Chapter 8 — One Secret. One Witness. One Disaster
910 Words
The moment Avana tried to answer, her eyelids fluttered.
Then they began to close.
A violent pain twisted through her stomach without warning.
A sharp gasp escaped her lips as she doubled over, instinctively clutching her abdomen.
The stranger felt her body go rigid in his arms.
He immediately looked down at her.
"Avana?"
His voice, low and steady until now, carried a note of alarm.
She tried to respond.
Only a weak, broken breath slipped past her lips.
He didn't hesitate.
Tightening his hold around her, he broke into a faster stride, carrying her through the rain-soaked night toward the only place he believed she would recognize.
The ruins emerged from the darkness moments later.
As gently as if she were made of glass, he lowered her onto the familiar patch of earth. One hand remained beneath her head while the other quickly checked the wound hidden beneath her torn clothing.
His thoughts raced.
Something was wrong.
This wasn't simply exhaustion.
Had someone discovered them?
Had they been followed?
His hand drifted instinctively toward the concealed sword beneath his cloak.
His eyes swept across the ruins.
The rain whispered against broken stone.
The wind sighed through abandoned walls.
Nothing moved.
Then—
CRACK!
The sound shattered the silence.
He spun around.
Fragments of aged brick crashed from a weathered wall, scattering across the soaked ground before settling into silence once more.
Only the ruins surrendering to time.
Nothing else.
Even so, he waited.
Listening.
Watching.
When no other sound followed, he slowly turned back to Avana.
His expression darkened.
Her breathing had become shallow.
Her skin, already pale, had lost what little color remained.
Blood loss.
Exhaustion.
Pain.
Her body had reached its limit.
With visible effort, Avana forced her heavy eyes open.
Everything before her dissolved into a blur.
The stranger's masked face was the only thing she could still make out.
She looked at him for one lingering moment.
"...Go."
The word was barely more than a whisper.
Then the last of her strength gave way.
Her body went limp.
Darkness claimed her completely.
The stranger remained kneeling beside her.
His fingers rested lightly against her wrist, counting each fragile heartbeat.
Only after he was certain she still lived did he finally rise.
Without a word, he removed a small wooden box from beneath his cloak.
He knelt once more.
Carefully, he arranged its contents beside her.
Bundles of medicinal herbs.
Fresh clothes.
Wrapped food.
A small leather pouch that clinked softly with coins.
There was nothing extravagant inside.
Only the quiet necessities of survival.
When he finished, he removed his own cloak and gently draped it over her trembling body, shielding her from the cold rain.
For a long moment, he simply stood there.
Silent.
Watching her.
His eyes lingered on her unconscious face, as though committing it to memory.
Then, at last, he stepped backward.
He turned.
After only a few steps, he looked back one final time.
She remained motionless beneath the cloak, unaware that someone had gambled everything to save her life.
A heartbeat later, he vanished into the darkness.
He never noticed he wasn't alone.
Hidden behind the broad trunk of an ancient tree, another pair of eyes had witnessed everything.
Ivy.
Lady Bianca's chief maid.
Only moments earlier, she had been humming softly to herself while carrying an ornate box filled with expensive garments and jeweled ornaments. Lady Bianca's mother had ordered them delivered for the wedding of a close friend's son.
The cheerful smile on Ivy's face disappeared the instant she saw the masked stranger.
She froze.
Then slipped silently behind the tree, scarcely daring to breathe.
From the shelter of the shadows, she watched everything.
She watched him cradle Avana with unexpected gentleness.
She watched him leave the wooden box behind.
She watched him disappear into the night without revealing his face.
Only after the darkness swallowed him completely did Ivy step out.
Her gaze settled on the unconscious woman lying among the ruins.
Recognition flashed across her face.
"So..."
Her lips curled slowly.
"So this is where that wolfless slave has been hiding."
For a brief moment, another thought surfaced.
Should she report this directly to Alpha Karl?
The smile vanished as quickly as it had appeared.
Cold fear washed over her.
"No..."
She shook her head.
"I wouldn't even be allowed into his presence without permission."
If she interrupted the future Alpha over something he considered unimportant...
She didn't dare imagine the consequences.
She could be publicly humiliated.
She could be whipped.
She could be tripped of her position.
She could be cast out of the pack.
Her fingers tightened around the ornate box until her knuckles turned white.
Then...
A slow smile returned.
Not fearful this time.
Not calculating.
"I know exactly what to do."
Her eyes gleamed with satisfaction.
"I'll report everything to Lady Bianca."
Without sparing the unconscious Avana another glance, Ivy turned and slipped into the darkness.
She believed she was leaving with nothing more than a valuable secret.
She had no idea that what she had just uncovered was about to set off a chain of events that would shake the entire pack to its core.
She had barely taken three steps—
"Stop."
The single word cut through the night like a blade.
Ivy froze.
Every hair on the back of her neck rose.
Slowly... she turned.
A cold, emotionless voice broke the silence.
"...Who gave you permission to leave?”
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