Chapter 31
Joe's POV
I sat there, in the center of the throne room, listening or at least pretending to listen as my Uncle Ivan droned on about another list of expectations and regulations I needed to memorize as king. My elbows were planted on the polished arms of the throne, fingers drumming aimlessly, eyes heavy with sleep I hadn't gotten.
"You must understand the hierarchy of the inner court. As your Regent instructor, I expect you to internalize these principles by heart," he began, voice precise. "One: A king must embody justice. Two: A king must embody mercy. Three: A king must uphold strength. Four: A king must honor tradition…His voice blurred in my head. I was only half there.
I forced my eyes open. Justice. Mercy. Strength. Tradition. I learned them when I was a child, I didn't take the lessons so seriously then, so I barely remember anything now. But right now, after the coronation and my dad's crisis, the lessons felt like shackles.
The rest of me was still stuck under the cold spray of the locker room shower from earlier, trying to make sense of what I'd overheard.
Mark?.
I knew that voice anywhere. We'd been rivals for six years. Always in each other's way, always trying to outshine each other.
"That nerdy naive girl who thinks love is everything." That's what he said.
He didn't mention Lily by name but who else could he be talking about? The timing, the tone, the cocky laughs from his friends... it all added up. My wolf hadn't stopped pacing since then. I kept telling myself it wasn't my business, that Lily had made her choice and I should respect it.
But it wasn't just my heart anymore. It was deeper than that. My wolf was ready to rip something apart.
"…so the Alpha Tribunal operates strictly under oath and can't be influenced by… Joe? Joe? Joseph!"
Ivan's voice snapped me out of my thoughts.
"What?" I said flatly.
He frowned. "What did I just say?"
I blinked, composing myself. "You…um…justice, mercy, strength, tradition." I rattled them off, my voice flat.
He tapped the scroll in front of him. "Correct. Now elaborate on mercy."
I drew a breath. "Mercy is tempering justice with compassion. Showing forgiveness when possible." My words felt stale.
He nodded, but I sensed disappointment. "A good start, but incomplete. Mercy also demands discretion…knowing when to pardon betrayal and when to punish outright."
My throat tightened. Betrayal. Mark's betrayal.And mine.
I swallowed. "Yes."
He waved a dismissive hand. "Very well. Next…strength."
As he resumed his lecture, my fingers drummed on the table. My body was present, but my mind raced. Exposing Mark means betraying Lily's trust.Allowing Mark's cruelty means watching her break. Neither choice sat right.
I clenched my fists under the table, longing for a path out. Energy hummed in my chest, fury and guilt colliding. Build a legacy, protect the people. My oath echoed, unstable under the weight of personal chaos.
Ivan sensed my distraction. He closed the big tome and leaned forward, voice low. "You claimed earlier that doctrine won't matter if war comes." He fixed me with a steely gaze. "Is that what you truly believe?"
"I don't know. I don't care. Does it matter?," I muttered, rolling my eyes.
Ivan's jaw tightened, and he took a long breath. "You think this is a joke? You think because you're already sitting on that throne, you've arrived? Let me tell you something, Joe. You're walking into a warzone, and you don't even know where the landmines are."
"I'm already king," I said, rising from the throne and staring him dead in the eye. "What's the point of knowing how many council members have land disputes when at any moment, I could have to lead an army?"
"You weren't listening," Ivan said coolly. "I told you before, war is the last resort of a failed king. Real strength comes from strategy. Knowledge. Diplomacy. Not bravado."
I scoffed. "Well, maybe if you weren't busy lecturing me, you'd actually notice that someone I care about might be in danger." My voice echoed. "You lecture me on mercy and justice, yet you forced me into marriage and…"
He narrowed his eyes, his expression unreadable. "I did what was necessary to uphold the Pack's stability. And don't let your emotions cloud your judgment."
"Too late."
A tense silence settled between us. Ivan took a step closer.
"You want to end up like your father?" he asked quietly.
That stopped me cold.
"What the hell does that mean?" I snapped. "What are you trying to say?"
He waved a dismissive hand. "Forget it. What matters now is the future. The crown doesn't care about your feelings or your distractions. Make wise decisions, or you'll lose more than just a title."
He softened…for the first time I remembered, placing a hand on my shoulder. "By listening. By weighing choices not only with strength, but with compassion." He withdrew, picking up the scroll. "Enough for today. Reflect on what you've learned."
I nodded numbly, tension coiling in my chest as he rose and swept from the chamber.
I clenched my fists, my chest tight with frustration.
Wise decisions. Like letting a predator walk away with someone like Lily?
But without proof, confronting Mark would look like jealousy. And I wasn't sure Lily would even listen to me after everything that's happened between us.
Still…
The thought of Mark touching her again made my blood boil. He doesn't deserve her. If that was really him in the locker room, then he doesn't deserve Lily.
She deserves someone better. Someone like…Maybe me.
I stood up, storming out of the throne room without a word. Ivan didn't stop me. Maybe he knew better.
I wasn't going to make any more excuses. If Lily really was in danger…if that smug bastard was playing her..I'd be the one to expose it.
Proof or no proof…
I'd find a way to make her see the truth.
Even if it meant risking what little dignity I had left.