Chapter 44 044

Chapter 44 044

Silas's POV

Earlier today, I heard Lucien and Dante arguing about something.

I had stopped mid-step, listening even though I knew I should not and I realized They were arguing about Anna. Ria's maid.

I could not make out every word, but I caught enough. Accusations thrown back and forth. Dante's cold snarl. Lucien's defensive growl. The way they spoke, the venom in their words, it painted a picture I did not want to see.

Both of them might be betraying Ria and having sex with her maid.

The thought made me feel disgusted about my brothers but I didn't want to think much about it.

Now I stood among the crowd gathered at the garden's gate, trying to push those thoughts from my mind. Ria was there fighting for her life. That was what mattered.

Pack members shifted restlessly, their whispers growing louder as time stretched on.

Two minutes was all that was left before the trial was over and if she wasn't back then, then it would be considered she had failed.

Everyone around me looked calm like they had seen this play out before and already knew how it would end. Like they had gathered here not to witness a triumph but to confirm a tragedy.

It made my blood boil.

Elder Gerald stood near the front, his expression neutral as he was Watching and Waiting. Several other council members flanked him, their faces darken with a blank expression.

Dante stood apart from the crowd, his arms crossed over his chest. He looked almost bored, like this was nothing more than a formality he had to endure.

I checked again and this time, it was just sixty seconds remaining, my heart began to throb, this time I wasn't concerned about her losing, but what if something had happened to her there and she didn't make it out alive.

I looked toward the gate hoping to see her coming, but there was no trace of her.

Fifty seconds!

Forty!

Thirty!

The crowd began to murmur, the sound growing like a wave building toward shore. I heard snippets of conversation, cruel and dismissive.

"I knew she would not make it."

"No one ever does."

"What a waste."

Twenty seconds!

My hands curled into fists at my sides. This was wrong. All of this was wrong. We should have stopped her. We should have found another way.

Ten seconds!

The murmuring stopped. Everyone fell silent, their eyes fixed on the gate.

Five!

Four!

Three!

And then I saw him, Lucien, striding toward us from the direction of the garden, his expression hard and his arms cradled around something.

Someone.

Ria!

She hung limp in his arms, her skin pale and covered in wounds. Her lips had a blue tint to them that made my chest tighten with fear and she held tightly the sliver flower

She was alive and she succeeded!

Gasps erupted from the crowd. People stumbled back, pointing and staring like they had seen a ghost.

"She is alive!"

"It is not possible!"

"How did she survive?"

Lucien's eyes swept over the crowd, daring anyone to question what they were seeing. He carried Ria like she weighed nothing, like she was the most precious thing in the world.

And all I felt was jealousy. I should have been relieved. I should have been grateful that she was alive, that someone had gone in after her.

But instead, all I could think was that it should have been me holding her in my arms.

After the doctor was done examining her, we all stood before him, anxious to hear what he had to say.

“Doctor, how is she?” I asked while he was still trying to catch his breath.

“I must say that she is one hell of a wolf”

“What do you mean?”

“Going into that garden and coming back alive is nothing short of a miracle and now, all the poison in her body is beginning to heal, it either she took something that is healing her while she was there or her body is healing itself”

“So you are saying that she is fine?” I asked again, not sure I fully understood what he was trying to say.

“Yes. Her wolf is just weak but with the supplements I administered to her, she should be awake soon”

All through us let out a deep breath like we had been holding it all this while.

“Thank you doctor”

“She would be very hungry when she wakes up, so make sure there is something available when that happens”

We nodded our heads in unison, Dante saw the doctor out while Lucien turned to me.

“You should stay with her. I will speak to the Elders and pack members and inform her of her situation because everyone is waiting”

“Go ahead, I will be with her” I assured him as he walked out of the room, I sat next to Ria, caressing her cheek.

“I can't even imagine the battle you fought there, but you are so fierce and makes me realize how much I want to be with you for the rest of my life, the moon goddess wasn't wrong when she paired us”

I whispered while I took in her sweet scent, as she slept, she looked so peaceful and now I realized how much I had to protect her against all those that wanted to hurt her.

If either of my brothers tried to ever hurt her, I would make sure the bond was severed with them, Ria was a gem and didn't need to be treated badly.

With that thought, I titled closer to her and kissed her softly on her forehead. She whimpered as stirred in her sleep, muttering something before she returned back to sleep.