KADE'S POV
I walk out of the throne room with my father's words echoing in my head. "You are forbidden from launching a rescue mission."
Forbidden. Like I'm a child being told not to play with sharp objects.
My wolf snarls inside my chest, pacing back and forth like a caged animal. Every instinct tells me to ignore my father's orders and do what needs to be done.
I make my way to the east wing of the castle, where Derek's quarters are located. If I'm going to defy the king, I'll need help from people I trust.
I knock on Derek's door. "It's me. Open up."
The door opens immediately. Derek takes one look at my face and steps aside.
"That bad?" he asks.
"Worse. He's forbidden me from launching any rescue mission."
"Forbidden? What does that mean exactly?"
"It means if I disobey him, I could be stripped of my title and exiled."
Derek whistles low. "That's serious, Kade."
"Not as serious as leaving Ivy to die."
I pace around his small room, unable to stand still. "I need to know who's with me."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean I'm going after her anyway. With or without my father's blessing."
Derek stares at me for a long moment. "You're really going to defy the king?"
"I'm really going to save my mate."
"Then you have my sword," Derek says without hesitation.
"It could mean exile for all of us."
"Then we better make sure we don't get caught."
I grip his shoulder. "Thank you."
"Who else do we need?"
"Marcus, for one. He's the best tracker we have."
"I'll get him. Who else?"
"Captain Ryan. If we're going to do this, we need someone who knows military strategy."
Derek nods. "Anyone else?"
"Just us four for now. The fewer people who know, the better."
"I'll gather them quietly. Where do you want to meet?"
"The old armory. In one hour."
Derek heads for the door, then stops. "Kade, are you sure about this? Once we start down this path, there's no going back."
"There's already no going back. Not for me."
After Derek leaves, I return to my chambers to think. My wolf is getting more agitated by the hour. I can feel him scratching at the inside of my mind, demanding action.
One hour later, I'm standing in the old armory with Derek, Marcus, and Captain Ryan. The room is dusty and filled with ancient weapons that haven't been used in decades.
"Gentlemen," I begin, "thank you for coming. I'll get straight to the point. The king has forbidden me from launching a rescue mission for Ivy."
"What?" Captain Ryan looks shocked. "But she's your mate."
"That's what I told him. He said the risk of war was too great."
"So what are we doing here?" Marcus asks.
"We're planning a rescue anyway."
The three men exchange glances. I can see them weighing their loyalty to me against their duty to the crown.
"I won't lie to you," I continue. "This could cost us everything. Our positions, our homes, maybe even our lives. If anyone wants to leave, do it now."
None of them move.
"Alright then," I say, pulling out a map of the northern territories. "Let's get to work."
I spread the map on a dusty table. "Marcus, you said the scouts found traces of Ivy's scent near the eastern border?"
"Yes, Your Highness. About twenty miles east of here, then it just stopped."
"Stopped how? Like they used something to mask it?"
"That's what it seemed like. Or like she was put in a wagon or something that would hide her scent."
I study the map. "If they took her east, where would they go?"
Captain Ryan points to a spot on the map. "There's an old fortress here. Abandoned for about fifty years, but it would be a good place to hold someone."
"Too obvious," Derek says. "If I were holding a hostage, I wouldn't use a place that shows up on maps."
"Then where?" I ask.
Marcus leans over the map. "Here," he says, pointing to a wooded area. "There are caves in these hills. Natural formations that don't show up on any maps."
"How do you know about them?"
"I used to hunt in this area as a boy. My father showed me the caves. They're deep and well-hidden."
I feel a spark of hope. "How many entrances?"
"Three that I know of. Maybe more."
"Perfect. That's where we start."
I look at each of them. "Here's the plan. We divide into two teams. Marcus and Derek, you'll track Ivy's trail and try to confirm where she's being held."
"And us?" Captain Ryan asks.
"You and I will scout the area Marcus mentioned. Look for any signs of recent activity."
"When do we leave?" Derek asks.
"Tonight. After the castle is asleep."
"That's not much time to prepare," Captain Ryan points out.
"Every hour we waste is another hour Ivy could be suffering. Or worse."
My wolf snarls in agreement. I can feel him pushing against my control, demanding immediate action.
"What about supplies?" Marcus asks.
"Travel light. Weapons, food for three days, water. Nothing else."
"Horses?"
"No. Too noisy and too easy to track. We go on foot."
"That'll slow us down," Derek says.
"Better slow than dead."
We spend the next hour going over the details. Routes, backup plans, signals to use if we get separated. By the time we're finished, I feel more hopeful than I have since Ivy disappeared.
"Remember," I tell them as we prepare to leave, "if we're caught, you don't know anything about this. I forced you to come with me."
"Like hell," Captain Ryan says. "We're all in this together."
"I'm serious. I won't have your lives ruined because of my choices."
"Our choices," Derek corrects. "We all chose to be here."
I nod, feeling grateful for their loyalty.
"Alright then. Let's go save my mate."
We're about to leave the armory when we hear footsteps in the corridor outside. We all freeze, hands moving to our weapons.
A knock at the door makes us all jump.
"Your Highness?" a guard's voice calls out. "Are you in there?"
I exchange looks with the others. "Yes. What is it?"
"There's someone here to see you, sir. Says it's urgent."
"Who?"
"Lady Liora, Your Highness."
My heart stops. Liora. The woman who fled from me in terror during my transformation. What could she possibly want?