Chapter 10: Frail sanctuary

The sun through the window almost felt like a betrayal-once again, how could the world outside be so serene when inside of me, all hell was breaking loose? My fingers brushed against the silky sheets as I sat up, and I was slow to leave the cocoon of warmth. My body strangely felt light, as if the exhaustion weighing upon me these last weeks had finally loosened its grip.

I ran a hand through my damp hair, still faintly scented from the bath of last night. It was-strange, being so clean, being so comfortable. My wolf stirred in the back of my mind, a low hum of approval radiating from her. Stop it, I chided her silently. She was unbearable since yesterday, in one of those moods, content in a manner which made me uneasy. Peace was not the time that faced us.

I dragged myself out of bed and allowed my feet to fall into the plush rug. The small bathroom called, and I stepped inside, luxuriating in the neat smell of the room. The shower was something with which I was unused; steady streams of warm water pouring along my skin felt like some sort of caress.

The faint lavender scent of the soap reminded me of a time so much simpler than this: before Alpha Cassius, before betrayal and pain. A time in which I had believed in mates, in bonds. I shook my head, banishing the thought as I wrapped a towel around me. Memories were dangerous. They softened the edges of my resolve.

The moment I was out of the bathroom, something in the room froze me. Someone was sitting on my bed. "Good morning," the woman said, light and cheery.

I gripped the towel tighter as my heart pounded while my eyes took her in. She was beautiful-so effortlessly so. Long, dark hair cascaded over her shoulders, her intense grey eyes eerily familiar.

"Hi," she said, rising. The motion was smooth, almost cat-like, as if she were utterly comfortable. "I'm Thalia, Grayson's sister."

Her name means nothing, with my wolf stirring once again, the satisfied humming now louder. Grayson, I thought. That had been his name. "Hello," I whispered low, barely audible.

Thalia smiled a little wider. "You don't have to be so nervous, I'm not here to interrogate you or anything." She nodded toward the neat bundle of clothes on the bed beside her. "I just thought you might like something clean to wear. We're about the same size, so these should fit.

My eyes dropped to the clothes: a soft sweater, a pair of jeans, but plain and far better than anything I'd worn in weeks.

"Thanks," I muttered; it felt really odd coming off my lips. "You're welcome," she said in return tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "I figured we could go shopping later, you know, get you something that feels more like you.

She was being polite-which was a provocation. I tightened my fingers on the towel, searching every fold of skin on her face for some ulterior motive.

As if she sensed my resistance, Thalia's voice went soft. "I know this must be overwhelming, but we're not all bad, I promise." I didn't trust myself to respond.

Thalia took a step back and waved to show me space. "Take your time. Breakfast will be downstairs when you feel ready." And she departed, the door softly snicking shut behind her.

The clothes on the bed were simple, but of a quality that didn't leave room for question. I picked up the sweater, rubbing the soft weave between my fingers.

Why were they being so nice? The question nagged, like some thorn in my brain, but there was little use in dwelling on that either. Sighing, I started dressing in earnest, and the jeans seemed just right on me, with the sweater draped over my body just right. I reached for my mirror almost apprehensively and would have jumped back had this stranger's reflection not leaped with me.

The woman in the glass was alive: She glowed with health; her hair fell in soft curls over her shoulders; her eyes, though wary, shone brighter. I turned away, refusing to let this illusion of normality deceive me.

The smell of food drifted upstairs, and my stomach growled in complaint. Down the hall and down the staircase I went reluctantly.

The dining hall was enormous and filled with people. Laughter and chatter reigned in the air, but the moment I stepped inside, the room fell silent.

Dozens of eyes turned to me, their gazes sharp and assessing. I froze under their scrutiny, my chest tightening as panic clawed its way up my throat.

"Who is she?" someone whispered.

"I have never seen her face around here."

"She doesn't look like much."

The words cut like daggers, tearing through what little confidence I'd managed to gather. My hands at my sides began to shake as their gaze seared my skin. I whirled and ran up the stairs without a second thought.

I sat down on the bed, breathing shallow, trying to cool the storm that was me. A knock came at my door and startled me.

"It's me," that deep even voice belonging to Grayson sounded. Before I could utter one word, the door opened and he stepped inside. His presence overwhelmed the space in the room, this energy so strong I couldn't turn away from. My gaze remained fixed on the floor, my hands in fists in my lap.

"What do you want?", I asked shakily

"Why didn't you stay to eat?" he ignored my question and asked, in a voice neutral, yet laced with concern. I didn't know how to answer. How could I explain the fear that had paralyzed me downstairs, the weight of their judgment?

"Why did you run up here to hide?" He asked softly.

"I'm not hiding", I snapped, regretting the defensive edge in my voice as soon as the words left my mouth.

He raised a brow, unconvinced but didn't press further, instead he stood, the movement deliberate and slow, as if he didn't want to spook me. "I'll bring you breakfast", he said then he went out for a few minutes and came back in. The aroma of fresh bread and warm meat wafted through the air, making my stomach betray me with a low growl.

His lips quirked up slightly but he said nothing. Instead, he took a step towards the door, his movements careful.

"Eat," he said, "I'll be downstairs if you need anything."

I stared at him, unsure whether to feel relief or frustration at his retreat, but he paused in the doorway, turning to me, probably waiting for me to say something but I kept quiet and looked down at my hands. He sighed and said, "You need time, I'll give you time but we can't ignore this forever", then he left the room, leaving me to my own thoughts.

As he left, It felt like someone had reached into my chest to turn on a switch,it felt like something inside of me had clicked, an alive, humming power, and thinking about it sent a thrill of fear through me.

I ate in silence, thinking about my life in Wolfram pack down to the point where I got here.

Grayson's words replayed in my head: "We can't ignore this forever." There was something there between us, but it was one thing I couldn't trust. I also couldn't trust him. As nice as he seemed, as much as his sister tried to make me feel welcome , the memories of what had happened previously didn't let me. I had once trusted Alpha Cassius, and that had almost gotten me destroyed. I clamped my fingers on the spoon as a resolve formed in my chest. I need to protect myself, I thought firmly. When the time comes, I'll run. But for now, I'll do my best to survive.