The Messenger( Iva) novel Chapter 275

Fugitives

On week later

The Lycan Academy looked exactly as Iva remembered it.

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The same stone pathways. The same ancient buildings. The same clusters of students hurrying between classes, their voices rising and falling in the familiar rhythm of academic life. It felt strange to be back- like stepping into a memory that no longer quite fit.

A week had passed since the trial.

A week of formal events, royal obligations, and endless traditions that had kept Iva busy from dawn until well past midnight. She had smiled at dignitaries, posed for portraits, and attended banquets where she was the guest of honor. Every moment had been filled with expectation.

But her mind had been elsewhere.

With the fugitives. With her mother. With the unsettled feeling that the danger was not truly over.

And with Caleb.

She had tried to spend as much time with him as possible-stealing moments between obligations, falling asleep in his arms, waking to his smile. But the demands of the crown were relentless, and she had felt him slipping away, swallowed by duties she couldn’t share.

Now, she was back at the academy.

And the first person she wanted to see was Lori.

She rushed through the corridors, her heart pounding with anticipation. The familiar scents of old books and polished wood surrounded her, grounding her, reminding her of who she had been before the crown.

She reached Lori’s door and knocked.

The door swung open.

And Lori stood there-red hair, green eyes, warm smile.

“Your Highness,” Lori teased, dropping into an exaggerated curtsy. “How may I serve the Crown Princess?”

Iva laughed and threw her arms around her best friend.

“Shut up,” she said, her voice thick with emotion. “Just shut up and hug me.”

Lori hugged her back, holding on tight.

“I missed you,” she whispered.

“I missed you too.”

They pulled apart and stood in the doorway, grinning at each other like the silly girls they had once been.

“Come in,” Lori said, stepping aside. “Tell me everything.”

15

< Fugitives

Iva settled onto the edge of Lori’s bed, her hands clasped in her lap. The room was smaller than she remembered, humbler than the royal chambers she had grown accustomed to. But it felt like home.

“Any news?” Lori asked, her voice dropping. “On the fugitives?”

Iva shook her head, her expression growing serious.

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“Unfortunately, no. It’s like they all vanished-the Alpha, the Beta, my father. They’ve disappeared without a trace. A massive manhunt is underway, but..” She trailed off. “For now, the pack has interim management. They’re trying to adjust to the new realities.”

Lori nodded slowly.

“What about your mother? How is Mrs. Rana?”

Iva sighed.

“She’s in the royal pack,” she said. “With her past role as a Gamma female, she found an assistant instructor position. You know her-she needs to be doing something. I think it’s mainly because she’s trying to forget the past.”

Lori’s expression softened.

“Breaking a bond that was already formed, even if it was a chosen mate, is not child’s play,” she said quietly. “The pain. The backlash. The lesser wolves would go feral.”

“I know.” Iva’s voice was heavy. “I just hope she finds a way to happiness again. I want to see her smile.”

Lori reached over and squeezed Iva’s hand.

“She will,” she said. “She has you. And she has time.”/

Iva nodded, blinking back tears.

For a moment, they sat in comfortable silence.

Then Lori spoke again.

“What about you?” she asked. “How are you really?”

Iva took a breath.

“I’m tired,” she admitted. “Tired of being afraid. Tired of looking over my shoulder. Tired of wondering when the other shoe will drop.”

Lori’s grip on her hand tightened.

“The fugitives will be found,” she said fiercely. “They can’t hide forever. And when they are, they will face justice.”

Iva smiled-small, fragile, but real.

“I know. It’s just…” She paused. “I want to move on. I want to build a life with Caleb. I want to be happy without constantly waiting for the next disaster.”

25

<Fugitives

Leri pulled her into another hug.

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“You will,” she said. “I promise. You will.”

Iva closed her eyes and let herself believe it.

For now, that was enough.

–

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Iva shifted on the bed, pulling her legs up beneath her. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and fixed her best friend with an expectant look.

“Enough about me,” she said firmly. “What about you? We didn’t get the chance to really talk.”

Lori’s expression softened.

“Where do I even start?”

“Start with your parents,” Iva said. “How are they? I know the Alpha was enraged when they vanished from the pack.”

Lori nodded, a flicker of gratitude crossing her face.

“I’m so grateful for everything,” she said. “Attia succeeded in sending someone to get them out under a medical emergency pretense. At the moment, they’re in one of his former army colleague’s packs, keeping a low profile. Until the fugitives are captured and we’re sure there’s no risk of revenge.”

Iva exhaled in relief. “That’s good. That’s really good.”

“I know.” Lori smiled. “I can finally breathe knowing they’re safe.”

Iva tilted her head, a teasing glint in her eye.

“What about you and Attia? I saw you both at the ceremony, standing next to each other. You looked like a dream.”

Lori’s cheeks flushed a deep pink.

“He’s… he’s incredible,” she admitted softly. “Every day, I feel like I’m falling more and more for him.”

Iva beamed.

“That’s wonderful news! It means soon we’ll have a new mated couple.”

Lori smiled, but there was a flicker of hesitation in her eyes.

Iva caught it immediately.

“What’s going on, Lori?”

Lori hesitated.

“Attia is fantastic,” she said slowly. “But the same cannot be said for his family.”

Iva sat up straighter, her expression sharpening. “What happened?”

35

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