Chapter 141: Two Steps ahead 2 CIAN The ceremony ended in applause that filled the grand hall and seemed to press against my ears. I stayed where I was, watching Julius kiss his bride, watching the relief ripple through the crowd like something heavy had finally been set down. The red cloth still bound their wrists together when they turned to face everyone, and the healer stepped back with that calm, knowing smile spiritual people always wore, like they had seen something the rest of us hadn’t. People started to stand. The quiet formality cracked almost immediately, replaced by layered conversations and laughter as the tension bled out of the room. The reception would be in the ballroom. I knew that much from the invitation. But first I needed to find Fia. I turned toward the seats where she had been sitting. She wasn’t there. That in itself wasn’t strange, not at first. Ceremonies ran long. People stepped out. But something in my chest tightened anyway, a familiar pull of unease. I reached for the bond without thinking and hit a wall so solid it made me suck in a breath. Not severed. Not damaged. Shielded. Fia was doing it deliberately, shutting me out. She only did that when she didn’t want me to feel what she was feeling, when she was scared or upset or doing something she already knew I would object to. My jaw clenched before I could stop it. Elara was beside me, smoothing down her dress as she prepared to leave, her expression carefully neutral. That was when it clicked that someone else was missing too. "Where’s Uncle Aldric?" I asked. She glanced toward his empty seat and frowned lightly. "I’m not sure. Father stepped out for a bit." Of course he did. Aldric disappearing and Fia shielding herself at the same time felt far too neat to be coincidence. "I’ll go find them," I said. Elara nodded. "Okay." I moved into the aisle, threading my way through people who were already heading for the exits. The crowd had thickened, bodies pressing close, groups stopping mid walk to chat as if the rest of us didn’t exist. I had to shoulder past more than one knot of guests, irritation simmering just beneath my skin. I was almost at the doors when someone bumped into me hard enough to knock me back a step. "Cian!" I looked up and found Alpha Julius grinning at me like we were old friends reunited after years apart. Before I could react, he pulled me into a hug, solid and confident, the kind you gave people you trusted. Not rivals. Not men who had opposed you at every turn once you took your father’s seat. I patted his back awkwardly, caught off guard by the familiarity. "I didn’t think you’d come," Julius said when he pulled back, his smile still wide. "Not after how rocky things have been between us." "I was surprised by the invitation," I said, managing a polite smile. "Well, I’m glad you did." I couldn’t tell if he meant it. Julius had always been good at this, sounding sincere while keeping his real thoughts carefully out of reach. Every word could be taken at face value or pulled apart for hidden intent. I hated that nothing was ever simple, that even moments like this felt like games played several moves ahead. But this was the life I had stepped into. There was no pretending otherwise. "I’m sure we have a lot to talk about," I said. "Since you invited me." "I’m just extending a hand of friendship." He hugged me again, shorter this time, then clapped my shoulder and moved on with an easy, satisfied air. I stood there longer than I meant to, watching him disappear into the crowd, trying to reconcile what I’d just seen with everything I knew about him. Part of me had expected something like it, though probably more hollow, more performative. Seeing it play out so smoothly left a bad taste in my mouth. I shook it off and headed for the doors again. That was when I ran straight into them. Alpha Joseph Hughes of Silvercreek stood near the entrance with his Luna, both of them relaxed, clearly enjoying the celebration. Fia’s father looked genuinely pleased, his smile open and unguarded. "Alpha Cian," he said. "It’s good to see you." "Alpha Joseph." The smile I gave him came automatically, the product of years spent navigating pack politics. Movement behind Luna Isobel caught my attention. Hazel stepped forward, her pink dress bright even among the finery around us. She dipped into a slight bow. "Alpha Cian." I nodded once in acknowledgment. "How are the early days of marriage treating you?" Joseph asked. It was harmless small talk, the kind meant to probe without appearing to. "Great, actually." The reaction was subtle but unmistakable. Hazel’s expression flickered, Luna Isobel’s too, surprise flashing across their faces before both smoothed it away. Joseph alone seemed unaffected, his smile steady, as if he truly hadn’t expected anything else. "I need to find Fia," I said. "I’ll see you at the after party." Hazel stepped forward again. "Is something wrong? I can come with you." Luna Isobel’s hand snapped out and caught her daughter’s arm, pulling her back with practiced ease. She smiled at me, all polished warmth and false apology. "I’m sorry about my daughter. She just cares so deeply about her sister." I looked at Luna Isobel, then at Hazel. The concern on Hazel’s face almost looked real. Almost. "Yeah," I said, letting just enough edge into my voice. "I can see that." I didn’t wait for a reply. "See you later," I said, and walked away. I pushed through the doors and into the hallway. The crowd thinned out here, people flowing in different directions toward the ballroom. I forced my way through groups of chatting guests until I found a sentinel standing near one of the side corridors. "Did you see a pretty petite woman come by?" I asked. "Dressed in silver and midnight blue?" He nodded. "Yes, Alpha. She went that way." He pointed down the hallway to my right. I started walking. My phone chimed in my pocket. I pulled it out and saw Ronan’s message. ’No witch has arrived yet. Did she get cold feet?’ I stared at the words. The witch. The one Aldric had promised he could bring in to help my mother. The one who was supposed to be our last real hope. I shoved the phone back in my pocket and started moving faster. Half running through corridors that all looked the same until I almost slammed straight into someone. "Woah, watch it there, nephew." It was uncle Aldric. "Sorry," I said automatically. "I wasn’t looking." "Neither was I." He smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. "My mind was elsewhere." I took a deep breath, trying to center myself. "Ronan says the witch hasn’t arrived yet." Aldric sighed. The sound was heavy, disappointed. "That’s why I went out. I was trying to reach her." "And?" "The witch heard a rumor. She believes you unnecessarily killed a witch, and from what I have gotten... it seems most magic practicioners formed a coalition of sorts. To prevent you from getting aid for your mother." The words hit me like cold water. A coalition. Against me. Because of something I hadn’t even done. Something that they’d twisted into something unforgivable. "I’m sorry I failed you, my boy." He reached out to hug me but I shrugged him off. I couldn’t handle that right now. Couldn’t handle false comfort when everything was falling apart. "You promised me, uncle." "I know. I know. I’m so sorry." "Sorry doesn’t fix my mother!" My voice came out louder than I meant it to. Several heads turned in our direction. I took deeper breaths, trying to pull myself together. Trying not to break down in the middle of a hallway at someone else’s wedding. "I just want her awake," I said. Quieter this time. "Me too." "I made a contingency provision," Aldric continued, "but I didn’t want to rely on it because I know how it could be for you." But I didn’t even want to hear it anymore. "You should stop, uncle." "What?" I rubbed at my eyes. They felt hot. Wet. "I think I’ll do it my way." "Don’t be brash. The magic practitioners already have the wrong kind of beef with you. To actively go against them—" "I don’t give a shit." The words came out harsh. Final. "As long as my mother wakes, I don’t care what enemies I make." "Cian." I walked off before he could say anything else. Before I said something I couldn’t take back. My mother was dying and everyone kept telling me to be careful, to be strategic, to think about the political implications. But none of that mattered if she never woke up. None of it mattered if I lost her. I caught her scent before I saw her. Fia. I looked up. My eyes were misty, the hallway slightly blurred, but I could still make out her shape. That dress. The way she held herself. She saw me. Her expression changed immediately. "Cian, are you alright?" I crossed the distance between us and pulled her into my arms. Held her tight against me like she was the only solid thing in a world that wouldn’t stop shifting under my feet. She didn’t ask questions. She just wrapped her arms around me and held on.