Chapter 15
But with women and children, the tinsformed her face lighting up, her laughter flowing freely.
Tyler…” Rachel’s soft voice pulled me from my abservations. She approached with something in her hands. “For you.”
She held out a scarf she had apparently made with one of the women at the market, I stared at it, confused by the gesture.
“What’s this for?” I asked.
Her smile faltered, uncertainty clouding her eyes,
made yença gift,” she stammered, her gaze dropping to the ground as
I wanted to give you something in return.
her cheeks flushed pink. “You’ve helped me so much since I arrived
to a gift for simply doing my jol-
hat would ultimately lead to her death. The thought left a bitter
No one had ever
Lever given the
taste in my mouth.
No, please don’t be embarrassed,” I said quickly, “I just wasn’t expecting anything from you. Here…give it to me.
I tookhe scarf from her outstretched hand and wrapped it around my neck. It was colorful–painfully so–but she had made it for me. I couldn’t disrespect that.
I noticed how quickly her mood had shifted when questioned. It was a shame she always felt that way. She had no idea how her presence affected everyone around her, how she’d earned respect despite being here such a short time.
It was like we sensed something deeper about her–our wolves recognized something special, a connection.
“How does it look?” I asked, trying to appear pleased.
She actually giggled when she looked at me. “It looks great. The colors really suit you. When Victoria told me you liked bright colors, I was surprised…”
Damn Victorial I should have known this was her idea! No wonder she wanted me to take Rachel out today.
The scarf was sweet, but under any other circumstances, I wouldn’t be caught dead wearing these colors together. I felt like I had a rainbow wrapped around my neck.
“Thank you,” I said, maintaining my smile. “I’ll wear it proudly.”
Rachel quickly scurried back to join the group of women she’d been drafting with, chatting and smiling with them.
Victoria, you’re going to pay for this, I thought, gritting my teeth.
“Beta”
A warrior approached me discreetly. He was responsible for all our informants in other packs.
“Informants report several border packs have been attacked,” he said in a low voice.
“Details?” asked tersely.
“Some outlying packs have been hit with scattered attacks. There were casualties, but these initial invasions involved small numbers.”
“Nathan and I had known this day would come. It was why Nathan was so insistent on always being prepared–on having an heir.
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Chapter 15
“Any thoughts on who’s behind the attacks?” I pressed, gathering information to share with Nathan.
“We have suspicions, but no concrete evidence, he replied.
Get me a list of the attacked packs and casualty details. I need it within thirty minutes.”
“Yes, sir.” He vanished as quickly as he’d appeared, though I noticed is eyes lingering on my scarf for a few seconds.
For years, the packs on the eastem territory’s edges had experienced sporadic attacks from western forces, usually every two or three years. Typically, they weren’t major concerns,
But something felt different this time.
As we prepared to return to the castle, Rachel Approached me, clutching some flowers the’d collected, an odd light in her eyes.
Tyler…do you have a harp?” she asked suddenly.
I was caught off guard by her question. She read my expression and quickly added, “If it’s too much trouble, don’t worry, I was just
I intended to tell her no, so we could return to the castle. I needed time to organize the information and report to Nathan.
But something stopped me. She rarely asked questions, let alone made requests. Denying her seemed unnecessarily cruel, especially considering what awaited her after giving birth. The thought intensifed the familiar pang of guilt.
I understood the necessity of sacrifice, the cold logic of it, but still…
Before I could formulate an excuse, I found myself saying. “You know. I think we might.”
Seeing her eyes light up, a rare spark in their depths, I couldn’t bring myself to disappoint her.
“Would you like me to take you to the music room?” I offered.
Rachel nodded, a flicker of genuine appreciation softening her features.
“This way,” I gestured for her to follow. She quickly caught up, falling into step beside me, the faint scent of her shampoo reaching
ולון
I haven’t played since the day my mother Marie died,‘ she said softly, her voice barely above a whisper. “Even when I could play. most times I felt lonely because she couldn’t play with me anymore.
Rachel was doing everything asked of her, fulfilling her role in this harsh arrangement. She possessed a quiet bravery, perhaps more than she realized.
1 let out a quiet sigh as we
rounded the corner leading to the music room
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