Chapter 23: Unwanted Visitor

“Do you truly hate me to the guts, that your first instinct is to point your gun at me, Hestia?”

Augustus stepped out of the shadows, revealing his weary form.  His military uniform was caked with mud and dried leaves, which told me that he ran all the way here.

But for what?

“What are you doing here, Alpha Augustus?  I thought you went to the base,” I asked, without putting my gun down.  “A Vassal must not leave his Queen’s side.”

“I’m my own person.  Being a Vassal to Medea Locke doesn’t dictate what I want and don’t want to do.”

My head tilted.  “So now, you’re telling me that you came here of your own will?  You’re not fooling anybody, Augustus.  Tell me what you want and leave.”

“You.”

“What?”

“I want you.”  Augustus took a deep breath as he took a step closer to me.  I tried to stop my hands from trembling as he grabbed the frame of my pistol.  “I want you, Hestia Locke.”

“Move,” I warned.  “Or your chest gets a new hole.  Surely you don’t want that, Alpha?”

He scoffed.  Our eyes locked as he aimed the gun at his heart.  “I’ll gladly accept every bullet you’ll give.”

I sarcastically laughed before pulling away.  “Stop with this bullshit and just tell me what you want, Augustus.  I’m in no mood to play your games.”

Augustus walked towards the window and leaned beside it.  His eyes peeked through the window, scanning the surroundings outside.

Kieran and the others remained up front, waiting for the Alpha of Nightfall’s arrival.  There was a slim chance that anyone among them would suddenly walk to the back to peek—

“Fuck,”  I cussed under my breath as I saw Kieran and Lind walking past, carrying a few logs that they might be using for the massive pyre.  I immediately pushed Augustus behind me and walked towards the window to block their view.

Kieran stuck his tongue out at me, which made me pull my middle finger at him.  I watched as he walked away, chuckling to himself, while my mind still drifting towards Augustus and his antics.

Surprisingly, Fluke didn’t howl like a rabid wolf.  She simply whimpered and cooed since Augustus showed up, making me wonder if it was a good thing or not.

But who am I even kidding? Nothing good ever came with being near Augustus.  He and the trouble he brought to my life…

He’s a deadly mistake.  A mistake I don’t even want to ever dare think of repeating again.

“Are you staring at my brother to escape me, or are you doing that in hopes that he’ll notice that I’m here?”

Annoyed, I turned around, only to be met by his towering figure.  Augustus trapped me against the wall, his arms leaning against both of my sides, making it impossible to escape.

His jaded eyes landed on my mouth.  “Now, will you listen?”

“Depends on what kind of nonsense you’ll be spouting, Alpha.”

“You’re waiting for the Nightfall Alpha to arrive, aren’t you?” he asked.  “Do you think he’ll accept help from you once he learns that you’re a Locke?”

My eyes narrowed as a thought dawned on me.  “You knew about this?”

He took out his phone and showed it to me.  “I bugged Dion’s phone.  Same reason why I sent him.”

I scoffed.  “Unbelievable…”

“I… don’t want to be kept in the dark again.  Dion has been loyal to me for years.  Knowing what they’re under in…” He paused.  “It hurts me to think that I’ve been turning a blind eye on them…”

I crossed my arms and glared at him.  “Then abandon Medea and my father.  You’re given a choice now, Augustus.  Are you willing to be branded as a traitor to your own people in the long run, while serving my sister and my father’s interests?”

He scoffed and looked away.  “You think it’s that easy for me to leave, Hestia? Unlike you, I have no other choice.”

“You think I had the choice too? I was left in the middle of the forest, scarred and on the brink of death.  I’m not an idiot like you to keep on staying in the same dark place over and over!”  I pushed him away.  “Besides, what help are you proposing? Do you think the Nightfall Alpha would yield to you, when you’re the well-known hound of Medea Locke?”

“I’ll use my military position to pressure him into following you,”  Augustus said as he pulled out a military order and placed it in my hand.  “He might not follow orders from another Alpha, but he couldn’t turn down a direct military order.”

I didn’t answer.  After all, Augustus was right.  The Nightfall Alpha was well-known for his bad temper and short fuse.  We might not be able to convince him to let me help the people if I come like this.

But my gut was whispering to me not to trust Augustus.  He has betrayed me countless times, so I wonder why I am even listening to his suggestion now, inside this closed room.

“And what are you going to get out of this, Alpha Hunt?” I asked.  “Is this Medea’s new tactic of getting under my skin?”

“Medea doesn’t know that I’m here,” he assured.  “Neither did anyone at the base.”

My lips twitched.  “I’m sorry, but somehow, despite all these heroic deeds, my body still warns me against trusting you, Augustus Hunt.”

His throat bobbed.  Augustus closed his eyes, and I heard him count to himself before responding.  “Then don’t think I’m doing this for you.  Let’s just say I’m doing this for Dion and his family, after his loyal service to my Pack and me.  As simple as that.”

His jade eyes glazed.  I pushed him away a bit to move past him, not even bothering to avoid his other shoulder.  “Fine.  But please leave my room before we get caught.  I don’t want them to get the wrong… Augustus?”

I turned to look at him as soon as I noticed him slumped on the floor, holding his shoulder.  I immediately knelt beside him and unbuttoned his shirt in a hurry despite his protests.

“By the Goddess…” I cursed under my breath as I saw the wound on his shoulder, which looked bruised and almost rotting.  “How long has this wound been on you?  Didn’t Castiel know about—”

He pushed my hand away.  “Don’t worry about me.  I still can handle—”

“And what, wait for your arm to get chopped off?”  I pushed him on the bed.  “Sit.  I’ll treat you.  What’s Medea even doing? Doesn’t she know how to properly take care of his Vassal?”

“She doesn’t know about this.”  Augustus winced as he felt my divine magic touching his wound.

I sneered.  “Keeping secrets from your mate, huh?”

“We’re not mated.  I’m nothing but a Vassal to her.”

I stopped.  I swallowed hard as I turned to pick up a first-aid kit from my bag, when I felt his hand grab at mine.

“Didn’t you hear? I did not claim her.  Because I know… I’m fated to you.”  His voice cracked.  “I’m fated to be yours…”