Chapter 44 Chapter 43
Alpha king Kieran.
They let out a startled cry, trying to run away but that would never happen, not on my watch. The battle was fierce, a whirlwind of violence and fury. I fought with a primal instinct, my wolf taking control, tearing through flesh and bone. The men stood no chance against my wrath, their lives extinguished in an instant. I stared at the bloodshed I had caused, their lifeless bodies which had been torn from their limbs but I still didn't feel any satisfaction from it. Almost immediately, I turned my attention to Evelyn.
Gently, I nudged her broken form with my nose, licking off the blood on her face, my wolf growling in fear and anger. Her skin was pale, her breathing shallow, but she was alive. The scent of her fear lingered in the air, mingling with the coppery tang of blood. I wanted to shift, to return my human form so I could better understand what she was doing here, but I knew she would be terrified if she woke to find the Alpha king standing before her. I carried her away from the spot she was in, laying her against a nearby tree, having her seat upright before hovering around her, impatiently waiting for her to wake up.
Finally, after what seemed like forever, Evelyn stirred, her eyes fluttering open. Fear flashed across her face, her gaze locking onto mine. In that moment, I saw the terror in her eyes, the belief that I was another threat, another monster come to harm her. Xavier whimpered, aching to comfort her, to show her that I meant no harm.
"Please don't hurt me..." She begged, tears streaming from her eyes as she pressed her back against the tree, clearly mortified. "Please don't, I beg of you.." she muttered but I just watched her, waiting for her sobbing to turn into sniffling. When she had finally calmed down enough, I took little steps towards her, giving her face a hug lick as my wolf rubbed it's scent on her, assuring her that he meant no harm. She seemed puzzled at first, but when she realized I wasn't intending to hurt her, she relaxed, reaching out to caress my wolf. Xavier groaned, obviously enjoying the feel of her fingers against his against his fur.
Her gaze darted around and she saw the carnage I had caused, her eyes widening in surprise. She turned to Xavier once more. "Y-you did this!?" She asked, and he nodded, making sounds of pride. "Wow..." She muttered, shocked.
Her gratitude was palpable, a flicker of trust igniting within her gaze. I held her close, my touch gentle and comforting. My wolf nuzzled against her, acting all adorable, hoping to ease her fears. And as I soothed her trembling form, I couldn't help but wonder how she had ended up in this situation, and who those rogues were.
She shakily stood to be feet and my wolf urged her to climb on his back so he could carry her out. "N-no thanks. You already did enough." She said to me but Xavier didn't move an inch, continuing to brush his nose at her knees, refusing to leave. Eventually she gave up and gingerly climbed to my back and I relished the feel of her body on mine, immediately wanting to have more of this connection with her.
"Just drop me close to the palace. The last thing we want is for you to be caught." She whispered as she tightened her hold on me. Xavier bobbed his head once and we began to run back to the palace. But as I carried her, I couldn't help the thoughts that swirled in mind. What was she doing here all alone? And why was there a basket filled with cocoa pods on the scene? Who was collecting them and who did they plan to kill?
Is she planning on killing me!?
Evelyn.
The evening sun began it's descent in the sky, casting a golden glow over the palace grounds. I stood at the edge of the grand courtyard, my heart still racing from the events that had unfolded just moments ago, my body humming with a dozen different emotions that I couldn't decipher. The memory of the mysterious wolf, my savior, lingered in my mind like a haunting melody, one I could never shake off even if I tried.
I took a deep breath, trying to steady my trembling hands. The strange wolf had carried me to safety, dropping me at the edge of the palace before disappearing into the forest once more. I had wanted to thank it, to express my gratitude for saving me from those vile men, but the words had caught in my throat, lost in the rush of emotions that flooded my being.
Stunned, I watched as the wolf vanished into the depths of the forest, its sleek form blending seamlessly with the shadows. It was as if it had never been there, as if it were a figment of my imagination. But the bruises on my body and the lingering scent of the wolf in the air were undeniable proof of its existence. Why had he done that? And, most importantly why did it not want me to know him?
Unable to answer the questions that plagued me, I turned away from the forest and made my way back into the palace, sneaking past the guards once more. The halls were quiet, but maids were walking to and fro, some of them giving them weird glances due to the sullen expression on my face and the bloodstains that were on my clothes. I paid them no heed, focusing on the soft echo of my footsteps. I felt a strange sense of emptiness, as if a part of me had been left behind in the woods with the wolf. But I had to push those thoughts aside. There were tasks at hand, responsibilities that awaited my attention.
My body ached and my head was pounding due to hit it endured from those men but I was glad to be alive and unharmed as well. I went to clean myself, needing to wash away the horrific incident from my body. As I cleaned myself up, I couldn't help but think about the unfinished task. The basket of cocoa pods that I had set out to collect still lay abandoned in the forest, I didn't even remember about it after what happened. The thought of returning to retrieve them filled me with a sense of dread, my stomach twisting into knots. I didn't want an attack of that kind to happen to me again, I barely survived the first one. The forest, once a place of mystery and allure, now held a darker presence in my mind.
I returned back to my crib, laying back on the bed as I awaited Amaris return from the mines. She'll no doubt ask questions when she sees my state so I'll do my best to keep the most important details when she comes around so I wouldn't give her a reason to suspect me.