Chapter Title: Fated Whispers
Rosa's POV
The carriage rumbled softly beneath us as the distant trees blurred past the windows. The wind brushed my cheeks gently through the small opening in the side, but my heart was far from calm. I sat across from Leo, hands clasped tightly in my lap.
We were headed for the Central Plains, where my father's secret army had reportedly been stationed in quiet exile. The only remnants of the Red Blossom Pack. The only hope I had left.
Leo was quiet too. I appreciated that. My thoughts were too loud.
Suddenly, something rippled through my chest. It wasn't fear. It wasn't anxiety. It was something... primal. My wolf stirred wildly inside me.
Laura.
"He's close..." her voice was faint, trembling.
My eyes widened. I didn't need an explanation. I knew exactly who she meant.
Bryant.
He was near.
"Stop the carriage!" I shouted, startling Leo.
"Your Majesty? What is wrong?"
I didn't have the words to explain. I grabbed the side of the door and flung it open, jumping down before the horses even came to a full stop. My boots hit the grass, and I spun toward Leo.
"Please. Keep going. Take the road to the Central Plain and don't look back. I can't have him finding you. Not yet."
Leo stepped down with a tense jaw. "I'm not leaving you alone. This is madness."
I held his wrist. "No, it's loyalty. If he catches you with me, we both lose everything. Go. Hide the armies. Wait for my letter."
Leo stared at me long and hard, and I saw the conflict in his eyes. He eventually reached into his tunic and pulled out a thin silver whistle.
"Blow this. Anytime, anywhere. I'll come."
I nodded, my throat tightening.
"Promise me you'll be safe," he said.
"Only if you promise the same."
He hesitated, then climbed back into the carriage and urged the horses forward.
I took a deep breath and looked around the woods, heart pounding.
And then I heard it.
Hooves.
I turned.
He came through the trees like a shadow in motion. Bryant. Black coat flying. Expression stormy. His horse halted right in front of me.
He didn't say a word. His eyes locked on me with blazing fire.
Then he reached down, grabbed my arm, and hauled me up behind him.
Just like that.
I clung to his coat, too stunned to protest. The wind howled as we galloped through the woods, back in the direction of the palace. His silence cut deeper than any words.
My heart felt like it would burst. From confusion. From guilt. From relief.
He said nothing the entire way back.
---
Bryant's POV
I ordered every guard on duty the moment we arrived.
"No one goes near her chambers. No one. Lock all entryways. Send two guards on rotation every two hours."
They bowed and scrambled.
I looked at her once more. Her face was pale, her hair windblown, her eyes unreadable.
"You will not leave again. Not unless I say so."
She didn't respond. She didn't have to. I walked away, the echo of her scent still clinging to my cloak.
But my thoughts?
A mess of fury... and something dangerously close to fear.