Chapter 46: The Beast That Chose Its Prey

[Imperial Camp — Northern Territory — Before Dawn]

The night had grown unnaturally quiet, with no howling, no clashing steel, and no movement beyond the guarded walls of the Imperial camp.

Inside the medical tent, only the soft crackling of the brazier disturbed the silence.

Kael lay beneath the thick blankets, his breathing slow and even. Fresh bandages wrapped around his side where the Grimfang’s lightning had torn through him. Beside the bed... Lytharion had not moved; the Lord of Darkness sat in complete silence, one arm resting against the edge of the mattress, his golden eyes fixed upon Kael.

Hours had passed, perhaps more. He had not slept, and he had not left, and every time Kael’s breathing changed even slightly, Lytharion’s gaze immediately sharpened.

Then Kael’s fingers twitched. Lytharion noticed instantly; his posture straightened with another faint movement. Kael’s brows tightened as consciousness slowly returned.

"...ngh..."

His lips parted, and his eyes fluttered as Lytharion leaned forward; his voice was low. "My queen."

But unlike the terrifying voice that had shaken the northern mountains...this one was gentle. Kael’s amber eyes slowly opened; for several seconds, everything was blurred: the tent ceiling, the dim firelight, and the unfamiliar scent of medicine.

Then his gaze settled upon the golden eyes watching him.

"...Lytharion?"

The deity’s expression softened immediately. "Yes."

Kael blinked slowly; his throat felt dry as he tried to move. Pain shot through his side.

"Ah—"

Before Kael could even finish the sound, Lytharion’s hand was already beneath his shoulder, carefully stopping him from sitting up.

"Don’t." Lytharion’s voice was quiet, but there was an unmistakable firmness beneath it. "You’re injured, my queen; the healers are not here to watch you tear your wounds open again."

Kael stopped trying to move, and for a moment, he simply stared at the deity beside him.

Lytharion’s long black hair had fallen loosely around his face, several strands brushing against his cheek. There was still faint dust upon his dark robes from the battlefield, and beneath his usual composure, Kael could see something he had rarely seen before.

Exhaustion, yet those ancient golden eyes remained fixed entirely upon him. As though nothing else in the world mattered. Lytharion reached for the cup of warm water resting beside the bed.

"Here."

He slipped one arm carefully behind Kael’s shoulders and helped him sit just enough to drink.

"Slowly."

Kael took a small sip, then another. Lytharion waited patiently until he had finished before lowering the cup. Kael continued staring at him. Lytharion noticed, and a faint smile touched his lips.

"What?"

Kael shook his head. "Nothing."

"That is a terrible lie."

Kael’s lips curved faintly. Lytharion raised his hand and gently brushed his thumb across Kael’s cheek.

"How is my queen feeling?"

Kael looked directly into those golden eyes; for once...there was no coldness in them, only warmth. "It doesn’t hurt anymore."

Lytharion’s expression softened as his thumb lingered against Kael’s cheek for another moment before his hand slowly fell away.

"Good, then don’t move."

He shifted closer, carefully settling beside Kael. "Rest, my queen. You’ve done enough for tonight."

Kael’s gaze remained on him; he couldn’t seem to look away. Perhaps it was because he had spent so long seeing Lytharion as the Lord of Darkness.

A terrifying deity, a tyrant, and a being who could erase armies with a single thought. Yet here he was...sitting beside Kael’s bed, holding a cup of water as though it were the most important task in the world.

Kael’s voice became quieter. "Did you come here...because of me?"

Lytharion looked at him as though the question itself were strange as his voice softened. "Of course. Who else would I be here for?"

Kael’s heart gave a small, unexpected ache, and a faint smile appeared upon his lips. Lytharion noticed it, and his own smile deepened.

"There."

"What?"

"That smile." Lytharion gently brushed another strand of hair away from Kael’s forehead. "I prefer seeing it."

Kael’s cheeks warmed. "You’re strange."

"I am a deity."

"That doesn’t answer my question."

"It does."

Kael let out a quiet breath that was almost a laugh; for several moments, neither spoke, and then Lytharion slowly moved closer and carefully guided Kael’s head against his chest.

Kael stiffened for half a second, and then...he relaxed. Lytharion’s arm settled securely around his shoulders, careful not to disturb the injured side; his fingers moved slowly through Kael’s hair.

"I may not wish to involve myself in mortal affairs," Lytharion murmured, his voice low above Kael’s head. "But when it comes to you..."

He paused as his hand gently stroked through Kael’s hair again. "...I will do whatever is necessary to protect you."

Kael closed his eyes. Lytharion’s voice became softer.

"That is not merely because you are going to bear the child of mine." His fingers paused briefly. "It is because you are my mate."

Kael’s fingers slowly curled into the fabric of Lytharion’s robe as Lytharion whispered. "And protecting you...is a duty I will never abandon."

Kael remained silent, his cheek rested against Lytharion’s chest, listening to the steady rhythm beneath it. For the first time since the Grimfang attack...he felt safe, not because he was an emperor, not because an army surrounded him, and not because the Imperial Knights stood outside his tent.

But because the Lord of Darkness was beside him. Kael’s voice came as a faint whisper.

"...That’s good."

Lytharion looked down. Kael had already closed his eyes; his breathing gradually became slower. Lytharion continued stroking his hair.

"Sleep, my queen."

Kael shifted slightly closer, and this time... Lytharion didn’t tease him; he simply held him. Outside, the northern wind continued to howl beyond the walls of the Imperial camp, but inside the tent...there was only warmth.

And for the first time that night, Kael’s heart was completely at peace.

***

[Later — Imperial Camp — War Council Tent]

The northern wind battered the canvas walls of the council tent.

WHOOSH...

The flames of the lamps flickered. Grand Duke Lior sat at the head of the table, his expression grim, for several moments. Nobody spoke, then finally Grand Duke Lior spoke, his voice low. "Do you truly believe...that someone can control a Grimfang?"

Duke Lucein frowned.

"I don’t know, Your Grace, to my knowledge, no mortal has ever been capable of controlling a Grimfang. They are not ordinary beasts. Their minds are ancient, their instincts violent, and even the northern clans have avoided provoking them for centuries."

Lior’s gaze remained fixed upon the map. "Then explain what happened tonight."

Silence.

Cedric stepped forward. "That is precisely what concerns me."

Everyone looked toward him. Cedric’s expression had hardened; he pointed toward the northern territory. "The Grimfangs did not attack randomly; they entered the camp...and ignored everything. The knights, the horses, and the supplies, and they wanted His Majesty."

The words seemed to make the entire tent colder. Lucein’s brows furrowed. "There is no natural reason for that."

"Exactly." Cedric’s voice lowered. "And that is why I don’t believe this was instinct."

Lior slowly raised his eyes. "What are you suggesting, Captain?"

Cedric hesitated, then. "I am suggesting that someone sent them. Someone awakened the Grimfangs. Someone drove them toward our territory, and tonight...someone directed them toward the Emperor."

Lior’s fist slowly tightened.

"And you believe the assassination attempt on the road was connected?"

Cedric looked at him. "I don’t believe in coincidences anymore: the poisoned wine during His Majesty’s coronation, the assassins waiting for us on the northern road, and now the Grimfangs."

Cedric’s gaze moved from one man to another. "Three attacks, three different methods but the same target."

Lucein leaned back; his expression was no longer skeptical, it was concerned. "Then whoever is behind this isn’t merely trying to remove an emperor."

Cedric nodded. "They are studying him."

Lior’s eyes narrowed. "Studying? To determine what can reach him."

The words hung heavily in the tent. Lucein’s expression became increasingly grim. "If that is true...then the Grimfang attack may not have been intended to kill him immediately."

Lior looked toward him. "What do you mean?"

Lucein swallowed. "Perhaps they were testing something."

A long silence followed. Cedric’s jaw tightened. "Testing...what?"

"His defenses." Lucein’s eyes moved toward the tent entrance. "To see how quickly the Imperial Knights respond, to see which people protect him and perhaps...to see who comes when he is injured."

The atmosphere changed. Lior furrowed, saying, "Then this enemy knows far more about us than we know about them."

No one answered; outside, the wind howled through the northern wilderness.

HOOOOOO...

Cedric looked toward the tent entrance. "And there is something else."

Lior turned toward him. "What?"

Cedric lowered his voice. "The Grimfangs stopped attacking the moment the Shadow King appeared."

Lucein’s expression froze. Lior’s eyes narrowed. Cedric continued carefully. "Every beast vanished."

Silence.

As Lucein slowly looked toward Lior, his face became pale.

"If someone truly possesses the ability to command Grimfangs...then whoever that person is, they possess power beyond anything we have encountered. We don’t know whether our enemy is mortal...or something that was never meant to walk among mortals."

Nobody spoke; the lamp flame trembled again, thinking that someone is here controlling the dangerous beast and their target is... Kael Vaelric, the emperor of Qasmar and the mate of the shadow deity.