"How foolish could he be? But since he offered, we could finally make Caspian submit. He needs this lesson—just as much as Hestiah did." Milly and I agreed.

Our gaze shifted to Hestiah, still crumpled in pain. Caspian had to feel the sting of his pawn's defeat, and though we'd held back before, that would change.

In our wolf forms, our eyes gleamed with excitement at the thought. Caspian's eyes rotated with Kete—the wolf within him—yearning for power, his instincts pushing him toward the confrontation.

The earthy scent subtly shifted, but neither Camilla nor Caspian caught the warning—until the air thickened, and a new presence was undeniable. An unexpected voice cut through the tension.

A calm, playful voice said, "Honestly, brother, is this the time to play games?" came Princess Caterina.

Camilla's heart skipped, her mind racing as she registered Caterina's sudden presence. "How did she get so close without us noticing?" She voices her unease to Milly.

Caterina's hand brushed his shoulder lightly—just enough to jolt Caspian's instincts to life. His silver sword coated in wolfsbane poison flashed in a heartbeat. But Caterina moved like a shadow—her body shifting just as the blade sliced the air where she had been.

"Last I checked, we're not pups anymore." Caterina giggled, unfazed, as if she hadn't just been inches from his blade.

Camilla blinked, astonished by Caterina's impossible evasion, and glimpsed the shock mirrored in Caspian's glare.

"Not even Caspian sensed her approach! Caterina's getting better at sneaking up on us," Milly noted skeptically, realizing they needed to be more cautious—it could have easily been an attack.

Caterina's presence was usually undetectable unless she chose to reveal herself, a testament to her mastery of masking her scent. A skill—combined with her merciless precision in dispatching her prey—had earned her the nickname "Lethal Grace." Yet this time, Camilla truly understood why she received that name.

Caspian's eyes narrowed. "What are you doing here, Caterina?" he asked, still unsettled by her sudden appearance. She had no reason to arrive this early. Something wasn't right.

"Tried calling and texting—no response," she teased, flashing her phone. "I missed my older siblings," she added, circling Caspian slowly, like a predator measuring her prey, her smirk unwavering and her intent unreadable. Was she here for Camilla or him? The question lingered, unsettling and unanswered.

Caterina halted and said, "Just came to pass a message, and you know the rules—we all can't leave the capital simultaneously; one heir must remain nearby. So, someone needs to return."

"What's she playing at?" Milly's unease echoed in Camilla's mind.Her unease only growing with how easily Caterina had slipped past their awareness—and the blatant lie she was spinning.

If Caterina's lies were true, why had Caterina left? She rarely departed the capital. Now, she wants to act as though she upheld the rules, even though she was the one breaking them all the time.

"I am the only one with a valid purpose to be outside the capital. Didn't I promise Lord Hestiah I'd come?" she replied, a dangerous gleam igniting in her eyes as they locked onto Hestiah.

In a blur of motion, she was beside Hestiah, her presence overwhelming. With effortless strength, she lifted him even in his werewolf form, the command in her voice slicing through the air.

"Shift." Her Royal Alpha power radiated in waves, undeniable and absolute, as the fierce roar of her wolf blazed in her gaze—a sight both mesmerizing and terrifying.

Hestiah's body buckled, his wolf yielding in agony to her command, writhing as he received a force shift in his weakened and broken state. His howl shattered the silence, a grotesque sight as his fur painfully retracted beneath his skin, dark bruises blossoming where it shed.

A sickening crunch echoed as his bones twisted, blood trickling from his mouth with each brutal snap. When the transformation was complete, he lay exposed in human form, naked and trembling in Caterina's unrelenting grip.

Caterina glanced at the stands, a playful smirk twisting her lips. "Now, soldiers, take your lord to the hospital," she commanded sharply, flinging Hestiah's limp body aside as she casually flicked his blood from her hands.

Camilla's thoughts raced. Why was Caterina being so ruthless? Forcing a shift was cruel—especially with Hestiah already so weakened. Despite his foolishness, he was still a lord, a figure of power. Pity stirred in her; even he didn't deserve this humiliation.

The reckless use of power was unsettling, but the bigger question loomed: Why was she really here? It wasn't Lord Hestiah, given how she treated him. And it for sure wasn't her missing Caspian or her, given their lack of closeness since maturing into full-grown alphas.

Caterina has a real reason, although she hasn't stated it yet, making Camilla uneasy. Her sister rarely left the capital unless something important was at stake. Her self-righteous interest in her happiness wouldn't have her doing it for any of those frivolous reasons. But what?

Caspian assessed the situation with a 360-degree awareness, carefully weighing his options. Facing both of his sisters wouldn't be wise—especially with the potential for them to join forces against him. Camilla's strength alone, combined with the prowess of her Royal Blades, wouldn't stop him outright giving her cautious tendency but would slow him down, leaving him vulnerable to Caterina. Defending himself against both sisters would force him into a purely defensive stance, unable to mount any effective offense.

Adding the risk of Caterina's unpredictability could lead to a devastating strike, perhaps even a fatal attack before he could enact any of his plans. And if Camilla were to deliver the final hit, he could be left crippled, despite his Royal Alpha healing power. It wasn't a game he was interested in playing—not without his allies by his side.

"I'll return to the capital once Lord Hestiah recovers. Courtesy demands it—this is, after all, the first Lord's land that welcomed me," he stated, his tone factual, as he blurred out of the stadium to leave, deliberately disengaging from the standoff with Caterina. Caspian knew he'd need someone close to her inner circle to uncover her plans, but today wasn't the day. He wasn't ready to take on both of them just yet.

The soldiers hesitated as they neared the sisters to retrieve their Lord, their nostrils filled with the thick scent of his blood mingled with the stench of death, signaling he was barely clinging to life. While used to Caspian's formidable presence, the sisters' raw display of power left them visibly shaken, the air around them charged with fear.

"Frankie, dear," Caterina cooed, her voice dripping with false sweetness, "would you be so kind as to escort the Crown Princess back to the capital? We wouldn't want her to get hurt, now would we?"

"Princess Caterina," Camilla and Milly's voice coexisting echoed through the mind-link, laced with unyielding authority, "I am not merely your sister—I am your Crown Princess. Remember your place, and  do not ever attempt to command me."

Camilla and Milly's combined presence pressed heavily into Caterina's mind, applying a pressure that hinted at the torment they could unleash. Caterina's mental defenses wavered, closing off just enough to hold back the horrors they threatened to inflict.

Caterina's eyes darkened as her Alpha wolf surfaced, silently challenging Milly as she held her gaze. Caterina's scent flooded the air, compelling the surrounding wolves to submit. The sheer weight of her power bore down on them, forcing them into a bow as their wolves howled in agony under the oppressive force of her royal bloodline. She unleashed the full potency of her Royal Alpha aura, a presence that permitted no defiance.

No one in the royal family used that power lightly. It was too consuming, too dangerous. The power could unravel minds. It made even the strongest contemplate submission—or rebellion. A growl emitted from Milly as she was ready to release their Royal Alpha aura in Caterina's mind, ready to attack.

"I didn't forget," Caterina smiled softly, tilting her head in a mock show of submission as she retracted her aura, though it felt empty after the disrespect she'd shown. "Mother wanted you to know," Caterina smirked, letting the weight of her words linger,

A chill cut through Milly and Camilla, freezing the anger that had been simmering moments before as their heart skipped a beat. Mother's message? It was the first hint Caterina had let slip, but why now, after all these years of silence? Their mother had distanced herself from the Royal heirs for so long that the sudden call made no sense. The weight of the realization left Camilla inwardly shaken, though she kept her composure.

Why now? And why send Caterina, of all people? If Mother sent her, this wasn't just an ordinary message. But still, Caterina had yet to finish her statement, keeping Camilla on the edge of uncertainty.

Milly and Camilla grumbled in frustration, forced to hold back. They both understood that now was not the time to challenge Caterina—not with their mother's unmistakable influence radiating from her stance. There was no fighting it and the knowing smirk on Caterina's face only confirmed that she was well aware of the upper hand she held.

"Mother expects you in the capital. Immediately." Caterina said with a smug edge. "She needs to speak with you."

"Fine," Camilla said, the weight of unspoken questions pressing on her chest. She commanded her soldiers to head out. The unease lingered, one question echoing louder than the rest: What exactly did Mother want?

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Thank you so much to everyone reading my story! I hope you're enjoying it. If you are, I'd love to hear your thoughts. Please Vote and Comment!!!!

Who do you think is more dangerous in this chapter: Camilla, Caspian, or Caterina? Why?

If you were Camilla, would you return to the capital and face your mother, or would you confront Caterina about her behavior first?

If you could ask one question to any of these characters right now, what would it be?