Chapter 5 #3
Falk moved on, “Tell me about what your life was like before you came here.”
“That is not really a question,” Ren sighed.
“But fine. I lived up on the cliffs with my mother and little brother. My mother is a sweet Omega—she always did everything to take care of Lee and I, and my brother and I were very close. He’s a few years younger than me, and I would do anything to protect him,” Ren said.
“I was an apprentice to a tailor, although I don’t think I would have been good at it even if I had stayed.
I was a good person. I never stole. I never spoke rudely to people.
I never even got angry at Alphas who harassed me.
I don’t think you would have recognized me if we had met before. ” Ren laughed.
Falk was quiet for several seconds before asking, “Don’t you become an apprentice at eighteen?” Ren froze at the question, his entire body refusing to move. “Didn’t you say you turned eighteen while down in the prison?”
Ren said nothing, just sat there, motionless. He thought maybe if he stayed still enough, Falk would forget he was even there.
“Things are different up on the cliffs versus the castle.” He finally let out a breath after too many heartbeats.
“You knew you were pregnant this whole time, right?”
Ren immediately tensed up again, scowling. “I was not pregnant.”
“You had to have known. The doctor said you were sixteen weeks along, you must have realized, you must have felt something?—”
“Why do you care?” Ren yelled over him. “Why would you care if I was or wasn’t pregnant?”
“Because I could have helped you!” Falk snapped. “I could have made sure you were more properly fed, made sure you were warm. I could have even argued for you to have been kept up here in the infirmary the entire time! But instead, you suffered down there and lost your pup because of it!”
“Why do you care if I suffer?” Ren asked again.
“Because I care about you,” Falk said. He spoke quickly, before Ren could question him, “I care about all the Wolves here at the castle—whether they are citizens or prisoners. Everyone deserves basic respect and care.”
It took Ren a few heartbeats to whisper, “Your turn.”
“What would you do if you got away? You tried to run. Where would you have gone?”
“To the Faeries,” Ren said, surprised to find the truth falling from his tongue.
He hadn’t really thought about it, but since the idea entered his mind the day before, it was what he had latched onto.
“I hear their kingdom is beautiful. I would love to run away there with my family.” Ren smiled as he pulled his knees up to his chest. He wrapped his arms around them and rested his cheek on his knees.
“Where would you go, if you left this castle?”
“Now who is stealing questions?” Falk huffed, but Ren could hear the teasing lilt to the words.
“I have always been interested in the Elves. I think their magic is incredible. But the Faeries would be interesting too. I’ve just never met one.
I think we could learn a lot from them, though.
” Falk tapped his fist to his chin before asking, “What do you like to do? What are your hobbies?”
“Let me tell you, I’d never read a book before I was locked up for weeks with nothing to do,” Ren said, lips twitching at the corners. “I liked hiking—exploring around the cliffs was always fun. I liked playing instruments and singing. I didn’t have many friends, so I mostly did things on my own.”
“You didn’t have many friends?” Falk echoed. Ren shrugged in answer. “Why not?”
Ren decided to not call him out on his extra question and answered, “The other Omegas my age didn’t like me much.
All of them were upset at how I seemed to get all of the attention from the Alphas in our age group—even if I didn’t want it.
” He put up a finger when Falk opened his mouth to ask another question.
“My turn. I’ve heard every Warrior has their own fighting style—what’s yours? ”
Falk breath hitched at that. “I usually use two hook swords for fighting,” he said slowly. “But we do not have to pick our exact fighting type until we graduate.”
“Sexy,” Ren grinned. “I bet all the Omegas love you.”
“How is that sexy?”
“Two swords rather than one?” Ren asked, eyebrows raised. “Twice as hot.”
Falk snorted, rolling his eyes. “Okay, have you ever…”
“Falk! Falk!”
They both turned at the first shout, the sound further down the hallway.
Falk was on his feet within a second, positioning himself in front of Ren on instinct, tense and poised to strike. Ren cowered back, eyes round as he looked at the cuffs binding his hands and attaching him to his bed, suddenly realizing if there really was an emergency, he was trapped.
Falk relaxed when the doctor appeared a second later, panting and red faced from exertion. “What’s going on?” He asked immediately, stepping over to the doctor.
The Alpha glanced back and forth between Falk and Ren. Ren could see his throat move as he swallowed thickly, the words trying to choke him. “The… the…” he panted, shaking his head. “The King and Queen are dead.”