40 Chapter 40
Betrayed by Blood-
It was evening, and I had just finished my chores for the day. All that was left was to deliver the bed linens to the King’s Chambers. As I shuffled across the yard, I glanced at the linens in my hand, eager to complete this task so I could rest in my room. The week had already been eventful, and I was exhausted. Walking into the pack house, I made my way towards the stairs that led to the hallway.
The hallways were quiet, except for the faint hum of voices in the distance. Ignoring the sounds, I walked up the stairs and turned down the corridor towards the King’s
chambers.
My grip tightened on the linens as I reached the heavy double doors. Taking a deep breath, I raised my hand to knock softly.
No one answered.
Hesitating, my hand hovered over the door. Maybe they weren’t there, and I could just leave the linens and go.
Pushing the door open, I was stopped in my tracks by what I saw. The sharp sound of a harsh slap echoed through the room, followed by a low grunt of pain. Frozen in the doorway, I held my breath.
The King stood tall and angry, his hand raised and his face twisted in rage. The Queen staggered slightly, her cheek red and swelling.
“Stupid, ungrateful woman,” the King growled. “Don’t test me again.”
I didn’t dare move or breathe as his eyes briefly flickered towards the door. For a terrifying moment, I thought he had seen me. But then he turned and stormed past me without a second glance.
My legs felt like jelly, but I managed to step inside, my eyes falling on the Queen. She stood by the window now, one hand pressed lightly against her cheek. Her head tilt slightly, and to my shock, she chuckled softly.
It wasn’t a happy sound; it was hollow, empty, and tinged with something I couldn’t quite place–pain, maybe, or resignation.
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The Queen turned slowly, her eyes locking onto mine. They were sharp and calculating, like she was unwrapping every layer of me with a single glance,
“You didn’t see anything,” she said thickly.
I swallowed hard. “I” My voice faltered. “I just came to deliver these.” I held up the
linens.
Her lips curved into a faint smile, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “Good,” she murmured. “Then you’ll have no reason to speak of this, will you?”
I shook my head quickly, my heart pounding in my chest.
“Smart girl,” she said, turning back to the window. For a moment, it looked like she- might say more, but she stayed silent, her hand still resting against her cheek. I dropped the linens on the bed and looked at the queen again, hesitating for a bit.
“You don’t need to pity me, child. The world doesn’t spare the weak,” she said without turning, almost like she knew I was staring at her.
I didn’t wait for permission to leave this time. I backed out of the room, closing the door softly behind me, and leaned against the wall outside, my knees trembling.
King Alaric had just hit his own mate, his wife.
I couldn’t go back to my room after witnessing that. It suddenly made sense why the Queen always wore long dresses and sleeves. I had found it odd why anyone would want to be totally covered, especially with how hot it had been in the pack recently. She wasn’t hiding modesty–she was hiding bruises.
I ended up in the small courtyard near the servant’s quarters, sitting on a stone bench. A sigh escaped my lips as the scene replayed in my memory over and over again.
The cool night air brushed against my face, grounding me just enough to breathe deeply and try to calm my thoughts.
“Why do you look like you’ve just seen a ghost?” a voice startled me.
nder
I jumped, my heart nearly leaping out of my chest. Turning quickly, I saw standing a few feet away, his hands tucked casually into his pockets, his dark eyes on
- me.
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I jumped to my feet, my cheeks burning bright. “Sir Xander, I blurted out, looking around the yard. It was the servants‘ quarters, so what was he doing here, especially since he had just returned to the pack?
“W–what are you doing here?” I stammered.
Xander cocked up his eyebrows. “I can’t come here?” he asked, and I shook my head. “No, that wasn’t what I meant,” I replied.
He hummed, stepping closer to me. “So, mind telling me what’s got you looking like you saw a ghost?” he asked again..
“It’s nothing” I replied quickly, looking away.
Xander didn’t move. He didn’t speak for a moment, just studied me as if he could see the truth I was trying so hard to hide. Then he took a step forward and gestured to the empty space on the bench beside me.
“Mind if I sit?”
I hesitated but finally nodded. He lowered himself onto the bench while I sat next to him. We sat there for a moment, neither of us speaking.
“Rough day?” he finally asked, breaking the silence.
I let out a weak laugh, though there was no humor in it. “You could say that.”
“Want to talk about it?”
I shook my head, clutching my hands in my lap. “No. It’s not something I can talk
about.”
He didn’t press, and I was grateful for that. Instead, he leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees and stared out at the yard. “You know, when I came back here, I thought this place hadn’t changed at all, but I was wrong.”
I glanced at him, confused. “How so?”
He turned his head to look at me, a faint smile playing on his lips. “You’re here. And for some reason, you make this place feel a little less… suffocating.”
I blinked, caught off guard by his words. “Me?”
He shrugged. “Don’t look so surprised. You’re different. It’s refreshing.”
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A laugh bubbled out of me before I could stop it, genuine this time. “I think that’s the first time anyone’s called me ‘refreshing”
“Hmm…..It’s rare to use, but it’s true. You are refreshing” he said again, this time with more conviction than the last.
I didn’t know what to say to that. Compliments weren’t something I was used to, so I smiled softly. “Thank you.”
Xander leaned back, a smirk tugging at his lips. “You know, you should laugh more often.
I raised an eyebrow, still feeling a little self–conscious from earlier. “I don’t have much to laugh about these days.“”
His expression softened, but only for a moment before the smirk returned. “Well, I can
fix that.”
“Oh?” I was curious now. “And how do you plan to do that, Sir Xander?”
He pretended to think, tapping his chin dramatically. “Alright, how about this? Why do wolves never tell jokes when they’re hunting?”
I gave him a skeptical look, already bracing myself. “Why?”
He grinned. “Because they don’t want to ruffle any feathers.”
A loud snort escaped me before I could stop it, and I immediately covered my mouth, bursting out laughing. “That was terrible!”
“Terribly funny,” he corrected, looking entirely too pleased with himself. This was
s something different; he was being relaxed with me. It I’ve never been graced with in this pack.
And when my laughter finally subsided, I looked at him again, only to find him watching me. I swallowed hard, suddenly feeling conscious of myself. “You don’t have to be so nice to me,” I murmured, unsure why I even said it.
“Maybe I want to be,” he replied easily.
My breath hitched slightly at his words, but before I could say anything, he stood, brushing imaginary dust off his pants. “I’ll leave you be now, Avery Jae. There’s a lot to be done for the hunt,” he said, and I nodded, standing up awkwardly.
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“Goodnight, Sir Xander
“Goodnight, Avery,” he replied, watching as I walked into the house leading to my room. For the first time ever, I wondered what he meant by that. Why would he want to be nice to me? I paused at the door and turned to see him still standing by the bench, staring at me.
Xander watched as she finally walked into the house, a heavy sigh escaping his lips. He was done for. Lydia’s words echoed in his head repeatedly. He shook his head, driving her voice away. It wasn’t like he could just turn off the switch to his feelings. He shouldn’t want her. Not when she belonged–no, was bound–to Cain. But the way she laughed, the way her walls seemed to crack open just for him… it was too late. He was already in too deep. Why couldn’t his eyes stray? Why did he have to stay within his limitations? Cain doesn’t want her, so why should he get to keep her?
With another glance at the house, Xander turned to leave, oblivious to the person in the shadow who had been watching, a sly grin making its way to their lips. This was even more interesting than they thought. A whole soap opera was going down in the Vehiron pack. Just chef’s kiss.
in
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