The Lycan King's Second Chance Mate: Rise of the Traitor's Daughter-Chapter 147: A Secret For Tomorrow

Natalie~

I didn’t answer them.

Not Zane. Not Abel. Not even Roland with his teasing eyes and crooked smirk. I just clutched the bag tighter against my chest like it was the only thing anchoring me to the ground when really, it was just another piece of the chaos spinning inside me.

My fingers gripped the soft leather like claws. I could feel my pulse in my ears, in my throat, in the very tips of my fingers. The room suddenly felt too small, too loud—though no one was saying a word.

I didn’t dare meet Zane’s eyes. I knew what I’d see there—concern, suspicion, maybe even betrayal. And I couldn’t take that. Not from him.

I came here ready to tell him about Griffin. But after what I’d just learned, that plan was ashes. Our hatred for the Blackthorns was already boiling over. One more drop and he’d explode and I wouldn’t be far behind.

*********

FLASHBACK

Just yesterday.

I’d called out to him through the mind link.

"Zane?"

"Yeah, sweetheart." He answered instantly, that gentle warmth threading through his voice even though he tried to sound composed. "What’s wrong?"

"I... I need to tell you something." I’d tried to keep it even, calm. But Zane felt things too deeply. You couldn’t lie to him—not really.

The shift in his voice was immediate. Protective. Tense. Ready to burn down the world for me if he had to.

"Should I come to Vereth? I’ll leave right now."

And just like that, my heart shattered a little more.

"No," I said, too quickly. Swallowing the panic that climbed my throat. "You can’t leave the palace. Not now. You said the people after your father are getting smarter. They’re watching, waiting for a moment to strike. You being there—it throws them off. They don’t know how to move around you."

He went silent. When he finally spoke, his voice was lower. Strained. Angry at the distance.

"I hate this. I hate that you’re there and I can’t touch you. That I can’t protect you and Alex."

"I know," I whispered. "But it’s not about me right now. This is about your father. You’ve done everything in the few days you’ve been there—beefed up security, doubled the guards, wrapped him in layers of protection. You’re the reason they haven’t made a move yet. You scare them, Zane. And they should be scared."

His breath came out slow. Controlled frustration wrapped in silence.

"I’ll come to Golden City," I said, heart racing. "I’ll come to you. Just give me a few minutes to..."

Suddenly I remembered—Griffin.

I couldn’t go anywhere without him. Jacob and Fox had made that clear. Griffin had to stay close. Always.

Griffin, who once turned his back on me. Griffin, who should’ve been dead.

How was I supposed to explain that to Zane?

Fox told me Zane saw Griffin’s body—broken, bloodied, lifeless on the floor, Kalmia’s power having torn him apart. If Zane saw Griffin appear in front of him... alive, standing beside me like nothing happened?

He wouldn’t just ask questions.

He’d lose it.

And I needed to explain before that happened.

So I lied.

"Actually... I won’t be able to make it today," I told him immediately, guilt gnawing through every word. "I have a full day of classes. But, I will be available tomorrow."

A beat of silence passed between us.

"You’re lying," Zane said softly, and I winced. "But okay. I’ll wait."

He always waited for me. No matter what.

So I turned to the only person who wouldn’t ask too many questions.

Fox.

It was early. Jacob had taken Easter to school, and the house was quiet when I found Fox in the living room, pacing and humming a creepy tune under his breath. He glanced up at me, and one look at my face was enough to make him stop mid-step.

"Good morning, Princess. What do you need?" he asked, folding his arms.

"I need to see Zane... but I can’t show up with Griffin." My words rushed out panicked.

He raised a brow. "Zane still doesn’t know?"

I shook my head. "He can’t find out like that. I have to ease him into it. I thought maybe I could make Griffin appear outside the room or something... while I talk to Zane. So it’s not a shock."

Fox snorted. "With Zane? A surprise is a surprise. Doesn’t matter where it hits him." He sighed. "Guards might see Griffin outside and panic. That won’t end well."

I frowned. "Then what?"

He tilted his head, eyes glinting. "I have glass prisons. Miniature ones. I use them for... certain judgments. They shrink the subject and suspend time. You could carry Griffin with you?"

I blinked. "Like... In my... bag?"

He gave a smug grin. "Exactly. He won’t even notice. And you’ll control what he hears and when to bring him out."

It was insane.

Completely, utterly ridiculous—and yet... perfect.

I found myself standing in front of Griffin just minutes later, still trying to wrap my head around what I was about to ask him to do.

Griffin sat on the couch in the room beside mine, barefoot and cross-legged, a pen dangling from the corner of his mouth as he lazily scribbled into some leather-bound journal he probably didn’t want me to see.

I took a breath.

This was the part where I expected a tantrum.

"You’re going to hate this," I said flatly.

He looked up, pen still in his mouth. "Is it about Cole?"

I nodded, crossing my arms.

He exhaled through his nose and leaned back, the pen now twirling between his fingers. "Alright. Let’s hear it."

I hesitated. "I need to go see him. Cole. But... I can’t show up with you just walking beside me like we’re besties out on a stroll."

Griffin’s eyes narrowed slightly, but he didn’t interrupt. He just waited.

"So Fox had this idea," I went on, ignoring the weird twist in my stomach. "A box. A tiny, magical glass prison kind of thing. It shrinks you, suspends time. I carry you in my bag."

He blinked. "Like a... Tamagotchi?"

I gawked at him. "A what?"

He grinned lazily. "Never mind."

"You’d basically be a living keychain for twenty minutes," I clarified. "Then I’ll let you out once I talk to Cole. I need to ease him into this. He doesn’t even know you’re alive, Griffin. If he sees you out of the blue, I don’t know what he’ll do. And Fox said the guards might react badly, too."

I expected the explosion. The disbelief. The sarcasm or at least a snort of irritation.

But instead... he just nodded.

"Okay."

My brows shot up. "Okay?"

"Yeah," he said simply. "You want to see Cole and explain our situation to him. You don’t want him to freak out. Makes sense."

"Griffin," I said slowly, narrowing my eyes, "you do realize I just said I’m going to see Cole and I’m going to shrink you into a box and carry you around in my purse like a hamster, right?"

"I’ve been through worse," he replied, almost amused. "Besides... you trust Fox. If he says it’s safe, I believe it. Don’t worry about me."

Okay. Something was definitely off.

Griffin wasn’t one to be agreeable. Ever. Not without a fight. Or a smart-ass comment. Or a half-baked argument wrapped in ego and charm. But now, he was calm. Too calm.

He’s an Alpha wolf for crying out loud.

"Are you... feeling okay?" I asked, eyeing him suspiciously.

"I’m fine," he said with a shrug. "You do what you need to do, Nat. I’ll be there when you need me."

My heart twitched at the way he said it. Soft. Almost... regretful.

But I didn’t press. I didn’t read his mind, didn’t reach out with my wolf’s senses. Some things needed to be left alone.

"Tomorrow morning," I said at last. "Be ready."

He just gave me a quiet nod and went back to his journal like we’d just discussed what toppings to get on pizza.

I walked out of that room more unsettled than when I’d walked in.

END OF FLASHBACK

Now, standing in this room with Zane’s piercing gaze locked onto me, the weight of that choice suddenly felt too heavy to carry.

He was staring at me like he already knew something was wrong. Abel and Roland exchanged a look, sensing the tension.

But I couldn’t speak.

So I hugged the bag tighter.

The silence stretched thin, humming between us like stretched elastic ready to snap.

Zane took a step forward. "Natalie."

I stepped back.

His jaw clenched.

"Natalie," he said, tone gentler now but still firm, "what’s in that bag?"

I opened my mouth again—then closed it.

Because if I told him... if I told any of them... they’d try to take it from me. Hide it. Burn it. Lock it in a vault.

And after everything my family and I have gone through in the hands of the Blackthorns, I probably would join them.

"I just... I dropped it really hard," I mumbled. "There’s glass in it."

Zane stared at me.

A beat passed.

Two.

Then he exhaled through his nose and shook his head. "You are going to drive me mad, you know that?"

I grinned a little, even though my heart was still a mess. "Get in line, Lucky. You’re not the first man I’ve almost set on fire today."

Zane rolled his eyes, muttering something about "feisty little lunatic" under his breath, but his hand reached out and gently brushed mine anyway.

That small touch anchored me again.

For a second, we just stood there—him holding my hand, me clutching my bag, and everything unsaid hovering in the air like thunder.

Now wasn’t the time to bring up Griffin. My parents came first. What mattered most right now was figuring out how Zane planned to deal with Darius. I needed justice—fast. And if no one was going to give it to me, I’d take it myself, bare hands and all. Consequences be damned.

For now, Griffin stays in the bag.