Let Them Kneel (kaelani and Julian) novel Chapter 199

Chapter 199

The room.

The light.

The faces.

A breath caught in his chest.

“Kaelani…?”

His focus sharpened.

His room. His packhouse. Familiar walls and scent.

But something was wrong.

His gaze moved quickly–his mother at his side, Jace by the window.

No Kaelani.

Julian pushed himself upright, pain tearing through him as fresh wounds pulled and protested the movement.

“Easy-” his mother said, reaching for him, trying to guide him back down. “Julian, you need to take it slow. You had deep lacerations–everywhere. Some are still healing. You need to regain your strength, then you can shift-”

“What happened?” Julian cut her off, his voice rough. “One minute I was in the Fae realm–dying and now I’m here?”

“It’s a wild story,” Jace said, pushing himself to his feet. “But you were healed.”

Julian had a lot of questions–but his priority was elsewhere.

“Where’s my mate?”

Jace met his gaze. “Your father ran her off.”

Something dark snapped in Julian’s expression.

“That son of a bitch.”

He swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood, ignoring the way his shirt darkened where wounds reopened, blood seeping through the fabric.

“Where is she?” he demanded. “Where did she go?”

Jace shook his head. “I don’t know. She just… vanished.”

Julian’s gaze locked onto him. “You think she went back to the Fae realm?”

“I don’t know.”

Julian turned toward his closet, grabbing the first clothes he could find.

“Well, I’m going to find out. Maybe she went home.”

“You can’t leave, Julian.”

His mother’s voice stopped him–briefly.

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He didn’t turn. “The hell I can’t.”

“There are Council operatives outside your door,” Jace said. “Waiting to take us into custody.”

Julian stilled, then slowly turned back toward his mother.

“You called the Council?”

“Of course not,” she said quickly. “They’ve been watching the packhouse ever since you two were reported on the run.”

Julian’s jaw tightened. “Who the hell reported that?”

His mother hesitated, a small, reluctant wince crossing her face.

“Your father.”

Something in Julian’s expression went cold.

“I’ll kill him.”

A sudden burst of noise cut through the house.

Footsteps–fast, coordinated–rushing down the stairs. Voices. Doors opening.

Then-

Car doors slamming.

Engines turning over.

Julian and

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at the same time, crossing to the window.

SUVS–several of them–pulled away from the pack grounds in quick succession, the last disappearing beyond the gates.

Julian and Jace exchanged a look–then moved.

Out of the room. Down the stairs. Straight for the front door.

Julian yanked it open just as the final vehicle cleared the drive, gravel crunching under the tires as it vanished.

He stepped onto the threshold, watching the empty road for a second longer

“They said all charges against you have been dropped.”

Julian turned.

His father stood a few feet behind him, watching.

Julian didn’t respond. He turned and started back toward his room.

“Hey,” his father snapped, stepping into his path. “Don’t mistake this for forgiveness. You’re not off the hook with me.”

Julian kept walking.

A hand clamped down on his shoulder.

His wolf surged forward–sharp, immediate, flooding beneath his skin as he

spun around.

“I’m not a child,” Julian said, his voice low but carrying something heavier now. “I am your Alpha.

The words didn’t need to be raised.

They landed.

Hard.

“Stand down.”

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