Page 26 of Haunted Crowns
Kareon’s scowl held, but his hand shifted. He tore a strip of meat and flicked it across the dirt, though not unkind. The pup seized its prize and vanished. The warriors exchanged glances, half amused, half stunned.
Kareon’s voice cut through them. “Do not start.”
Eris bit back a smile. “I was expecting more of an iron fist, Alpha.”
He side-eyed her, unimpressed. “You have a problem with how I run my pack?”
She tilted her head, eyes bright. “I did not say that.”
Bellara chuckled. “She’s got you there.”
Kareon exhaled sharply and shook his head. “Moon save me.”
The moment had softened. But then a voice broke the stillness.
“A good performance. Almost makes one forget what she really is.”
The warmth vanished. Tension coiled back, sharp, through the firelit circle. Eris turned.
Vatryk.
He no longer lounged against the logs. He was leaning forward now, arms braced on his knees, his stare like cold iron. Beside him, Leira, her gaze narrowed in open disdain. The words sliced sharper than steel. Eris didn’t flinch, but the warmth inside her fractured. She wasn’t surprised, just reminded. This was what waited the moment she dared to believe she belonged.
“Fascinating, isn’t it?” Leira said, voice lethal. “How quickly they let their guard down, forgetting who sits among them.”
The murmurs stilled. Kareon didn’t move. He only tilted his head, the kind of motion that carried weight without force.
“I don’t recall asking for your opinion.”
Vatryk watched, cold and calculating. “No,” he murmured. “You did not.” His gaze slid to Eris, unreadable. “Just remember, Kareon. Some of us have longer memories than others.”
A pause followed. The air held still. Kareon’s stare remained flat. Then, slowly, he exhaled.
“Noted.”
He clocked the threat, the shift in loyalties, the lines being drawn. Let them warn. He was watching too.
Vatryk held his gaze a moment longer before leaning back, fingers tapping against his knee. It was not retreat. It was patience.
Leira exhaled sharply, her fingers curling against the wood beneath her. Her eyes stayed on Kareon, but her weight had shifted, just enough to mark where her loyalty leaned.
Kareon rose in one smooth motion, rolling his shoulders as if shedding the weight of the exchange.
“The hunt is in two hours. Prepare yourselves.”
A subtle shift rippled through the pack. Some rose at once. Others lingered a moment longer before slipping silently into the night, already half-wild with anticipation.
Kareon exhaled and glanced at Eris. “Well, that went about as smoothly as a blade to the gut.”
Eris arched a brow. “Yet, somehow, no one is bleeding. A success, then?”
Kareon huffed, shaking his head. “Don’t get ahead of yourself.”
The fire crackled between them, charged with unspoken tension. For a moment, they stood in silence, Eris bathed in firelight, Kareon watching her with an unreadable expression. Then Kareon smirked, crossing his arms.
“So, should I expect Dragov to storm in at dawn, sword drawn, demanding a duel for your honor?”
Eris scoffed, brushing an invisible speck from her sleeve.
