Chapter 263: Chapter 263

I walked away from Belinda with my jaw tight and my plan clean in my head. Her anger was a tool I could sharpen, but only if I kept it from cutting the wrong hand. I needed men I could trust at her side and eyes on her every step until the day we moved.

I stopped in the corridor, called the nearest guard over, and watched him bow before he spoke.

"You," I said, my voice low and steady. "Listen to me and listen well. Belinda must not be allowed to act against our plan. If she so much as tries to leave this place without my say, you will lock her up."

The guard swallowed. "Yes, Your Highness."

"Make it absolute," I told him. "You watch her, and you keep her from doing anything foolish. If she resists, use the cell. If she speaks to anyone who might sway her, report it to me immediately. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Alpha. We understand."

"And one more thing," I added, stepping closer so my voice dropped to a whisper that still carried like iron. "If she must be locked up, lock her with dignity. No more harm than necessary. I want her safe, not broken. We need her for the war, not a corpse to haunt my conscience."

The guard bowed low, a show of loyalty and a way to hide the small flicker of fear I saw in his eyes. "It will be done, Alpha."

I nodded and let him go. I gave him a final look, a silent command to be ruthless if needed and to be careful at the same time. In this game, careful cruelty was worth more than blind cruelty.

Then I walked to the training ground. The men were already there, the scent of sweat and old leather filling the air. Shields leaned against posts; spears glinted dully under the grey sky. My presence made the noise hush. They saw me, and they stood straighter. They were ready for what I would say next.

I climbed onto the low stone dais in the center, the place I used when I wanted my words to land hard in the bones of my men. They bowed their heads, waiting.

"Soldiers," I said, and a cheer rose like a wave. I let it hang.

I raised my hand to cut through the sound. "Enough. Hear me." The cheering fell away. "We leave in three days."

A murmur ran through them, sharp, hungry. I let the murmur run its course, then pushed forward. "We will take their pack. We will take what is ours by right and by force. We will show them the price of betrayal. When this is over, every man who stands with me will be known. Your names will be called in the great halls. Your deeds will echo."

A soldier near the front spat to the side and shouted, "We will follow you, Alpha! We will take what is ours!"

"Good." I let the word hang. "Begin harder drills tomorrow. Twice a day. Sword work, spear and shield, assaults, and night marches. We move at dawn in three days. Be ready with arms in clean order. Your horses fed, your boots oiled, your armor mended. Anything less and I will remind you of why discipline must be our first weapon."

One of the young men raised his voice, eager. "Alpha Fridolf, what of the wards? The eastern ridge? The river path?"

"We secure the river path tonight," I replied, mapping the move in their minds. "Two men on the ridge. Another patrol along the southern track. No one passes without our leave."

The older men, the captains, bowed their heads. "We will train harder, Alpha," one said. "We will be ready."

I nodded. "Your names will be known when we win. Remember that. Glory is not given. It is taken."

They answered with a roar and bent immediately into drills. I watched them move, the way a well-ordered formation looks before it becomes a killing machine. My chest tightened with a cold joy. This was work I loved: the slow building of power like a winter that would not be stopped.

While the men ran their drills, one of the guards I had sent to watch Belinda came up the path at a jog. He slowed when he saw me and bowed, breathless.

"Alpha," he panted, "a thing to report."

He straightened, trying to swallow dignity back into his voice. "Lady Belinda attempted to leave about an hour ago."

My hand clamped the hilt of the short sword at my waist without planning it. My face stayed still. "Attempted to leave," I repeated.

"She was found on the outer stair," he said. "One of our men kept watch, and he intercepted her. She resisted, but the guard held her. He brought her back and locked the door until you returned."

I felt the muscles in my jaw move. The guardsman held my eyes, waiting.

A small, dry laugh left me. I pleased myself with the image of her indignation and fury confined to a room.

I knew she would pull that stunt.

"She is just a worthless bitch!" I muttered.

"Good," I said finally. "You did as I asked. Leave the man to his duties. Watch her constantly. If she tries again, put her in the cell and tell no one but me."

"Yes, Alpha," he said, bowing quickly. He wanted to leave, and I let him.

When he had gone, I called the captains back together. I wanted to be in front of my men when I ordered the final tightening of our plans. A leader shows his face in the moments before the storm and not behind a curtain.

"Listen," I said, as their chatter faded. "This is no longer a test. The Alphas are not ordinary. They are ruthless, and we must show them how ruthless we are too. They move through shadows and break men without shedding their skin. We will be cautious when we attack them. But we will not let our caution make us soft."

"And we set traps. We will make sure our men know what to look for. Watch scent trails, watch the ground. Watch for oddities: burnt grass, the way branches are bent. Watch for things out of place. And when you find something, do not act alone. Bring it to me." ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ꜰʀᴏᴍ NoveI~Fire.net

"Understood," they said.