KADE'S POV
I make my way to the main hall where Liora is waiting. My mind is still focused on the rescue plans, but if she has information about Ivy, I need to hear it.
I find her standing by the large windows, looking out at the courtyard. She's dressed in a beautiful blue gown, her hair perfectly arranged. She looks nothing like the terrified woman who ran from me months ago.
"Liora," I say, approaching her. "You wanted to see me?"
She turns around, and I see something different in her eyes. Not fear this time, but determination.
"Kade," she says softly. "Thank you for agreeing to meet with me."
"The guard said you wanted to see me for something important.”
"I do. But first, I need to say something else."
I cross my arms. "Make it quick. I don't have much time."
She takes a step closer to me. "I've been thinking about what happened between us. About that night."
"Liora, we don't need to discuss this."
"Yes, we do." She reaches out and touches my arm gently. "I was wrong to run from you."
I pull my arm back. "You weren't wrong. You were smart. You saw what I really am."
"I saw you in pain," she corrects. "I saw you struggling with something beyond your control."
"I saw terror in your eyes."
"Because I didn't understand then. But I do now."
I shake my head. "Understand what?"
"That your beast is part of you. And I forgive it. I forgive all of it."
Her words catch me off guard. "You forgive it?"
"Yes. I want to try again, Kade. I want us to try again."
I stare at her in disbelief. "Are you serious?"
"Completely serious. I've realized that I made a mistake. You're a good man, despite your curse. Maybe because of it."
"Liora—"
"I know it won't be easy," she continues. "But I'm willing to work through it. I want to be your mate."
The irony hits me like a slap. Months ago, I would have given anything to hear these words from her. Now they mean nothing.
"It's too late," I say quietly.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean I already belong to someone else."
Her face falls. "The slave girl? Ivy?"
"She's not a slave. She's my mate. My true mate."
“What kind of future can you have with that slave girl? She has no family, no status, no political value."
"I don't care about any of that."
"But you should. You're going to be king someday."
"And she'll be my queen."
Liora's expression hardens. "You're making a mistake."
"The only mistake I made was not seeing sooner what was right in front of me."
"You're choosing her over me?"
"I'm not choosing anyone over anyone. I'm just being honest about what's already been decided."
"By who?"
"By fate. By the mate bond. By my heart."
Liora's pride is clearly wounded. I can see it in the way she straightens her shoulders and lifts her chin.
"I see," she says coldly. "So you prefer damaged goods to someone who could actually help your kingdom."
"Watch yourself, Liora."
"I'm just being honest. She's a broken girl from a broken family. What can she possibly offer you that I can't?"
"Love," I say simply. "Real, unconditional love."
"I can love you too."
"No, you can't. You love the idea of being a queen. You love the status and the power. But you don't love me."
"That's not true."
"Prove it. Tell me one thing you love about me that has nothing to do with my title or my position."
She opens her mouth, then closes it again. She can't answer.
"I thought so," I say. "Now please leave. I have more important things to deal with."
"I'm not leaving until we finish this conversation."
"We are finished."
"No, we're not. I deserve better than this dismissal."
My patience snaps. "You deserve exactly what you're getting!" I bark at her, my voice echoing through the hall. "You had your chance and you ran! You don't get to come back now and demand anything!"
She takes a step back, startled by my tone.
"I treated you with respect and kindness, and you called me a monster," I continue. "Now someone else sees past the curse to the man underneath, and suddenly you want me back? That's not how it works."
"Kade, I—"
"Leave. Now. Before I say something we'll both regret."
She looks like she wants to argue more, but something in my expression stops her. She turns toward the door, her pride clearly hurt.
Just as she reaches the doorway, a guard comes running into the hall.
"Your Highness!" he shouts, breathing hard. "Urgent news!"
"What is it?" I ask, immediately alert.
"We just heard a rumor, sir. Someone saw Lady Ivy being moved through the northern woods. She was bound and being escorted by several men."
My heart stops. "When? Where exactly?"
"About an hour ago, sir. Near the old mill road, heading toward the mountains."
I don't hesitate. "Saddle my horse. Now!"
"Yes, Your Highness!"
I push past Liora without another word and race toward the stables. Behind me, I can hear guards shouting orders and running to follow me.
"Get Captain Ryan and six men!" I shout as I mount my horse. "We leave immediately!"
"Yes, sir!"
Within minutes, we're racing through the countryside toward the northern woods. My horse's hooves pound against the ground as we push forward at a breakneck pace.
"There!" Captain Ryan shouts, pointing to a path through the trees. "The old mill road!"
We follow the path deeper into the woods. My wolf is going crazy, sensing that we might be close to Ivy. Every fiber of my being is focused on finding her.
But when we reach the area where she was supposedly seen, there's nothing. No tracks, no signs of struggle, no scent trail.
"Spread out!" I command. "Search every inch of this area!"
"Yes, Your Highness!"
The men split into three groups, each taking a different section of the woods. I join one group, desperately looking for any sign that Ivy was here.
We search for over an hour. Every tree, every clearing, every possible hiding spot.
Nothing.
"Your Highness," Captain Ryan calls out as the groups reassemble. "We've covered the entire area."
"And?"
"There's no sign that anyone was here recently. No tracks, no broken branches, nothing."
My heart sinks. "Are you sure?"
"I'm afraid so, sir. If Lady Ivy was here, there would be some trace of her passage."
The reality hits me like a physical blow. "It was a false rumor."
"It appears so, Your Highness."
I feel rage building in my chest. Someone gave us false information. Someone made us waste precious time on a wild chase while Ivy is still out there somewhere.
"Why would someone do this?" I ask, though I already suspect the answer.
"To throw us off the real trail," Captain Ryan says grimly. "To buy more time."
The fury explodes out of me. I turn to the nearest tree – a massive oak with a trunk as thick as a man's torso – and drive my fist into it with all my strength.
The impact sends shock waves up my arm, but I don't care. I hit it again and again, each blow harder than the last.
"Your Highness," Captain Ryan says carefully. "Sir, you're bleeding."
I look down at my knuckles. They're split and raw, blood running down my fingers. But the physical pain is nothing compared to the anguish in my chest.
"DAMN IT!" I scream, my voice echoing through the empty woods. "WHERE IS SHE?"
The sound of my frustration bounces off the trees and fades into silence. We're no closer to finding Ivy than we were this morning.
Someone is playing games with us. And while we chase false leads, Ivy could be suffering or dying.