At The Border Of War

Rhea's heart pounded as Kieran turned sharply toward the warrior who had just delivered the news. The tension in the room thickened, pressing down on her like a suffocating weight.

"Darius's men?" Kieran's voice was cold, dangerous.

"Yes, Alpha," the warrior confirmed. "A dozen of them at the northern border. They're not attacking, but they refuse to leave."

Rhea exhaled slowly, forcing her nerves to settle.

He had come.

Or, at the very least, he had sent his people to make a statement.

Kieran's fingers flexed at his side, a silent show of restraint before he turned to her. "You're coming with me."

Rhea blinked. "What?"

Kieran's silver eyes were unreadable. "Darius sent them because of you." His tone was matter-of-fact, but there was an unmistakable edge of possession in his voice. "If I show up alone, he'll think I'm hiding you."

A bitter laugh slipped from her lips. "So I'm a bargaining chip now?"

Kieran's jaw clenched. "No. You're leverage."

That didn't sound much better, but she knew there was no point in arguing.

Minutes later, she found herself riding alongside Kieran on horseback, surrounded by Blackthorn warriors as they headed toward the northern border. The air was crisp, the scent of pine and damp earth filling her lungs.

But the closer they got, the thicker the air became—charged with something dark, something electric.

And then she saw them.

A dozen men in dark clothing, their postures rigid, their weapons strapped at their sides. Their presence was a provocation, but they hadn't crossed the border yet.

Yet.

At the center of them stood a figure that made Rhea's pulse stutter.

Alpha Darius.

His broad frame was relaxed, his expression unreadable, but his eyes—the color of smoldering embers—locked onto her the moment she arrived.

He was waiting for me.

The realization sent a shiver through her, but she forced herself to sit tall, to meet his gaze with steady defiance.

Kieran halted his horse, his warriors doing the same behind him. He didn't dismount, but his presence was an undeniable force.

"Darius." Kieran's voice carried across the clearing, thick with authority. "You're trespassing."

Darius smirked. "I'm standing near your border, Kieran. Not over it. There's a difference."

Kieran's grip on his reins tightened, but his expression remained cold. "Say what you came to say, or leave."

Darius's gaze slid back to Rhea, amusement flickering across his features. "I see you've brought my little runaway."

Rhea stiffened.

His?

Kieran's growl was low and warning, his body tensing as though he was seconds from launching off his horse and tearing Darius apart.

Rhea, however, didn't flinch. She tilted her chin up, meeting Darius's gaze head-on. "I'm not yours."

Darius chuckled, his eyes gleaming with something unsettling. "That's what makes it interesting."

Kieran swung off his horse in a swift, fluid motion. His warriors tensed but didn't move, waiting for his command.

Rhea followed suit, dismounting despite the way her blood roared in her ears.

Darius took a slow step forward, his men mirroring the movement like shadows. "Tell me, Kieran," he mused, "do you always keep such treasures hidden away?"

Kieran moved faster than Rhea could track. One second, he was standing beside her; the next, he had Darius by the collar, shoving him back a step.

The air crackled with raw dominance.

Darius only smirked. "Touchy, aren't we?"

Kieran's grip tightened. "Stay away from her."

Darius's lips curled. "Or what?"

Kieran's voice was lethal. "Or I'll rip your throat out."

Rhea inhaled sharply, but she didn't move to stop them.

Darius held Kieran's gaze for a long, tense moment before, to Rhea's surprise, he chuckled. "You know, Kieran, you've always been predictable."

And then, without warning, Darius's fingers shot forward, curling around Rhea's wrist.

A jolt of heat shot through her arm at the contact.

Kieran's reaction was instant. He wrenched Darius's hand off her with such force that a cracking sound echoed in the air.

Darius barely flinched.

But his smirk deepened.

And then he said something that sent ice through Rhea's veins.

"You can fight me all you want, Kieran." His voice dropped, soft but deadly. "But we both know she doesn't belong to you, either."

Kieran snarled, and before Rhea could react, he slammed Darius backward, his eyes flickering with the dangerous glow of an Alpha on the verge of shifting.

Darius laughed, low and taunting, but he lifted his hands in mock surrender. "Easy now." His gaze flickered back to Rhea. "I didn't come to fight. Not yet."

Kieran's breathing was ragged, his control barely hanging by a thread.

Darius turned, his men already falling into formation. "I just came to deliver a message."

Kieran's voice was rough. "And what's that?"

Darius's eyes gleamed. "This isn't over."

And with that, he disappeared into the trees, his men following behind him like ghosts.

Silence stretched between them.

Kieran turned to Rhea, his expression unreadable. "Are you all right?"

She nodded, even though her pulse was still hammering.

Kieran exhaled heavily, running a hand through his hair. "He won't stop."

Rhea knew that.

Darius was playing a long game.

And she had just become the prize.