When Alex awoke the next morning, he was a little confused when he realized he had woken up in a different bed in an unfamiliar room. The room was larger than the one in the cottage, and as he moved his head from the pillow to inspect the intricacies of the bedchamber, everything fell into place quickly.
Following his conversation with Gwinifer, Alex had been relocated to the packhouse, where the alpha and mage were staying. Across the room from the door was a big hearth, and the bed was situated close enough to benefit from its warmth on chilly winter evenings. Towards the window, a comfy easy chair was put in place to take advantage of the light, and a small desk was placed in the corner.
Reaching up, he cautiously probed the bandage over the sore spot on his chest with his finger. He pushed two fingers against the wound, and even through the thick layer of bandages, he could feel that it was still sensitive to the touch. With a sigh, he rolled onto his back. He rested his hands on his stomach and reflected on his harrowing experience so far in this strange old world.
Having to think about the moment he was stabbed in the chest by Lucas shortly after learning that he was his brother was almost just as painful as the actual attack. However, he came to understand that Lucas' actions were a direct response to the pain he felt after being rejected by his mate.
He realized and accepted the reality that Harper was Lucas' mate at this point, and that her rejection of Lucas had left the latter shattered and embittered. Alex couldn't fathom such suffering, but he also couldn't understand the level of hate directed at him for things over which he had had no control.
*Harper*. He suddenly ached for her.
Just then, the sound of a door being opened and closed farther down the corridor interrupted his thoughts, prompting him to lift his head from the pillow to listen. Footsteps thumped heavily down the stairs before fading away.
Tossing back the sheets, he carefully swung his legs over the edge of the bed and sat up, but paused there for several moments, wiping his eyes, as he waited for the lingering lethargy to fade. He lowered his gaze to the floor, spotting a pair of boots by the bed, so he reached down and put them on.
Taking a deep breath, he remembered the dizziness that had nearly sent him tumbling to the floor the day before, so he placed his hand on the bedside table to steady himself as he gently pulled himself out of bed. Fortunately, the room remained stable, the dizziness didn't come back, and while there was a dull, persistent pain below his chest, the throbbing headache he had feared didn't happen.
He tucked the hem of his white shirt in at the waist, moving slowly and carefully, to make himself look at least slightly presentable. Then he walked across the room to the shutters and opened them, allowing the room to be filled with the soft light of the early morning.
His second-story window looked out onto the training field, which was bustling with men in various stages of training. He also saw a few people moving root crops and others loading mattocks, spades, hoes, and shovels into a large wheelbarrow. One man was leading a team of horses, each fitted with a harness to be hooked to a plow. They were most likely on their way to the fields to tend to their crops.
Leaving the shutters open, Alex turned back into the room. Then, his eyes landed on a wash table near the front door. It had a water pitcher and a bathroom sink on it, so he went over to it and lifted the pitcher, delighted to find it full. Tipping it over the basin, he poured just enough water to wash his face and remove the last traces of sleep from his eyes.
As he wiped his face and hands on the neatly folded towel that was lying near the basin, he saw that a little square mirror was mounted on the wall above the basin. He leaned in closer to his reflection and smoothed his unkempt brown hair, which had now grown to his shoulders.
Directly across the hall, he could hear another door opening, followed by footsteps moving down the passage and down the stairs. The movements were light and swift.
After putting the towel aside, he walked up to the door and placed his hand on the handle. He heard the latch click and the door swung open in front of him.
Stepping outside, he discovered that he was at the end of the long and narrow corridor, farthest from the stairway. The door directly across the hall was open, showing a neat bed and a hearth similar to the one in the room to which he had been moved.
The other doors down the long corridor were all closed, and the walls between them were covered with stunning charcoal drawings of creeks, mountains, and waterfalls.
As he strode past the other doors and paintings, his boots banged on the rough wooden floor, and he began to descend the staircase.
When he reached the bottom, he turned toward the muffled noises that were coming from behind the closed door. He cranked the knob slowly, pushing it open. Inside, there was plenty of space; a fire flared happily in the huge hearth, and an iron skillet rested on the table, ready for the cook's arrival. Other culinary items were hanging on the walls or sitting on a preparation table against the wall.
Three sets of eyes were fixed on him from around the large table in the center.
Alpha Redmane was the first to welcome him, and as he walked near him, he stretched his arms wide and pulled him into a hug.
"Good morning, Alex!" the alpha greeted him loudly. "You look a lot better than I did the last time I saw you!"
Gwinifer placed a pail of water on the edge of the floor. "Father, take it easy! He's just recovered!"
As a response to the alpha's warm greeting, Alex smiled and remarked, "I'm feeling much, much better."
"That's encouraging to hear." The comment came from General Conall. "We're all relieved. Gwinifer came to check on you this morning, but you were sound asleep." His demeanor suddenly changed to a more serious one. "We're hoping that you'll be able to join us right now."
Alex lowered his gaze to the rough ground. Immediately, he realized what the general was talking about. "Yes, I was actually hoping that we would be able to talk about the Casa now..."
"Well, that's great." General Connall turned his attention to Alpha Redmane and stated, "Do you want me to send someone to fetch Hazel?"
The alpha briefly looked at Alex and then said, "She's my beta. She's currently out in the forest working on the sophisticated trap I mentioned."
"We have men packing food, clothing, and other weaponry," General Connall said, looking at Alex. "We will have three groups. We'll send an advance party to set up camp and get everything we need. And for the next three days, we will be traveling underground on foot," he went on to explain.
"The west is a good place to set up camp," Gwinifer declared confidently. "Also, news from the northwest revealed that the boat bringing 15 emancipated slaves would arrive on the third day. Their number would greatly help us."
"Right. Hazel could teach them about explosive bombs," Alpha Redmane stated, turning to face Alex. "Team up with Gwinifer on a highly detailed layout of the Casa. Where Gillen's guards are stationed, how many of them there are, if there are any windows of opportunity we may exploit, and the positions of everyone, including the slaves and, most importantly, the soldiers, are all critical pieces of information. And any movement in the Casa that we should be aware of."
Alex's heart pounded in his chest as he continued to listen to them start their initial preparations. He couldn't believe that freedom was so close to being within their grasp. He would equip Alpha Redmane with anything and whatever he required to bring Gillen to justice and bring his House of Champions to an end once and for all. And he vowed to the depths of his being that he would not leave the Casa without Harper this time, *no matter what*.