18. Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Seventeen
Briar
I was so happy it scared me. That was all I could think about as I slowly made my way through dinner.
Hal and Gus were laughing amongst themselves, reminiscing about their honey-hunting adventures and how often they’d ended up empty-handed.
When Adrian had calmly informed them that taking all the bees’ honey could kill them, Gus had looked so damn heartbroken that Adrian had to come up with a white lie for Gus to finish his food.
Adrian didn’t usually dine with us, but Seb had asked him to join us since he’d become close to Corin. It was sweet, really, seeing the two of them whisper amongst themselves as they shared their food.
“You don’t like your lamb chops?” Hal asked.
I smiled at him, unable to stop the fluttering in my belly. He was just so observant when it came to me and food, reminding me to get enough protein at each meal. Hal wanted me to be healthy and happy, and that meant more energy, which again meant more food.
“I do,” I assured him. The lamb was delicious, with a garlic sauce and some fresh green sprouts sprinkled on top.
I couldn’t tell Hal I was too busy daydreaming to focus on my food, but now that he seemed a tad concerned, I dug in, cutting off a big piece and eating it with a bright smile aimed straight at my alpha.
He beamed proudly and resumed cutting into his second piece of lamb.
Suddenly, the doors burst open, causing us all to startle. The guards stepped forward, but relaxed upon seeing Bailey, the royal courier. He rushed straight to Seb, kneeling in front of our king as he handed over a letter.
“It’s urgent, your Majesty,” he panted, his cheeks flushed with exertion.
Seb took the letter and eyed it with confusion, then opened it with a clean knife. He frowned as he read, then his eyes widened in evident shock before they found mine.
“It’s about Sin,” he finally said, just as I was about to faint from nerves.
“Is he okay?” I asked, feeling nauseous.
“I don’t know.” Seb’s jaw clenched with anger, his voice cold, but his eyes conveyed worry. Hal reached for my hand under the table and twined our fingers together. The warm comfort from his touch didn’t take away my fear, but it confirmed I wasn’t alone in this, no matter what had happened.
“What is it?” Elias asked, sounding both alarmed and intrigued. Gods, the whole table looked about ready to grab the letter and read it themselves.
“It says that your brother is being held captive and will only be returned to his alpha if you show up at the Sunmorrow Farm tonight, Briar. Alone.”
“Alone?!” Hal boomed. “No way Briar is going on his own!”
Alone.
The word settled within me. I’d been alone for most of my life, and I could do it again for a few hours if it meant Sin would be safe. I squeezed Hal’s hand, and his massive body vibrated with trepidation.
“Why would someone take Sin?” Elias asked.
“I have no idea,” Seb murmured, looking intensely at the letter. “But Hal is right. There’s no way Briar is going there alone.”
Before I could argue, Hal blurted, “Of course he isn’t!”
Seb continued, “I’ll have guards ride out and look for Sin. We don’t know who’s making demands, but we aren’t sending Briar out there to deal with their madness.”
“Wait,” I said, frowning at Seb. “I won’t be going at all?”
Seb looked like I was speaking nonsense. “Why in the heavens above would you go? There’s no reason for you to. Besides, it’s too dangerous. We don’t know what they want. Perhaps it’s an ambush.”
I was ready to argue that we’d risk putting Sin in danger if I didn’t go, but Seb was already busy talking to the royal guards, showing them which farm they were headed to.
“I don’t feel so good,” I whispered, a knot tightening in my stomach.
“Want to go home?” Hal asked, placing his hand against my forehead.
“Yes.” I needed to escape the dining room as quickly as possible.
We walked to our rooms in silence. Hal was still fuming with anger. A plan had started forming in my head since we left the dining hall. I just hoped Hal wouldn’t be too mad at me for what I was about to do.
Inside our rooms, I excused myself and went into the bathroom. Hal looked concerned, but settled on our couch while I locked the bathroom door behind me. I doubted the lock would be enough to deter him if he really wanted in here, but I needed all the time I could get.
There was a tiny window in stained glass that opened all the way.
I carefully pried it open, then eased my way out of it, making sure to keep my footing on the brick banister outside.
I’d climbed a lot as a child, so I hoped my body would remember it since I’d be facing certain death if I fell from this height.
Determined not to look down, I made my way along the outside wall until I found one of the empty offices.
The balcony proved a safe place for me to rest my feet before I hurried inside.
I was pleased to find all the guards elsewhere as I quickly descended the stairs and made my way to the stables, hidden by the darkness.
All the horses were still in the stables, which meant the guards had yet to ride out. I had to hurry, though, before they all came storming in here. Luckily, there was no sign of Adrian and Corin either.
There was no time for saddling up, so I simply added a bridle to the nearest horse and led him outside, then placed him next to the fence so I could climb on.
My butt was already hurting as I rode the horse outside the palace walls, the guards ignoring me completely as I passed them by the gate.
Sadly, I couldn’t quite remember where the farm was placed, but I knew which town it was close to, so I headed in that direction, praying I could find my way.
It would take around an hour’s ride, and the darkness of night was already descending upon me, making the roads gloomy and unpredictable.
I prayed the sparse moonlight would guide me there safely.
As much as I was afraid of being out on my own at night, the idea of Sin being in danger kept me going.
I loved my brother, and the thought of any harm coming to him was unbearable.
The farther away I got from my alpha, the more guilt took over as I imagined how devastated Hal would be to find me gone.
We hadn’t been away from each other for a long period since my heat, and my body already longed for his comforting touch.
Shaking the thoughts away, I kept going, guiding my horse further toward my destination, while begging the higher powers that Sin would be okay.
I still had no idea why he’d been sent away all those years ago, but he was still my brother.
There had to be some reason why he was taken, and why I needed to show up alone.
The question of who had sent the letter kept nagging at me.
Who would do such an awful thing? I’d finally found peace and companionship.
Love even. Was it really too much to ask to just live a life in peace with the man I loved?
My chest tightened. I already missed Hal terribly, but I had no choice but to forge ahead.
Thirty minutes later, I arrived in the small town. Torches lit the entrance to the town center, but I ignored it and ventured to the right, following the smell of manure and hayfields.
“I hate the dark,” I muttered to myself, seeing moving shadows everywhere. I knew my horse was faring better in the dark than I was, but still, my anxiety rose as we neared the farm.
Soon, the road diverged into two. The one on the right had a sign I couldn’t read with only the sparse moonlight, but I figured I might as well follow that, since it could very well be the sign directing me to the farm.
After a little while, a whistling came from somewhere in the darkness, followed by a shout. “Hey!”
I stopped my horse, my heart galloping away instead.
“Hello?” I enquired, my voice shaking. I suddenly realized I hadn’t thought this through at all.
I was definitely not safe out here in the middle of nowhere at night, and I feared it would end up being a big mistake.
I hadn’t even brought a weapon for protection.
“Briar?” a voice asked, sounding close. My horse started whinnying, likely sensing my rising fear.
“Um, yes?” I was seconds away from panicking, nausea churning in my stomach.
“I’ve come to escort you to your brother.” His voice was gruff, cold, and I couldn’t see the man looming in the shadows.
“Alright,” I said, determined, as I pushed through the bile rising in my throat. “Show me the way.”
The man laughed, although I had no idea what was funny about this.
I jolted as a hand settled on my thigh. No alpha except Hal had ever touched me, and here I was, being touched as I waited for the inevitable.
“Get a move on!” the alpha barked, making me flinch.
Quickly, I dismounted and let the alpha grab me by the arm, as he dragged me wherever he wanted me.
The poor horse was left to himself, and I hoped he’d find his way home without me.
My instincts told me I was probably in danger, but I was too busy worrying about Sin to pay it much mind.
A rustling of leaves followed us as we approached a small cottage, lit up from within. It wasn’t until I saw the flickering flames inside that I realized just how cold I was. I’d been in such a hurry that I’d forgotten to dress warmly, and now I felt cold to the bone.
“In here,” the alpha grunted, pushing me inside the warm cottage. No wonder I hadn’t seen it from the road, with it being hidden away between thick trees and dense bushes.
It was a tiny thing, but blissfully warm. I eyed the interior, but it was sparsely furnished, just a simple farmhand cottage.
“Down there,” the alpha barked, pointing to a wooden latch on the floor. Oh gods, I hated cellars.
“Sin’s down there?” I asked, my stomach dropping. My brother had always been wary of the dark, and he usually slept with the light on when we were children and shared a bedroom.
The alpha simply chuckled before grabbing my arm and dragging me to the latch. With a firm hold on my wrist, he bent and opened it. Pitch-black darkness welcomed us, and not even a ladder could be seen from the opening.
“Well, get on with it!” he snapped, pushing me to the opening in the floor.
I shouldn’t have come here alone, I thought to myself, as I carefully made my way down into the unknown.
I shouldn’t have gone without Hal. I needed my alpha now more than ever.
I was so stupid. I squeezed my eyes tight, imagining Hal was here with me.
You can do this, Briar. You are strong and brave, sweetness.
There was no ladder, but there was no need. The cellar was only just high enough for me to sit, but not to stand.
The latch slammed closed above my head, taking all the light with it.
I let out a shaky sigh and started moving around in the dark, trying to feel my way forward.
“Sin?” I called out. Part of me wanted to find him, while another part prayed he wasn’t here, but somewhere else, safe and healthy.
I knew by now that I truly shouldn’t have come, but it was too late to regret it.
As I crawled forward, my fingers only connected with barrels and glass jars, and it appeared I was in a food storage.
“Sin!” I called again, but I was only greeted by silence.
Curling in on myself, I tried to block out the cold and the darkness. I focused on my breathing, trying to get it to settle. I lost track of time, and I must’ve dozed, because I awoke with a start and banged my head against the ceiling when a door slammed open upstairs.
“Where is he? You were supposed to meet me outside!” A voice so familiar to me whisper-shouted.
“I threw him in the cellar!” the alpha barked, not even bothering to keep his voice down.
My father stopped whispering as well, barking back curses before yelling, “Have you lost your mind?! I told you not to touch him!”
The alpha raised his voice. “I ain’t your lapdog, Omega. If you didn’t want your son manhandled, then perhaps you shouldn’t have had him abducted in the first place.”
Abducted? Renewed bile rose in my throat as nausea threatened to spin me out of control. My own father had planned this? I shouldn’t have been surprised, and yet, I’d still believed that some part of him loved me, loved Sin. Why would he orchestrate this? What was he trying to achieve?
“Whatever,” Father hissed. “We need him for the bartering, so you’d better keep your hands to yourself!”
“Fine,” the alpha groaned.
“Did you hear that?” Father whispered, and although I’d heard nothing, something seemed to have startled them both.
There was a sizzling sound, followed by the smell of smoke.
They must’ve put out the fire to bathe the cottage in complete darkness.
There was the distinct sound of rushed footsteps, then a door closing softly behind them.
I was truly alone now. I imagined Hal’s brown eyes flooded with worry. I felt sick to my stomach thinking about how upset my alpha must’ve been once he found me missing.
My body folded in on itself as I tried to calm my breathing. A tear escaped my eyes unbidden, and I prayed everything would be alright. That Sin, wherever he was, would be safe, and that my beloved alpha would come for me and carry me from the darkness and out into the light.