Chapter 17 To the Palace

Chapter 17 To the Palace
Amaris tries to speak, but the words tangle on her tongue.

Her thoughts race too quickly to form anything useful, let alone something that won’t get her executed on the spot. The rumors about Betas flicker through her mind in broken flashes, speed that can rival lightning, a strike so fast you don’t feel it until your head is already rolling, instincts sharper than a blade.

“He could kill me for this. He could kill me without blinking.”

Her wolf bristles uneasily. ‘I can’t vouch for him but do not say the wrong thing.’

Amaris tries to breathe around the tightness in her throat.

She opens her mouth again, hoping the right words will magically appear, but all that comes out is a pathetic little sound that isn’t even a full syllable.

Jon watches her too closely, far too closely.

She stumbles over half a sentence, then another. Every attempt dies in her throat.

Before he can press further…

Wilhelmina bursts back into the room like a gust of warm wind, smiling wide, a small travel bag clutched in her hand as her own relief at being able to do something for the girl has her completely missing the tension in the room. “I’ve packed some basics,” she announces proudly. “Clothes, towels, soap, things a girl shouldn’t step into the world without. This should last you a few days.”

Relief hits Amaris so hard her knees nearly give out.

She accepts the bag with both hands, murmuring a quiet thank you, but Wilhelmina barely gives her time to finish before she turns to Jon. The woman jabs a finger toward him with all the authority of someone who used to chase him around with wooden spoons.

“You,” Wilhelmina says, “will take care of her. Swear it.”

Jon straightens. “Mum…”

“Swear it, Jonathan.”

He sighs but dips his head respectfully. “I swear I’ll look after her up to the point I can.”

Wilhelmina nods once, satisfied. “Good.”

And with that, she pushes them both toward the door like a shepherd ushering sheep.

Jon steps outside first, Amaris follows.

She barely takes three steps before Wilhelmina comes hurtling out of the cottage again, skirts flying wildly around her ankles.

“Wait! Wait!”

Jon turns, startled, while Amaris braces herself to catch her before she tumbles down the small steps.

Wilhelmina stops just short of them, panting dramatically, a small tin-wrapped parcel clutched in her palm. She presses it into Amaris’s hands with a beaming smile.

“Happy birthday, sweetheart,” Wilhelmina says breathlessly. “And congratulations.”

Amaris’s throat tightens.

No one has ever said those words to her, not sincerely, not with warmth and most especially, not one person today has ever said it to her. The feeling lands somewhere deep in her chest, almost painful in how new it is.

Before she can speak, Wilhelmina spins around and races back into the cottage.

“Oh no… my stew!” she shrieks. “It’s been on the stove for an hour!”

Amaris watches her disappear inside, a soft laugh slipping out before she can stop it at how she’d never stayed this long with her to know how free spirited she really is.

Jon rubs a hand over his face. “I’m sorry for her behavior.”

“Don’t be,” Amaris says, still smiling. “It’s refreshing, she reminds me of how fun things can be, of how a mother’s love can be refreshing in a place covered by soot.”

He looks at her as if her answer surprises him, just a little.

And then, mercifully, almost unbelievably, Jon shifts back into Beta mode without another word about the letter.

No probing questions, no pressure and no suspicion, which she appreciates.

He simply nods toward the waiting horse hitched near the path. “We should get going. The sooner we arrive, the smoother things will be.”

Amaris exhales slowly staring at the large beast... she’s never been on one before and it sounds like the Beta, like her head is only a minor invoncinience and can simply take it off like a hat.

“I’ll be going with you, come on.” He puts his hand down for her to climb atop, then on top of the skirmish horse she goes. He climbs up right behind her, steadying her.

Relief seeps into her bones.

‘He knows when to stop,’ her wolf murmurs approvingly. ‘I like that.’

She doesn’t respond, but she agrees.

Shotyl into the ride, something dashes oast in front of the horse and it rears up dangerously, Jon immediately grabs her by the waist, steadying her in place. She resists turning around as her cheeks suddenly get hot and red.

The ride to the palace after that is short.

The late morning sun rests warm on her shoulders, and the forest hums around them with a gentle breeze threading through the leaves. Jon rides behind her, silent and composed, yet every so often she feels his gaze touch her while his hand is whether knowingly or unknowingly still wrapped protectively around her waist.

Light glances to see how she’s hlding on, as if he’s checking on her without wanting her to notice.

She pretends not to.

And for once, silence does not feel empty and she’s able to appreciate the scenery around her but with the animal’s speed, they arrive at their destination within minutes.

A comfortable quiet settles between them as the palace rises in the distance, growing larger with every step of the horse beneath her.

Her world is changing, fast and irreversibly. But for the first time all day… she doesn’t feel afraid.