Chapter 100
Their leader was the girl who had attacked Sawyer... My wolf howled in my head, wanting to rip her head off. However, I needed to be logical. She was just a child. She had been doing what she was told. She was a child.
Grace gave my arm a squeeze and we started back out the room.
“Gracie?” I whispered when we were far enough away. “Is it bad that I wanted to kill her?”
Grace looked at me slightly blankly before asking, “Who did she hurt?”
Guilt washed over me in a flood. I hadn’t told her. I hadn’t even mentioned that anything had happened to Sawyer. She was going to be so mad at me... I could already sense her unease.
“Alpha King,” Someone interrupted. “You are being requested in the medical wing”
Well, so much for getting out of the conversation... I nodded at the pack member and took Grace’s hand in mine. It was okay if she was mad at me... It felt like there were a million things to talk about, but not nearly enough hours in the day for it. She would understand that I hadn’t mentioned Sawyer, right?
“I forgot to tell you something.” I told her, feeling nervous all the sudden. I wasn’t even that nervous to see him. I knew he would understand. But would she? Would she be mad it wasn’t the first thing out of my mouth once I knew she was safe? I mean, that was part of being Royal... Putting every single person’s needs above your own. But to not tell her he had been hurt? One of her only friends?
She narrowed her eyes at me in a way that I knew she meant to be slightly intimidating but really made her just look hot. She could glare at me any day.
“And what was that?” She asked. And I loved that she was feeling bold with me instead of shrinking into herself the way she usually did with things like this.
“Sawyer was injured in the fight by that girl that we just negotiated with.” I answered.
We were surrounded by people, but Grace froze. She didn’t even seem to notice the commotion she caused. She didn’t seem to notice the disgruntled noises by everyone around, or that I shielded her from being jostled. She was just staring off into space, seeing something that I couldn’t see.
“Grace?” I coaxed, lifting her chin so she’d be forced to look at me, but her eyes still didn’t meet mine.
“He got hurt because of me?”
I closed my eyes and wrapped my body around hers. Everything about being with her felt natural. Even now when everything felt out of touch, and I felt like everything was out of control, she was grounding to me. She kept me in this moment from losing total control. But she was also the reason behind everything, not that I blamed her. She was special. And they wanted to abuse her power. I would not let them. Starting today, we were going on the offense. I may not have started this war, but I also have never lost one either, and I would be damned if I started to now.
When Grace didn’t respond, I picked her up, receiving only a small gasp of acknowledgement that she even knew where she was in space in time. She could be lost, but we were going to be lost in space that allowed us to be, and not in one where everyone was watching us... very closely.
“Oh Alpha King, is the Luna alright?” Someone rushed over to ask as we entered into the clinic.
I had ravished her body only a couple hours ago. I knew she wasn’t injured. But was she alright? Only time would tell.
“We are actually here to see my brother,” I answered, “The Luna was just being... difficult.” I teased.
The comment earned me a small pinch, but at least it showed that she was responsive again. I didn’t know what to do when she got lost in her head like that.
The young nurse led us to Sawyer’s room. Grace attempted to demand me to put her down, but I just ignored her struggles. I was in control, and she needed to remember that.
“There you guys are!” Arlo’s voice rang out, the worry in it evident. “Grace, are you hurt?”
She glared at me as I finally put her back on her feet, and then she gave Arlo a polite smile. “I’m alright. How’s Sawyer?”
Arlo gave a little shrug. “He’s still unconscious. It’s like something zapped his energy out there, so his healing is slow, but Dr. Lewis thinks that he will be alright. He just needs rest.”
I see Grace’s face drain of color, and I feel myself straining to stay calm. His energy was zapped? No, he was attacked, and injured, but nothing else weird happened.
The doctor mistook our silence as understanding, but I didn’t really want to say anything in front of him anyway. This was our battle. We would deal with it as it came and not give away how little we seemed to know.
As soon as the door shut, Arlo was looking at us expectantly, and I sighed, running a hand over my face tiredly. “What, Arlo?”
“Sir, tell me that the person who did this is dead now?” Arlo growled.
“You saw the girl, Arlo,” I answered simply. “She’s a child.”
“A child?” Arlo sneered causing Grace to take a step back, so she was flesh against me. “She nearly killed him!”
“And I’ve spoken to her and every other child that they sent on a suicide mission. I will not punish children when the adults in their lives set them up for failure. They were just doing what they were told.”
“That girl was old enough to make her own choices!” Arlo seethed.
“She is a child.” I repeated firmly, not falling into the bait he was laying.
“You. Are. Becoming. Soft.”
“Go cool down before you say something you regret.” I growled at him, wrapping my arms around Grace. I wanted to throw her behind me, but I didn’t believe that Arlo would attack. And I wasn’t willing to throw my trust away on a moment of anger from a longtime friend.
Arlo glared at us, but he took my advice, slamming the door behind him, leaving us to deal with what he left in his wake...