Page 27 of Haunted Crowns
“He is not that dramatic.” She paused. “He will support me. He always has.”
Kareon’s stance shifted subtly. “Are you sure?”
Eris hesitated, almost imperceptibly, but he noticed. “Yes.”
Kareon hummed. “Then you should go, before your precious commander starts envisioning my head on a spike.”
“You overestimate his jealousy,” Eris said. At that, Kareon smirked. “And you underestimate your effect.”
The fire crackled, but the space between them thickened with tension that pulsed just beneath the surface. His gaze lingered a breath too long. Hers didn’t waver. Eris didn’t answer, not because she had nothing to say, but because what she wanted to say wasn’t safe.
Kareon tipped his chin toward the treeline. “Varis and Bellara will escort you back to the Summit.” Then his lips curved into a challenge. “Unless you'd prefer to test your Firstblood endurance by staying in my tent tonight.”
The suggestion hung in the air, deliberate, just enough heat to provoke, just enough restraint to keep her guessing.
Eris didn’t flinch. She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction. Instead, she tilted her head, watching him as he watched her.
“A tempting offer, Alpha.” Her tone was cool and composed. “I’m sure it’s... accommodating.”
The silence that followed was charged, every unspoken word strung tight between them, neither willing to yield. She let it linger, soft as breath, sharp as a dare. There was a pause, a flicker of something in his eyes that vanished too quickly to name. Kareon exhaled sharply and shook his head.
“Moon save me.”
He hadn’t meant to say it aloud, but she was getting under his skin. Too calm. Too steady. She met him without fear, without flinching, and somehow that was worse. He’d meant to test her, push her, keep the upper hand. Instead, he was the one off-balance.
He looked away, jaw clenched, as if distance might help him regain control. Then her voice broke the silence, quiet, but clear.
“Thank you, Kareon. For earlier. For standing by my side.”
It wasn’t praise or submission. It was acknowledgment. Trust. And it struck him with more force than he expected. Kareon stood still, shoulders tight, refusing to face her.
“Don’t thank me,” he said, too rough. “The night isn’t over.”
Eris gave a faint smile. “Sure.”
Bellara stepped forward, clearing her throat. “We should go.”
Eris turned to follow, but before she vanished into the trees, she looked back. Just once. Her eyes found his, steady and hard to read. The moment hung between them, taut with everything unsaid. Then she turned away.
He should have left too. He didn’t. He stood there, staring into the dark where she’d gone. Something shifting in him he couldn’t quite name.
This wasn’t how it was supposed to go.
This was a mistake.
“The Dragovs rule by silence, not truth.”
—Anonymous document, date erased
Chapter 6
Astareth Summit—Western Wing, Council Chamber
The sconces burned low, flickering shadows licking the stone walls. Eris stood before the heavy oak door, pulse thudding in her ears. She had spent the day clinging to one belief: that he would understand. Stephan had always stood beside her, but something inside whispered otherwise. Not this time.
She shoved the doubt away. No, Stephan had never let her down. He would not start now.
She knocked.
