Chapter 34
The second Richard stepped into the hallway, all the fear left my body.
Which was ridiculous, honestly. Jason still had a knife. I was still wolfless. There were still at least six different ways this could all go horribly wrong. But that’s what it felt like-fear evaporating, replaced by something
steadier, heavier.
Relief.
Richard had been distant lately. Busy, I told myself. Caught up in work, in strategy meetings, in kingdom-wide crisis control. And then I saw him with her-the woman from the restaurant. The one who fit so neatly at his
side, like she’d been stitched into his world.
I’d told myself it didn’t mean anything. That I didn’t care. But the truth was, it left a sour twist in my chest that
hadn’t quite gone away.
But now, standing there with the blade at my throat, that twist gave way to something else. Because he was here. And the moment he saw Jason holding me, everything about Richard’s composure cracked.
Jason went stiff.
Richard’s voice was no longer just steel-it was fury, barely restrained by protocol. “Is this what you call a last
move? Are you that desperate to die tonight?”
Jason panicked.
In a last-ditch move, he yanked me tighter against him, the knife pressing harder. I gasped, but Richard was
already moving.
With terrifying precision, he crossed the space in less than a breath, his movements clean and explosive. One moment Jason was using me as a shield, the next he was on the floor with Richard’s hand at his throat.
“Amelia, move,” Richard said sharply, his voice still calm, but barely.
I stumbled back just in time to avoid the scuffle.
But then Richard faltered.
It was only for a second. His grip slipped. Jason surged up with a snarl and lunged toward me again. I didn’t
have time to scream.
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Richard caught him mid-motion, intercepting the knife. The blade sliced across Richard’s arm, and he barely flinched as he twisted the weapon out of Jason’s hand and shoved him back into the wall.
Jason coughed as he hit the floor but didn’t stay down. With a snarl, he twisted and lunged upward, landing a wild punch to Richard’s side that made both of them stagger.
Richard recovered faster. He ducked the second swing and slammed Jason backward with a brutal blow to the
stomach, then followed with a quick strike to the jaw.
Jason hit the ground harder this time, groaning. He started to push up again-but Richard didn’t give him the
chance.
With one sharp kick to the ribs, Jason crumpled, the fight knocked clean out of him.
“Stay down,” Richard growled, holding his bleeding arm tight to his side, breathing hard now, more from fury
than exhaustion.
I rushed to him, already reaching for the wound. “You’re hurt.”
“It’s nothing,” he said, but his voice was clipped.
I pulled his hand away and saw the gash-and then saw it start to close. Too fast.
“Richard…” I whispered.
His breathing was shallow, his pupils slightly blown.
Nathan arrived then, skidding into the hallway with a squad behind him. “What the hell happened?”
“Jason was trying to steal files,” I said automatically. “He pulled a knife on me.”
“He’s injured,” I added, motioning to Richard.
Nathan took one look at Richard’s arm, which was now gushing blood and cursed under his breath. “We need to
move. Now.”
He swept us into a secure room, locked down communication, and called Simon. Then Richard lost
consciousness.
The next twelve hours passed in a blur. Richard was stabilized, but not before Nathan made it clear this couldn’t
leak-not yet. Not with Alpha nominations about to be announced.
And they were. Officially.
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Chapter 34
The Elder named three successors: two from longstanding bloodlines.
And Richard.
Of course he was chosen. Of course the meeting of candidates was scheduled for just days away.
+25 BONUS
And of course, while the court was trying to stay quiet, Jason-somehow-had already started spreading the
news.
“The King is injured.”
“Something’s wrong with him.”
And through it all, I stayed by Richard’s side.
At first, because I didn’t want to leave.
Then, because Simon asked me not to. “He stabilizes faster when you’re nearby,” he said, like it was a weather
report.
No one questioned it. Not Beta. Not the medics. No one blinked. Because Richard had been hurt protecting me,
and everyone understood what that meant—even if they didn’t say it.
When Richard finally opened his eyes, the first person he saw was me.
“Hi,” I whispered.
He blinked like he wasn’t sure if I was real. Then, “Did we win?”
I snorted. “You’re alive. That counts.”
He groaned. “Where’s Beta?”
“Already prepping your statement.”
“I need to go.”
“You need to rest.”
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