The Alpha's Unclaimed Mate novel Chapter 115

Chapter 115: They Said Emotional. She Said Checkmate.

The war room was tense.

Serena met Dex’s eyes for a moment. She looked like she wanted to say something. But then she looked away, swallowing.

"What is it?" Dex asked.

"Where’s Hyran?" she asked. "I haven’t seen him all day."

"He’s handling crown business," Dex said, reaching for his goblet of water. "He’ll be back soon. Probably complaining about something within five minutes of walking through the door."

Before she could push further, the door opened and King Tiberon walked in. The temperature in the room shifted immediately. Conversations died.

Everyone rose to their feet, Serena and Dex included.

To Serena’s shock, Bellatrix was behind him. This was a full house outside of Hyran.

Tiberon’s gaze swept the room. Something softened almost imperceptibly when he looked at Serena and Dex.

"Good. She’s here," he said. He moved to the head of the table. Bellatrix at his right. Everyone else sat only after he did. Elara made eye contact with Serena from across the table.

They’d seen Bellatrix misbehave for Tiberon a few too many times to be buying this.

"First order of business, Viremont escaped during the Dark Fae raid."

Serena glanced at Dex, who met her gaze. She wanted to know why he didn’t tell her that. And he clearly didn’t want her to find out that way. She looked away first.

"He found out Agnes lied about being pregnant with Dexmon’s child and that she confessed to everything," Tiberon continued. "We have reason to believe Viremont is coming for you next, Serena."

He waited for her to respond.

"Unfortunate," Serena said, not flinching. The constant worry of him finding out her identity had made her numb to the concern.

Everyone seemed to be waiting for a reaction. She wouldn’t give them one. What did they expect? She’d crumble at that? Please.

"Unfortunate indeed," Tiberon said, continuing the meeting.

The war summit camp had been decimated. Between the Dark Fae attack and the battle that preceded it. The allied kingdoms had dispersed, promising to reconvene once the damage was assessed and their forces restored.

Another hour into the meeting and a large map was spread out on the table. Dexmon, Hale, and Tiberon were running things. Gav would also chime in occasionally.

Serena and Elara listened.

Even with everything that’d happened between her and Dex, Serena had to admit he was brilliant and every bit Tiberon’s son. She’d not seen him in action to this degree before.

He mindlinked her mid-sentence.

Dex: I can feel you being impressed. You know that, right? Matebond works both ways, Frostborne.

Serena’s face went red and she shook her head.

She was surprised to hear Orosia had invaded more kingdoms in the two days she was unconscious. And they successfully conquered Valegrave. No one had been able to make contact with them.

Colonel Varflarous and Captain Halvek began discussing strategy to aid them.

Serena noticed holes in their plan immediately, but continued listening.

Dex clocked it instantly through their matebond. She’d seen something the rest of them hadn’t yet. He waited, but she didn’t speak.

Finally he turned, glancing at her. "Serena? What is it?"

The room silenced and every pair of eyes went to her.

Serena found her voice. "I don’t think we should directly invade Valegrave to aid them."

A buzz of whispers erupted like a lit match in a pile of dry leaves. A few officers shifted in their chairs. Bellatrix’s lips pursed.

"You’d let him keep Valegrave? Then what? He conquers more territory in Skardos."

"She’s not a general—"

"This isn’t the time for emotional—"

Tiberon held his hand up, and the room silenced. "Explain."

"Your plan assumes we’re dealing with a logical enemy," Serena stated calmly. "We’re not. He’s emotional. And he’s baiting us."

"You’re also not accounting for the Queen Mother of the High Emperor, who was born in Elaris. She’s still very well connected there. Mages are the predominant population there and battalions deploy by mage portals."

She scanned the table. They didn’t fully understand yet.

"They’ve lost over fifty dragons in the last week. Zero survivors on two separate invasions of all Fae armies," Serena added. "Dark Fae are not soldiers he can recruit or replenish on command. They are weapons he is running out of. Whether they understand what the reason is or not, the High Emperor would be a fool to continue that. He is leveraging Elaris. Mage warfare makes sense for the terrain conquered in Valegrave as well."

Captain Halvek grunted in agreement. Tiberon’s attention sharpened.

Serena continued. "The rift portal was devastating, but it was a sledgehammer, not a supply line. He can tear a hole open, shove an army through, and hope for the best. But he cannot sustain an occupation through a rift. Which means if he intends to hold Valegrave and push further into Skardos, he needs stable portal corridors. Conventional ones." She paused. Everyone leaned in. "Which is why he’s borrowing his mother’s."

Laughs broke the tension.

"I am saying we let him believe we are going to invade," Serena continued. "We let him believe we are practicing warfare the way we always have. But instead, we establish full battlespace denial."

It dawned on her then that they were less familiar with pure mage armies. Even with all the mages in Drakenfell. No wolves or dragons changed the game entirely.

Colonel Morholt slid a pile of gold marker tokens toward her. "You have my attention," he said. "Show us."

Serena nodded and stood.

"In Skardos, portals cannot be opened through the Elaran Range, Highwind Pass, the Ironbound Pass, the Karth Divide, or the Ashen Lowlands," Serena said, placing a marker on each location as she spoke.

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