382 When We Move


    Draven<i>. </i>


    “Is everything alright?” Meredith’s voice was the first


    to break the silence.


    I looked at her for a moment, then shifted my gaze to Dennis and Jeffery. “What I’m about to say doesn’t leave this room.”


    The tone of my voice drew their attention instantly. They straightened–every trace of ease gone from their faces.


    “Our King,” I said quietly, “is ill.”


    Dennis’s eyes widened slightly, and Jeffery’s mouth parted as if to speak, but I cut him off before either of


    them could.


    “No one–and I mean no one–can know this. Not the guards, not the servants, not even our people stationed across Duskmoor. The slightest rumour about his sickness could cause unrest back home. We


    can’t afford that. Not now.”


    They nodded firmly.


    Meredith’s expression softened—understanding flickering in her violet eyes. “What happens now?”


    I drew in a slow breath, straightened, and let my gaze pass across the room from Dennis to Jeffery and then to her.


    “Now,” I said, “we move.”


    Their attention sharpened.


    “I’m changing our immediate ns for the vampires.” I stepped away from my desk and moved closer to the table where they sat, my tone calm but cutting through the air like tempered steel.


    “Two nights from now, wey a trap. We will lure the vampires out of hiding and draw them to us. Once they surface, we will fight hard, fast, and without mercy. We will make the fight bloody enough to send the rest of them fleeing from the city on their own.”


    Jeffery’s brows rose slightly. “So, no capture?”


    “Not during the fight,” I said. “Not for any of you. I will handle that myself, like I said earlier.”


    He nodded once in silent understanding.


    Then I turned to the next part. “As for the second n –” I met their eyes, one by one. “The same day the vampires retaliate against the humans, and Duskmoor’s government house will be the same day we leave this city and return to Stormveil.”


    For a moment, none of them spoke. The room was filled with quiet tension and disbelief.


    Dennis frowned. “We are leaving? Just like that?”


    Jeffery leaned forward slightly, his tone edged with confusion. “Are we not participating in the war? Are we not going to destroy Brackham and hisb? We


    can’t leave this unfinished.”


    I turned my gaze on them–steady, and unflinching. “That is exactly what we will be doing during the war,” I said calmly. “Destroying Brackham and his secretb is our purpose here. Nothing else matters.”


    The realization clicked in their eyes as the shape of my n fully dawned.


    “The vampires will take care of the rest,” I continued.


    “They will finish what Brackham started, and when the chaos hits, it will swallow every secret he has been hiding.”


    A slow breath escaped Jeffery, his expression easing with understanding. Dennis leaned back, the tension in his shoulders rxing.


    Meredith looked between us all quietly, but her eyes were bright with that sharp awareness I hade to


    admire.


    The air in the room felt heavier now, but also


    purposeful—the kind of quiet that came before a


    storm.


    “On that day,” I continued, “Duskmoor’s security will be stretched thin. The borders will be weak–their focus


    will be on their own streets, their people, and the vampires.”


    Dennis nodded slowly, a sharp glint of satisfaction crossing his features.


    “That’s when we will move,” I continued. “After we’ve taken care of Brackham and destroyed theb, we leave this city in a convoy through the Eastern woods.”


    Meredith’s head turned toward me immediately, her tone cautious. “The same Eastern woods where


    Brackham dered war against the vampires? The one


    he burned?”


    I met her gaze, the corner of my mouth lifting faintly. “The same. It’s empty now–no one left there to stop us. The fire cleared the path, and the humans won’t risk setting foot in that region again. It’s the safest route we have.”


    Her eyes lingered on mine, still uncertain, but she nodded after a beat. I could sense her unease through the bond–her worry for our people, for what wasing.


    “I know what you are thinking,” I said quietly. “But we will move as one. You will be safe, all of you will. I will


    see to it.”


    That seemed to ease her tension, and when she exhaled, I turned back to Dennis and Jeffery.


    “During the war,” I continued, “not all of us will fight. The operation has to be clean. While some of our warriors engage in the battle at the government house


    to keep Brackham’s forces distracted, the rest will remain on standby at the city’s outskirts, waiting in the convoy. Once we’ve destroyed theb, we regroup and leave together. No dys.”


    Jeffery and Dennis exchanged quick nces and then nodded.


    “It’s a sound n,” Jeffery said. “We will move fast and


    cover our trail.”


    “Good,” I said.


    For a moment, I looked at each of them–my wife, my brother, my Beta. The faces I trusted most in this


    chaos.


    “When this is done, Duskmoor will crumble under its own weight. Brackham will finally pay for what he has


    done to our kind.”


    A quiet determination filled the room.


    Then I shifted back intomand. “Jeffery,” I said, “reach out to our people across the city. Inform them of the fight with the vampires in two nights. They need to be ready, and they need to be sharp.”


    Jeffery rose immediately. “Understood.”


    I turned to Dennis next. “I want the servants and warriors to begin tidying up and preparing for departure. They are to pack light–only the essentials.”


    Dennis stood as well. “I will see to it, brother.”


    “And Jeffery,” I added, looking back to him, “make sure our people hear the same thing. No one packs heavy. We move clean and fast.”


    “Yes, Alpha.”


    I leaned back against my desk, crossing my arms. “Good. Once everything is in ce, we rest. In a few days, we end this charade.”


    A heavy stillness filled the room–the kind that marked


    the calm before the storm.


    Meredith looked at me then, her violet


    eyes


    unwavering. “In a few days,” she murmured, almost to herself.


    “In a few days,” I confirmed.


    Cede


    <strong>Cede</strong> is a passionate storyteller known for her bold romantic and spicy novels that keep readers hooked from the very first chapter. With a ir for crafting emotionally intense plots and unforgettable characters, she blends love, desire, and drama into every story she writes. Cede’s storytelling style is immersive and addictive—perfect for fans of heated romances and heart-pounding twists.