By the ti we arrived back at the Crescent Pack, the sun had long risen, but it did nothing to warm .
The ride had been silent; no one dared speak.
The rain that had followed us halfway ho had soaked through my cloak and chilled to the bone, yet the cold wasn’t what bit the hardest. It was the emptiness.
We had spent four days on the road, and it had been one of the most exhausting journeys I had ever encountered
Nanny Nia was quiet.
Had refused to say an entire word to or anyone else.
To show her defiance, she didn’t cook for anyone.
The rest of the n and maids had to scramble to prepare als.
Nanny Nia kept to herself.
Anna had thrown tantrums and co crying to .
"Xaden." Anna puckered her lips. "Nia has REFUSED to cook any als. I’m hungry and exhausted! I need to have my bath with warm water. The water from the lake is COLD!"
She looked like an absolute ss.
Her beautiful blonde curls weren’t perfect-looking anymore.
Her dress was shabby, and her eyes were red.
She looked like a complete wreck!
"I thought you could do nial work?" I asked her with folded arms.
She blinked at in shock.
She shivered terribly. "Wh.... Wh... what?"
"You told ," I said, sizing her up and down. "That you were maltreated terribly in the moonlight pack. Weren’t you?"
"Yes, I was. That’s what I said." Anna said quickly.
"Good." I nodded. "So now tell if you were raised badly, while Jasmine was treated as a princess, then at least you should be able to know how to cook, fetch water, and serve your needs. After all, it’s what servants do."
She blinked at , and her eyes went red in shock.
Her face flustered, and I could see the deceit in her eyes.
"Yes." She said, and then she began to find ways to cover her tracks. "I an. I can do that. It’s just that. I’ve been used to the good life you gave . I didn’t think you would want suffering after everything I’ve been through."
I gritted my teeth at the deception.
I couldn’t believe it.
She was now trying to manipulate and gaslight !
How co I had never seen this side of her?
Had I been so blinded by the fact that I wanted my sister to be alive?
That I wanted to make up for the things I had believed she had lost, I had completely shut my eyes to her true nature.
"Well, Jasmine was appropriately raised, and yet she still got used to being a slave, didn’t she? So why would it be hard for you to do sothing that you have done your entire life?" I asked her with a cocked brow.
Her face was white as snow, and I could tell I had made her very uncomfortable.
She mumbled sothing inaudibly and left.
I let out a sigh of relief.
Goddess!
I was still going to have to deal with her.
I now needed to get confirmation that she didn’t purposely lie about Jasmine having an affair.
That was going to be the final icing on the cake.
Jasmine.
As I looked back up at our beautiful pack.
At ho, I felt a sudden loneliness overwhelm .
It didn’t feel like ho anymore.
Felt more like a house.
The weight of her absence hit like a slap on the face as I looked at the massive walls of the castle.
She wasn’t going to be here.
How was I going to cope?
How was I going to adjust?
And for a split second, I began to wonder how the hell I had lived my entire life without her.
Every h on the cobblestones echoed the sa thought in my mind: She’s gone.
When I dismounted, Erik was already there to et , his eyes searching my face.
Fiona stood beside him, her hands clasped tightly in front of her as though bracing for bad news.
Behind them, the warriors waited for my command, but I had none to give.
They were all waiting for .
"Welco back," Erik said to with a nod as he received the reins of my horse.
"Everything in order at the pack?" I asked.
Before I could respond, my uncle Uther appeared.
I had even completely forgotten he even existed.
"My nephew," Uther said, his voice high in delight as he opened his arms up to , pushing Erik away.
I was taken into the embrace, and then he let go, still holding my shoulder.
"How was the journey? And the royal family? Hope everything went well?" He asked .
I nodded. "Yes, it did. Thank you."
Uther smiled.
I withdrew from his hold.
"Where’s Jasmine?" Fiona finally asked softly, looking around.
I didn’t answer. I walked past them, stripping my gloves off and tossing them aside.
My boots thudded heavily against the wet floor as I entered the main hall.
The fire was out. The place felt hollow, like a carcass of what it once had been.
Erik followed inside. "Xaden."
Still, I said nothing. I poured myself a glass of water, downed it, and then poured another one to keep my hands busy.
"She’s not with you, is she?" he asked, his tone now lower, cautious.
"What?!" Fiona asked, alard. "Xaden, where is my friend?"
"She doesn’t belong to this pack anymore," I said weakly.
Fiona’s voice cracked. "You left her there?"
I ignored her and said nothing.
"With who?!" Fiona barked. "Tell with WHO?!"
The servants quickly disappeared.
"Who the fuck does she even know there, Xaden?!" Fiona said her eyes were seething with venom and rage.
"With the royal pack," I replied. "Under Queen Rose’s protection."
"You actually left her?" Fiona whispered, disbelief and sothing sharper—anger—slipping through her tone. "After everything she’s been through? After all she’s lost? She lost her child, and you fucking abandoned her?! SELENE!"
Erik put a hand on her arm to quiet her, but I could see the sa disappointnt in his eyes.
"I don’t want to talk about this," I said, dismissing the conversation and walking away.
Fiona’s voice trembled. "That’s it, Xaden—great Alpha of the Crescent pack. Walk away. Walk away just like you walk away from everything else."
I snapped back at her, my eyes burning in rage. I clenched my jaw. "I gave her freedom," I said through my teeth.
"Sothing no one ever gave her. She’s not my prisoner. Not any longer."
"Freedom?" Fiona scoffed. "Or guilt?"
That hit harder than I expected.
I clenched my fists as so many emotions overwheld .
I looked away, unable to et her eyes.
Before the silence could thicken any further, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed down the hall.
"Xaden!" Anna called out to , but I was already gone, refusing to hear what anyone else had to say.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Fiona shook her head.
Her mind was racing, and her heart was pounding violently.
She chewed on her lip so hard it bled.
Her mind raced with so many thoughts she could barely keep them in place.
"Good goddess." She said to herself as she massaged her temple.
Anna turned to look at her, her eyes red like hot iron.
"You had to be a bitch didn’t you?!" Anna spat.
Fiona turned to look at the rotten spoiled brat before her.
Fiona took in a deep breath and told herself Anna wasn’t worth the trouble.
"Jasmine is gone," Anna said. "The sooner you accept that, the better. You are next in line if you’re not careful."
Fiona closed her eyes and begged the goddess to control her rage before she shifted and ripped Anna into pieces.
Anna smiled triumphantly at Erik.
"My mate." She said excitedly as she went to hug him.
Fiona rolled her eyes in disgust.
Erik pushed her away.
Anna squeezed her face and turned to Uther.
"Hello, uncle." She said.
Uther kissed her forehead. "You look better than you did when you left."
Anna bead.
"And if you ask , I think it’s best for everyone. Good riddance to bad rubbish." Uther said, his eyes narrowing at everyone.
Anna showed her teeth.
"I knew you would feel the sa, uncle," Anna said.
He gave her his arms, and together they walked away.
Fiona breathed a sigh of relief that she hadn’t murdered Anna on the spot.
The mont they left, Nanny Nia slowly walked up the stairs, and Fiona, along with Erik, rushed up to her side.
Nanny Nia looked like her world had fallen apart.
"Nanny Nia, what happened?" Fiona asked as she held the older woman’s arms.
Nanny Nia’s eyes were hollow.
"I begged." She shook her head. "They wouldn’t even let stay with her."
And she burst into tears.
Fiona hugged the older woman and rubbed her back.
Her and Erik’s eyes made contact.
Erik sighed and left.
Fiona wondered what the fuck had just happened.
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