Chapter 28
Abigail's POV
Nicholas turned to look at me. "Clara's being held in a wooden cabin on the eastern edge of the forest. My men are already on their way to extract her."
My heart seized. "How long will it take?"
"Not long," he answered. "We'll wait here."
The next few hours dragged on unbearably. Nicholas sent the healer and two of his men away, leaving only one guard posted at the perimeter. I couldn't sit still, so I paced back and forth across the clearing over and over, my mind racing through every worst-case scenario: What if Clara refused to talk? What if Luna had already used her family to threaten her? What if she'd been bought off so thoroughly that no amount of promises would work?
Compared to my restlessness, Nicholas barely moved. He leaned against a massive oak, arms crossed, watching me pace in front of him with an expression that carried a hint of amusement, yet he remained silent throughout.
Finally, I stopped and looked up at him.
"Do you think she'll cooperate?" I asked.
"Depends on how scared she is," he said. "And how much she values her own life over your mother's promises."
"What if she doesn't cooperate?"
He shrugged. "Then we'll find another way."
I don't know how much time passed, but the night had grown deep when the sound of hoofbeats finally reached us from the distance. I spun toward the edge of the clearing, my heart racing. Three riders emerged from the darkness, and between two of them, being held up, was a young woman who could barely stand—her brown hair disheveled, her face streaked with tears and dirt, her body trembling uncontrollably.
Clara.
Nicholas straightened as his men dismounted and brought her before us. She stumbled, nearly falling. When she saw me, her eyes went wide.
"Please..." she rasped, gasping for breath. "Please, I didn't want to—Luna made me, she said if I didn't do what she told me, she'd—"
"Enough." Nicholas's voice cut cleanly through her panicked pleading. Clara flinched and immediately fell silent, staring at him with terrified eyes.
I took a slow step forward. "Clara. I'm not here to hurt you. I just need you to tell me the truth."
She glanced at me, then quickly at Nicholas, then back at me, her lips trembling uncontrollably.
"Luna said... she said if I didn't lie, she'd send me to the border territories," her voice was dry. "She said I'd never see my family again."
"And if you tell the truth now?" I asked. "What do you think will happen?"
Clara hesitated, her gaze darting between Nicholas and me. "I don't know."
Nicholas took a step forward, and Clara reflexively stepped back half a pace.
"If you tell the truth," he said, "I will personally ensure that Luna can never touch you or your family. You'll have my protection. Do you understand what that means?"
Tears suddenly flooded Clara's eyes. She swallowed hard and nodded slowly.
"Then speak," Nicholas said.
Clara took a deep, shaky breath and looked up at me.
"Orchid didn't steal anything," she said. "Luna personally gave me the jewelry and told me to say I saw Orchid take it. She said it was the only way... the only way to teach you a lesson."
Her words fell like cold stones into the silent night. Clara suddenly couldn't hold herself together anymore and burst into sobs, covering her face with her hands. One of Nicholas's men gently steadied her and led her aside, murmuring something I couldn't hear—and didn't need to hear.
Nicholas looked at me. "What do you want to do with her?"
I considered for a moment. "Keep her safe first. Take her somewhere Luna can't reach. When the time is right, I'll need her to repeat every word she said tonight in front of witnesses."
Nicholas nodded. "Consider it done." He raised his hand to signal his men, who began leading the horses, preparing to take Clara away.
I watched their figures gradually disappear into the shadows among the trees, my mind already racing, calculating every next step. I had one day left. One day to plan my move, to figure out how to use this evidence without revealing my hand too soon.
Nicholas's voice pulled me from my thoughts. "You did well tonight."
I looked at him, somewhat surprised. "I didn't do anything. You're the one who found her."
"You were willing to ask for help," he said. "That's harder than most people realize."
I didn't know how to respond, so I stayed silent. I turned and started walking toward the pack territory, possibilities and strategies churning constantly in my mind. Nicholas walked beside me, and for a while neither of us spoke, only the soft crunch of fallen leaves beneath our feet echoing through the quiet forest.
"You need to be careful," he finally said. "Your mother won't let this go easily."
"I know," I said.
"And you'll need a plan for how to bring this out. If you move too fast, she'll find a way to discredit Clara. If you wait too long, Orchid might not hold out."
"I know that too."
He glanced at me, his expression unreadable. "Then I trust you'll figure it out."
I nodded, though I wasn't entirely sure myself.
By the time I returned to my room, the eastern horizon was already showing the first faint traces of light. Autumn was waiting for me, her face etched with worry.
"Miss," she said the moment I stepped inside. "Is everything all right?"
"Better than all right," I said, closing the door behind me. "We found Clara. And she confessed."
Autumn's eyes brightened. "She told the truth?"
"Every word," I answered. I quickly recounted what had just happened, watching relief, anger, and determination flash across her face in turn.
"What do we do now?" she asked.
"Now," I said, "we wait. Nicholas's men will keep Clara safe. In the meantime, I need to make sure Orchid is strong enough to survive whatever comes next."
I walked over to where Orchid lay. Her breathing was shallow but steady, her face still pale, her body still weak, but she was alive. For now, that was enough.
Autumn came to stand beside me and said softly, "We'll get through this, Miss. We have to."
"Yes," I said. "We will."
Over the time that followed, I barely left the vicinity of my room, watching over Orchid while waiting for the right moment to act.
Meanwhile, I kept a close eye on the movements within the pack. Luna knew I was plotting something. She just didn't know exactly what yet, and that was precisely the situation I needed—good. Let her keep guessing.