Chapter 106
Freya’s POV
The kitchen door swung open fully, and Martha stepped into the dining room, her eyes taking in the scene before her. Though she was only a Beta, there was a protective fierceness in her stance that reminded me of a mother wolf defending her pups.
"Miss Brooks," Martha said, her voice steady despite the fear I could smell on her. "Alpha Thorne left specific instructions that Miss Riley was to be treated as an honored guest."
Kaelin released my wrist, straightening to face Martha. Her smile returned, plastic and perfect. "We were just having a friendly chat, weren't we, Freya?"
Martha moved closer, positioning herself slightly between us. The protective gesture wasn't lost on Kaelin, whose scent sharpened with anger.
"I'm sure Alpha Thorne would be interested to hear about this 'friendly chat,'" Martha said, the subtle threat clear in her voice.
Lucy stepped forward, her eyes flashing with indignation. "How dare you speak to Miss Brooks that way! You're just a kitchen Beta."
"I'm the head housekeeper of Grey Estate," Martha corrected calmly. "And it's my duty to ensure all guests are comfortable and safe."
Lucy's hand shot out, catching Martha across the face with enough force to snap her head to the side. I gasped as I saw Lucy's nails—lengthened into partial claws—nearly break Martha's skin. A thin red line appeared on Martha's cheek, just shy of bleeding.
Martha staggered but didn't fall. She straightened, dignity intact, and pushed Lucy back with surprising strength. "That's enough," she said, her voice low but firm.
Lucy, unprepared for the resistance, stumbled backward into Kaelin. There was a crash as Kaelin knocked into a decorative table, sending a flower vase toppling to the floor. The vase—an antique with delicate silver inlay—shattered, and Kaelin let out a howl of pain that seemed disproportionate to the minor accident.
I stood, alarmed, as Kaelin clutched her arm. A piece of the broken vase had cut her, and blood welled from a shallow slice across her forearm. But her reaction was extreme—she sank to the floor, her face contorted in agony, her wolf eyes fully showing now.
"The silver," she gasped, and I realized with horror that the decorative inlay had been moon-silver, the one substance that could harm our kind. Even a small amount could cause intense pain, especially to those sensitive to it.
Just then, the dining room door opened, and Thorne stood there, his expression shifting from curiosity to rage in an instant as he took in the scene before him: Kaelin on the floor bleeding, Martha with a red mark across her face, Lucy looking horrified, and me standing above it all.
"What is going on here?" he demanded, his Alpha voice making all of us flinch.
Kaelin's cries turned to whimpers as she reached for him. "Thorne," she sobbed, "my arm—it burns. The silver..."
He was at her side in an instant, lifting her gently. His eyes swept over the room, landing on each of us in turn, his gaze burning with barely contained fury.
"No one leaves the estate," he growled. "I'll deal with this when I return."
With that, he carried Kaelin out, her head nestled against his chest, her eyes—now clear of wolf gold—meeting mine over his shoulder. And in that brief moment, I saw something in her gaze that chilled me to the bone: satisfaction.
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Thorne's POV
I carried Kaelin to my car, rage and concern warring within me. The scent of her blood, tainted with the acrid smell of moon-silver, filled my nostrils, making my wolf howl with protective fury.
"What happened?" I demanded as I set her gently in the passenger seat.
She winced, cradling her injured arm. "I was just having tea with Freya," she said, her voice weak. "We were talking about the binding ceremony. Then Martha and Lucy started arguing, and—" She broke off with a whimper. "It all happened so fast."
I closed the door and circled to the driver's side, my mind racing. I had been in my study reviewing documents when I heard the commotion. Something had drawn me to the dining room—perhaps some primal instinct sensing the conflict between the wolves under my protection.
The drive to Dr. Maloy's clinic was tense. Kaelin's breathing was labored, her face pale. Moon-silver affected some wolves more than others, and Kaelin had always been particularly sensitive to it. Another symptom of her moon-phase syndrome, according to Dr. Maloy.
"Stay with me," I said, reaching over to squeeze her good hand. "We're almost there."
Dr. Maloy was waiting when we arrived, alerted by my urgent call. He ushered us into a treatment room, his experienced eyes assessing Kaelin's injury immediately.
"Minor cut, but significant silver exposure," he muttered, cleaning the wound with a special solution designed to neutralize moon-silver. "How are you feeling, Miss Brooks?"
"Like my arm is on fire," she whispered, her eyes fixed on me rather than the doctor. "And dizzy. The room is spinning."
Dr. Maloy nodded, continuing his treatment. "The dizziness is from the silver. It should pass once I've cleaned the wound completely."
I paced the small room, my thoughts turning to the scene I had left behind at Grey Estate. Martha's marked face. Lucy's horrified expression. Freya standing amid the chaos, her eyes wide with... fear? Guilt? I couldn't be sure.
"What exactly were you and Freya discussing?" I asked Kaelin once Dr. Maloy had finished bandaging her arm and stepped out to prepare medication.
Kaelin hesitated, her gaze dropping to her lap. "She... she came to apologize to me," she said softly. "For everything that happened before her exile. I think she truly regrets it, Thorne."
I frowned, something about her answer not quite fitting with the tension I had sensed in the room. "And how did Martha and Lucy become involved?"
"Martha misunderstood," Kaelin said quickly. "She thought I was being harsh with Freya. Lucy was just defending me." She reached for my hand. "Please don't be angry with them, Thorne. It was all a terrible accident."
I stared at her, searching for any sign of deception. But Kaelin's face was open, her eyes clear and earnest. My wolf, still agitated by the scent of her blood, urged me to trust her, to protect her.
"You should stay here and rest," I said, moving toward the door. "I need to return to Grey Estate and sort this out."
"No!" Kaelin's voice was sharp with sudden fear. She softened immediately, her expression becoming vulnerable. "Please, Thorne. Don't leave me alone. Not with the silver still in my system. I'm... I'm scared."
The plea hit its mark. My protective instincts surged, overriding my need to return to Grey Estate. I sat beside her, taking her uninjured hand in mine.
"Alright," I said quietly. "I'll stay until you're feeling better."
Relief washed over her face, and she leaned against me, her head resting on my shoulder. "Thank you," she whispered. "I feel safe when you're with me."
As I held her, my thoughts drifted back to Grey Estate, to the confrontation I had interrupted. Something didn't add up, but I couldn't put my finger on what. And beneath my concern for Kaelin, a nagging worry persisted—what would happen to Freya and Martha when I returned?