Chapter 88: Fight With Me

"Follow me," a voice interrupted Rhea’s thoughts.

The oak door swung open, and the guard gestured for her to enter.

Rhea nodded and stepped across the threshold. Her boots clicked against the stone floor. The guard led her into the audience chamber, the heart of Ironfang, where the Alpha throne sat on a raised dais.

The moment she crossed into the room, the guard retreated and shut the doors with a thud. The hall was quiet, lit only by the glow of wall sconces.

Rhea stood alone in the center of the room. She walked up the dais and reached out her hand. Her fingers traced the wolves carved into the wood of the armrest. The timber felt cold.

"It would feel incredible to rule all this again, would it not?" a voice echoed from the shadows.

Rhea did not flinch. She turned to face the hall.

The war chief stepped out from near the pillars, his arms crossed as he walked toward her. His gaze remained fixed on her face as he stopped a few feet away. "To what do I owe the honor of this visit, Rhea?" he asked.

Rhea met his stare without hesitation. "We need to talk, Alpha Veyne. Right now."

The war chief studied her face, his eyes narrowing as he measured her resolve. "It had better be important," he warned, a smirk touching his lips. "Otherwise, you will not walk out of these doors alive a second time."

River’s voice echoed in Rhea’s mind, low and deadly. "Let him try. I am waiting to tear his throat out."

Rhea looked at the war chief. She knew this man. She knew his fears, his pride, and his hunger for rank. He had served under her command. Now, she needed to use that knowledge.

A smile curved her lips, though no warmth reached her eyes. "You have changed, Alpha Veyne," she said softly.

The war chief puffed out his chest. "Power looks good on me then, does it not?"

"You were once upright. You stood for honor," Rhea said, taking a step toward him. "What changed, Veyne?"

Veyne’s smile faded. "You were murdered," he said, his voice hard.

Rhea let her smile widen. "Yet here I am, breathing the same air."

Veyne scoffed, though his eyes tracked her movement. "Yes, you are," he admitted. "However, you are no longer the Luna who commanded three regiments. You are an outsider without a pack, roaming the borderlands like a stray."

"You heard the news then," Rhea said, her tone smooth. "But rumors change nothing about who I am."

Veyne stepped closer. "You can align yourself with a rising power. Align with me. Together, we can unite the factions and secure these borders. Then you can take your place beside my son, Aaron, as his Luna."

"How dare this fool offer us to his weak pup?" River snarled.

Rhea’s jaw clenched, but she kept her composure. The nerve of this man. A warrior who had once stood behind her, waiting for her orders, was now proposing his son as her mate?

Rhea forced another cool smile onto her face. "I have a far better offer for you, Veyne."

Veyne pulled his brows together. "And what could a packless female offer a war chief?"

Rhea’s smile vanished. "Submit your warriors and your arms to me, and we can pick up where we left off."

Veyne scoffed. "Do you realize where you stand, Rhea? One sign from my hand, and you will sleep in the dungeon before the sun sets."

Rhea took another step forward. "Yes, Alpha Veyne. I know where I stand," she said, her voice dropping to a smooth, dangerous edge. "I am standing in the grand hall of the true Alpha King of Ironfang. And I am speaking to a war chief who betrayed his own blood for a title."

Veyne’s eyes flared with rage, his hands curling into fists. "I could throw you into chains right now!"

Rhea’s silver eyes flashed as River’s voice bled through her throat, overlapping her words with a growl. "What is stopping you then?"

Veyne froze as the pressure of her aura filled the room. He opened his mouth to call the guards, but Rhea cut him off.

"I may be a Luna without a pack right now, but I chose that," Rhea said, her voice steady again. "And when it comes to military strategy, you know you cannot win this war without my mind guiding the vanguard."

Veyne cleared his throat and stepped back. "Do not mistake your past glory for present strength," he warned. "You are nothing to these men. And how do you intend to win when Aaron has already moved half his warriors to the eastern border."

Rhea paused. Even if he did not budge, he had given her something useful. She offered a calm smile. "Well, you will have time to test that theory on the field."

Veyne’s mask faltered. "What does that mean?"

"Ironfang," Rhea said simply.

"I do not follow," Veyne replied, his brow furrowing.

"I am going to take back Ironfang," Rhea declared, her voice ringing through the hall.

The color drained from Veyne’s face.

"Yes," Rhea continued. "It serves your house much better to stand with us. When this conflict is settled, I will allow you to keep your rank and your lands."

Veyne’s eyes narrowed into slits. For a moment, hesitation showed in his eyes. Then, his expression hardened back into stone. "Is this the real reason you came into my territory?"

Rhea held up a finger. "Correction. Ironfang’s territory. And yes, I am offering you a chance to surrender your weapons to me now. Otherwise, when the dust settles, you will not even have wastelands to call home."

Veyne searched her face. "Do you have an army?"

Rhea paused, letting the silence stretch between them. Then, she lifted her chin high. "I do," she said flatly.

Veyne drew in a heavy breath. "Good," he replied. "Because you will need it. Now leave before I forget the respect I once held for your name."

Rhea kept her composure, giving him a tight smile. "I will leave. But if you change your mind, you know where to find me. I will be on the high ridge in the mountains."

Veyne’s face twisted in disbelief. "So the rumors are true? You are aligning yourself with Kaleb? After everything he did to you?"

Rhea ignored the comment, keeping her smile firm. "I hope you come to your senses and stand with me."

"You mean you stand with Kaleb," Veyne countered, his voice full of disdain. "That is something I will never support."

"We are all fighting toward the same outcome," Rhea said, turning toward the exit.

"He will put another blade through your heart the second it suits him!" Veyne called after her.

Rhea paused at the edge of the dais, looking back over her shoulder. "I already died once, Veyne. He cannot kill a ghost."

She let her words sink in. "When you are ready, I will be waiting. Otherwise, we will continue this conversation on the battlefield."