Crossing the Border (Rania) novel Chapter 238

**He Asked Me to Leave My Dreams, So I Decided to Make Him One of Them by Mira Lorian**

**Chapter 238**

As Elder Gallant departed, the atmosphere in the room shifted. Maximus, with a heavy heart and a mind racing with thoughts of vengeance, summoned Karin. When she entered, her eyes were swollen and red, a testament to the tears she had shed. The weight of her failure hung heavily upon her shoulders, a burden she felt she could never escape. She had been unable to protect Rania, the queen, and in a moment of desperation, had even suggested that Rania leave with the three warriors who had ultimately betrayed them all.

The loss of Elder Gayle stung deeply, a reminder of her inadequacy. Karin’s heart raced at the thought of facing the king; shame and fear coiled tightly within her. Yet Maximus was not concerned with her emotional turmoil at that moment; he had more pressing matters to address.

“My king,” Karin greeted him, her voice trembling like a leaf caught in a storm.

“Tell me what happened,” Maximus commanded, his voice deep and icy. His piercing gaze locked onto her, causing Karin to shudder involuntarily.

With a quivering heart, she recounted the events, her words tumbling out in a frantic rush. There was no attempt to mask her blunder or to rationalize her poor judgment in allowing the three warriors to whisk Rania away.

“It’s my fault, my king. I am profoundly sorry… I should have been more vigilant, more aware of my surroundings,” she confessed, dropping to her knees and pressing her forehead to the cold ground in a gesture of desperation, pleading for forgiveness.

Maximus’s expression remained impassive, devoid of sympathy. Instead, he turned to Letto, commanding him to recount the details of the incident once more.

The journey from the Barlukan kingdom had taken several days, but through sheer will, Maximus had managed to arrive a day earlier than expected. Yet, upon his arrival, he was met with chaos and despair.

People had begun to forget that he was once the mad king, his recent softness attributed to Rania’s influence. But beneath the surface, the monster within him lay dormant, and now, with the betrayal fresh in his mind, it stirred, awakening the fury that had lain in wait. Those responsible for this treachery would soon face the consequences of their actions.

Letto recounted how the Barlukan warriors had charged toward the south gates, their focus singular and deadly. When he and his fellow warriors finally regained control, they discovered the horrifying truth: Rania had been kidnapped, and Elder Gayle was dead.

This was their last desperate attempt to dethrone the king, a plan so reckless that it had cost them many lives. The Barlukan warriors had essentially embarked on a suicide mission, attacking Alpha Letto’s pack house to create a diversion that would allow them to abduct Rania.

“Barlukan is no more. Surrender, and I shall grant you an honorable death,” Maximus declared as he approached Eric, his voice steady and resolute.

Eric’s response was a derisive smirk. “Honorable death? What does that even mean? Do you think I desire such an honor? You’ve backed us into a corner with no escape.”

Maximus listened, but his focus was elsewhere. He was scanning the area, searching for any sign of Rania. But she was nowhere to be found. Panic flared within him. Had they taken her far away? There were no traces of her scent, perhaps washed away by the rain that had poured down just an hour earlier.

“If I must fall, I will take you with me. You will pay for the destruction you’ve wrought upon my kingdom,” he vowed, his voice low and filled with a fierce determination.

Maximus observed as the warriors, who had been lurking in the shadows, began to emerge from their hiding spots. Still, he remained calm, his mind sharp. “Rania is not here, is she? You don’t have my mate,” he asserted, the tension in the air palpable as he prepared for what was to come.