Chapter 485: A lie.

Aidan.

Davian pulled the final loop of heavy iron chain tight around the bedpost, securing Daniel’s wrists so firmly that the metal clinked sharply against the solid wood. We sat down on two heavy wooden chairs across from the bed, watching him like hawks.

Daniel slouched against the mattress, his head leaning back against the wooden frame. Blood was still dripping slowly from his split lip down onto his ruined velvet collar, and his chest heaved with every ragged breath he took.

"You’re wasting your time," Daniel rasped, coughing up a spatter of red onto his cheek. "You can chain me up all you want, but the moment the sun breaks over that ridge, the Lycan prince’s war bands are going to sweep through this pack... you can’t stop it."

I leaned forward in my chair, resting my elbows on my knees and staring at him. The room was deathly quiet, save for the crackle of the fireplace and the steady, rhythmic sound of Davian flipping his hunting knife over in his palm.

"He’s right about one thing, Davian," I said softly, my voice cold and flat. "The Lycan prince is waiting for a signal. If he doesn’t hear from Daniel soon, he’s going to get suspicious and launch the attack early—right into the tree line where Damien and Adrein are moving."

Davian stopped flipping his blade, his dark eyes snapping over to me. "So what do we do? We can’t let the Lycan prince move his troops yet, and he needs every minute we can buy."

I looked back at Daniel, a slow, lethal idea taking shape in my mind.

"We will write him a letter," I said.

Daniel let out a bitter, raspy laugh. "A letter? You think a piece of paper is going to stop a Lycan prince?"

"Not our words, Daniel," I said, standing up from my chair and stepping over to the small writing desk in the corner of the room. I picked up a piece of parchment, an inkwell, and a quill, bringing them over and dropping them onto the mattress right beside him. "Your words."

Daniel narrowed his eyes, staring at the parchment as if it were coated in poison. "I’m not writing anything for you."

"You are," I replied smoothly. "You’re going to write a letter to the Lycan prince in your own hand. You’re going to tell him that everything is going according to plan. You’ll tell him that Maria has been completely secured, that Davian, Adrein, Damien and I are fully co-operating, and that we are preparing to march out to the border line at dawn as agreed."

Davian caught on instantly. A dark, wicked smirk spread across his face as he stood up from his chair. He stepped around the side of the bed, grabbing Daniel by his hair and yanking his head back violently. Before Daniel could even open his mouth to protest, Davian pressed the sharp, cold edge of his hunting knife flush against the side of Daniel’s throat.

"Pick up the pen, snake," Davian growled into his ear, his voice trembling with a dangerous aura. "Or I swear to God I’ll let Aidan write it in your blood."

Daniel stiffened, his eyes wide with pure terror as the steel pressed firmly enough against his pulse point to draw a tiny bead of crimson. He swallowed hard, his breathing coming fast and shallow.

"You... you can’t fake my seal," Daniel gasped out, his fingers trembling as he looked down at the quill. "The Lycan prince knows my mark."

"Then use your seal," I said, pulling the signet ring off Daniel’s pinky finger and slapping it onto the bed cover beside the ink. "Write the letter, Daniel. Tell him the surrender is locked in. Tell him to keep his war bands held back until we step out onto the road."

Daniel’s jaw worked, his eyes darting frantically between me and the blade at his throat. He saw zero mercy in Davian’s face. Slowly, painfully, he dragged his chained right hand forward, picking up the quill with shaking fingers and dipping it into the dark ink.

"What... what exactly do you want me to write?" Daniel choked out, the arrogance completely gone from his voice.

"Write this," I commanded, standing over him like a shadow. "’My Prince. The quadruplets have taken the bait, and their mate is weak and unmoving as instructed... we are finalizing preparations inside the pack and will present the Alphas at the border checkpoint at first light. Keep your main force hidden in the timber until my signal.’"

Daniel’s hand shook as he scratched the words into the parchment, the sound of the metal nib scraping against paper filling the tense silence of the room. When he finished the last line, he pressed his signet ring hard into the wet wax at the bottom of the page.

"There," Daniel rasped, dropping the pen onto the bed as Davian slowly eased the knife away from his throat. "It’s done. You’re only delaying the inevitable, Aidan. He will crush you anyway."

"Maybe," I said, rolling up the parchment tightly and sealing it with a leather string. "But not before we’re ready for him."

I walked over to the small iron cage sitting near the window, unlatching the door and gently pulling out one of our messenger pigeons. The bird fluttered its wings softly against my hands. I tied the rolled letter securely to its leg, stepped over to the glass, and shoved the window open. Cold night air rushed into the room as I threw the bird up into the dark sky. It circled once above the courtyard before darting straight off toward the eastern ridge where Vincent’s camps were hidden.

Davian wiped the blood off his knife against his trousers. "That buys us a few hours at most. Once the sun comes up and we don’t show, the Lycan prince will know he was played."

"I know," I said, shutting the window and turning back to face the room.

It was time to stop playing defense.

I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath and opening the mental pathways of our pack’s internal network. I bypassed the standard links and drove my consciousness straight down the Alpha line, connecting directly into the head mind of our master-at-arms, Marcus.

’Marcus,’ I projected into his mind, my Alpha command echoing loud, clear, and absolute through the mental link. I made sure every word carried the full weight of my authority, leaving no room for hesitation or misunderstanding.

I felt Marcus jump on the other end, his thoughts instantly snapping to attention. His surprise was obvious through the sudden shift in the connection.

’Alpha Aidan? We’ve been waiting for orders. Daniel said—’

’Ignore everything Daniel told you,’ I cut in immediately, my voice thundering through the link with firm authority. I didn’t give him a chance to finish or question what I was saying.

’Daniel is a traitor,’ I continued, each word deliberate and unmistakably clear. ’He is currently locked in iron chains in the master quarters.’ I let the statement settle through the mental link before delivering the final truth. ’The surrender is a lie.’

My command remained firm through the connection, carrying the certainty of an Alpha who expected to be heard and obeyed.

A heavy, stunned silence hung on the other side of the bond for a fraction of a second before Marcus’s disciplined instincts kicked in. ’Understood, sir... What are your orders?’

’Sound the internal rally to the high guards only,’ I commanded, keeping my mental tone razor-sharp. ’Do not blow the public war horns yet. I need every combat warrior in the Pack fully armed and ready within the hour... an inevitable war is breaking out at dawn.’

’We’re on it,’ Marcus replied instantly.

’Listen to me carefully, Marcus,’ I continued. ’I need supplies mobilized now... so have the kitchen staff pack heavy rations and water for an extended campaign. Get the stables prepped immediately—saddle our heaviest war horses, gear them up, and have cold-weather cloaks and extra armor stacked by the lower courtyard gates. If we have to break out through the Lycan prince’s lines, I want us to move fast and hit hard.’

’Food, horses, winter gear, and weapons. It will be ready before the hour is out, Alpha,’ Marcus confirmed, his loyalty unwavering. ’What about the outer perimeter?’

’Keep the outer guards on high alert, but do not draw their weapons until I give the order,’ I said. ’We hold this estate until the first light... break link.’

I opened my eyes, the golden glow slowly fading from my pupils as I snapped the mind link shut.

Davian was watching me, his jaw set, his hand resting firmly on the hilt of his sword. "Are the men ready?"

"They’re prepping the horses and supplies now," I said, stepping back over to Daniel and looking down at him with absolute coldness. "When the sun hits that horizon, we aren’t going out there to surrender, Daniel. We’re going out there to tear the Lycan prince’s army apart."