Chapter 51 CHAPTER 051
Ari:
I grabbed a long stick from the side and pointed it towards the wolves. As if that could stop them from tearing me apart.
"Stay back! Stay away!" I yelled pointedly, but they only closed in on me.
The largest rogue lunged at me. The sight before me was just as a blur as it crashed into its side.
The impact sent the rogue flying into a tree with a sickening crunch. I looked up in time to see someone I never could have expected. Harry stood in the middle of the forest in his black shirt and ironed pants, looking neat and organized than ever before.
Before I could blink, Harryfully shifted into his massive wolf form and ripped out the second rogue’s throat with a single snap of his jaws. The third rogue turned to flee, but Harry pounced high, pinning her down with one paw on her chest. His golden eyes flicked to me, then back to the rogue.
I knew what he was asking me almost immediately.
I nodded.
Harry’s fangs sank into her neck, and the forest fell silent except for the ragged sound of my breathing. Harry shifted back to his human form. His body was already covered in blood and dirt. He strode forward and yanked me into a crushing hug.
"You’re okay," he muttered into my hair, his voice oddly comforting. "You’re okay."
I clung to him, digging my fingers into his shoulders. I was afraid if I left him, things would go south. "Why are you here? What’s happening—"
"Shh." He pulled back, gripping my face. His thumbs swiped away tears I hadn’t realized were falling. "Listen to me. Stone can’t know I helped you. You have to tell him you killed them yourself."
My stomach twisted. "But I didn’t."
"You have to." His grip tightened. "Ari, there are things you don’t understand yet. Things you don't have to understand now, but I'm doing this for both of us." A branch cracked in the distance. Harry’s head snapped up, his body tensing. "There is no time. Just promise me you'll tell him that."
I swallowed hard. "I promise."
He kissed my forehead quickly, then he shoved me toward the tracks, not giving me time to react to the kisses. "Go. Now."
The sound of engine roaring brought me back to reality. I looked back and Harry was gone. I was left with the approaching vehicle in front of me. The headlights blinded me momentarily, and by the time my vision cleared, the sleek black car had skidded to a halt inches from my bare feet.
The door swung open violently, and Stone emerged like a violent whirlwind. His silver eyes flickered from my trembling hands to the carnage around me. He glared at the rogue wolves sprawled lifeless across the forest floor, their blood soaking into the moss. His nostrils flared as he took in the scene.
"What is all these?" For a heartbeat, I thought I saw something like awe flicker across his stony expression. But it vanished as quickly as it came, replaced by that infuriating, unreadable mask.
"Get in," he ordered, his voice colder than the winter weather.
I hesitated. Should I tell him Harry had been here? Should I confess that I hadn't actually killed the wolves myself? But Harry's warning replayed in my mind like a broken speaker. Stone can’t know.
The ride back felt like a bag was pressing on my chest. Stone didn't speak or even glance in my direction as he drove through the winding forest roads.
I tried to speak, to break the silence between us. "Why did you come back? I thought you wanted me out of Ricko forever."
He didn't respond. Instead, his gaze was focused on the road before him. I curled into myself as I felt the adrenaline fading.
The palace finally appeared in front of us, its towering spires cutting into the night sky. Stone parked abruptly, and without a word, he strode inside, leaving me to trail after him like a puppy. The moment we crossed the threshold, Elara came out from the dark, her wrinkled face twisted in disapproval.
"Why are you so dirty? Don't tell me you went hunting," she spat, wrinkling her nose. "And you've tracked mud all over my clean floors."
I opened my mouth to apologize, but Stone cut me off with a sharp gesture. "Clean yourself up," he said, his tone flat. "You're dismissed for the night."
Elara's beady eyes narrowed, but she didn't dare contradict him. Not openly, at least.
The shower was scalding, the water turning pink as it sluiced away the blood and grime. I scrubbed at my skin until it burned, as if I could wash away the memory of Harry's grip and the rogues' snapping jaws.
The bathroom door burst open, making me whip my head around.
Elara stood there, her gnarled hands planted on her hips. "Do you think water grows on trees, you wretched girl?" she screeched. "You've been in here for twenty minutes!"
I barely had time to grab a towel before she was upon me, her bony fingers digging into my arm. She dragged me out, not giving care to how the tile floor was icy against my bare feet.
"You disrespectful, ungrateful little shit." Her slap cracked across my cheek, sending me stumbling into the wall. "You think just because the Alpha spared you tonight, you're special?"
Another blow came, this time to my ribs. I bit back a cry, curling in on myself.
"You're nothing," Elara hissed, her breath hot against my ear. "You'll always be nothing."
She raised her hand again, but this time, I caught her wrist. My grip wasn't strong, but it was enough to give her pause. For the first time, I saw true fear in her eyes.
"You're right," I whispered, tears making my voice quiver. "I am nothing."
Then I let her go.
Elara stared at me, her chest heaving. For a heartbeat, I thought she might strike me again. But instead, she straightened her apron with a sharp tug and turned on her heel.
"Clean this mess up," she snapped over her shoulder. "And be fast about it. You have dinner tk serve the Alpha."
I pressed my forehead against the cool tile wall, counting the hammering beats of my pulse until Elara’s footsteps faded.
I dressed slowly. My fingers were numb as I laced the too-large servant’s gown.
When I decide to go serve him, it was late at night. The hallways were eerily quiet as I carried Stone’s dinner tray toward his chambers. A single candle guttered in its sconce, throwing elongated shadows. Then, I heard voices. I froze mid-step, the porcelain dishes rattling softly. Stone’s low growl seeped through the cracked door. "...not just wolfless. She seems to be something else."
I pause. Then, a voice I didn’t recognize seeped through the cracks in the door. "And you’re certain?"
"I think she is worse than being wolfless." Stone’s exhale was ragged. "She’s a liability. If Ryle’s hunting her, it means she’s dangerous."
"Then eliminate her." The stranger’s words burned through my skin. "Before she ruins your pack."
The tray lurched in my hands and a spoon clattered loudly.
Footsteps echoed in the hallways.
I backpedaled, but it was too late. The door wrenched open, and Sierra’s manicured fingers dug into my forearm. "Why are you eavesdropping, you little rat?" Her red lips curled as she yanked me forward. "Do you know what the punishment is for what you have just done?"
Stone stood by his desk, the phone receiver still in his hand. His eyes locked onto mine, glacial and unreadable. Sierra shoved me into the room with a laugh that skittered down my spine.
"Found your pet lurking outside," she purred, draping herself against Stone’s arm. "Probably plotting how to slit your throat in your sleep."
The tray trembled in my hands.