Chapter167: A New Pack

|| Lilac’s POV || The scent of pine and aged parchment filled the spacious bedroom as I unpacked my belongings into the dark oak wardrobe. Alaric’s packhouse was nothing like home— the walls were thicker, everything was close to nature and the silence was heavier. Every movement echoed, reminding me just how far I was from the familiar comforts of my family’s estate. My fingers lingered on the sleeve of a silk blouse, the fabric smooth against my skin. Father agreed to this too easily. The thought gnawed at me. He had barely protested when Alaric insisted I stay under his protection, away from the capital’s growing unrest. Away from Elias, who had been conveniently dispatched to the border on some fabricated investigation. "For your safety," Dad had said, his voice gruff. "And for theirs," Alaric had added, his grey eyes unreadable. I swallowed hard, folding the blouse with more force than necessary. They were hiding something— something bigger than Elias, bigger than rogue attacks. An