bChapter /bb172 /b

    ra’s POV

    b“/bDorian?!”

    I froze. My mind couldn’t wrap around what I was hearing. My jaw dropped, unable to find the words to match the shock flooding bthrough /bollime. /li/ol

    Dorian had told me someone woulde to pick me up after the wedding, but he hadn’t said who exactly. I’d assumed it bwould /bbbe /ba bservant /bor maybe a guard. But Sir Alden? The Lycan?

    As the realization hit me, my eyes widened, and the pieces started to fall into ce.

    Wait… if Alden is a Lycan, and he works for Dorian… does that mean… Dorian is a Lycan too?

    The thought was overwhelming. I blurted the first thing that came to mind, my voice tight with disbelief, “Dorian is Lycanb?!/bb” /b

    Alden’s lips curled into a knowing smile, his finger going to his lips as he leaned closer, lowering his voice.

    “Shush,” he whispered. “Few know about Dorian’s true identity. We like to keep it that way.”

    I couldn’t even begin to process this newyer. My head was a storm of thoughts, spinning faster than I could catch them. It made sense nowb, /bthough. No wonder Dorian had kept his silence about his true identity. It wasn’t that he couldn’t trust us–it was that no one would believe him if he did tell them.

    And then, something else hit me. The fight. The one–on–one between Thorne and Dorian, where Dorian had never shifted into bhis /bwolf. I thought it was because he couldn’t.

    But the truth?

    He could have shifted.

    He just didn’t, because if he did, his identity would be exposed in an instant. Lycans weren’t like werewolves. They stood apart.

    I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself. “But… why go undercover?” My voice was shaky, still reeling from the shock. “The rogues already recognize your reign. You could have just given Lance the order for whatever this is about. Why hide?”

    Alden shrugged, a slight grin on his lips. “The rogues don’t just recognize usb, /bra. They fear us. But fear… that doesn’t stop them. They still pull all kinds of tricks behind our backs, things they’d never dare do in front of us. Dorian went undercover to stop them.”

    1 frowned, confusion still tugging at me. “Stop them… but stop them from what? Does this have anything to do with the ‘King‘ Lance mentioned to Thorne?”

    Alden sighed and spread his hands, as if amused by my endless questions. “Look, I’d be more than happy to spend the night answering all of your questions. I’m sure you’ve got plenty. But I think it’s better if you ask Dorian himself. If we’re going to meet him, we better move quickly. Time’s running out.”

    I stared at him, feeling the weight of his words. I couldn’t argue with that.

    “One more thing,” I said, voice trembling as I gathered my thoughts.

    Alden raised an eyebrow. “Go ahead.”

    “What happens when you take me out of the city?” bI /basked. “Where exactly are iyou /itaking me?”

    b10:26 /bMonb, /b11 bAug /b

    Alden gave me a polite smile, though it didn’t quite reach his eyes. b“/bWe can send you back across the border, if that’s bwhat /bbyou /bwant. I truthfully, we don’t know how things are going to turn out. If a war breaks out…” He trailed off, as if the bpossibility /bbwas /bbtoo /bbreal /bbto /bbput /bbinto /bwords. “We’ll want to keep you safe. And that means keeping you with the King.”

    A Lycan King. The thought made me shiver.

    I crossed my arms, skeptical. “And this king… he’s really going to protect me? I don’t even know who he is! Hell, until tonight, bI /bbdidn’t /beven know Lycans were real. How can you be so sure?”

    Alden’s smile turned almost… mischievous. “Oh, I’m sure he’ll be more than willing. In fact, I think he’ll be thrilled to keep you safe?

    The mention of the King sent a chill down my spine, but I couldn’t dwell on it. Not now. The clock was ticking.

    Alden nced at his watch. “It’s almost eight. I’m scheduled to leave the city by ten. Do iyou /ineed to pack?”

    I nodded, the sudden rush of urgency pushing me forward. “I need to change. I’m still in my maid’s uniform.”

    “Of course,” he said, his smile polite but brief. “Meet me at the woods near the South Gate. I’ll be waiting.”

    And just like that, he was gone.

    I didn’t waste a second. Turning bon /bmy heel, I rushed out of the ballroom. The corridor was crowded with guests still buzzing from the bnight’s /bdrama. The guards tried to usher them back to their rooms, but the chatter lingered in the air like a bad scent.

    “Do you think the King will punish his mate?” I overheard one girl whisper to her friends as I pushed through the crowd.

    “I’m not sure,” another girl replied. “Sleeping around is one thing, but humiliating the King? That’s a crime.”

    1 blocked them out, focusing on what was ahead.

    I couldn’t afford to get caught in this chaos.

    The maid’s dormitory was just as frantic. People were running around, gossiping, cleaning up the mess from the ballroom. But no one noticed me. The guards who were supposed to watch me? Nowhere in sight. Everything was going ording to n.

    I made my way to my room, locked the door, and finally allowed myself to breathe.

    I peeled off the maid uniform, tossing it aside before grabbing my sportswear. I was in the middle of pulling on my leggings when a knock echoed through the room.

    My heart stopped.

    Who was it?

    Was it the guards, making sure I stayed put?

    I hesitated, but then the voice from the other side of the door sent a cold shiver down my spine.

    “It’s me, Thorne.”

    I sucked in a breath, tension building in my chest. Should I answeri? /iShould I ignore him?

    “It’s okay,” Thorne’s voice came again, softer this time, almost like a plea. “You don’t have to talk bto /bme bif /bbyou /bbdon’t /bbwant /bbto/b. bI /bbknow /bbyou’re /bbin /b

    there. Just listen.”

    I held my breath, fighting the urge to scream at him.

    b10:27 /bbMon/bb, /bb11 /bbAug /b

    Chapter b172 /b

    “Lance told me something,” Thorne continued. “He said there’s a ritual I need to perform, one that brequires /bbboth /bbof /bbus/b. bI /bbhave /bto meet him tonight to do it.”

    A ritual? What was he talking about?

    My thoughts were screaming at me, but I couldn’t speak.

    “I don’t know how it works,” Thorne’s voice grew hoarse. “But I have to try. If I seed… I’ll be the King. And I’ll make sure bthe /bbrogues /bbnever /bset foot in ournds again.”

    I wanted to scream at him. Was he out of his mind?

    The silence between us stretched, and then I heard his vo

    fail… I won’te back. You’ll be better off without me.”

    e again, quieter this time. “I don’t know what’s going to happen, bra/b. bBut /bif

    I clutched my throat, trying to hold back tears. “What if you fail, Thorne?” I choked out.

    The pause that followed almost crushed me. His voice came back, rough, “I won’t fail. But if I dob… /bjust remember iyou /iwere the bonly /bwoman! ever loved.”

    I could hear his footsteps retreating. The door clicked shut behind him.

    My legs gave way, and I dropped to the floor, my breath shallow. The room spun as I tried to steady myself.

    Was he really asking me to remember him if he died?

    The thought made my chest tighten with a mix of anger and confusion.

    He was the one who betrayed me. He chose this. Not me.

    But still, his words–his confession–lingered in the air like poison.

    I had two choices, and only one would get me out of this hellhole.

    Dorian or Thorne.

    One of them would take me away, but which one would I choose?