Elena''s POV


    Staring at his mesmerizing eyes took my breath away, especially considering how close we were to each other right now.


    As if he knew his effect on me, he let out a smug smirk before he sat back down from his seat and pushed a cup of tea toward me. "Here, this will rx your nerves.


    Finally, I could breathe, but I looked at him calctively as I felt his words had two meanings. Shaking those thoughts away, I epted it. "Thank you, Prince Deacon."


    I lifted it to my lips and let the correct temperature of the tea and tasted its fresh but sweet and sour taste lingered on my tongue while I watched his turn intoplete ckness.


    He''s mind-linking someone.


    Curious, I opened my link as well and listened.


    "Prepare some food and send it to my barrack."


    My brows furrowed in both confusion and shock as I ced down my half- finished tea.


    When his eyes turned back to its beautiful, mesmerizing hazel eyes, I asked, "Are you not going to ask for the King''s reinforcement? You haven''t called out for an emergency meeting countermeasures as well. Why?"


    I mean, I just told him that there would be a rebellion, and he said he believed me, and yet there he was, giving an order about food preparation?


    Was he that confident in his skills? Did he not really believe me? Does he justck a sense of urgency and danger?


    But then, when he spoke, he proved all of my thoughts wrong.


    "It will take time for the new batch of supplies to be delivered and much more to recruit more recruits. Furthermore, I need more evidence before sending the issue to the King."


    After hearing his reasons, I nodded in understanding. He did have a good reason.


    Besides, the king didn''t believe the letter I showed him. If he learned that I went here and it''s the same thing the prince was basing his judgment without more proof to back it up, he might just get even more mad. Then, even the prince might face his wrath.


    < Chapter 15


    +8 Points >


    Drown in my own thoughts as I was reminded once again of the King''s wrath, I involuntarily bit the side of my cheek while I anxiously tapped my fingers on the table, taking deep breaths.


    "You did good," he suddenly said, which made me blink and look at him dumbfoundedly as I furrowed my brows and tilted my head.


    "What?" he asked with a raised brow.


    I let out a smallugh and shook my head, reminded of his earlier words, before I nonchntly replied, "You did call me a fool earlier."


    He stared at me for a while as he sipped his own tea before his eyes dimmed and his demeanor turned back to the serious man I''d first met. "Youing here helps me prepare early, but you should not have risked yourself. I''ll be sending you back to Swiftridge in a few


    days."


    Hearing that, I was jolted back to reality, and my eyes widened. With great disagreement, I


    uttered in a controlled voice so it wouldn''te out as a shout. "No!"


    He was, after all, still the prince.


    "You want to stay? This is a battlefield, Elena. Not a child''s yhouse." His voice was filled


    with angst as he roughly put down his teacup on the saucer, which made a loud sound.


    Anymore rougher, and it would have broken to pieces.


    To say I didn''t feel a chill from his response would be a lie, but I swallowed as much fear as I


    could and kept my chin raised as I reasoned, "My father and brothers died fighting. I''ll stay


    and contribute to the kingdom as well. I''ll fight and defend our kingdom."


    "Are you hearing yourself?" He shook his head and looked at me as though another head grew


    from my neck.


    I fisted my hands and told him something that I was sure would entice him. "I''ve already sent


    messages to myrades and friends who trained with me before. They''ll stand with us."


    I polished and improved my skills as a warrior when I entered the Custodes. It''s a hidden


    training ground only for the most skilled werewolves seen with potential by the masters.


    Though I didn''t be a warrior after leaving because I heeded my mother''s wishes for me to live as a Luna, all of my training and connections remained intact.


    But then again, no one knew about that except my family. We didn''t hide it, but we didn''t unt


    it either.


    "No! You are a woman! You shouldn''t be in here, dirtying your hands with blood!" he strongly


    disagrees, but his reason picked me to anger.


    +8 Points >


    I would have rolled my eyes and dissed him if he wasn''t the prince. What kind of thinking was


    that? We weren''t in the old age anymore; even Glenda was a looked-up warrior - not that she actually deserved that.


    Instead ofining, I merely stood my ground and firmly said, "I''m already here, so I''ll stay.


    33


    "Exactly!" he shouted and mmed his hands on the table as he went on, "Why are you here


    in the first ce? You should have let your husband do the hard work for you! Wars are not a


    ce for a woman."


    I inwardly snickered. Husband? What could I expect from that ex of mine?


    "The King won''t believe him either," I replied instead.


    As he was always at war, I knew that he wasn''t up to date with the news in the kingdom.


    Besides, I think my personal life had nothing to do with the issue at hand, so I don''t feel the


    need to correct him.


    However, unexpectedly, his eyes dimmed with dangerous glint, and his lips pursed into a thin


    line as his sharp jaws cleaned in anger. "Then he should have been the one who traveled this


    far to meet me! How can a man, much more, an Alpha, let his wife face danger while he hides


    back in his pack? This is ridiculous!"


    Well, Prince Deacon, you''ll be surprised how unqualified Bryson was as a


    husband and an Alpha...


    if only you knew everything.


    Simply, I shrugged my shoulders. "What happened already happened. I''m here already."


    Narrowing his eyes, he calmed down a bit from my causal reply andmented, "You''re stubborn, you know that."


    Letting out a small smile as I was reminded of my parents and brother''s words, Iughingly replied, "I''ve been told one or twice."


    When I saw him calm down, though, I turned serious as I stared at his hazel eyes


    to watch his every reaction as I asked, "For real, why did you believe me so


    easily?"


    "On the war at the border, I found it bizarre how Alpha Bryon and his troops won the battle so easily and quickly," he reasons.


    So, Jayden and I weren''t the only ones who hade to that conclusion. That made our theory even more believable when the prince had doubts. <chapter 15<="" p=""></chapter>


    +8 Points >


    I fidgeted with my fingers under the table as I hesitated whether or not to share what Jayden and I thought about it.


    Could I trust him? I mean, he trusted me easily, and though he might seem cold and serious, dangerous even, there''s something in him that makes me feel safe andfortable.


    He believed me. I have to give him the same benefit of the doubt.


    With those thoughts, I started, "Actually, I think it had something to do with the


    massac-''


    I closed my eyes in embarrassment and was interrupted by the loud rumbling sound from my stomach.


    I could only imagine my face looking like a bright tomato, especially when I heard


    his


    "Someone''s hungry."


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