Chapter 16
CHAPTER 16
I sla groaned as she pressed the side of her forehead to the cool tile of the shower wall, letting the water fall onto her back in a near-scalding stream. Droplets from her lashes sprinkled onto her cheeks as she snapped her eyes shut. As she breathed…breathed… breathed .
The world was whirling, the universe teetering behind her closed lids, and she wanted to shut it all out. She wanted it to stop. Needed it to. But her mind was still working at a furious pace. Her body, though horribly and thoroughly exhausted, was on high alert.
Lukas. The Gate. The Hunt. The bak. A killer. Her mate.
Her mate, her mate, her—
A sudden bang echoed into the washroom. One time. Two.
Isla sputtered, bracing herself against the tub’s edge.
It was the door. Soon, the thuds were replaced by the sharp rattling of its handle.
Even though she couldn’t see it, Isla knew that the long metal was being halted by the fabric of the heavy cobalt chair she’d pushed in front of it. A necessary measure as the rooms bore no locks.
Her breath caught in her throat, her heart hammering. It could’ve finally been the boys trying to get in. It had been well over the hour that Adrien had promised to arrive in, almost nearing hour two. But what if it wasn’t ?
Isla worked her way to her feet, leaving the water running to cover her sound as she peeled back the curtain and wrapped a towel loosely around her body. Stepping over the basin’s lip, her fingers constricted around the scalpel she’d stolen from the supply room that sat on the sink’s edge. Steam billowed behind her as she kicked the washroom door further open and headed outside, her dark shadow stretching tall along the white-washed wall in the dim lighting.
Inch by inch by inch. Step, step, step. The door continued to tremble at the assault on it.
“What the hell are you doing? Relax .”
“What is she doing? This is her room, right?”
Isla froze and stood tall at the voices. “Sebastian?”
The chatter stopped.
“Pudge?”
Adrien’s voice came next. He’d been the milder of the two. “How did you lock the door?”
She didn’t answer him. Instead, she wrenched the chair from its spot, pushing it back as close to its previous home near her bedside as she could. The legs made a low, rumbling scrape along the floor, prompting more inquisitive noises from her visitors.
Hiding the blade in her hand where they shouldn’t have been able to see it, Isla gradually pulled open the low-whining entrance. Her settled scowl was met by equally cautious and dubious looks.
“Where the hell were you?” she seethed, the gnarled grip of fear edging into her voice. “You said an hour. It’s been nearly two.”
Adrien and Sebastian remained in their places, and Isla caught the way Adrien looked her over while Sebastian immediately surveyed the room.
His forest eyes narrowed. “Who are you hiding in here?”
Isla countered it with a heightened glare of her own. “What?”
“I’m having bad flashbacks.” Sebastian brushed by her and Adrien, taking a few steps inside. “What was all that noise?”
She rested her hand on the doorframe. “You do realize I’m twenty-one and don’t need to have suitors run by you for approval.”
Sebastian’s features curled at the words . “Then find some that aren’t pretentious assholes. ”
“Says the pretentious asshole.”
“I’ve earned it.” He pointed to the bathroom, still suspicious. “Why’s the shower still on?”
“Because you scared me, you ass.”
“Obviously.” Adrien’s eyes were on the makeshift weapon in her hand. “Where did you get that?”
“I borrowed it.”
“Why?”
“Warrior Princess never sleeps,” Sebastian mused, flopping onto the chair with a small glance under the bed as he kicked his legs over its arms.
Isla ignored him, announcing, “I’m going to change.”
When she emerged a few minutes later, Isla donned a nurse’s uniform about two sizes too big, a shirt and pants a near-identical shade of blue as the chair her brother was lounging in.
Adrien, who had moved from his previous spot and perched against the storage closet, nodded towards her attire. “I didn’t know you worked here.”
“I had no other clothes.” Isla worked to gather her hair loosely atop her head.
Her brother snickered. “I don’t remember thievery being a part of the Warrior Creed.”
Isla rolled her eyes, electing to simply flip him off before taking a seat on her bed. As aggravated as she was, she was happy to have their company. To have some semblance of normal—even if their conversation would be far from it.
“You’re over an hour late,” she addressed them, “so I hope you have something.”
They exchanged a look.
“They put him in one of the upper wings,” Adrien said. “It’s pretty abandoned and isn’t holding any other patients.”
She’d figured that much. “Is he okay?”
Sebastian scoffed. “That’s a loaded question.”
She narrowed her eyes at him in suspicion. “Where were you when this was all happening anyway?”
“Taking care of something for Dad.”
“Like what?”
“You know I can’t tell you. ”
Isla pursed her lips. She did know— of course.
As had always been the case and would likely always be—no matter what she achieved in her lifetime—Sebastian would be issued respects she never would be, able to access information she never could. The Imperial Beta’s firstborn, the only true candidate to take the mantle once Adrien took leadership—she couldn’t argue that he hadn’t earned it as he’d claimed earlier. For as conniving and obnoxious as he could be, her brother had completed the Hunt and knew how to use his snake-oil charisma to his—and whoever’s bidding he’d been set on—advantage. And she knew it was used frequently.
“I know that he’s restrained and tranquilized,” Adrien broke in between them. “But his wounds are being taken care of.”
“He’s still restrained?” Isla asked with wide eyes.
“He pulled a knife, Isla.”
“He didn’t hurt anyone.” Her response earned dual doubtful looks, and she sighed, “ You’re the one who thought he could help us figure out whatever’s going on. Has he said anything that gives us an idea about what happened? Or shown any signs that he remembers who he is or why we’re here?”
“I don’t think anyone’s been able to get to him. The order from my father’s been to steer clear.”
“Your father knows now?” she asked, and Adrien nodded. “What does he think?”
“That there’s a problem that we don’t understand and needs to be taken care of—quickly,” he said. “And he doesn’t want any of it leaving Callisto.”
Perplexity fluttered across Isla’s features. “What does that mean?”
“No one’s to speak of it outside of these pack borders.”
“That sounds…how is that possible? People from all over came to see them re-emerge. And don’t people know what happened to me in there, to us?”
“ We do. Some of Io’s Council do,” Adrien rattled. “The Alpha and Beta of Deimos, and whoever got you out, vaguely, but other than that, no.”
“But I thought there was that alphas’ meeting? To figure out what to do? ”
“Apparently, they didn’t talk about the Wilds at all. It just kept the alphas busy while they canvased.”
Isla dropped her gaze down to the blankets beneath her. “They…they’re trying to cover this up.” The realization hit her in a particular way she didn’t like. “I almost died in there. K—the Alpha of Deimos. Lukas.” His name went through like a shot, and she darted her gaze back up. “What are they going to do with him?” The boys exchanged more wary glances. Isla pressed again, “ What are they going to do with him?”
“Valkeric,” Sebastian said grimly.
“You better be talking about a cabin in the mountains, not the prison.” The silence that followed, confirmation of the worst sort, roiled through Isla’s veins. “He’s a victim, not a criminal.”
“It wasn’t an actual plan, just a possibility we heard tossed around,” Adrien attempted to mollify her.
It wasn’t enough to quell the frustration, the ire.
“He has a family ,” Isla snapped. “He has a family who love him and want him to come home. He went into the Wilds, and he killed a bak. He earned what’s his. He deserves to go home and to be a warrior.” A thought that had been simmering since Lukas had emerged finally boiled to the surface. “And—I—I was with him . That could just as easily be me up there in that room, restrained and tranquilized . Would you let me get thrown into Valkeric?” They both responded with similar answers of vehement disagreement. She settled back, feeling a sense of relief, release, and hope she’d gotten her point across. “So, let’s not let it happen to him. There must be something we can do.”
Sebastian was beaming as he said with mirth and no detectable taunting, “Alright then, General, what’s your plan?”
Isla, Adrien, and Sebastian had spent a solid hour constructing their plan, plotting in a way that almost rang back to their times as pups. Only now, instead of devising ways to skip lessons or sneak out of their homes, it was inadvertently to save a man’s life.
“Is something wrong with your hand?”
Isla snapped her head up at Adrien, who was hovering near the door from which Sebastian had just disappeared moments earlier, stating that after such a hard hour of work, he deserved a drink.
Isla glanced down, realizing she’d been tracing one of her fingers absently over her opposite palm as if lining the threads of light that weren’t there. “Uh, no.” She shoved her hands beneath her crossed legs.
That look of concern flashed across Adrien’s face again. He was silent for a few seconds, unspoken words dancing in his eyes before—
“The Alpha of Deimos left.”
Isla’s brows shot up.
“Oh?” she said, trying to sound a mix of nonchalant and surprised. Why would he bring this up?
Adrien hummed in confirmation, leaning back against the doorframe, arms crossed. “Some emergency in Deimos, I heard. I couldn’t get a clear answer on what it was, but it was so dire they had to go in the dead of night.”
To be back by dawn, she wanted to say but kept it to herself.
Upon her quiet, Adrien stood tall again, making his way to the bed. “Did he say anything to you?”
Isla forced herself to look him dead in the eye. “About what?”
“About anything.”
“No. Why would he?”
A long pause.
With a loud breath, Adrien sat down at the foot of the bed, resting his elbows on his knees, focusing not on her but their shadows on the wall in front of him. “I could scent him on you at the Gate once I parsed it out of the magic. You were with him when we couldn’t find you, weren’t you?”
The slightest hitch of Isla’s breath had been picked up on instantly, and she silently cursed as Adrien turned to study her face.
Lying felt pointless. “Yes.”
Adrien’s jaw tightened. “Why?”
She had to be steel.
They’d promised each other. She and Kai had sworn no one would know about their bond but them.
But—this was Adrien. Her best friend , Adrien.
Her best friend, Adrien, who’d been with her since they were babies. Who she trusted with her life. Who…had found himself burned by a fated mate bond only a little over a year ago. Who she’d nearly lost because of that damned fated mate bond.
“He was around,” she said before she could second-guess herself. “We bumped into each other, and just—talked.”
“Talked?”
“Talked.”
Another pause. Another breath. The answer had been accepted, but something was bothering him. Thankfully, it wasn’t long before he said, “He asked a lot about you at the feast, you know. Who you were, why you were there. I think he’s interested in you.”
The final part was said with an uncertainty she would’ve been offended by if she weren’t so grateful for his disbelief.
She capitalized on it.
“An actual in-power alpha interested in me? Me? ” She forced a laugh. “I may be able to woo a man or two, but an alpha is far beyond my reach.”
“You’re the daughter of the Imperial Beta.”
That was getting old fast.
“And yet, I went to countless mate gatherings and some balls and galas, and not a single heir—not even an alpha’s scion —spared me a glance.” It may have been a fleeting childhood crush that she’d deny to the grave now, but even Adrien had never given her a second look that way.
Adrien looked her over, contemplative. “You’re different now.”
“How?”
“You just—are.” He shrugged before going pensive again. “You asked me at the feast if I thought he was dangerous.”
Back on Kai again.
Isla took a breath, remembering her words well. “That was a long time ago.”
A line appeared on Adrien’s cheek. “Alpha isn’t handed down by strength. It’s a birthright, only a birthright.” He let the words hang for a bit. “I don’t have any siblings. The title’s mine as soon as my father passes it down. But I know how much my aunt and uncle resented him for the fact that Imperial Alpha was his, despite being just as much my grandfather’s children and as alpha-blooded as he was. The Alpha of Deimos, the current alpha, is…a lot stronger than his brother was. He just proved it.”
Isla understood where he was going. “Kai wouldn’t do that.”
“Kai.” Adrien echoed the name without question, just a deadpan observation, but Isla still corrected herself.
“ The alpha,” she said. “Where is this coming from? You didn’t seem this distrustful of him when you spoke at the Gate.” Kai had deemed that talk “pack business”, but now that he wasn’t here… “What was that about anyway?”
Another rise and fall of Adrien’s shoulders. “I wanted to know his thoughts on everything. How he felt behind the Wall, what he remembered about Lukas…” He trailed off, his gaze focused on his hands.
He wasn’t saying something.
“What else?” Isla pushed.
Adrien looked up, studying the shadows on the walls again. “It was weird, and maybe I was just seeing things, but I could’ve sworn that for a few seconds, the bak just…stared at him.”
Isla jerked back. “What?”
Kai had never mentioned anything like that. Something so similar to what she thought she’d seen.
“It was dark, and everything was madness. I was probably seeing things. It didn’t seem concerning enough to him to bring up.” Adrien shook his head. “He seems like an alright guy, especially for someone who’s gotten such a shitty deal, but…something’s off with that pack. Something’s been off for years, even before the alpha and heir just died. I don’t know what it is, but I don’t want him to get you tangled up in it somehow. To use you as a pawn in some scheme.”
Isla swallowed, hoping Adrien couldn’t hear how her heart sped up. “Do you truly believe me so na?ve?”
Adrien made a show of shrugging. “Well…”
Isla shoved him. “I’m not getting tangled in anything. Believe me.”
“Okay.” Adrien laughed softly before falling back onto the bed. He rubbed his hands over his face, a groan slipping from his lips.
“Are you good?”
The Heir sighed before placing his hands on his stomach. “ Tired.” He closed his eyes, heaving another breath that she could feel the weight behind. She couldn’t help but wonder if it was due to recent events or if he still suffered effects from the severed bond. “Really fucking tired.”
Now wasn’t the time to ask.
“Join the club,” she chimed.
He smirked before closing his eyes. “Wake me up in an hour.”
Isla snorted, though she wouldn’t fight him on it. Maybe she’d be able to get some sleep, too.
“Fine.” She chucked one of her pillows down for him to use. “But move down, fat ass. I need room for my legs.”
Adrien obliged, sliding down the mattress. “Alright, Pudge. ”
She rolled her eyes, but a genuine smile graced Isla’s mouth as she lay down on her pillow, not bothering to wriggle under the constricting blankets. It wasn’t long after she’d settled that the gentle, deep sounds of Adrien’s breathing filled the room. He really had been exhausted.
Isla, on the other hand…
She turned in her spot, laying on her side to face the window. With the shades drawn open enough, beams of moonlight spilled onto the floor. Isla trailed them out as much as she could to their source, to the world outside—one that held monsters, murderers, and…Kai.
She brought her hand up to her face, so dark with the faint glowing backdrop behind it.
No visions of threads appeared this time.