Chapter Thirteen
1129 Words
He didn't need to be told twice.
With his heart hammering against his ribs, Corvin gripped his mangled arm and ran for his life, his boots slapping frantically against the floor of the service hallway.
I could hear the sound of his heavy boots against the cold stone until the it faded into the distance.
With the panic gone, reality crashed back in. The heat in my veins was suddenly replaced with a cold chill and I just stood there shivering.
I took a deep breath and wiped the hairpin clean against the stone wall in one fluid motion, then tucked it back into my hair, burying the evidence of what I’d just done.
I needed to get back to Ronan's quarters; I needed to lock the door, just as he said I should.
Keeping my head down, I hurried down, sidestepping the main pathways where anyone could spot me, I didn't let myself stop until I had safely arrived at the heavy oak door of Ronan’s private chambers.
I slipped inside, closing the door behind me, and immediately threw the iron deadbolt into place ensuring my safety.
The room had gone cold and dark while I was gone. The only light left came from the dying hearth.
I leaned my head against the wood of the door, closing my eyes, and feeling safe here.
For atleast, tonight, I was safe.
"You have a habit of making a mess wherever you go, little maid." I heard a voice spoke from the darkness of the room.
I immediately froze, my breath catching in my throat. Worst part? It wasn't Ronan's voice.
It sounded lighter and sharper, full of a cold, arrogant amusement.
Cutting through the dark, i saw a sudden flare of a single match lit up a candle on the desk, with the tiny flame there was a woman sitting back comfortably in Ronan's armchair.
It was Wren.
She was still in her formal banquet dress but her eyes glowed with a faint, dangerous wolf-blue in the dark.
And resting across her lap, was a heavy, silver-tipped crossbow aimed directly at my chest.
Beside her on the table was a small pile of papers, it was my old human identity tokens I had hidden away at the very bottom of my trunk.
I knew the maid smelled too much like a lie," Wren whispered, and looking at me, she then lifted the crossbow up to her shoulders, and smiled slowly.
"Now, let's talk about who you really are, Devlin."
I heard the echo of the crossbow being c****d, and I felt it was a death sentence for me in that quiet room.
I couldn't even move or say anything, I just had to keep my back well pressed against the door I just bolted.
I tried hard to force myself to breathe, I honestly didn't even know which of them to be scared of; was it the silver-tipped arrow pointing directly at my chest or the human identity tokens that were scattered on the table between us? I was just staring like a fool.
"You're pretty far from your human land, Devlin," Wren said with a cruel little smile.
She didn't care to lower the weapon an inch.
"Look at you, a little human stray hiding in a room of an Alpha who isn't obeying the main pack leaders anymore, playing by his own rules, and keeping secrets. This is infact unbelievable! My father trusts Ronan so much, but it turns out he’s just hiding a human pet. The same pet who tried to mess up my marriage plans moments ago."
"I didn't try to mess up anything," I said, forcing my voice to remain steady despite the terror in me.
"I told Corvin the truth. If your dad signs that treaty, you guys are completely going to destroy the human territories and leave my people with absolutely nothing. Corvin was just too stupid to see it until tonight."
Wren laughed in a very ugly manner, it sounded like a bark, and she clearly wasn't amused in anyway.
"Wait, wait, wait, do you think I care about the humans or the borders? This deal is all about power, little maid, and you just gave Corvin a reason to second-guess it."
She stood up, the heavy silk of her formal banquet dress made a soft sound against the floor as she moved into the light of the candle that had grown dim.
The crossbow was still very much on target.
"But what I don't even understand the most is Ronan. Like why is he protecting you? Because the last time I checked, an Alpha doesn't risk his whole life or his crown for a mere human slave, unless...
She stopped speaking, Her blue wolf eyes narrowed, and she took a deep breath through her nose, i could see she smelled something she wasn't expecting.
What came next across her face was a look of sheer rrealization, followed by a cruel, mocking smile.
"Oh, Devlin" she whispered. Her smile only grew wider, showing all her terrifying row of sharp teeth.
"Hmm, so...It's not just protection, is it? I smell it on you. The faint, disgusting scent of a forced bond between you both."
"Oh wow" clapping her hands, "he really thinks you're his mate."
My heart stopped the moment she mentioned 'mate'. The secret we've tried all our best to guard, was laid bare before her.
"What a combination; a rogue Alpha and a human slave," Wren mocked, taking a step closer to me.
"Listen to me, my father would kill him for such a weakness, and it would take nothing to hunt you down for sport. You are simply a liability to everyone you touch, Devlin."
"And if you were going to kill me, you would have attempted to the very moment I walked in through the door," I said with the last courage I could muster up.
I stepped away from the door, moved slowly but deliberately, and kept my hands out in front of me so she knew i wasn't reaching for a weapon. Looking at Wren I said, "Tell me, you want something"
She lowered the crossbow just a little bit, and with a cold, sharp look, she planned her next move while her eyes glittered as she watched me.
"Smart girl. I don't care about your pathetic little life, but I do care about the Edevane borders, I also care about keeping Ronan under my control. Now, I want you to ensure my dad's treaty gets signed, without any more problems from here on. And if you refuse..."
She continued tapping the silver-tipped bolt. "I promise, Ronan won't live to see the sunrise."
- Writer
