CHAPTER 37
Aelys
Several weeks have passed since our disastrous wedding and my miscarriage.
I discovered that the phantom pain of broken bones was nothing more than my shapeshifting side finally being activated.
The first transformations were painful, then they became painless.
I can now change into my animal form as a lioness without feeling any aftereffects, much to my husband's pride and joy.
I'm also past the grieving phase off our child and am now determined to make Rick Law pay for what he put me through during his interrogation. It took me a long time to accept that there was nothing I could have done to protect my baby that day and that I was not at fault.
It was after this realization that the pain turned to rage. I was going to avenge our child by killing Law and bringing O'Connor's head to the Master.
Mattheo was most understanding and patient, helping me tremendously from start to finish. Even today, he supports me by training me tirelessly to be able to fight with my hands and in my animal form.
It took me a while to accept his touch again without flinching, but I did it, determined not to push away the man I love and who also experienced loss.
I'm jolted out of my thoughts when a sharp pain in my ribs makes me gasp and stumble.
My hands press against the painful area, and I glare at my husband.
His face is blank, completely absorbed in his role as a teacher.
His fists are in front of his face, his posture suggesting he's about to attack again.
“You're not focused. Again,” he spits.
Just as I thought, he lunges at me, ready to throw another punch but aiming for my face this time.
I dodge and kick him in the leg. His knee buckles, but he quickly stabilizes, narrowly avoiding hitting the ground.
I smile, proud of myself, but it makes me lose focus, and within seconds, I find myself with my back against his chest, his arms around my body, pinning my arms. I try to escape his grip, but he's too strong.
I'm starting to regret telling him not to pull back.
“You need to focus, darling,” he whispers in my ear, sending shivers down my spine.
My breath catches when one of his hands rests on my stomach.
We haven't been intimate since the miscarriage, I'm not ready yet, so his touches remain affectionate, not lustful.
However, my body still responds to his touch.
It's not my body that's refusing to have sex with him; it's my mind.
I'm far too afraid of getting pregnant again so soon after my miscarriage and losing another baby.
Mattheo understands and once again lets me heal at my own pace, using only touches like this to distract me during our training sessions. He finally releases me and steps back. I turn to look at him, seeing the smug smile on his handsome face.
The little bastard.
“Sorry, all this training is tiring me out,” I sigh, rolling my eyes.
His features soften and he wraps his arms around me again, this time in a comforting embrace. His arms wrap around my body, now more muscular thanks to the many workouts we've had over the past few weeks. His chin rests on my head and he strokes my lower back with his hand.
“Let's take a break then, what do you say?”
I nod slowly and we leave the room in Leroi Manor that we've converted into a gym. We haven't been back to the Academy since the wedding, and we don't plan on going back, except to kidnap or kill Law and O'Connor.
We head to the kitchen to quench our thirst and return to our suite, slightly out of breath, our bodies glistening with sweat. A shower will do us good.
My mind drifts to our workouts as we enter our bathroom and get ready to shower. I've made a lot of progress since we started. Fully focused, I'm easily kicking Mattheo's ass now.
This means only one thing: I am ready for the war.
A few hours later, I sit on the couch in front of our bedroom bookshelf reading a fantasy novel. Mattheo is busy feeding my snake—which Arthur kindly rescued from our dorm at the Academy when we decided to stay at the manor for a few more weeks. A knock at the door makes us look up simultaneously.
I signal Mattheo that I'm going. He nods before returning to his task of placing a live mouse in the terrarium for my snake to hunt and eat. I open the door and I smile at the sight of my cousin followed by our friends.
Guilt creeps into me, we neglected our friendship since what happened. Of course, they know I was tortured, but they don't know about our baby.
Which is a good thing though because I don't want them to know. I still feel bad that we got so caught up in our grief and training that we practically ignored them.
“Hey, how are you guys?” Theodore asks with a small, shy smile.
I step away from the door and gesture for them to come in, my smile widening when Enzo feels sick noticing what Mattheo is doing.
“Tired,” I sigh as I close the door. “What about all of you?”
Cameron shrugs and shakes his head, looking weary. “Tired too. We're working hard to find the traitors but also to keep up with our studies.”
Mattheo nods slowly, letting them know we're grateful for their help, as he closes the terrarium and disinfects his hands.
I thank our friends, feeling even more guilty for neglecting them when they're doing everything they can to help us with our chores.
We all settle down across the room, some on the sofas and armchairs in front of the bookshelf, others on the bed, Theodore and Mattheo on the windowsill as they light cigarettes.
“Hey girls?” I call out with a hesitant voice, causing the conversations to stop. “Hm, how about a girls' night out tonight?”
Their eyebrows raise in surprise before they smile brightly, nodding quickly.
“Sure, honey. That would be awesome!” Kiara places her hand on mine from across the table, a bright smile stretching her pink lips.
Paula and Nancy nod, making me smile softly. I want to be a better friend, and we all need a break.
‘Are you sure, princess?’ Mattheo's concerned voice echoes in my mind.
I grab his hand under the table and intertwine our fingers.
‘Yes. We all need a break, Matt. You should do the same with the boys. Go out, drink, have fun.’
‘I don't want to leave you alone,’he protests.
‘I won't be, besides, we'll stay at the Manor. Please, Matt, we all need it…’
He sighs before nodding. I know he's not exactly thrilled, but he also knows I'm right. We need one night to forget it’s wartime and be young adults again. He kisses my cheek, and I smile softly.
Mattheo suggests the boys go out for a drink, and they're immediately enthusiastic, agreeing eagerly. We all chat for a while before they decide to go, leaving us to our girls' night. My husband kisses me tenderly and promises me not to leave the Mansion, then follows the boys out of our suite.
The girls and I change into comfortable clothes and leave the bedroom to retrieve a mattress from an unused guest room.
The elves, busy cleaning the Mansion, give us strange looks, causing us to laugh as we carry the mattress into the bedroom.
We place the mattress next to the bed with Mattheo, and Nancy quickly declares that she's sleeping with me.
Kiara and Paula laugh as they take possession of the mattress, rummaging through the closet for sheets and pillows.
We spend the night talking, laughing, drinking, and smoking. I don't drink too much, but I compensate by smoking a lot.
As I look at my friends, laughing and carefree for an evening, my heart fills with warmth. They are my family as much as Mattheo is. The boys are too, even if we have been less close these days, I know that we will always do everything to protect each other.
The sound of the door slamming against the bedroom wall makes us jump and leap in our beds. The girls and I look at the boys who've burst in, confusion on our half-asleep faces. They look both angry and shocked.
What happened?
“Matt? What's going on?” I ask in a small voice, rubbing my eyes and yawning.
He rushes towards me, his large hands cupping my face, and I frown, even more confused as to why he looks so distressed. He inspects me carefully for a few seconds, then sighs and rests his forehead against mine.
“We know who the traitors are.”
I freeze, my eyes widening as my muscles tense. I'm truly awake now. I can feel the lioness inside me growling, excited at the prospect of finally hunting the prey she's been lusting after for weeks. Finally, we know who it is.
Matt and I are finally going to avenge our baby.
“Who is it?” Paula finally asks, now wide awake too.
I feel Matt tense up more, then I see his jaw set hard.
“Payne and Clayton,” he growls, hateful.
A wave of rage runs through my body, my lioness growls loudly in response. I knew it was strange for them to befriend Tom, but I never thought they were playing us.
“Are you sure?” Nancy asks, her voice full of anger.
“Yes. We heard them last night,” Enzo replies in a cold voice.
“Those idiots were drunk at the bar in Coldingham, talking about the money they made selling you to O'Connor,” Arthur spits.
“They did it for money?” Kiara's voice is high-pitched, outraged.
They all mumble 'yes,' but Matt remains silent, his eyes closed and his forehead still presses against mine. As I ruminate over what we've discovered, a horrible thought crosses my mind, making me tense even more, my jaw clenches and my eyes blaze with hatred.
“Did Tom know?” I ask through gritted teeth.
Mattheo leans back, his brown eyes opening again and looking at me, anger shining brightly inside. His shoulders begin to shake with rage, and that gives me an idea of the answer.
Please, no.
“Not exactly,” Theodore sighs.
My head swivels towards him, my brows furrowing in confusion.
What does that mean?