5. The Rose
Chapter 5
The Rose
I hadn’t had time for a bath, and I was more than a little cranky to have missed the luxury.
The trip to see Helena, however brief and ultimately unproductive, cost me precious minutes I could’ve spent basking in a warm tub. Instead, I made due with the wash basin and a pitcher. It’d taken longer than I’d like to comb through the damp tangles of my hair, but I’d made quick work of braiding the front of it away from my face. I left the rest to hang down my back before dressing in my black leathers and pulling on my boots. I considered it a perk I’d failed to remove my knives from them the night before.
By the time I grabbed my bags and closed the door behind me, I headed toward the sound of laughter ringing from the front hall. I was cutting it close. Surely there were less than ten minutes to spare before the portal was due to be opened. When I turned the final corner, a little body ran into me from the side, wrapping its arms snugly around my torso.
A flushed, smiling face peered up at me under a mass of brown curls. “I caught you, Beta Briar!”
I laughed and dropped my bags to pick her up and spin her around, loving the high-pitched giggles that echoed across the stone walls of the corridor. “You certainly did!”
I perched the still giggling girl on my hip and bopped her nose with a finger.
“When did you grow so big?” I teased her, “I feel like I just spun a bag of stones around. Are you planning to join our ranks sometime soon, and you forgot to tell me?”
“No!” she exclaimed through her laughter. “I’m only four, silly! I can’t rank anything yet.”
“Oh my mistake,” I said in a faux serious tone, “I thought maybe you’d turned sixteen and forgotten to invite me to all your birthday parties. I was going to be sad I missed all the treats.”
“I’d never forget to invite you, Bri Bri,” she promised with a sweet grin, lifting her hand to run over the braids on my head. “You’re my best friend, but don’t tell Ollie. It’d hurt his feelings and he might not play with me anymore.”
“I’ll keep it between us,” I promised and placed the hand not securing her to me to my heart.
“Thanks,” she exhaled dramatically. “That would’ve been a dis-bastard.”
“I think you mean disaster, dear one,” I gently corrected, holding in the bout of laughter threatening to burst from my lips.
“Nuh-uh, it’s definitely dis-bastard,” she said, shaking her little head at me. “I heard my daddy say it.” Of course she had.
“Adeline!” His voice boomed from down the hall, and she gave me a sheepish look as she turned to face him.
Logan stopped short at the sight of his daughter in my arms, back stiffening, chin lifting.
“Hello, Enforcer,” I greeted cordially, setting Adeline on her feet and running a hand over her hair as she looped an arm around one of my legs and leaned against it.
“Beta.” He inclined his head toward me, behaving far more civilly in front of his daughter than in front of the other Enforcers.
“Daddy,” she said exasperatedly, “where have you been? I’ve been waiting for you for ages!”
“I’ve been trying to catch up to you calling your name,” he spoke in a stern voice, but I saw the corners of his mouth raise ever so slightly as he gazed at his little girl.
“You were too slow.” She shrugged. “I had to catch my Bri Bri before she left for her adventure without my hugs.”
“I’m glad you caught me, Adeline,” I said, glancing at Logan quickly before settling back on her, “But you need to listen to your father and wait for him before running through the compound alone, okay?”
Surprise flashed through Logan’s eyes, and I fought the urge to roll my own. I hadn’t undermined him in front of Adeline before I’d won the Beta position from him, I certainly wasn’t going to do it now. Our frustrations with each other didn’t change the fact he was an excellent father, nor did it change that I adored his daughter.
“Fine.” She drew out the word and tilted her head up at me.
“Do you really have to go?” she asked, her bottom lip quivering ever so slightly, eyes shining. I dropped to one knee so we were nearly eye level and took her soft, little hands in mine.
“I really do,” I told her. Her chin dropped to her chest, but I used one crooked finger to tilt it up until she was looking at me again. “I’ll be back though.”
“Promise?’
“Promise.”
“Fine,” she agreed, then narrowed her eyes and added, “And when you’re back we’ll do our Saturdays again?”
“I’m not sure I can do that, dear one.” Though I wished I could. The likelihood of Logan welcoming me into his home for a Saturday meal was about as likely as a kelpie drowning. “But seeing you and getting one of your hugs will be my top priority, okay?”
“Okay,” she agreed sadly before wrapping her arms around my neck and squeezed tightly. She put her face to my ear and said in what I think was meant to be a whisper, “You’re my very favorite person in the whole wide world, Bri Bri. I’m going to be just like you when I grow up.”
I cleared my throat against the ball of emotion her words caused. “That’s one of the best compliments anyone could ever give me. Thank you.”
I dropped a quick kiss on the top of her head and returned to my feet, sniffling a bit to hide my reaction to her. I didn’t need Logan adding ‘too emotional’ to his list of reasons I was unfit to be Beta.
Adeline gave me one final, watery look, and rushed into her father’s arms. He held her tightly to him with one hand cupping the back of her head that she hid in the crook of his neck. I didn’t want to draw out the goodbye longer than necessary. Hopefully, once I was gone, she’d return to playing with Oliver or find a treat to lift her spirits.
I gathered my bags back into my arms and started to pivot back in the direction I’d been heading when Adeline had found me, but froze when Logan called my name. I looked over my shoulder to meet his eyes. To my surprise, he lowered them after only a few moments.
“Have a safe journey,” he said through a mild grimace. “Maybe when you get back we could do breakfast or something. Maybe.”
He turned on his heel and quickly exited the way he came, Adeline waving her hand at me over his shoulder as they went. After I picked my jaw up from the floor I continued my journey to the front hall. When I reached it, it was filled with people passing through or chatting in clusters.
“Afternoon, Beta!”
“Safe travels today. Keep an eye out for any ruffians on the road.”
“Beta, we’re going to miss you so much! Have a safe trip!”
At least half of my pack mates who had shown up to send us on our way. My path was blocked every few feet by hugs, well-wishes, and handshakes. I thanked and nodded my way through the crowd until I reached the Alpha and Luna standing hand in hand by the doorway.
“You look ready for battle, Briar,” Lucas observed dryly, only the glint in his eye letting onto his teasing. “Are you expecting a fight today?”
“A wise old man once told me I should always be ready for a fight.” I mimicked his dry tone and said, “You never know if a rustle in the woods is a bunny or a chimera.” Ivy snorted beside him.
“An old man, now am I?” His laugh echoed through the room. “I guess I deserve that.”
“At least I called you wise.”
He cupped my face briefly before letting his hand fall back to his side. Truthfully, Lucas had yet to reach his forty-second year and looked every bit as youthful. The faint whisper of lines beginning to form around his eyes was the only indicator of his age.
“I’m going to miss you, little warrior,” he said more softly. “I would tell you to take care of everyone at the Academy for me, but I already know you will. Oh, I almost forgot.”
Behind him, the bags were being loaded into the carriage and the horses were being saddled for our journey. He walked over to one of the rucksacks and pulled out two wrapped parcels.
“I have something for you.” He held them out to me and dropped them into my open hands.
“What are they?” I couldn’t exactly open them with both hands occupied. I brought one up to my nose and breathed in the lovely aroma of vanilla.
“You packed me a piece of cake?” My smile stretched from one side of my face to another at the thought.
“I packed you two pieces of cake,” he said proudly. “I was thinking you could give one of them to Grayson.” I froze, willing my smile to stay in place.
“Oh.” Not one of my most intelligent responses. “Thank you. I’ll make sure he gets it and let him know it’s from you.”
“I thought maybe you two could eat them together,” Lucas rushed to say. “As I remember it, slices of cake often went missing with only a trail of crumbs left in their place. Maybe you could share a few pieces again and reconnect?”
“Leading is difficult,” Ivy interjected softly, “but it’s easier with a partner you can lean on.”
Do not ask me to give more than I have already given.
I pushed the memory away.
“We think you’ll make an exceptional pair.” The hope in Lucas’ eyes filled me with guilt.
“We’ll do our best, both to serve the Iolite pack and to represent the Othniel pack well.” And I believed we would, but we weren’t going the kind of pair they hoped we’d become. I lifted the cakes in thanks, and walked past the couple to place them back in one of the bags for our journey. I’d decide if I was sharing with Grayson after I got there.
Lucas remembered our childhood antics correctly, though at the time I’d thought him unaware. Making friends as the new kid who was found wandering alone in the woods wasn’t easy. I hardly spoke to anyone, but I’d speak to Grayson. He’d sneak into the kitchen and steal us treats to eat hidden in a corner of the library. He could’ve been doing anything else with anyone else, but instead, he stayed with me. I loved him for it, and that’s when I knew: I’d always be by his side.
Until I wasn’t.
Cake securely packed in my rucksack, I looked back to his parents.
“I hate goodbyes,” Ivy lamented as she took my hand in hers, “but I’m so excited for you. I hope you know how proud we are to have you as a leader in this pack, and a member of this family.”
My throat tightened as silver pools gathered in the bottom of her eyes. I wanted to throw my arms around her neck and tell her how much I’d miss her, but I settled for giving her hand a gentle squeeze instead. She leaned closer and whispered, “Remember, no matter what happens when you arrive, show no weakness. You are the rightful Luna of that pack and you will demand their respect. To disrespect you is to disrespect the pack, and to disrespect the pack…” She trailed off but her meaning was clear. To disrespect the pack would be a grave mistake.
“I understand.”
“I know you do. Give Grayson this for me.” She leaned in and pecked my cheek.“And tell him to write more often.” I would pass on the request to write but nothing else.
“Right then,” Lucas sighed. “We’d better get you saddled up. The portal will be opening soon.”
Naomi and Marcus, the twins who’d just come of age with me, had already climbed onto the bench of the carriage and were now—to no one’s surprise—bickering over who would hold the reins.
“Will you two pack it in already?” The serpents’ mother groaned, “You’ll be lucky if Briar doesn’t leave you behind in the forest.”
“She—He— started it!” they exclaimed in unison.
I walked over to my horse, Isis, and took the reins from a waiting Fenrir. He patted my arm and said, “Be safe, Briar,” before stepping back.
“I will,” I promised. His answering smile looked forced, but it was a smile all the same. I mounted my horse and took my place ahead of the carriage.
The attending pack members gathered around us, all calling out farewells and promises we’d be missed. I’d miss them too. I’d miss waking up to the sun rising over the mountains. I’d miss dancing around the bonfires in the evenings. I’d miss it all, but I’d be back, I reminded myself. Ivy approached and rested a hand on my knee as Lucas ran his fingers through Isis’ mane.
“Portals can’t be opened on Academy grounds so it’ll drop you just outside the Sorrowood. Just take the eastern path and you should arrive before nightfall. Grayson and the rest of the pack will be there to welcome you.”
“I’ll write to you both soon,” I promised as the air began to ripple twenty yards ahead.
I gave the crowd a final wave and gestured to my travel companions. “Let’s go.”