she watched three wolves emerge from the shadows. The first one appeared to be an older female wolf with gorgeous blue eyes and platinum blonde fur, the opposite of Xhanes’ pitch black fur matching his undeniably lush, beautiful black hair.

That was it.

She needed to concentrate and find out what this meeting was about. The second was an older male wolf with lush grey fur and brown eyes, a characteristic of the Carlisle pack.

The third wolf appeared a bit more interesting, a male werewolf who seemed a little bit older than Xhanes. The same fur as Xhanes but lighter and dark brown eyes unlike Xhanes’ light brown eyes that turned golden at times.

The three shifted back to their human form. They were just as gorgeous as their wolf form. Phaeryl was more accurate in telling their ages. The female wolf looked young and was probably in her late twenties. Which was the same with the man.

The third werewolf was most likely to be around the same age as Xhanes from her deductions.

“Did anybody find out that you left Keld?” The female werewolf spoke with obvious concern written all over her face.

“No. I think” Xhanes said, voice monotone, with his back leaning on the tree Phaeryl was on top of.

Beads of sweat drizzled down her face in contrast to the night's cool breeze. She could only regret her intrusion in such a seemingly important conversation.

“Why though? I thought you were just going to operate from your cage” The third werewolf finally spoke up with a gruff voice.

“I'm sure Xhanes knows what he's doing after all he was able to break off the defensive energy barrier of the Keld palace ” The grey haired man's words sounded as though he was praising Xhanes.

“I left cause I was bored” Xhanes was twenty-four and probably the youngest out of them. Phaeryl assumed his attitude made him talk without respect.

The branch bit into Phaeryl’s thigh. She couldn’t move. She hated the feeling of the sap clung to her palm, tacky and slow, as she adjusted her grip against the rough bark. Leaves brushed her cheek every time the wind shifted, whispering like they knew she wasn’t supposed to be here. Phaeryl leaned forward, careful. Too careful.

She froze, cursing inwardly when the branch creaked.

Fortunately, none of them looked up.

A breath slipped quietly from her nose. Slow. Controlled. She shifted her weight again, inching closer to the trunk where the wood felt thicker, safer.

Phaeryl shifted again, trying to get a better angle. A leaf slipped loose under her hand and spiraled down, brushing through the branches before disappearing into the dark.

“Of all territories to seek refuge in: You chose Lanster. I almost forgot this place existed.” Phaeryl couldn’t help but scoff inwardly at what the third wolf had said. This was a bitter truth that her father constantly tried to ignore. Lanster was powerful when their ally,Ardegard, was not trapped. Now, they are more distant from other packs and rarely engage in Ustia activities.

“I found my mate. She's from Lanster” The three wolves exchanged surprise glances at each other.

“Enjoying the view? Come down.”

Her eyes squeezed shut, hoping he hadn’t noticed her.

His expression wasn’t angry. That somehow made it worse. His gaze pinned her in place, steady and unblinking, like he’d known she was there long before she’d realized she’d been caught.

The other wolves had followed Xhanes’ gaze to the top of the tree.

Phaeryl exhaled through her nose.

“Wasn’t planning to stay long,” she muttered.

“Clearly.”

Then, with deliberate slowness, she swung one leg down, testing the lower branch before shifting her weight. Bark flaked under her boots as she descended, less graceful than she would’ve liked, more aware than she wanted to be of every pair of eyes tracking her movement.

She dropped the last few feet.

The silence was deafening

“Eavesdropping?” the female wolf said, voice laced with amusement.

Phaeryl brushed her hands together, ignoring the sting in her palms.

“You were talking loud enough.”

There was a brief moment of silence before a lone chuckle of the third wolf pierced through.

“Xhanes, I didn’t know your mate was into eavesdropping from the tree tops”

Xhanes didn’t react.

“You followed me,” he stated.

It was definitely not a question.

Phaeryl retorted “You snuck out.”

“That doesn’t answer it.”

“It does if you think about it.”

Something flickered in his eyes. It's not quite irritating. Not quite approval.

Just awareness.

The same unsettling steadiness from before had filled the air between them.

The other wolves weren’t focused on their conversation anymore.They were watching this.

Phaeryl felt it.

And she didn’t like it.

“So,” she said, folding her arms loosely, as if she hadn’t just been clinging to a tree like a spy who’d missed her exit, “are you going to continue your mysterious little meeting, or did I ruin the mood?”

One of the wolves let out a low chuckle.

Xhanes held her gaze for a second longer.

“She's Phaeryl Lanster, daughter of Alpha Astor Lanster of Lanster pack”

“My intuition was right. She does look like her father. ”

“Phaeryl, this is Orlo and Charis” he revealed, referring to the grey haired and platinum blonde haired werewolves. They smiled faintly at Phaeryl in acknowledgment.

“And my cousin, Priel”

“They're my acquaintances,” he added.

“You’re his mate?” Priel said, disbelief threading through his voice.

Silence.

“Yes.”

The word settled like a stone between them.

“That explains a lot. I can feel a little bit of Xhanes’ energy from you ” Charis shot in.

“Ooh Where is your bond mark?” Orlo scanned her curiously.

“My eyes”

His mouth drew open before exchanging glances with Charis and Priel.

“This is my first time hearing this. How did you find out? When–”

He was cut off by Xhanes clearing his throat.

“We have to get going. Nice meeting you, Phaeryl” Priel quickly acknowledged Xhanes’ cue.

“Yes, yes. Time to go” Orlo added, still curious about her.

Charis stepped closer towards them with narrowed eyes. She beamed a smile at Phaeryl and ruffled Xhanes’ hair.

“Can't believe Xhanes finally found his mate” she muttered as she walked away.

Phaeryl watched them go, then glanced back at Xhanes.

“You dismissed them.”

“They said what they needed to.”

“And?”

“And you heard it.”

She didn't notice when her jaw tightened subconsciously.

“So now what?”

Xhanes stepped closer to her.

Not enough to touch.

Enough that she had to tilt her head slightly to keep his eyes.

“Next time,” he said quietly, “pick a stronger branch.”

Phaeryl blinked. A small, sharp smile pulled at her mouth.

“Next time,” she shot back, “don’t make it so obvious you want to be followed.”

For the first time that night—

Something in his expression shifted.

Subtle.

But real.

And then he turned, disappearing into the trees like he’d never been there at all, leaving Phaeryl alone with the uncomfortable certainty that she hadn’t been nearly as hidden as she thought.