Chapter 94: Your Place On The Throne

Theo

The flickering orange flames danced across the dark stone walls of the cavern, casting long, swaying shadows that looked like lurking monsters in the deep gloom.

Theo leaned his head back against the hard rock, staring blankly into the fire. Outside, the night was pitch-black, the torrential downpour pounding mercilessly against the forest canopy. It was late, far past the deadline. They had officially forfeited every single point they had managed to scrape together today.

Not that we made many points to begin with, Theo thought bitterly, a dry, self-deprecating scoff bubbling silently in his throat. We spent half the day chasing a ghost bear and the other half running for our lives from a pack of undead abominations.

Beside him, Malric was staring intensely into the crackling logs, his hands clasped tightly between his knees.

Theo glanced at his older brother, watching the tight set of Malric’s jaw. If we still stand a chance at winning this damn tournament, Theo calculated in his head, we’re going to have to steal an absurd amount of points in the final round. There’s no other choice.

A small, grim silver lining flickered in Theo’s mind. At least none of them had shifted into their true wolf forms during the chaos. If they had shifted, the academy council would have instantly disqualified them on the spot. The tournament rules were notoriously unforgiving, so brutal that even if you shifted strictly to save your own life, the judges wouldn’t give a damn. A rule break was a rule break. Cheat was a cheat.

Theo shifted his weight, his eyes trailing across the cave floor.

Over by the far wall, Travis and Vance were fast asleep, curled up on a flat ledge of stone. The horrific, putrid smell of animal feces clinging to Travis had calmed down slightly, thanks to the freezing rain washing off the top layer, but it was still distinctly present in the stagnant cave air.

Theo blinked, his eyebrows drawing together as he took in the sight of them. Vance’s head was resting comfortably right on Travis’s shoulder, while Travis’s head was slumped lazily back against Vance’s. In the dim, warm firelight, they looked like a picture-perfect, cozy couple.

If Vance wakes up and realizes he spent the night snuggled up against a mud-soaked human boy who smells like a stable, Theo thought, a faint, amused smirk tugging at his lips, he is going to scrub his own skin off with a wire brush.

A few feet away, Keali was also sprawled out against a rock. He looked like he was sleeping, but Theo knew better. Keali wasn’t sleeping sleeping, he was likely passed out because of the moondew he took before the hunt and throughout the trip.

It was just Theo and Malric left awake in the quiet gloom.

Theo leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees as he studied Malric’s face. Ever since that night in the forest, the night Malric had smelled that fleeting, intoxicating scent of jasmine mixed with Roiner’s scent, Malric had been utterly consumed by his own thoughts. He looked distant, brooding, and heavily burdened.

Clearing his raspy throat, Theo broke the heavy silence. "You good?"

Malric didn’t look up from the flames right away. He took a slow breath before answering, his voice quiet. "As good as can be with how everything is... you know, happening." Theo picked up a dry twig, tossing it into the fire. "Are you mad that this all backfired on us? And instead of Travis being the only one suffering, we all suffered?"

Malric slowly shook his head, his blue eyes reflecting the golden light of the blaze. "I’m mad about a lot of things right now, Theo." Theo eyed him curiously. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Why would I want to talk about it?" Malric shot back instantly, a sharp, defensive edge creeping into his tone. "Well, we have nothing else to do," Theo pointed out, gesturing vaguely toward their sleeping brothers. "Everyone else is asleep."

"No," Malric grunted, pulling his collar tighter against the draft. "It’s fine." Theo let out a long sigh, stretching his sore legs out toward the warmth. "Oh. Okay... but I’ll talk." Malric didn’t object, so Theo continued, staring absently at the rising smoke. "Have you ever thought about what’s going to happen when we finish the academy? Like... really thought about it?"

"When we finish the academy," Malric answered plainly, "we become kings."

"Yeah," Theo murmured, his brow furrowing slightly as a rare wave of vulnerability washed over him. "But... do you actually want to become a king?" Malric turned his head, staring at Theo as if he had just spoken in a foreign language. "Yeah. It’s all I’ve ever known."

"Yeah... it’s all I’ve ever known, too," Theo agreed softly, running a hand through his damp hair. "But... if we ever find her... you know, our fated mate... do you think she’s going to want to be queen?"

Malric let out a low scoff, shaking his head at the ridiculousness of the question. "Isn’t that a stupid question? Theo. Who wouldn’t want to be queen? It is the highest title ever."

"Yeah, I know," Theo muttered, staring down at his boots. "I’ve just been worried. If whatever Travis says is true... and she’s possibly a rogue... do you think the kingdom will accept her? Because I don’t think so. You know how everyone in the capital if not world feels about rogues."

Malric’s expression hardened, his jaw setting in a rigid, uncompromising line. "They will have no choice. They must accept her... even if she is a rogue."

"Yeah... maybe," Theo sighed quietly. Malric narrowed his eyes, studying his brother’s troubled face. "Are those the thoughts that keep you up at night?"

"No," Theo denied quickly, leaning back against the rock wall. "No thoughts keep me up at night. I just wondered how our life is going to be like. Do you think there’s a happy ending at the end of all of this? Because sometimes... I just feel like we’re getting farther and farther from the finish line, even when we are about to finish the academy. It just feels like we’re never going to be free, you know what I’m saying?"

Malric stared at him blankly for three agonizing seconds before letting out a dry, exasperated breath. "No, seriously, I don’t know what you’re saying. You lost me at ’what if our mate doesn’t want to be queen?’ Your thoughts are ridiculous."

Theo rolled his eyes, but Malric continued before he could speak.

"You’re worrying for nothing, Theo," Malric grunted. "In fact... when I take the throne, I am going to make a new rule regarding rogues. Just for her, if she is a rogue. I’ll put out a decree that outlaws discrimination against rogues entirely." Theo looked at him, a skeptical, uneasy feeling settling deep in his chest. "Doesn’t it ever worry you... this whole taking the throne thing?"

Malric tilted his head. "What do you mean?"

"You know..." Theo gestured vaguely between them. "You are the only one who’s not guaranteed a seat on the throne. The rest of us, yeah, we’re guaranteed our regional seats, but you... as the high Alpha king, it’s not promised."

Malric frowned. "I still don’t understand."

"You know you could be challenged," Theo explained carefully, his voice dropping low so as not to wake the others. "There are so many stipulations that must be met before you take the seat as the main Alpha."

Malric shook his head dismissively, a confident, borderline arrogant smirk touching his lips. There was just no way anyone could take it from him. He was exceptionally strong, the prime male of their bloodline. Even if he were challenged for the seat by some foolish, ambitious male, Malric knew he would obviously win the fight and the second was to be able to shift, and he was more than capable of shifting into a massive, prime Alpha wolf. Those were the only two things that mattered. Unless a challenger proved stronger or he suddenly lost his ability to shift, nothing could stop him from taking the throne.

"Yeah," Theo pressed softly, watching his brother’s unshakeable confidence. "But what if a challenger comes who is stronger than you? A challenger like... Roiner?" Malric’s smirk vanished instantly. His eyes flared with a cold, sharp warning. "Roiner is not stronger than me."

Theo looked at him flatly, raising a single eyebrow. "Malric, come on." Malric shifted uncomfortably, his jaw clenching. "Fine! Even if a challenger like Roiner appears... there is no challenger like Roiner. So your statement is stupid. There is only Roiner."

"What if Roiner challenges you?" Theo pushed, unable to stop the dark curiosity driving his words.

"Roiner hasn’t challenged anyone in centuries!" Malric snapped in a harsh whisper. "He hasn’t challenged anyone for territory in hundreds of years, so why would he start with me?"

"I don’t know," Theo muttered dryly. "Maybe because he hates you?"

"I don’t hate Malric."

A deep, smooth, chilling voice echoed from the dark mouth of the cave tunnel.