Chapter 103: So We're Getting Protection
Evelyn's POV
Taric will escort you back to your room. Alistair and Rowan want to see you, and Aria has also expressed interest in talking after her medical treatment concludes. I'll have Sebastian bring you all some food so you can speak privately.
"Understood, Alpha King," I replied quietly, bowing my head respectfully.
Taric led me to my guest room in silence. I couldn't tell if he was being respectful or disapproving, and honestly, I was too exhausted to care. After the confrontation with those arrogant elders and Alphas, I just wanted to collapse somewhere quiet. At least I'd managed to keep my cool in public, though it had drained every ounce of my energy.
I barely had time to gather my thoughts before strong arms wrapped around me in a bone-crushing hug. Alistair's familiar pine-and-leather scent enveloped me as he pulled me close.
"Thank God you're okay," he said, finally releasing me. His eyes scanned my face anxiously. "I nearly lost it when I heard you were sent to the hospital."
"Lucky you showed up when you did," I admitted. "If they'd all jumped me at once, things would've ended differently. I seriously need more training - I was terrible out there."
"Are you kidding?" Rowan approached, shaking his head. "You took on five rogues and actually caught one alive! That's impressive by anyone's standards."
I appreciated his support, even if he was just being nice.
"I still can't believe I didn't smell them coming," I said, frowning. "Definitely need to train more with Aria."
"Someone call my name?"?
Aria stood in the doorway, her leg in a light brace but otherwise looking surprisingly chipper.
"Hey! You okay?" I asked. "What did the doctors say?"
"Nothing major," she waved dismissively. "That jerk had something weird on his claws that kept the wound bleeding. Took Harrison and Diana forever to figure it out - and of course, they took about fifty samples for their research."
We all laughed. I was starting to realize I wasn't the only "research subject" in the doctors' eyes.
Once inside, I filled them in on the meeting, especially Victor's hostile behavior and the Alphas' strange reactions. Alistair's expression grew darker with each detail.
"Something big is happening," he said, drumming his fingers on the armrest. "I've never heard of anyone openly challenging my father's authority before. Why are they suddenly so bold?"
"They clearly think too highly of themselves," I said. "Are they trying to turn this into some kind of democracy? Or maybe they want a puppet king they can blame when things go wrong."
"You might be onto something," Alistair nodded. "Between the constant meetings and their desperate attempts to pair me off, they're definitely making power plays. I just don't understand why now."
A soft knock interrupted our conversation.
"Come in!" I called, earning surprised looks from everyone. "What? Nobody gets to this floor without clearance, so it's obviously the food. Ten bucks says it's Sebastian."
I walked to the door, rolling my eyes when the person didn't immediately enter after knocking. Sure enough, Sebastian stood there with an elegant food cart.
"Sebastian! Who could've guessed?" I said dramatically, giving him a playful wink.
"Take it down a notch," Aria said from behind me, her tone light but pointed. "We know there's a threat, but we don't know where it's coming from. Everyone's a suspect until we figure out who orchestrated this."
I stuck my tongue out at her.
"What do we actually know?" I asked as Sebastian rolled the cart into our lounge area. "Alistair, this attack didn't seem to shock you or your dad, but the other Alphas freaked out. This isn't the first one, is it?"
We talked for hours, completely losing track of time until Taric strode in unannounced. He ordered Alistair and Rowan back to Alistair's room, leaving Aria and me together.
"It's already one in the morning," he announced firmly. "After today, you all need rest. Aria, you'll be accompanying Evelyn to the Sentinel training center, staying in the same residence. Your schedules will be coordinated since you both need to complete your studies. We leave after breakfast - eight sharp, no exceptions. Your belongings are being packed as we speak."
His expression hardened. "None of you are to go anywhere alone - not to the bathroom, not to shower, not anywhere. We still don't know the nature of this attack. You're all potential targets."
"So we're getting protection?" Aria asked, eyebrows raised.
"In a sense," Taric nodded briefly. "We won't publicize what happened, but you'll need to watch each other's backs. Alistair and Rowan obviously make one pair, leaving you two as the other, which works well for several reasons."
"Wait," Aria interrupted, looking confused. "Why do Alistair and Rowan specifically need to be together?"
I held my breath, noticing Taric's subtle reaction to being interrupted.
"We're mates," Alistair stated simply, his voice carrying absolute certainty.
"How is that possible?" Aria shook her head. "You're the prince - you need to continue the bloodline."
"We haven't found our female mate yet," Rowan moved closer to Alistair, interlacing their fingers. "We just know she exists."
Aria quickly processed this information, nodding before asking: "So what's the benefit for us in this arrangement? You said it benefits 'us'?"
Taric's face remained impassive. "Evelyn has attracted considerable attention since arriving. I won't discuss details - that's not outsiders' business. But your presence will help because it mirrors her situation when she first came. You'll join advanced training while finishing your studies, taking all of Evelyn's classes. She'll help you catch up."
He raised his hand when Aria started to speak. "Her courses are more advanced than yours, so you'll need to work twice as hard. Now get some sleep and set your alarms. Nothing we've discussed leaves this room or the castle. Dismissed."
His tone left no room for argument. Even Alistair hurried out. I found Aria some silk pajamas Luna Queen Selena had given me, and we both lay in the large bed, lost in our thoughts.
The scene reminded me of nights with Nadia, and guilt washed over me. I hadn't seen her since our last meeting here. She was my best friend, and I'd barely thought about her these past few days. There was so much I wanted to tell her, yet so many secrets I had to keep. I'd never had a real friend before her, and keeping things from her felt wrong.
"What's up?" Aria asked softly. "You look happy and sad all at once."