?Chapter 1017:


    Secondster, the stillness broke apart. Whispers surged through the gathered crowd, swelling into a chaotic mix of gasps and stunned outbursts.


    I spun around to catch the reactions of the three princes. Their expressions were stony, eyes alight with a fury they could barely restrain.


    “Cody Harrison! Keep your damn mouth shut!” Bryan bellowed, his face flushed a deep red, the veins at his temples throbbing visibly. His re was so fierce it seemed to burn the air between them. The sheer volume of his shout left my ears buzzing.


    But Cody, clearly beyond reason, tilted his head back and unleashed a reckless, unhingedugh that dripped with scorn and lunacy.


    “A fraud, a thankless pretender who’s lounged on the Lycan throne for years—he’s had it too good! If Leonardo can im that seat, why shouldn’t I?”


    Then, his eyes darted to Dayton, one brow lifting in a taunting dare. “Dayton, you’re aware of the real story, aren’t you? Why not spill it for everyone?”


    I tracked his stare. Dayton’splexion had drained to a ghostly pallor, sweat glistening on his brow.


    He parted his lips as if to respond, but the words seemed lodged in his throat. Atst, he rasped, “Cody, you’ve lost your mind!” Cody’s reply was a low, eerie chuckle.


    “Lost my mind?” he said icily. “My secret’s out, and I’m as good as dead already—so why not go all in? If Ie out on top, I’ll have the upper hand to take on Leonardo. If I fail, I’ll drag the princes’ preciousdy down with me to the grave. Either way, I’m the victor.”


    A cold dread slithered through me at the depth of Cody’s insanity. My thoughts shed to Antoni, and I fixed Cody with a re. “Cody,” I snarled, forcing disdain into my voice, “Antoni’s still at the Lycan pce. Don’t you give a damn about what happens to him?”


    A peculiar smirk twisted Cody’s mouth. “Antoni’s my sharpest boy. We trade letters every few days. If my messages stop, he’ll sense trouble. By now, he’s likely slipped away from the capital. You won’t track him down.”


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    Fury ignited in my chest. “You cunning bastard!” I hissed.


    Cody brushed me off with a derisive snort, his eyes flicking over me with disdain. “That’s rich,ing from you, Makenna. You’re no novice when ites to ying smart.”


    The atmosphere grew dense, charged with a tension that pressed against my lungs.


    The princes stood frozen, their reluctance to act stemming from their concern for me.


    Seeing the worry and powerlessness etched on their faces, a wave of guilt and frustration gnawed at my insides. I had to find a way to break this deadlock.


    Cody’s tolerance for the standoff had evidently worn thin.


    “This is getting old,” he grumbled under his breath. Then, with a sharp jerk of his head, he ordered the soldier nearby, “Give me the dagger.” The soldier obeyed without hesitation, handing it over. Cody gripped the weapon, spinning it casually in his fingers, the steel shing ominously under the light.


    “Let’s y a game,” he said, his tone dripping with malicious glee. “You’re a white wolf; your wounds mend fast. Death won’te quick for you. I’ll give the princes ten minutes to make up their minds. In that time, I’ll leave a few small cuts on your face now and then.” He pressed the cold edge of the dagger to my cheek, its chill sending a shudder racing down my back.


    “If ten minutes tick by and they still haven’t bent to my demands, I’ll start slicing you apart. Bit by bit.”


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