Chapter#27

Selene’s POV

The morning sun barely pierced the heavy curtains of the main hall, casting long shadows across the stone floor as we were ordered to line up. I stood between Rowan and Caden. My eyes darted nervously and my hands clenched into fists at my sides. The captain’s voice boomed suddenly, cutting through the murmurs.

“Attention!” he barked, “Lords from Ironfang City have arrived with grave news. It’s being reported that some of our trainees left the academy last night and freed one of their slaves. They’re certain of this because some of the knights saw those wolves wearing our uniforms. Worse, one of their knights was killed in the process. Do you know what punishment it is for killing a knight?”

A chill ran down my spine. My breath caught as I glanced at Rowan, then at Caden. My heart pounded. The memory of the knight’s blood spraying across my hands flashed in my mind.

“Beheaded,” the captain continued, “Your head will be put on a spike at the city gates, and your body will be dragged through the streets for all to see. A fitting end for treason against Ironfang.”

I swallowed hard. My voice was a shaky whisper as I leaned toward Rowan. “Rowan, what do we do? They’re talking about us…they saw the uniforms.”

“Stay calm, Kaelen,” Rowan murmured. He reached for my hand and softly held it, “We don’t admit anything. No one saw our faces.”

One of the lords, a burly bald man with a voice like gravel, stepped forward, “We demand to check every trainee,” he commanded, “One of the curs who helped that slave escape was hit by an arrow. We’ll find the mark, and when we do, justice will be swift.”

Caden’s voice trembled beside me, “They’re looking for the arrow wound. My shoulder… they’ll see it.”

My stomach dropped. My heart raced as I glanced at Rowan again, “Rowan, I can’t…” I whispered, “What if they recognize me?”

The lord gestured to his knights. Their armor clanked as they moved toward us. Their hands were rough as they began inspecting the trainees, pulling at sleeves, checking arms. “Show us your arms!” one barked, grabbing a trainee nearby, yanking his tunic up to reveal unmarred skin.

I shrank back. My eyes darted to Caden. His face turned pale as a knight approached him.

“What’s this?” the knight growled, “An arrow wound! You…step forward!”

“No!” I cried, stepping between them, “His wound is from the last training battle. It’s not what you think!”

The lord’s black eyes locked on me, “Training, eh? Convenient excuse. What’s your name?”

“Kaelen,” I tried raising my voice but my heart pounded as I held his gaze, “I swear, it’s just a training injury.”

“Likely story,” the lord spat, but before he could say more, Varian’s voice cut through the tension. “Enough!” Varian roared, “The patrols at this academy are strict…ironclad. No trainee can escape these walls without being seen. Look at them…their bodies are bruised and scarred from the hard training. From the battles we fight here. These marks are from our own blood, not your city’s.”

The lord’s black eyes narrowed, “And the uniforms? The dead knight?”

Varian smirked, “Your knights saw figures in uniforms…vague shadows in the night. They should’ve caught them then, not come here wasting our time with accusations. This academy has hundreds of trainees, many bear arrow scars from training drills. That wound proves nothing! I suggest you keep your city’s mess in Ironfang and work on finding those people and the slave yourselves, instead of dragging this here.”

The captain stepped forward, “Varian’s right. We train hard. Scars are common. If you have evidence beyond a uniform and a graze, present it. Otherwise, this is a waste of our time.”

The lord’s face darkened as he snarled, “You think you can dismiss us? That slave was valuable, traded from the Bloodclaw Pack and she was sold to one of the lords in the west. What impression will they have of us if we aren’t able to keep our word?”

“Then take it up with the knights who were on patrol,” Varian shot back, “They’re the ones who lost her. We’re not your scapegoats. Check your own borders. Maybe your guards are the ones who let her slip away.”

As they moved off, I let out a shaky breath. Rowan glanced at me and held me from my shoulders, “You did good, Selene.”

“I was so scared,” I whispered, “What if they’d found out?”

“They didn’t,” Caden interrupted, “Varian saved us. But we need to be careful because they’re still on high alert. I’m worried about Mara. I hope she’s far gone by now.”

“I hope that too,” My voice dropped.

Varian approached, “You three…keep your mouths shut. The academy won’t show mercy once they find out we snuck out last night. If they link us to that slave’s escape or the dead knight, we’re done…beheaded or worse.”

I felt my stomach twist, “What do we do, Varian?” I whispered.

Rowan squeezed my hand, “No one will know, Kaelen. They’ve got nothing solid.”

Varian’s eyes narrowed, “That slave was Leandro’s trade. He’s the most brutal alpha in Lunareth, rules the Bloodclaw Pack with an iron fist. You’re lucky if you’ve never crossed paths with him. He’ll skin you alive and hang your pelt as a trophy if he finds out you meddled with his trade.”

My breath caught, “I know how merciless he can be,” my voice trembled as I clenched my fists.

Caden muttered, “But we have nothing to do with his slave. We took a few drinks and then came back to the barracks.”

Liam approached, “The captain just announced today’s first assessment. We’re moving on to the logic assessment…”

I blinked, “Logic?”

“Yeah,” Liam smiled as he leaned in. “No swords, no claws…just your mind.”

Caden smirked looking at me, “The years of elite court education you’ve hinted at haven’t gone to waste, huh?”

Rowan chuckled softly, “Well, that’s a relief.”

The captain’s voice rang out again, calling us to the assessment hall, and we moved with the crowd. The test began. The questions were a familiar dance of logic and strategy, the kind I’d mastered in the Silverthorn court. My mind slipped into the rhythm of analysis. I worked quickly, my pen scratching across the parchment, solving riddles, mapping out battle scenarios. The room was silent save for the rustle of paper, but I felt the curious glances as I finished first, setting down my pen with a calm confidence.

“Done already?” Rowan whispered.

I nodded.

“You make it look easy.” Caden murmured.