Chapter 28:

I step into Caspian's chambers, shutting the door behind me as quietly as possible. My heart still pounds from the confrontation with Eden, but it stops altogether when I see him pacing. 

His shoulders are tense, fists clenched at his sides, his expression unreadable. He turns sharply, and his piercing gaze locks onto mine.

"Where were you?" His voice is low, measured—but there's an unmistakable edge to it. "I told you to wait for me."

I open my mouth, prepared to explain, but before I can utter a word, his eyes drop to my arm. 

The bandage is stark white against my skin, and he stills, his jaw tightening.

"What happened?" He strides toward me, grabbing my wrist carefully but firmly, his fingers grazing the gauze. Then his voice drops into a dangerous growl. "Who did this?"

"I was getting to that," I murmur, feeling the warmth of his grip seep into my skin.

His grip tightens slightly. "Tell me now."

I swallow hard. "Eden."

The word is barely out of my mouth before his body stiffens like a coiled spring. His nostrils flare, his breathing sharpens, and his entire presence darkens with fury.

"She did this?" His voice is lower now, a lethal whisper that promises consequences.

I nod, watching in satisfaction as the rage spreads through him like wildfire. He doesn't speak again—just takes my uninjured wrist and pulls me toward the door. 

His grip isn't painful, but it is unyielding.

"Where are we going?" I ask, struggling to keep up with his long strides.

His only response is, "She won't get away with this."

Ha! The bitch's gonna get it this time.

The moment we step into the hallway, heads turn. Whispers rise in the air, hushed murmurs darting between the onlookers. 

My stomach twists when I realize why—they're staring at our hands, at the way he's holding me, guiding me through the castle halls with undeniable purpose.

The gossip will spread like wildfire.

We take a sharp turn, and that's when I see her. Eden's voice, sharp and condescending, scolding someone. 

But something about it is off—it's not the usual reprimand for a maid. I don't recognize the face of whoever she's speaking to, but it's obvious that he's not a servant.

Then Caspian speaks, his voice booming through the corridor like a thunderclap.

"What is going on here?"

The entire hall falls silent.

Eden turns with a perfect, practiced smile, the same one she always wears when she wants to feign innocence. 

But then she sees me. Her smile falters, just for a fraction of a second, before she pastes it back on.

"My prince," she coos, her voice like poisoned honey. "I was just keeping order among the pack. There's been—"

"That is not your duty," he cuts her off, his voice like a blade.

She visibly tenses but recovers quickly. "I only—"

He doesn't care. He doesn't even let her finish. Instead, he lifts my injured arm, displaying the bandage for everyone to see.

"You did this?"

I watch as her carefully constructed composure cracks. For the first time, she's not in control of the narrative. Still, she manages to smile, though it's strained now.

"I caught her trying to steal from your room," she says sweetly, tilting her head.

Caspian's entire body goes rigid beside me.

"And what exactly were you doing in my room, Eden?" His voice is calm—too calm.

A flicker of panic crosses her face before she quickly masks it. "I— I was bringing you something," she stammers.

"Something so important you had to drag my personal maid out of my chambers and wound her?" His voice is pure ice now.

She opens her mouth but hesitates.

"I also heard," he continues, taking a slow, menacing step toward her, "that you were responsible for the bruise on her face."

I suck in a breath. I didn't even remember that I told him that this morning.

Eden's eyes widen, and for the first time, she has no words. Caspian doesn't give her the chance to come up with a lie.

"You won't touch her again. You won't command her again." His voice lowers, sharp as a dagger. "She is not yours to toy with."

Something dark flashes in her gaze, and when she looks at me, it's full of pure hatred. But she doesn't dare defy him.

"Yes... my prince," she says finally, her voice carefully controlled. Then she turns on her heel and walks away, her nails digging into her palms.

I exhale, only now realizing I had been holding my breath.

Caspian doesn't say a word. He simply takes my hand again, guiding me back toward his chambers. The whispers in the hall only grow louder.

Once inside, he releases me and rubs his temples. The tension in his body hasn't faded.

I watch him carefully, my mind racing. He just publicly humiliated Eden. She won't let this go. 

And worse—he just put himself at odds with the very woman he's supposed to marry.

My stomach knots at the thought.

After a long silence, I clear my throat. "You wanted to talk to me about my cousin."

He drops his hands and nods, taking a seat on the bed. The anger is still in his eyes, but it's quieter now.

"Have you thought about what I told you the night before Theo came?"

I nod. "I have. I'm going to tell him that he can leave. I'm not going back with him."

His eyes search mine before he nods approvingly. "Good."

He exhales and leans back, running a hand through his hair. "There was an attempted rogue attack on the pack last night."

I blink. That's not what I expected him to say.

"But the enforcers handled it," he continues. "Before it raised an alarm."

My brows knit together. "Why are you telling me this?"

He scowls. "Shut up and listen to my issues."

Despite everything, I have to bite back a smile. "Alright, I'm listening."

He studies me for a moment before speaking again. "The attacks are becoming more frequent. They are in an open rebellion and it's not just here they're attacking. We've received appeals from the packs that are still under our laws to send enforcers to keep them out."

I hesitate. "What do they want?"

His jaw tightens. He knows the answer. I can see it in his eyes. But instead of telling me, he just sighs. "That's not your concern."

Something about the way he says it makes my stomach twist. There's an obvious danger and somehow, I feel like I should do something more than listen to him tag it as his issues.

If this goes on and the rogues eventually overpower the enforcers, then it'll be everyone's issue.

"Delilah," he calls after a minute of silence. I must admit, it's nice to hear him call my name. It makes me feel like he sees me, somehow.

"Yes?"

"Settle things with your cousin so he can leave. Before the rogues come back."

"I will... sooner."

"The sooner the better. Moonhaven hasn't been answerable to Goldencrest after your uncle took over from your mother and decided to pull away from our authority. The last thing I need is a self absorbed alpha holding this pack accountable for the death of his heir that would most likely take happen on our borders."

I get chills thinking about it. A dead Theo. I was hoping to delay our conversation for a bit longer because I'm not ready to go down the rabbit hole of emotions, but I guess my emotions can't take priority in this case.