Auctioned to the Cruel King - Chapter 77: Chapter 77

Lance’s POV
At my study’s entrance, Alaric stood waiting, he gave a short nod, but the other man leaned casually beside him, boot braced against the wall.
Terry.
Ghost. Informant. Ruthless little bastard.
He’d been mine since the beginning—though barely anyone knew it or about him. Even Alaric hadn’t known him much in person. I’d buried Terry in plain sight and made sure the world believed him to be exiled or dead. Scars painted his neck now—courtesy of me. But there was no better way to keep a spy invisible than by turning him into a ghost.
His men usually delivered messages. The fact that he came himself meant something had changed. Or he’s itching for something.
“Took you long enough,” he muttered, pushing off the wall with a smirk that quite reached his eyes.
“Still standing?” I asked.
He dipped his head. “My Alpha.”
I stepped closer.
“It’s been a while since you stood in front of a real one,” I said coldly. “I suppose you’ve forgotten how to greet a king properly.”
Terry’s lips twitched. “Still waiting for that lesson.”
“Dirty rag.”
“Pesky wolf.”
We held each other’s stares. Practically glared. The tension coiled thick and hot, stretching between us like a drawn blade. Ric didn't bat an eye at us.
Terry’s shoulders didn’t flinch. Neither did mine. And then— Terry laughed first. Short. Rough. I let one dark chuckle slip before pushing the doors open and stepping into the study.
Ric drifted toward the hearth. And I stalked behind my desk, gaze raking the room like I expected it to betray me.
Terry looked up at me. “You look like hell.”
“I’m fine.”
“Sure. Me too. For a second back there, I thought we were finally going to settle it for real. You and me. See who comes out alive.”
“Twelve-zero.”
He barked a low laugh. “So it’s still like that?”
“It’ll always be like that.”
“Still doesn't mean there can't be a rematch.”
I sat. “I’m certain that has nothing to do with why you're here. Enough reminiscing, we don't have time to be measuring cocks. Get to it.”
Terry’s jaw twitched. He reached into his coat and pulled out a thick folder—paper. That alone said enough. He tossed it onto the desk.
“I’d usually let my men run this chain,” he said. “But this time, I figured you’d want it directly.”
I opened the folder. Pages of names. Maps. Seals of minor packs. Photos clipped to a few. Alaric moved to stand behind me.
“Landon’s been busy,” Terry began. “Amassing support. Not just from big packs—he’s playing a long game. Smaller ones. Borderland clans. Rogue sympathizers. All are willing to side with him for scraps of protection.”
“Protection from what?” I asked.
“From you.”
Of course. But why now? When I’d virtually changed. Well, some things can’t be helped. I flipped another page. There was a list—alpha names, dates, coordinates. A few had been circled in red.
“He’s forging alliances like a fucking politician,” Terry continued. “And he’s being careful not to use your name directly. But when I traced the pattern, yours came up every time.”
My fingers stilled on a particular document.
“What is it?” Alaric asked.
Terry answered instead. “Maybe indirectly, but much like he’s out for Lance. There’s a belief among some of the pack heads—that you stole something from him.”
I closed the folder. So that was it.
“Alpha Kane’s ambush?” I asked. Ambush, because that was what it was.
“Not just him. Two other packs were involved. They were meant to split Kane’s territory between them after he was taken out. Only the timing fell off, and one of them panicked.”
I exhaled. “Cowards.”
Terry nodded. “Your connections spooked the others. But Landon… he’s adjusting. He’s not using brute force anymore. He’s using politics. And if you don’t clamp down soon, he’ll have a foothold in places even your shadows can’t reach.”
“You seem to know a lot. How did you get them?” It was Ric who asked.
Terry looked at him without blinking. “You really don’t want to know.”
I leaned back, elbows on the armrests. “He’s right.”
“Anyway…” Terry rolled his shoulders, posture finally settling. “So far, the alliances he’s made aren’t strong. Not yet. But give it time? He’ll have a network.” He paused. Then added, quieter, “That’s the first part. But first of all, tell me, did you—”
“Don’t.” I cut him off. I knew exactly what he was about to say.
“I wasn’t going to—”
“You were,” I cut in.
He groaned then sighed. “I don’t care what it is,” he murmured. “But you should handle it.”
“I’ll handle it,” I admitted.
Terry gave a nod, then tilted his head slightly, his voice dropping a notch. “Oh, and…the girl. The one that was married off—the younger daughter—I don’t know her name, but she’ll be recovered today. My men are already in motion.”
I leaned back in the chair. “And the elder?”
He shrugged one shoulder. “If we’re assuming, then she’s with Landon. He likes his prizes.”
What a drag. “He sent an invite. A meeting he’s hosting in his territory.”
Terry grinned—sharp, humorless. “Well, now you get to see him face to face. Size him up. See if he’s worth the growl or if he needs to be put down like a stray.”
I didn’t respond immediately.
Terry knew. He remembered. Ric did too—what I’d vowed after the riot, when I’d torn through packs with my father’s corpse still warm. No more blood spilled from Alphas or Kings. Not by my hands. The title I earned wasn’t something I wore with pride. It was something I tolerated.
It was the reason Landon had lasted this long…but that right will be gone soon.
“There’s no assessing,” I said flatly. “He will be put down.”
Terry blinked, just once. “You say that like it’s personal.”
“It is,” I said simply.
That shut him up.
“I need the packs reminded,” I went on, gaze heavy. “That even when I entertain peace, I’ve not gone soft. If I let this linger, every desperate mutt will think they’ve got a shot at carving something from me.”
“Then I hope you’re ready to draw blood again.”
“I never stopped.”
There was a pause. Then Terry said, “That’s all I’ve got to report. My work’s done.”
I raised a brow. “That work had you traveling across packs. Something tells me it wasn’t just business that brought you here.”
He didn’t deny it. Just gave a slight grin.
“How’s your son?” I asked after a beat. Except, the question roused something in me.
Terry’s expression changed—subtle, but it did. “Getting big. Starting to bite too hard. Good sign.”
Alaric stepped forward. “A room has been set for you.”
Terry clapped him once on the shoulder. “That’s why this place will always feel like home.” He turned to me. “I’ll see you later, Alpha.”
He was already out of the study when Alaric said quietly, “What was that?”
I didn’t move. “What?”
Alaric turned toward me, jaw clenched. “You didn’t trust me to get that information from Landon. You went to him behind my back.”
“Tread carefully,” I warned.
“Don’t deflect,” he snapped. “You didn’t even tell me.”
“Jealousy looks pathetic on you.”
“That’s not—”
“Don’t,” I cut in. “This isn’t about trust. I called Terry as a favor. He was already embedded near Landon’s southern border. Using him made sense. He had proximity and had silence. He couldn’t be compromised the way our own men could.”
Alaric’s eyes flickered. “And you couldn’t have told me?”
“Why?” I asked, tone cold. “So you could brood about it? Waste time arguing over logistics instead of executing?”
“I’m your second—”
“And I’m your King.” I rose, voice low but laced with warning. “If this is going to be a fucking discussion every time I make a strategic choice, then you can walk out now and stay out.”
He didn’t speak again.
Didn’t have to.
I saw it in his eyes. He knew what I knew. That he’d already figured out what I was keeping from him. But he’d been edgy lately. And so have I.
Before the tension could snap, a knock landed on the door. A guard stepped in.
“My King,” he said with a deep bow. “The doctor has arrived.”