Chapter 10
659 Words
"I'm sorry about what happened." The nurse maid whom Aileen had called into Remi's room whispered silently. Remi knew her. Her name was Joleen. She had always observed secretly whenever she would sneak up to Thane's room most nights and late afternoons, and the guttural sounds and moans of pleasure would echo out of the room shortly after
She wondered what that felt like. s*x. She wondered if she would ever feel it, too. It was a kind of pleasure that made you scream and moan and laugh.
Remi only nodded in reply to her apology. If only they knew how much she hated their apologies and pity and untrue sympathy.
"Ouch!" Remi flinched when the rag dabbed at deeper flesh.
"It's gonna hurt for a while. I'm sorry. It will definitely scar, too."
Of course. I can not activate my wolf. I can not heal the way you all do. Sometimes, Remi wondered, maybe she was human after all.
"Jo..Joleen." Remi stuttered to the nurse maid after Aileen had left the room shortly.
"Yes, Luna Remi?"
Luna Remi. It didn't even sound right.
"I...I am no Luna. Please. " Joleen didn't argue further. Remi watched for another few seconds as Joleen began to squeeze the rag and pour out some healing juice into a bowl.
"I have cleaned the wound, but I will apply this liquid on it to help it heal faster. "
"It s..smells horrible."
Jollen chuckled. "It's from Nightflower. It's deadly to humans, but a saving balm for werewolves like us."
"How do you know I'm not human?"
"Because I was there when your mother birthed you." Aileen's voice boomed from the entrance.
"You are as Wolf as any of us here, Luna Remi. Whether you agree to it or not, whether you like it or not, and whether the world likes it or not."
Remi's gaze drifted to the cracked mirror, where she caught Aileen's reflection standing behind her. Their eyes met in a fleeting moment of connection until Remi's gaze faltered, and she looked away.
"I...I thought growing nightflower was forbidden in Shadowfell." Remi said.
Aileen and Joleen locked eyes in a weighted moment of silent understanding before Aileen's shoulders sagged in resignation, with a reluctant nod of affirmation.
"Don't worry. I...I'm no threat. " Remi said, sniffing.
"I started growing it some two years ago. For you." Aileen said. Remi could feel her eyes welling up as she looked at the mirror. But she closed her eyes tight and shut the tears out before abruptly turning to face Aileen.
"Joleen, Aileen, I need...I need your help."
"Help?"
"I want to leave here. I can not continue to live here."
"What do you mean? Where would you go?" Joleen gasped.
"Sh...shadowglade. "
"Alpha Wulfric and your entire family pack rules Shadowglade, Luna Remi."
Remi looked up. Guess she hadn't thought that through.
"Nightshade then. Moonsalem. I could...I could go south. I could go west. But I need help. I need to escape."
"If anyone finds out, we're all dead, Luna." Joleen was almost pleading. "They will behead us right where we stand."
"No one will find out." Aileen spoke to Joleen before turning to Remi. "Frankly, I have waited patiently for the day you will ask me this in trust. "
"Aileen...." Tears were beginning to build up in Remi's eyes.
"Shh, don't cry. It's okay. We will help you. But not tonight. You have to leave tomorrow night. "
Remi's head bobbed in submission as Aillen's hands cradled her face.
"Okay. Fine. To...tomorrow night. "
"Meet us at the Servants' Shrine at midnight." Aileen said.
"I'm done. The wound will close up fine." Joleen said, nodding as she wrapped a shawl around Remi.
Remi watched as Aileen walked away. And Joleen stopped at the door for a moment, and Remi watched a tear drop from her eyes before she shut them and turned away, hurrying off.
At least, someone teared for me.
- Writer
