The Lycan King's Secret Daughter novel Chapter 24

SYLRA’S POV

“Caelan’s waking up.”

The doctor’s voice cut through the tension like a knife. All eyes turned to the bed where Caelan stirred, his eyelids fluttering. I pushed past Rovan and Alrik, ignoring their protests as I knelt beside him.

“Caelan,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper. “Can you hear me?”

His eyes opened slowly, unfocused at first, then sharpening as they found mine. Recognition flickered across his face, followed quickly by alarm. He tried to sit up, wincing as the movement pulled at his wound.

“Easy,” I warned, placing a hand on his uninjured shoulder. “You took an arrow meant for me, remember?”

“Not meant for you,” he rasped, his voice rough from disuse. “Meant for me.”

The room fell silent. Father stepped closer, his shadow falling across the bed.

“Explain yourself,” he demanded.

Caelan’s eyes darted around the room, widening when they landed on Rovan. “What’s he doing here?”

“Never mind him,” I snapped, impatience getting the better of me. “What do you mean the arrow was meant for you? Rovan says he heard your name among the assassins.”

Confusion flashed across Caelan’s face. “What? No, that’s not—” He broke off, coughing. The doctor hurried forward with water, helping him drink. When he could speak again, his eyes were clearer, his voice stronger. “I was assigned to you, Sylra. As an advisor.”

“Assigned?” I repeated, the word tasting bitter on my tongue. “By whom?”

“The Council,” he admitted, shame coloring his words. “They wanted someone close to you, someone who could report back on your… stability.”

The truth hit like a physical blow. All those conversations, those quiet moments when I’d thought he was the one person who saw me as just Sylra—had it all been a lie?

“So you were spying on me.” My voice came out flat, emotionless, though inside I was screaming.

“At first,” he confessed, meeting my gaze steadily. “But things changed. I changed. I started refusing to tell them certain things. Started feeding them half-truths instead of full reports.”

“Why should we believe anything you say?” Rovan interjected, moving to stand beside me. His presence was like a furnace at my back, familiar and foreign all at once.

Caelan’s eyes hardened as he looked at Rovan. “Because unlike some, I didn’t abandon her when things got difficult.”

The barb found its mark. I felt Rovan stiffen beside me.

“That doesn’t explain why someone tried to kill you,” Father cut in, his patience clearly wearing thin.

Caelan sighed, the sound heavy with resignation. “When I stopped being useful, I became a liability. I knew too much about their plans—about how they intended to control Sylra through me, or remove her entirely if that failed.”

“Who is ‘they’?” I demanded, leaning closer. “Give me names, Caelan.”

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