IVY’S POV
I burst into my tiny room, my heart pounding so hard I thought it might explode. The conversation I had just overheard between Darius and the elders kept replaying in my mind.
"They're going to poison you," I whispered to the figure sitting in the corner of my cramped space.
The Fenrir Prince looked up at me calmly. I had told him to wait here while I tried to find out what they were planning against him. I never expected to discover something so horrible.
"I saw Darius walking out of the meeting room," I continued, still catching my breath. "So I fled back here as fast as I could."
Prince Kade stood up slowly. Even in my tiny room where he had to hunch over because of the low ceiling, he looked powerful and dignified.
"Tell me exactly what you heard," he said quietly.
"They're planning to kill you during the welcoming feast tonight," I said, the words tumbling out of me. "Darius wants to poison your food. He thinks if he kills you, the prophecy won't come true."
I expected him to be shocked, maybe angry or scared. But Prince Kade just looked... calm. Like I had told him the weather forecast instead of a death threat.
"He said they have a healer in the dungeon," I continued. "That's me. He wants to use my healing powers to help their warriors if there's a fight."
"Interesting," Prince Kade said, nodding thoughtfully.
"Interesting?" I stared at him. "They want to murder you! How is that interesting?"
"Because now I know what to expect," he replied simply. "Thank you for this information."
He moved toward the small doorway, preparing to leave. Without thinking, I blocked his way.
"Wait," I said. "You can't just go back out there knowing they want to kill you."
He glanced up at me, and our eyes met in the dim light of my room.
"Be careful," I muttered, my voice barely a whisper.
A smile crawled across his face, and suddenly he looked so very handsome. My heart started beating so fast I was sure he could hear it. There was something about the way he looked at me that made my stomach flutter.
"I will," he said softly.
Without another word, he walked out of my room, leaving me standing there with my pulse racing.
I sighed heavily and slumped to my feet, sitting on the cold floor. What had I just done? I had helped the enemy of my pack. If anyone found out, I would be executed for sure.
But something about Prince Kade made me believe my father had been right. The Fenrir weren't the evil ones in this story.
I was still sitting on the floor when the door to my room burst open again. I jumped to my feet so fast I hit my head on the low ceiling.
"Ow!" I cried out.
Two pack guards stood in the doorway. They looked angry and determined.
"Come with us," one of them said roughly.
"What's wrong?" I asked, my voice shaking. "What did I do?"
Instead of answering, they grabbed my hands and started pulling me out of my room.
Panic shot through me like lightning. Did they find out I was eavesdropping on the meeting? Did someone see me talking to Prince Kade?
"Please," I begged as they dragged me through the corridors. "I haven't done anything wrong."
"Quiet, girl," one of the guards snapped.
My mind was racing. This might be the end for me. If they truly found out I had spied on them, if they knew I had warned their enemy, they would kill me just like they killed my parents.
They dragged me outside into the pack grounds. That's when I saw the crowd.
A large group of people had gathered in the center of the grounds. Pack members, warriors, and visitors all pressed together in a tight circle. And right in the middle of it all stood the Fenrir Prince.
As we got closer, I noticed something that made my blood run cold. The guards of the Fenrir Prince had surrounded our pack's guards. Their hands were on their weapons, their faces alert and ready for trouble.
"Let go of her," Prince Kade commanded, his voice carrying clearly across the crowd.
His tone was full of authority. Not a request, but an order.
"The Alpha Prince asked us to bring her," one of my guards replied, tightening his grip on my arm.
Prince Kade smirked, and I saw something dangerous flash in his eyes.
Before he could say another word, his men drew their swords in one smooth motion. The sound of metal sliding from sheaths filled the air.
Our pack guards immediately let go of me and stepped back, their faces pale with fear.
"That's better," Prince Kade said calmly.
The crowd around us was murmuring nervously. I could hear fragments of conversation.
"What's happening?"
"Why are they protecting the slave?"
"This doesn't look good."
"Should we get Alpha Darius?"
I stood there in the center of it all, confused and terrified. Why was the Fenrir Prince protecting me openly?
"Who the hell stopped my men from delivering that slave?" another voice interrupted, cutting through the tension like a blade.
Everyone turned to look at the newcomer. When I looked up, my heart sank.
It was exactly who I thought it would be.
Darius.
He was walking toward us with long, angry strides. His face was twisted with rage, and his eyes were locked on Prince Kade.