Chapter 15 - The Traitor’s Reckoning
The canyon fell into an eerie, profound silence as the last echoes of the magical shockwave faded into the frosty night air. The unconscious bodies of the rogue wolves littered the snow, and General Valen’s vanguard secured the perimeter, rounding up the remaining conspirators without encountering further resistance.
Darius held Cassian dangling over the jagged drop of the cliffside, his silver eyes locked onto the traitor’s terrified, blood-streaked face.
“Please... Your Majesty... spare me,” Cassian whimpered, his hands clawing weakly at Darius’s iron grip. “I can give you names! The entire network of southern lords who funded the rebellion—they’re still in the capital!”
“I don't need you to give me names, Cassian,” Darius said, his voice cold, flat, and devoid of any mercy. “I already know how to find them. And more importantly... you forgot one very crucial rule of the northern packs.”
Cassian’s eyes bulged in absolute terror. “W-What rule?”
“You never threaten my queen.”
With a swift, brutal flick of his wrist, Darius tossed Cassian over the edge of the cliff. A single, choked scream faded into the dark abyss of the canyon below before silence reclaimed the mountain pass.
Darius turned around, walking back down the ridge to where Seraphina stood waiting. The luminous starlight in her eyes had faded back to her natural, warm hue, and the silver mark on her shoulder had resumed its quiet, resting hum.
He didn't say a word. He simply closed the distance between them, wrapped his strong arms around her waist, and pulled her against his chest in a fierce, possessive embrace, burying his face in her dark hair.
“You scared me,” Darius murmured quietly, his usual commanding tone replaced by raw, unfiltered vulnerability.
“I told you,” Seraphina whispered against his shoulder, a small, confident smile playing at the lips as she wrapped her arms around his broad back, “you don't have to protect me from everything. Sometimes, I can protect you, too.”
General Valen walked up, clearing his throat respectfully as he stopped a few respectful paces away. “My King. My Empress. The western pass is secured. The remaining conspirators in the capital have been rounded up by our loyalists. The rebellion... it’s finally over.”
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Darius looked down at Seraphina, pulling back just enough to meet her gaze. The long nightmare—the poison, the abuse of House Ashford, the political betrayals, and the dark magic—had finally been swept away.
“Then let’s go home,” Darius said softly.
