CHAPTER 36
1529 Words
Despite the darkness concealing their faces, Ivy continued to stare at him through half-lidded eyes. Kael met her gaze without the slightest intention of looking away.
Leon, meanwhile, wisely kept his attention fixed on the floor. His head remained bowed as he stood beside the wheelchair in practiced silence. They had come here for a reason, and it certainly wasn't to watch the two of them stare at each other across a prison cell. Even so, he kept his mouth firmly shut, knowing better than to interrupt.
"Are you real?"
Ivy's voice was barely above a whisper, yet the question landed heavily in the stillness.
One of Kael's brows lifted.
"Are you implying I appear in your dreams?"
The amusement in his voice was impossible to miss.
"No." Ivy shook her head weakly before pausing. "I mean..."
Her thoughts tangled together before she could explain herself.
The conversation was abruptly cut short by the sound of hurried footsteps echoing through the corridor.
"Your Highness!"
The shout shattered the silence that had settled over the cells.
Several figures appeared at the far end of the passageway. Caleb led the group at a near run, with Alpha Victor and a visibly confused Luke following close behind.
As soon as he reached them, Caleb stopped and bowed deeply to catch his breath. Straightening, he immediately stepped aside, revealing Alpha Victor's imposing figure behind him.
"Your Highness."
Alpha Victor extended a hand toward Kael in greeting. His expression remained composed, but the tension beneath it was impossible to hide. The unexpected appearance of a royal prince inside his prison cells was enough to make even an Alpha uneasy.
The sudden arrival of so many people broke whatever strange atmosphere had existed moments ago.
Ivy immediately withdrew into herself.
She pulled her knees against her chest and lowered her gaze, instinctively creating distance between herself and the newcomers. Her body curled inward defensively, as though she could somehow disappear into the corner of the cell if she tried hard enough.
"Your Highness."
Luke quickly followed his father's lead and offered a respectful bow.
Unlike Alpha Victor, however, his attention did not remain on Kael for long.
The moment he straightened, his eyes began searching the dark cells one after another. It took only a second before they landed on the familiar figure sitting behind the bars.
Relief flickered across his face so briefly that it was easy to miss.
However, before that fleeting relief had even settled into his chest, the prince in front of them swivled his chair towards the cell. The wheelchair moved loudly in the silent corridor, sounding deliberately harsh on their ears.
Luke's gaze snapped towards the prince as his back slowly came into view. The wheelchair had angled itself right before the cell door, facing the dim little corner where Ivy was curled up into a shivering ball.
Whatever concern he had for Ivy was immediately drowsed by the icy realisation that prince Kael's interest seemed to be entirely focused on her.
"We received word of your arrival from the border patrol," Alpha Victor began cautiously. "We were preparing to welcome you at the pack house. We did not expect Your Highness to come directly to the prison cells. Is there anything you require our assistance with?"
While speaking, Alpha Victor discreetly wiped his damp palms against the back of his trousers. His eyes remained fixed on Kael's face, searching desperately for clues.
Unfortunately, there was nothing to find on his perfect poker face.
Whatever emotions hid beneath those grey eyes were buried too deeply to be seen. In the dim corridor, the faintest traces of feeling looked more like tricks of shadows than genuine reactions.
Sensing the growing tention, Leon took a step forward and extended a hand in greeting.
"Our arrival was unannounced." He said politely. "For that, we apologise."
"There is no need for apologies." Alpha Victor immediately shook his hand. "It is an honour to receive His highness and his entourage. We were merely curious about the circumstances."
Although he was talking to Leon, Alpha Victor's gaze kept drifting towards Kael.
Prince Kael remained indifferent to the people around him, as if nobody but the person inside the cell and him remained in the dim world.
Within the shrewd world of Alpha's, the value of words was less than deliberate silence. Power was measured through observation, patience and the ability to read what remained unspoken. A single glance could reveal more than entire conversations.
What Alpha Victor wanted was to read that exact silence from prince Kael. His gaze that was fixated on Ivy, his straight back turned towards him and Luke, said more than his words could ever say.
Leon might not be an Alpha himself but the years he spent around Kael taught him how to navigate around those silent exchanges as effectively as any other Alpha.
Hence, he understood exactly what the Alpha in front of him wanted to ask but didn't dare to speak of openly.
"Master Kael became acquainted with Miss Ivy during her time at the palace," Leon explained. "The two got along surprisingly well and formed a friendship of sorts. When Master Kael learned that Miss Ivy had returned to the Silver Mane pack, he wanted to visit her personally."
Alpha Victor's expression changed. The colour drained from his face so quickly it was impossible to miss.
A frightful thought started to take form in his heart. His heart thumbled loudly against his ribcage, fighting to leap out and burst into flames.
At the back, partially covered by Alpha Victor's broad shoulders, Luke looked as stunned as his father. He galmved back and forth between Ivy and Kael, trying to see something.
The possibility had crossed their minds but for some reason they brushed it off.
As much as the Reed family declared to care about Ivy, it was an undeniable fact that they never truly tried to reach out to her in the palace. They never thought to get a word from her even during special days.
They were completely in the dark about the days she spent within the palace. So when Ivy returned to Silver mane with a brushed body and hollow soul, they took it as evidence of her days in the palace.
After witnessing the bruises on Ivy, they had a hard time believing Leon. Neither of them could believe that prince Kael had travelled all the way to silver mane for Ivy's sake.
Yet, the truth was right in front of them. It was undeniable that Kael was truly at the silver mane pack and he had made a special trip down to the cells to simply stare at her.
Seeing the various expressions on their faces, Leon continued without pausing. His tone bad noticeably cooled.
"Master Kael intended to complete his official obligations before taking time to visit a friend. However, the situation we encountered upon arrival was rather unexpected."
His narrowed gaze swept over their pale faces, then shifted towards the dim cell and settled on the figure in a corner. His face remained stoic but the frost in his eyes melted ever so slightly.
"Perhaps you would be kind enough to explain something to us, Alpha Victor."
Although the question came from Leon, everyone present understood that it was not truly his.
The man had accompanied Prince Kael for years, but he was still only a messenger. If Leon was asking, then it meant Kael wanted an answer.
The pressure in the corridor grew noticeably heavier.
Alpha Victor felt his throat tighten. Speaking about the matter in front of royalty was humiliating enough. The fact that it involved his own family made it worse.
"It was an embarrassing incident a few days ago," he said after a brief pause.
A faint crease appeared between his brows as though merely recalling the events gave him a headache.
"Ivy hasn't been herself since returning from the capital. For reasons we still don't fully understand, she suddenly challenged Emma to a formal fight."
His voice remained calm and measured, but there was obvious disappointment hidden beneath it.
"The duel ended badly. Emma remains unconscious even now. As punishment, Ivy was confined here for a few days to reflect on her actions."
The explanation sounded reasonable on the surface.
Alpha Victor deliberately left out everything else.
He made no mention of the accusations that had led to the challenge. He did not speak of the argument, nor the circumstances surrounding it.
Those details remained buried beneath a carefully constructed version of the truth. Besides that, his words had been carefully crafted to be against Ivy.
The implication that Ivy was the one to initiate it was placed in a a way that was impossible to ignore.
As long as the prince understood the hidden meaning, there was no need to expose the uglier side of the matter. In Alpha Victor's eyes, family scandals should remain within the family.
The dense silence blanketed over the corridor. Even Luke found himself holding his breath.
Because no matter how calmly Alpha Victor spoke, everyone knew the real question was whether Prince Kael would accept that explanation.
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