Betrayed by My Ex, Marked by His Alpha Emperor Brother novel Chapter 94

Chapter 94: Chapter 94

Elara’s POV

“Good morning, my beautiful.”

I whispered it to myself, practicing the words Kaelen had murmured through our bond just an hour ago. Sitting behind his enormous mahogany desk, I pressed my palms flat against the polished wood and let the faint echo of his warmth linger in my mind.

Two days since he’d left. Two days of running this empire from his chair, wearing his authority like a borrowed coat that was finally starting to fit.

I reached through the bond. Tentative. Deliberate. No vomiting this morning. The baby and I kept breakfast down. Thought you should know.

The response came almost instantly—a pulse of warmth, relief, amusement braided together in that way only a mate bond could carry. His voice threaded through my consciousness like smoke through silk.

That’s my beautiful. Both of you behaving for once.

I smiled. Pressed my hand against my still-flat stomach. Don’t get cocky. It’s early yet.

I’m always cocky. You married me anyway.

A knock at the study door severed the moment.

“Enter.”

The door swung open, and Sir Marcus stepped through. He moved with the careful deliberation of a man whose body had been shaped by thirty years of service—weathered face carved with deep lines, voice like gravel dragged across stone. His armor bore the scuffs and dents of countless campaigns, and his silver-streaked hair was cropped close to his skull.

He stopped before the desk. Straightened. Then dipped his head with a respect that wasn’t performed.

“Your Majesty. The morning patrol report.”

Your Majesty. Not “my lady.” Not “the Emperor’s mate.” The full title, delivered without hesitation.

He placed a leather-bound folder on the desk. I opened it and scanned the contents—patrol routes, sighting logs, supply tallies. Everything organized with military precision.

“The new rotation schedule,” Marcus said, watching me read. “Six-hour shifts instead of twelve. Your idea, Your Majesty.”

I looked up. “And?”

His weathered face shifted. Not quite a smile—Marcus didn’t seem built for smiling—but something close. Something that lived in the deepening of the lines around his eyes.

“Morale is up. The men are sharper. Less fatigue, fewer gaps in coverage. We caught territorial incursions that would have slipped through under the old system.” He paused. Let the weight of it settle. “A veteran’s opinion, for what it’s worth—it was a sound strategic call. The kind that saves lives.”

Heat crept up my neck. Not embarrassment. Something fiercer. Pride.

“Thank you, Marcus. That means more than you know.”

He inclined his head again and turned to leave. At the door, he paused.

“The Emperor chose well.” Quiet. Matter-of-fact. Then he was gone, the door clicking shut behind him.

I sat still for a moment. Let the words sink beneath my skin.

Then I reached through the bond again. Marcus just told me the six-hour rotations are working. Incursions caught that would’ve been missed.

Kaelen’s response carried a distinct flavor of smugness that wasn’t entirely his own. Told you. My mate doesn’t do anything halfway.

How’s the terrain?

A brief pause. When his thoughts returned, they were more measured. Careful. Mountains are worse than the maps suggested. Steep ravines. Dense tree cover. Perfect ambush territory.

My fingers tightened around the edge of the desk. Any signs of them?

Nothing so far. No tracks, no scent markers. If they’re here, they’re buried deep. Another pause. Longer this time. Ela. There’s a stretch of the mountain range ahead—narrow passes, heavy rock formations. Communication stones don’t work well through that kind of terrain. There may be gaps. Dead zones where you won’t hear from me.

My chest constricted. How long?

Could be a few hours. Maybe more. Don’t panic if it goes quiet. It’s just the mountains.

I don’t panic.

Warmth flooded the bond. Tender. Knowing. You absolutely do. And I love you for it. But I need you to trust me. I’ll come through the other side and reach you again.

You promised me you’d come home.

And I will. Now go be empress. I hear you’re very good at it.

The bond settled into its usual background hum—a low, constant warmth, like embers banked in a hearth. Present. Steady.

I spent the rest of the day buried in logistics. Supply requests from the outposts. Disputes between minor houses over grain storage rights. Correspondence from border commanders, each more urgent than the last.

By evening, Valerius had commandeered the rug beside the fireplace with an arsenal of colored wax sticks and a sheet of parchment the size of his torso.

“Mommy, look.” He held it up proudly. “It’s a dinosaur. With a crown.”

“That’s a very handsome dinosaur.”

“He’s the king of all dinosaurs. Nobody messes with him because he has sharp teeth AND a crown. That’s double power.”

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