Chapter 203
Absolutely Not
Candice did not like waiting.
She stood at the mouth of the stone path with her arms crossed, eyes narrowed as she stared at Arlan’s broad back while he walked ahead of her, lantern in hand. The deeper they went, the cooler the air became.
The cave walls shimmered faintly with embedded crystals, casting muted reflections of pale blue and silver light. It was quiet. Too quiet for her liking.
“You said he’s in meditation,” Candice said, breaking the silence. “That usually means don’t disturb.”
Arlan glanced over his shoulder, unfazed. “That’s true. But you asked to see him anyway.”
She scoffed softly. “I asked if he could spare a moment. That doesn’t mean dragging me into whatever sacred space he’s holed up in.”
Arlan slowed his pace and finally stopped. He turned to face her, expression calm but knowing. “Master already sensed you coming.”
That made Candice pause. “Of course he did,” she muttered.
They reached the inner chamber soon after. The cave opened into a wide hollow where the ceiling arched high above them, lost in shadow. In the center of the space was a natural stone formation shaped like a wide circle, smoothed by time and energy alike.
Zander sat there.
He was shirtless, legs crossed atop the circular rock, his posture straight and unnaturally still. Candice felt it immediately. The air around him was dense, heavy with power, as if the cave itself was holding its breath. Runes faintly glowed along the stone beneath him, pulsing in rhythm with his breathing.
Candice’s gaze lowered before she could stop herself.
His back was a map of scars.
Some were thin and precise, others jagged and deep, crossing over each other in brutal patterns. Burn marks. Blade wounds. Etched symbols that had long since faded but left their imprint behind. None of them looked accidental. None of them looked recent. They told a story of years spent pushing limits that should not have been crossed.
She swallowed.
Arlan noticed.
“He earned every one of those,” he said quietly, stepping beside her. “Training. Experiments. Trials meant to sharpen his control and deepen his inner well.”
Candice glanced at him. “You say that like it’s normal.”
Arlan’s lips curved into something that was not quite a smile. “It was necessary.”
She looked back at Zander. He had not moved. Not even a flinch. “Necessary for what.”
“For survival,” Arlan answered. “And for his plans.”
Candice remained silent, letting him continue.
“He grew up knowing he had lost everything,” Arlan said. “His name. His House. His freedom. Nothing was handed to him. Power was not inherited. It was carved into him, slowly and painfully.”
Candice folded her arms tighter. “You talk about hardship like it’s a badge of honor.”
“It’s not,” Arlan replied. “It’s a reminder. One he carries so he never forgets why he must succeed.”
Before Candice could respond, the air shifted.
The glow beneath Zander dimmed. The pressure in the cave eased, like a held breath finally released. He inhaled deeply, then opened his eyes. Gold met blue. He blinked once, then twice, clearly amused.
“Well,” Zander said lightly, uncrossing his legs as he stood. “I was hoping you didn’t scare her with too many tragic details, Arlan.”
Candice stiffened. “I wasn’t scared.”
Zander chuckled as he reached for the robe draped nearby, slipping it on with ease. “Good. I would hate to be misunderstood.”
Arlan bowed his head slightly and stepped back. “I’ll wait outside.”
As Arlan left, Candice turned fully to Zander, studying his face now. Up close, he looked calmer than she expected. No wild ambition in his eyes. No madness just confidence. The kind that came from knowing exactly what one was capable of.
“So,” Zander said, tying the robe loosely. “What brings the Princess of Terravane into my cave.”
She bristled. “Don’t call me that.”
He raised a brow. “Then what should I call you.”
“Candice is enough.”
“Very well, Candice,” he said smoothly. “What do you want.”
She hesitated, then decided there was no point circling around it. “I want to know if you’re gambling with Lady Althea’s life.”
The humor faded slightly from his expression. Not anger, not offense just interest.
“Go on,” he said.
“If the covenant of binding takes effect,” Candice continued, voice firm, “can you really save her. Or are you hoping things work out in your favor.”
Zander stared at her for a long moment. Then he laughed. “Candice,” he said, shaking his head. “There is no spell I cannot undo.”
Her eyes narrowed. “That sounds arrogant.”
“It is,” he replied easily. “And earned.”
He stepped closer, his tone lowering. “The covenant of binding is not a spell to be broken. It is a curse. One I have already prepared for.”
She frowned. “Prepared how.”
He smiled faintly. “That is the price I pay for wanting to be the best.”
Something about the way he said it sent a chill down her spine, but she did not press further.
“You’re sure,” she said instead. “Because you wouldn’t blackmail the Alpha King unless you were certain.”
Zander’s gaze hardened just a fraction. “My clan’s honor is not something I would stake on uncertainty. Our freedom depends on this alliance. Althea will live. No matter what.”
Candice searched his face for deception and found none. Before she could speak again, voices echoed from the tunnel outside. Zander turned, already moving.
They stepped out of the cave together to find several of Zander’s men assembled, fully armed and alert. Zander began issuing instructions without hesitation, his presence commanding immediate attention.
“Divide into three groups,” he said. “No unnecessary bloodshed. Cain and Rett are the priority. Their men follow after.”
Candice blinked. “Where are you going.”
Zander glanced at her over his shoulder. “To fulfill my end of the bargain.”
Realization hit her. “You’re bringing them to Gavriel.”
He nodded. “Alive if possible.”
She hesitated, then spoke before thinking too much. “I’m coming with you.”
Zander turned fully this time, surprise flickering across his face. “Are you sure?”
Before she could answer, a hand closed around her wrist, firm and unyielding.
“Absolutely not.”
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