Scarred Wolf Queen Chapter 49

**Briony's POV**

"She spent more time with Benjamin than both of you combined today. Jealous much?" Ethan's tone showed his mischief.

"Not jealous," Maxwell shot back, his voice jumping an octave higher than normal. "My wolf just won't let me leave while she's vulnerable. Besides, we need to go downstairs. The Alpha King and Derek are about to leave."

I opened my eyes at that. "They're leaving? Already?" I pushed myself up, wincing at the pins and needles in my arm from using Benjamin as a pillow all night. I shook it out, trying to get feeling back.

"Look who woke up at the mention of Derek," Christopher grumbled. "Prince Charming gets more attention than us."

"Oh please," I rolled my eyes. "With all of you yelling over my head, who could sleep?" I glanced around the room. "So it's safe now? Taric said they'd tell us when the lockdown was over."

"Not exactly." Benjamin gently pulled his arm away. "Nathan thinks moving the focus to the castle is safer. They're increasing border patrols while the investigation continues."

I stood up, muscles screaming in protest. "I need a shower. How long was I out?"

"A whole day," Layla yawned from her spot on the couch. "No wonder I feel like roadkill."

The sunlight filtering through the curtains suggested early morning. Everyone looked tired but alert, yesterday's tension still lingering in their eyes.

"Chris, can you...?" I didn't need to finish. He immediately scooped me up.

"Your carriage awaits, princess," he smirked. "Want me to help with that shower too?"

I smacked his arm. "Dream on. Just get me to the door."

As we headed back to my room, I noticed guards still stationed throughout the hallway. Whatever happened wasn't over yet.

After a quick shower, I threw on the clothes Layla had left out - just a simple gray tee and black sweats. As I was toweling my hair, a soft knock came at the door.

"Briony?" Derek's voice called through. "You in there? We're about to leave, and I wanted to say goodbye."

I opened the door to find him standing there with two guards behind him. He looked casual but still princely in his dark blue shirt and black pants.

"Heard you're heading back to the castle," I said, tying up my wet hair. "Is everything okay now?"

He shook his head. "Not yet, but Dad thinks us being here might make things worse. Guards are doubling patrols, and we'll stay in contact. You'll know immediately if anything happens."

I nodded, suddenly realizing I might not see him again for a while.

"So," I chose my words carefully, "during those selection trials... were you one of my opponents?"

A smile broke across his face. "Busted. Yeah, I was. Not telling you which match, though." He winked. "You were seriously impressive, Bri. Your technique, speed, instincts - all of it."

"So I beat an Alpha Prince?" I couldn't help grinning. "That's going on my resume."

"Don't get cocky," he laughed. "We only faced each other once. Next time might go differently."

We shared a smile, something unspoken passing between us.

"When you come to the castle for training with those boys, I hope we can face off again," he said. "And I'm sorry about yesterday. I heard about your panic attack. You feeling better?"

"Much better, thanks," I nodded. "Hope you catch whoever's behind all this."

"We will," he said with certainty, then hesitated. "Mind if I hug you? Just as friends saying goodbye."

I paused briefly before nodding. The hug was quick and friendly, nothing more. When he stepped back, I spotted Maxwell and Benjamin at the end of the hallway, faces unreadable.

"Your bodyguards have arrived," Derek chuckled. "I should go. Take care, Briony. See you soon."

He nodded respectfully as he passed the two, who returned the gesture despite the wariness in their eyes.

Benjamin was at my side the second Derek disappeared down the stairs. "What did he want?"

"Just saying goodbye," I said simply, ignoring his hostile tone. "They're leaving for the castle."

Maxwell raised an eyebrow. "Looked like more than a simple goodbye."

"Not this again," I sighed. "He was being friendly. Why can't I have other friends?"

"You can," Christopher appeared from nowhere. "But when that 'friend' is clearly crushing on you and happens to be royal, we get a little protective."

"You guys are ridiculous," I shook my head. "Shouldn't we go say goodbye to the Alpha King and Luna Queen?"

"They're waiting for the final security report," Maxwell nodded. "Let's go."

Downstairs, Alpha King Nathan was speaking quietly with Adam while their Lunas stood nearby. They turned as we approached.

"The young warrior," Nathan smiled. "Glad to see you've recovered. Yesterday was quite concerning."

"Thank you for your concern," I bowed slightly. "Safe travels."

"Thank you, dear," Selena stepped forward and hugged me gently. "Stay safe, will you? If anything feels off, tell Isabella or these boys immediately."

Her genuine concern warmed me. "I will. Hope you find whoever's behind this."

Nathan nodded seriously. "We'll do everything possible." His gaze swept over the triplets. "Take care of her, boys."

"We will, Alpha King," Maxwell promised, his posture straightening.

After they left, Layla pulled me aside to a quiet corner of the garden.

"I might be going back to my original pack," she said without preamble. "My mom and stepdad's research is hitting some roadblocks they need to handle back home. I might leave with them."

My chest tightened. "When?"

"Not sure yet," she shook her head. "I was going to wait for a better time to tell you, but with everything happening..."

"So you're leaving too," I tried keeping my voice steady. "Like everyone else."

"You won't be alone," Layla insisted. "After those selection tests, everyone respects you now. Nobody would dare mess with you. Plus, you can keep training for next year's Sentinel application. Time will fly by."

"Let's talk about something else," I changed the subject, not wanting to dwell on more changes. "We've been stuck inside forever. Think they'll let us hit the training grounds? I'm stiff all over."

"As long as we're not alone, probably," she nodded, then flashed a mischievous smile. "And those boys definitely won't let you out of their sight."

Back inside, I pitched the training idea to everyone. After some hesitation about safety, they agreed when I pointed out how much my muscles needed the activity.

"Just basics," Maxwell insisted. "No intense sparring, no pushing yourself. After yesterday, you need to ease back in."

"Yes, sir," I gave him a deliberately sloppy salute that made him roll his eyes.

Even basic warm-ups and stretches at the training grounds felt amazing - like untying knots all over my body. The boys seemed to enjoy the normalcy too, though their eyes constantly scanned our surroundings.

"That's it for today, everyone," I announced when we finished. "Regular schedule tomorrow, so don't overdo it." I caught Layla's eye and grabbed her wrist.

Before anyone could react, I was dragging her away from the training grounds, running full-tilt as the boys shouted behind us. Our laughter echoed through the air as we sprinted toward freedom.