Chapter 235: Grace
I immediately yanked Michael back toward me. I couldn’t believe that she would do that. She hadn’t been the sweetest person I had ever met, but I definitely didn’t expect her to punch her brother in the face when they reunited.
“Are you okay?” I asked Michael, skimming my eyes over him, but it didn’t look like any damage had been done.
“Yes.” He answered, his own hand rubbing where she had hit him, just below his eye. “She’s not the strongest...”
“What is the meaning of this?” Rhys demanded, his aura coming out in a terrifying fashion as he stepped in between us and Michael’s sister Iris. I was glad that I was not on the wrong side of him.
“Why are you looking at me like I did something wrong?” Iris argued, not intimidated by his aura at all. “He betrayed me. He betrayed his whole family. He deserves to die for the crimes he’s committed against me! And that lady, well she took me from my home!”
“You were being tortured!” I shot back, completely aghast by her words.
“So?! It wasn’t a big deal!”
“They were going to kill you, Iris,” I snapped at her. I knew that she was young and trying to process everything that had happened to her, but her attitude was not something I expected. Sure, Michael had had an attitude, but his had been more silent anger and broody, not outright anger. And he definitely did not yell at the Alpha King.
“So? It would be better than being a traitor!” She exclaimed.
Rhys let out a low growl, and I gently placed my hand on his arm.
“Rhys,” I started. “This is Iris, Michael’s younger sister. She was being tortured by Kinsley as a trap to get me, so there’s a little resentment there. She’s a little whiny, but she’s had a hard life. She just needs time to adjust.”
“I don’t want to adjust!” She shouted like a little kid, and I felt a pang of sympathy for her. She didn’t know anything other than the life she had been thrust into as a young child. She was scared, and right or wrong, this was her way of dealing with it.
“Iris.” Maizie snapped at the younger girl, and the way Iris stood up straighter told me everything I needed to know about Maizie’s relationship with the younger girl.
“You’re the reason our family has been torn apart.” Iris hissed.
“No. I’m not.” Maizie answered calmly, stepping in between all of us. “Now apologize to everyone you were just rude to, and I’ll show you where you can sleep off this anger.”
“I can’t just sleep it off!” Iris protested. “I have every right to be angry!”
“You do. The same way they have the right to not put up with your disrespect. Now, apologize.”
“I’m sorry.” Iris mumbled, but the sad look on Michael’s face told me it wasn’t enough.
“Now, come on.” Maizie barked and guided the younger girl away from the crowd.
I pulled Michael back into a hug, unable to take the crestfallen look on his face any longer.
“I’m sorry,” I told him. “I didn’t know it was going to go like that.”
“It’s okay,” He answered, pulling away, slightly. “She’s always been a bit... opinionated. She’ll learn. It’s scary coming here, safety feels like an illusion when you aren’t used to it.”
I smiled slightly as he pulled away. “I know the feeling.” I admitted. “But at least she’s safe now. 2 down, 2 to go.”
A real smile crossed his face, and I smiled back.
“Did you see any of the others while you were there?” He asked.
My smile fell, and I shook my head as Rhys wrapped his arm around me, tucking me safely into his side.
“I’m sorry.” It came out as barely a whisper.
His eyes widened. “No, no, don’t apologize. You saved me. It was my fault you were taken. It’s a good thing that they weren’t in the prison with you. It means their still in the program... The safest place they can right now, which is terrifying, but we’ll get them out. I know we will.”
“We will.” Rhys agreed. “We are going to make sure nobody hurts those kids again. The fact that your sister wasn’t fazed by them torturing her worries me. But now that I have my mate back, we can start moving forward with all of our plans. We will save everyone we can.”
It sounded like a promise, and I believed with my whole heart that we would try to adhere to it. It also sounded like Rhys had a plan, and I loved a man with a plan. Well, I loved this man anyways.
Michael ran off in the direction that Maizie had went with Iris, and Sawyer finally made his way over to us. I was glad to see him doing well, and his hug was one that I missed even if Rhys growled when it ‘lasted too long’.
“Are you hurt?” He asked, his eyes raking over my body for injuries.
I shook my head. “I’ll heal. My Lycan is starting to fully come back, and when she does, I’ll be okay.”
“Are you sure?” He asked, his worry evident.
I nodded, leaning into Rhys, my adrenaline wearing off a little. I was exhausted, and everything did hurt. I just wanted to crawl into bed with Rhys and sleep for a hundred years.
“Come on.” Rhys said, noticing that I was crashing. “Let’s go get you cleaned up and into bed.”
To my surprise, Sawyer laughed and pushed past Rhys. “You don’t know where you’re going, Alpha King. Come on, I’ll show you to your room.”
Rhys didn’t say anything, but he did roll his eyes. But now that I was looking at him, he really looked like shit. His face was pale and drawn. His eyes had dark circles, and he even looked thinner than I remembered.
“Tell me you’ve slept since you’ve been here...”
“No. Why would I have slept?” He asked in surprise. “I was waiting for you.”
It was my turn to roll my eyes. He was unbelievable, but I didn’t blame him at all. If I had been in his position, I probably would have done the same. But we were together again, and that was all that mattered.