The Lycan King's Second Chance Mate: Rise of the Traitor's Daughter-Chapter 168: A Friend to Count On

Zane~

If silence could scream, the room was deafening.

Sebastian’s glass clinked softly as he set it down. Cassandra sat frozen beside Sebastian on the couch, her expression pale like moonlight on ash. Her hands sat stiff on her laps, trembling just slightly—so slightly you’d miss it if you didn’t look closely.

Neither of them was breathing.

"You’re lying," Cassandra whispered, almost like she didn’t believe her own voice. "You’re joking, right?"

"I wish I was," I muttered, sinking further into the couch. "He’s alive. I saw him with my own eyes, Cassandra. In my own damn house. Breathing my air like he didn’t die weeks ago."

Sebastian shot forward from his seat. "Wait—what?! Griffin Blackthorn? That Griffin? Are you sure?"

I looked up slowly, meeting his wide eyes. "One hundred percent. Tall. Brown hair. Gray eyes. Completely stupid and arrogant as ever."

"But that’s impossible," Cassandra said, voice cracking. "I saw him die. Zane, I watched Kalmia rip the life out of him with her own damn hands. That blood—it was everywhere. I’ve been carrying that ever since I woke up that day. That guilt. It was... it was my fault. I led him into Kalmia’s hands."

Her hands trembled harder now.

I stood, walking toward her slowly. "You didn’t kill him, Cassandra."

She shook her head. "But I didn’t stop it either when he kept yelling and ended up calling Kalmia names. I could have—if I’d warned him, if I’d done something—" She broke off, voice hitching, eyes glimmering with so much sadness and—

Fear.

Real, raw, human fear.

Sebastian leaned towards her, placing his hands gently on her cheeks. "Hey... hey. It wasn’t your fault. You were trapped, Cass. You were being used."

"But I saw Kalmia kill him," she whispered.

"Yes," I agreed, my voice low and sharp as a blade unsheathing. "She did. But Natalie brought him back."

Sebastian blinked. "Come again?"

"Natalie," I repeated, slower now. "She resurrected him. Somehow, someway... she pulled him from the other side. And didn’t breathe a word of it to me."

There was a long pause before Sebastian gave a low whistle and leaned back against the couch, stunned. "She brought someone back to life? I mean—I knew Natalie was powerful and feisty, but necromancy-level power? Damn."

My jaw tightened. "Yes. And I had no idea either. She lied to me, Seb. For a whole week. Every night she chatted with me through the mind link, like everything was fine—but she was hiding him under my roof."

"I doubt she meant to deceive you," Cassandra murmured, still visibly shaken. "Whatever happened... that kind of truth is hard to say out loud. And I’m sure she had a damn good reason for bringing him back."

"I guess you have a point," I finished grimly. "She told me that if she didn’t bring Griffin back to life, his corpse would have been inhabited."

Sebastian dragged a hand down his face, eyes narrowing. "Wait, slow down. What do you mean by inhabited? Why would Griffin’s dead body be inhabited? What’s so special about him?"

I looked them both in the eyes.

"Apparently," I said slowly, "there’s this god... The God of Darkness. And he wants Griffin’s body as a vessel. That’s why Kalmia killed him—because she wanted to offer him up as a host but we just got in the way before she could finish the job."

Cassandra gasped, suddenly grabbing Sebastian’s hand like it was her last tether to reality. "That’s why..." she whispered. "That’s why she threatened me. She wanted me to bring her Griffin’s body. Said she’d burn my soul from the inside out if I didn’t do it. I thought she was bluffing—I thought she just wanted revenge—but she was preparing for something much worse."

The horror etched in her voice made my spine go cold.

"You’re safe now," Sebastian told her firmly, stepping between her and the shadows. "She can’t find you anymore, Cass. You’re out of her reach. Whatever twisted pact Kalmia has with this god... leave it to Jacob and his family to sort out."

He turned back to me.

"Zane. Don’t be too hard on Natalie."

I looked away, jaw clenching again.

"I’m not mad because she brought Griffin back," I said, voice rough. "Hell, I’m proud of her. That kind of power? That kind of strength? That’s the woman I love."

My voice caught slightly.

"I’m mad because she didn’t trust me enough to tell me. Because while I was walking around, attending boring council meetings and protecting the kingdom, the woman I share my life with was risking hers to protect a man who should’ve stayed dead. And she did it without me. That’s why I’m mad."

Sebastian didn’t rush to reply. He just nodded slowly and then got up from his seat and stepped towards me.

"You feel betrayed. That’s valid, brother," he said gently. "You give so much to everyone. You hold up the kingdom, protect the broken, and still find a way to tuck Alex in every night through the mind link. But maybe Natalie lied not because she didn’t trust you—maybe she didn’t want to add to your burden. You ever think of that?"

My lips parted slightly.

"She’s been through hell, Zane. And now she’s got a god breathing down her neck. Maybe she thought she had to carry this one alone. Maybe she didn’t want to be one more crack in your armor."

Cassandra stepped forward, her voice gentle. "We all keep secrets when we’re scared. I didn’t tell Sebastian about Kalmia because I thought I was protecting him. It wasn’t because I didn’t love him. I just... didn’t know how to love him safely."

I stared at both of them.

The guilt. The love. The ache that comes from trying to protect someone’s feelings while dying inside.

I knew it too well.

I let out a slow breath. "So what the hell do I do?"

Sebastian smiled faintly. "Go home to her. She needs you. And you need her. Go be angry together. Go yell, cry, kiss, scream—hell, throw some furniture if you want—but talk to her. Don’t let the silence win."

I looked down at my hands, curling them into fists.

My heart ached with the weight of her name.

Natalie.

Feisty, stubborn, fierce-hearted Natalie. The girl who made my ice melt with her soft smile and melted my resolve with her kiss. She didn’t just take my heart—she rewrote it.

I could still see the spark in her eyes when she teased me. The way her fingers traced my jaw when I told her she and Alex were the only good things left in this world. The way she looked at me like I wasn’t a prince or a beast... but a man. Her man.

"I told her I needed three hours to clear my head," I muttered. "Pretty sure I’m past the grace period. She might actually punch me."

"She should," Sebastian smirked.

I sighed and grabbed my car keys. "Alright. But if she kills me—"

"Call me from the afterlife," Sebastian grinned, raising his glass. "We’ll do brunch."

Cassandra rolled her eyes and tucked herself into his side.

As I turned to leave, the air changed.

Lighter. Like a storm had passed, and all that remained was clarity.

I turned back one last time. "You two better be at the royal ball tomorrow. I’ll lose my mind handling it alone. And I think my father’s planning something. The vibe is off and it’s giving me anxiety."

Sebastian laughed. "We’ll be there, bro. You know I’ve got your back."

"Count me in too," Cassandra added with a warm smile.

I nodded, then smirked. "Alright, I’m out. You guys can go back to rolling in the hay. I’m sure that was way more fun than talking to me."

Sebastian burst out laughing and literally chased me out the door.