Scarred Wolf Queen Chapter 128

**Briony's POV**

"No mate," I said, shaking my head. "It's complicated, and I'm pretty complex myself."

"Complicated how?" His voice remained cautious, though curiosity flickered in his eyes. The forest breeze stirred my half-dried hair, sending a slight chill across my skin.

"Robert, how old are you exactly?"

"Mid-twenties," he answered, frowning. "What's that got to do with whether you're taken?"

Instead of answering directly, I continued: "Do you have any siblings? A sister, maybe?"

"I have a sister," he said impatiently. "Where are you going with this?"

"Bear with me," I said, twirling a damp strand of hair while figuring how to get him to lower his guard. "Say your sister was only 15, but super smart so she started university early. A few weeks in, you find out she's getting close with some guy in his twenties. What would you do?"

"Make sure that guy learned what boundaries are," he answered instantly, his eyes hardening. "Probably not very nicely."

I just looked at him silently, waiting. After a moment, understanding dawned on his face and the color drained from it.

"Shit," he swallowed. "You're serious? If that's true, I'm screwed. Someone's watching us right now, aren't they?"

*Of course there is, punk,* Taric growled through our mental link. *Though you're slightly smarter than I expected.*

I kept my expression neutral. "Nobody's gonna jump out and beat you up. But yeah, I'm clueless about this stuff. High school was too easy; I finished everything early. Aria was already studying here, so I asked to join her. Conrad agreed since we were moving anyway."

"What about your brother?" Wariness flashed in his eyes. "I thought it was just you and Aria."

"He's technically my best friend's boyfriend," I explained. "But he's known me since I was little, so he's like a brother. It's her birthday today, and when I called, he overheard me mention running with college guys. He freaked out, almost ordered me to come back. I hate being told what to do, so I hit the training area where innocent people wouldn't get hurt."

"So you're way younger than me but taking the same classes?" He seemed to be processing this. "No wonder you're weird about the age gap. Does this 'brother' have feelings for you beyond brotherly stuff?"

"Definitely not," I said firmly. "You should see him with my friend. The age gap isn't an issue with schoolwork - I can handle that fine. It's the difference in life experience that's obvious. For me, relationships are still just theory, which makes me nervous."

He exhaled deeply. "You're unlike any girl I've ever met. I get why you're hesitant, especially when this is all new to you." He took my hand slowly, carefully.

To anyone watching, this might have looked touching, but I felt nothing. The Sentinel mark had definitely cut off emotional connections. I felt guilty that this guy was showing patience I couldn't genuinely appreciate.

"I just believe in destined mates," I said softly. "Getting close to someone only to find out they're not your mate hurts both people. It's confusing. Sorry for the mixed signals - I really don't know how to handle this."

Some older werewolves passed through, nodding politely. Silence stretched between us. I took the moment to look around - spring had crept into the woodland, and sunlight sparkled on the distant lake. My mind wandered to Polaris City, to breakfasts with Luna Isabella, to joking around with the guys at Wolf's Corner.

I closed my eyes and breathed deeply, letting forest scents fill my lungs, briefly losing myself in memories.

"Why do you look so beautiful like this?" Robert's voice pulled me back. "You really love nature, don't you?"

I opened my eyes, surprised. "Who wouldn't enjoy fresh air when they're exhausted?"

"Most people," he lowered his voice. "Human women never notice this stuff, and werewolf women aren't much better. Most only connect with nature when shifting, but if they stayed in tune with their wolf like you do, they wouldn't lose that instinct."

"I'm just being me," I shrugged. "When something's beautiful, I notice it. Nothing special about that."

"It's how you connect with everything," he adjusted his position. "Makes all the difference."

Did he just...? God. I needed to change topics fast. He kept steering us toward flirting, and I needed information, not romance.

I looked away, deliberately switching subjects. "You mentioned having a sister. How is she doing now?"

His expression instantly darkened, his body tensing. I felt guilty for being so direct, but we needed this information. I had to remember this was a mission.

"When our pack was attacked, everything went to hell," he said, voice low and shaking. "No warning. As far as I knew, we had no enemies, not even minor disputes. My parents worked at the pack house, so we knew about leader stuff. The attackers were precise and strategic - not random at all. They knew exactly who to take out first and where to hit. I don't remember the timeline exactly, just that I eventually found my sister in our yard."

He paused, closing his eyes painfully. I gave him space, knowing how hard it is to revisit trauma. I touched his forearm lightly, offering silent support. He smiled faintly and took my hand.

"If you were trapped," I asked carefully, "why not leave or choose a new leader?"

"We couldn't leave," anger filled his voice. "The new leader controlled everything, claiming it was Alpha King's orders. He told us no one would help because our pack was 'inadequate' and needed 'reform.'" Something beyond pain flickered in his eyes, something unsettling.

"What about the elders?" I pressed. "Couldn't they contact Alpha King directly?"

Robert laughed coldly. "Those self-serving assholes cared more about their titles than their duties. They barely showed up, never talked to regular members. Our leader was a joke - not a bad guy, but only in charge because he married the previous leader's daughter. Not fit to lead at all. The elders probably liked her bloodline more than his skills. They controlled everything by manipulating the leader and Luna, only caring about their own power."

He took a deep breath, composing himself. If this was an act, he deserved an award. But looking into his eyes, I genuinely felt sorry for him and his pack.

"The elders ran first during the attack, leaving the leader and Luna to fight alone - which they couldn't. Now those elders hide near Alpha King. Maybe they caused it, maybe even planned it to get Alpha King's attention. Who knows? Either way, innocent people died or were taken, probably to worse fates, and nobody did anything." His face showed disturbing anger, clearly hungry for revenge.

"Which city was your pack in?" I asked, suddenly worried about his answer.

"Used to be Sunset City Pack," his voice dropped, turning cold. "Now they're part of Black Obsidian City Pack."