Chapter 189

The eastern territories were gone.

Torak still couldn’t quite process it.

One week had passed since Aire’s warning, and she had been right.

The memory remained painfully vivid.

Torak stood before the large window in King Elijah’s study. The evening sun spilled across polished floors and the shelves crowded with books.

Behind him, King Elijah sat at his desk reviewing reports from every corner of the kingdom. There was simply too much to think about.

“The final evacuation was completed this morning.”

King Elijah looked up, and Torak continued. “The eastern villages are empty.”

A short silence followed.

“No casualties?”

“Not from the explosion.” Torak replied.

King Elijah nodded slowly.

Relief flickered briefly across his face. Thousands should have died. Instead, they had escaped.

His gaze drifted toward the far mountains visible beyond the window.l with wolves lenses.

His thoughts returned unwillingly to that day when they had all stood upon the cliffs, and watched.

Nothing had happened for hours, but then the earth had shaken. The sound arrived first with a deafening roar.

The sound was so unnatural it made even a few wolves freeze. Then the eastern forest exploded.

The land itself tore apart. Every single trees vanished, the ground collapsed, and the entire sections of forest disappeared beneath clouds of dust and debris.

The shockwave had reached the mountain moments later, even from miles away.

The realization that Aire had saved them still felt uncomfortable. He had doubted her a bit, if not that his sons pushed.

It forced him to confront how often he had underestimated her, and what would have happened if he carried on with poisoning her.

King Elijah leaned back. “Aire saved this kingdom.” He voiced out, his chest heaving a bit in suprise.

Torak nodded. “She did.”

The king’s jaw tightened. A humorless smile appeared on Elijah’s face afterwards. Neither of then found it amusing, but it was the truth.

King Elijah returned to his paperwork while Torak remained standing for approximately three seconds.

However, his thoughts wandered to Adele. His jaw released on instinct immediately, and his shoulders relaxed.

He had spent an entire week trying not to think about Adele, and the attempt had failed spectacularly.

He wondered what she was doing, and if she was sleeping properly. He softly wondered if she missed him, and if she had thought about what he asked.

Most importantly, he thought on how she planned to reject him again.

A smile tugged briefly at his lips.

She probably would reject his proposal again.

Knowing Adele, she would somehow reject him politely enough that he’d thank her afterward.

The thought should have annoyed him. Instead warmth settled inside his chest.

King Elijah glanced up. Apperantly, he had been speaking since, and Torak didn’t notice because he was busy imagining Adele’s face.

King Elijah watched him for several seconds, then sighed. “Torak.” He called.

“Hm?”

The king stared at him.

Torak blinked.

King Elijah folded his hands. “What color are my curtains?” He questioned sternly.

Torak frowned. “What?”

“My curtains.”

Torak looked at the curtains, but said nothing. He coudknt understand why he was asked such an obvious question.

King Elijah closed his eyes.

Torak immediately realized he’d been caught spacing out when he shouldn’t.

The king sighed heavily. “You haven’t listened to anything I’ve said for the last five minutes.”

“I have.”

“You have not.”

Torak considered arguing. Unfortunately, he genuinely couldn’t remember the last thing Elijah had said.

Elijah noticed.

His expression became deeply unimpressed. “You are thinking about something urgent?”

Torak remained silent.

The silence answered everything.

King Elijah groaned. He pused what he had been focused on aside, and focused on Torak. “Do you want to speak to me about this urgent issue you have?”

Torak chuckled.

“And now, he’s mocking my concern,” Elijah pointed toward the door. “If so, you can leave.”

Torak blinked. “What?”

“Leave.”

“I just arrived.”

The king waved a dismissive hand. “Go and fix whatever that’s pressing you down.”

Torak’s expression softened before he could stop it. “How about Alpha Ashmere? What do_”

King Elijah cut him off. “We’ll discuss that tommorw morning with my sons present. For now, you can leave “

Torak bowed lightly, then he left.

…

The castle felt different now. A lot different. With more people in the castle ground, most of the nobles remained away helping with recovery efforts.

Many servants had family scattered throughout the eastern territories, so almost none of them could be sent in the castle ground at the moment unless urgently needed.

The atmosphere carried exhaustion.

Torak barely noticed any of it. His feet already knew where they wanted to go.

One week felt significantly longer.

The closer he got to her chambers, the faster his pulse became.

Torak reached the door. For a moment he simply stared at the door, then he pushed it open.

Adele was seated near the window with her hands resting on her lap, while she stared down, and watched everyone in the castle move around.

The evening sunlight illuminated her dark hair. She turned away from the window softly. His scent had hit her the moment he got to her corridor.

For a second neither moved.

Torak was holding back, to know of she wants him around now, as she had promised the last night they were together, or if she needed distance again.

Adele on the other hand clenched her fist, trying not to show any emotion. However, she released a soft tired sigh, accepted her fate, and shot to her feet so quickly she nearly stumbled.

Torak chest soften instantly. His world turned to a beautiful rainbow at the sight of her rushing towards him.

The distance between them suddenly felt unbearable.

A strangled sound escaped her throat as Adele crossed the room and launched herself into his arms.

Torak caught her effortlessly. His hands settled around her waist, and he pulled her close.

Very close.

Adele buried her face against his chest immediately.

“Torak.”

His eyes closed briefly. He missed her.

“Adele.”

His fingers slipped through her hair slowly. He needed to reassure himself she was actually here, willingly in his arms.

He tilted her head upward, and assured her. “No one is coming tonight.”

Adele nodded softly.

“Your father is supervising the final evacuation at the northern border.”