Phoenix

Chapter 12

Keiran

I wake up dizzily on the forest floor. There is someone sitting with me with his head down, and crying. Samuel.

He is one of my closest friends in court. The son of the head of our Royal Guard, but he is more experienced in hunting.

I left the palace with him under the guise of hunting and it took a little convincing but he agreed to help me lose the guards and come here. He had a condition, though. He goes where I go.

And so he followed me all the way here. I lick my lips, and say hoarsely.

" Why are you crying Sam?"

His head snaps up.

" Oh thank God. Thank God." He chokes out. " I thought..... Oh thank God."

I give a weak chuckle, despite the circumstances.

" Let me guess, you thought I died just by bumping my head into a tree, and you will have to go and explain it all to my father, and die a horrible death."

He has stopped crying, and looking a little bit sheepish.

Sam, like everyone else in the palace, is a coward when it comes to His Majesty the King, and also fears for his father because what he did would make his father lose all his privilege and probably his head, but it makes his friendship all the more special because he places me above his fears.

I smile at him, as he helps me up.

I look around, she is not here. Of course. My head thumps painfully as I get up but the pain is subsiding now. My heart, on the other hand, is forever shattered.

I just lived through my worst nightmare, her rejection. I bite my lips to distract myself from my thoughts. Now is not the time and place.

Sam catches me looking around, and averts his eyes. He can guess what has happened, here.

" Your Highness.... she..ah.. she was here with you, but she had to leave because someone came. It was a man, so she tried to take him away from us."

My head snaps up.

A man. Matt? It must have been him. Is she alright?

" Did she make it back? Was she ok?" I blurt out before I can stop myself.

" I don't know sire," Sam just shrugs. " She told me to stay here until you woke up and then leave, in her wolf tongue."

Wolf tongue. Then, it must have been Matt and she was trying not to be heard.

I hope she is ok. I hope he didn't hurt her.

I think, worriedly. I have to make sure before I go.

Sam must have sensed my intentions, because he begins, carefully.

" Your Highness, we have to go. It has been too long since we have been away, and we have to get back before the guards worry and report back to the----"

" I have to make sure she is ok. Just make sure of it. And then we leave." I interrupt him. He opens his mouth to protest but closes it back up.

" I want you to go back to where we left the guards, and tell them that I will be unavailable for a few more hours."

" But, how..?" Sam asks, and then he understands. The Royals, especially young princes, would often wander to the local bars and get themselves drunk, and sleep with the local she-wolves. Their guards would hide it from their fathers, unless their night of adventure was too wild to be hidden, and it is rarely that.

Sam hangs his head helplessly.

" What are you planning to do, sire?" Sam asks, fearfully.

I stay quiet, because I am still thinking of that part.

" You need to make sure she is ok. And you won't be assured unless you see it for yourself," Sam says slowly.

I nod approvingly.

" For that, you need to sneak into her house. And you can't be seen, so you need a disguise. Oh sire, why put yourself through all this trouble, I can do it for you. I mean I saw her as well..."

Sam blurts out with a hint of frustration.

" No!" I snap, and then I calm myself down as he winces. " It will put my mind at ease to see her myself and you are right about the disguise."

I don't tell Sam that I want to see her one last time.

I look down, my clothes are already in tatters. All I need are new ones that can hide my face as well. But where do I get them?

And just then we hear someone coming our way.

Sam and I hide behind a tree. It's a man, about the same height as me, but much more bulky around the middle. He seems to be in his forties and by the looks of his clothes, works in the mansion.

And he is drunk, because he has a slight staggering walk as he hums to himself.

Sam and I look at each other.

This man is God sent.

I signal Sam and he nods. He sneaks behind the man, tapping him firmly in the back of his head and he drops like a pile of loose bricks, giving a dull thud as he hits the ground.

He drags him behind the tree where we were hiding, grunting with effort and I help him.

Together, we undress him and I put on his clothes. He has an old cap as well, and I place it low in my head to cover my face but Sam is not satisfied. He fishes around in his shirt pocket as finds a handkerchief and ties it around my neck, covering my face.

I roll my eyes at Sam's fussing but I know he is right. No one can see my face.

Eventually, it's time. I tell Sam to find the guards and reassure them about my whereabouts and then come find me at the edge of this forest.

Sam leaves and I make my way to the mansion, where she loves.

******************************

It was surprisingly easy to get inside. No one suspected me. I nodded to the wolf stationed outside. He was yawning in the early morning light, and he didn't even acknowledge me. All around the mansion, everyone had started their chores. No one paid me any attention.

I looked around, trying to pick up her scent and find out where she is. But her scent was everywhere. She lived here, and I knew I would walk in circles, just sniffing around.

I passed a group of maids, who were cleaning the main hall.

"------ useless as Luna." They were cleaning and gossiping, not even bothering to keep their voices low. I stopped to listen.

" I couldn't agree more, all she does is laze around while our Alpha does all the work. Takes care of us, takes of her pack which is useless like her, takes care of her mad father and also takes care of her." The other maid has stopped dusting and has started counting on her fingers.

The rest are nodding vehemently.

As much as it makes my blood boil, I look at them.

They are all from Matt's side of the pack. They are even wearing his packs' sign

I think back to our first meeting. Every high ranking official their was also from Matt's side of the pack.

She is surrounded by Matt, an abusive mate and his pack who think her useless, and even have the audacity to say it out loud.

I am too lost in my thought, that I don't realize that I have been noticed by those maids.

" Hey Bill, did you need something?" One of them calls out to me.

I am thinking of a way to get out without them suspecting anything, and suddenly there is a crash and some yelling from the room at the far corner.

The maid rolls her eyes.

" Never mind, you are much needed elsewhere now."

I breathe a sigh of relief, and walk towards the noise.

I open the door and it's Isabelle's father. The previous Alpha. He has grown older, and weaker. And he is yelling and thrashing around as a group of wolves try to restrain him.

" Hey, Bill help us." One of them calls out, straining against him.

I walk in and the smell horrifies me. The whole room reeks of Mortelar.

I place a hand on the Alpha's shoulder, and he looks clearly out of it. His eyes and state of mind tell me that he has been given this poison for a long time.

" Why don't this stupid piece of s**t just die?" Another wolf exclaims.

I look around. Everyone is from Matt's pack, just like I guessed.

A wolf fills a syringe with Mortelar, and I know it's too late for him but I, simply, can't let it continue on in my presence as well.

I am planning to attack and just then the door bursts open and she walks in.

My heart aches, just by looking at her.

The pain on her face as she looks at my father, almost breaks me too.

He commands everyone to leave. The others protest, some with clear disdain but she uses her Alpha influence.

I almost smile, as she puts them all in their place.

I pretend to leave with the rest but I can't.

I have to tell her what I know and it surprises me, how all this is news to her.

She must have loved that prick wholeheartedly to trust him so blindly, I think jealously.

But I know I have to help her. I tell her about leaving a friend of mine to take care of her and act as my informant as well.

And then, I don't have time to say anything else to say to her. Someone is coming and I have to leave. I take one last look at her, committing her face to my memory as I leave.

*******************************

I sit at the edge of the forest, waiting for Sam. I have to leave him with Isabelle because he is the only one I can trust.

I have been waiting for almost an hour, and it's getting difficult to not sleep, when I hear leaves rustling.

"---cant be seen around here. Its too risky. I think my wife saw you, last night."

My ears prick up.

" Oh, don't worry darling. She has nothing to prove. Did she tell you something else as well because Nora was with me?" It's a woman's voice.

I sneak closer and closer, as silently as I can.

I see Matt's face. The woman has her back to me.

" What? Nora?" Matt asks in a worried voice. " No, she didn't mention Nora. We have enough Mortelar, thanks to Nora. Let's end this all."

I want to jump up and strangle him, but predictably my body is frozen in place.

I don't how to operate in these mysterious conditions of our second chance, where the obvious solution is impossible.

" Patience, my dear." The woman says soothingly, as she runs a hand on Matt's face.

" I have an excellent plan for her. We can't kill everyone the same way and raise suspicion. We have to be patient."

She says in a calm voice.

" For now, just relax and prepare for you father-in-law's funeral." She says with a chuckle.

I don't stay to hear more as Matt nods and turns to go.

She pulls him back as if to kiss, but he stops her and says as he looks around nervously.

" Not here."

" Coward." She mutters.

I hide as she leaves too. Her face well hidden by her cloak.

A plan begins to form in my mind as I wait for Sam to come.