Chapter 24 #2
Let him suffer and feel a fraction of what he condemned me to. He deserves this—
Footsteps echo in the hallway. Multiple sets coming this direction. I freeze, ears tracking their approach.
Panic spikes. I need to hide. My eyes sweep the room and land on the wardrobe in the corner. I slip behind it, wedging myself into the tight space. My black fur helps me blend into the shadows. I hold perfectly still, barely breathing.
The door opens.
Garrett enters first and seeing him breaks something inside me. He looks tired. The exhaustion is visible even from across the room. His shoulders are slightly slumped with dark circles under his eyes. He’s aged in the days since I last saw him, worn down by something more than just lack of sleep.
I want to go to him and tell him I miss him.
Fuck, that. No.
I’m being an idiot. A stupid, pathetic idiot. He betrayed me and condemned me to this. Yet, I’m acting like some lovesick fool. Get it together.
I want his hands in my fur the way they used to be in my hair.
What am I doing? This is pathetic. But the urge is overwhelming and irrational.
Two knights follow him inside.
One wears the silver insignia of a royal guard with an eyepatch covering his left eye. The other is a dark-haired male, taller than me or even most Grimsbane.
“The Queen’s rotation protocol is straightforward,” the blonde-haired knight with the eyepatch says.
This is Aelfric, the queen’s royal guard.
“Guards change every eight hours. We’ll rotate between you, me, and Darstan.”
“Understood,” Garrett’s tone matches the formality.
There’s no warmth between them yet. Garrett is the outsider, the former enemy brought into the fold.
“You’re part of her royal guard now. That means you’re responsible for her life.” Aelfric crosses his arms. “I won’t pretend I trust you yet, Clayborne. But I trust her Highness’s judgment. That buys you my confidence.”
“Her plan to travel to the Demon Lord’s castle in the human realm is dangerous.” The tall one, Darstan finally speaks. His voice is deeper than Aelfric’s.
“It’s a trap,” Garrett says flatly. “I wouldn’t put it past the Aeonians to orchestrate this.”
“Obviously. I told her as much.” Aelfric sighs heavily. “She’s going through with it anyway.”
The Queen has made her decision and even her closest guards can’t change her mind.
“She’ll be vulnerable during the journey.” Darstan’s voice is grave. “We need to plan the full security detail carefully.”
Garrett steps closer to the map spread across his desk. “The route through the borderlands has three chokepoints. We’ll need scouts ahead at each one.” His finger traces the path. “Here, here, and here. If someone wants to ambush us, those are the logical places.”
Despite how new this arrangement is, they’re already functioning as a team. Garrett fits into their rhythm naturally. His tactical mind contributes insights they appreciate.
An uncomfortable feeling settles in my chest. It’s not quite jealousy or grief but something more complex as I watch Garrett move on. He is building new connections and finding his place in a world I’m no longer part of.
Garrett belongs with them.
He fits here, with these knights in his new role. They stand together while I hide in the shadows. I’m crouched behind his wardrobe, fur pressed against wood, watching through a gap like a fucking creep.
I wonder if he thinks about me at all. If any of it meant something or if I was just convenient. Perhaps I was just a temporary distraction that’s already been forgotten. The thought burns worse than the collar ever did.
Aelfric’s gaze suddenly shifts toward my hiding spot. His single eye locks onto the darkness.
“Come out. Now.”
I freeze.
I try to make myself smaller, tucking deeper into the gap. My heart hammers so loud I’m certain they can all hear it. His hand moves to his sword.
“I know you’re there. Show yourself.”
Shit.
Staying hidden is no longer an option. He knows exactly where I am. Reluctantly, I step into the lamplight.
All three of them turn to look at me. Three trained warriors, their focus sharpening instantly on the wolf that just emerged from the shadows. I can feel their assessment on how quickly they can kill me if necessary.
“Well, I didn’t know you had a dog, Clayborne.” Aelfric’s posture relaxes slightly, a hint of a smile touching his lips. “I suppose it’s something you and Rhianelle have in common. She loves her cats.”
Garrett’s eyes widen for just a moment, surprise flickering across his face before his expression shutters. “It’s not mine.”
Something inside me breaks at those words.
But I can’t fall apart now. I came here for a reason. Aurora needs help and I can’t save her like this. Garrett is smart, resourceful. If anyone can figure out what happened to me, it’s him.
I have to try. This is Garrett. We spent weeks together, shared a bed, shared secrets.
I have to try and make him understand somehow.
It’s me, Garrett.
The words scream inside my head but come out as nothing. My mouth moves but produces no human sounds, no recognizable speech. I huff, sharp and urgent.
Please, help me and my friend. Aurora and I are in trouble.
I push air through my lungs again, trying to make it mean something.
“How did it even get in here?” Garrett mutters, perplexed by my presence.
I move toward him, trying to catch his attention. My paws carry me across the floor, closing the distance between us. I need to get close enough that he’ll look at me.
I’m not a wolf. It’s me. The person he trusted with his life.
Garrett glances around the room. “The windows and balcony are far too tall for it to climb.”
It?
Desperation claws at me. I can feel panic building in my chest. I paw at his boot, anything that might spark recognition. My front paw reaches out, claws clicking against the leather of his boot. I tap once, twice, the way I used to touch his arm when I wanted his attention.
My friend is in trouble, I bark again, louder and more frantic this time.
Aurora’s face flashes through my mind. Five hunters closing in on her, the guild’s cruelty, her screams if they catch her.
I bark again, putting everything I have into the sound.
His gaze slides right past me.
Look at me. Please just look at me.
I stand on my hind legs, front paws reaching toward him. But he steps back, putting distance between us.
“My apologies for the security breach,” Garrett apologizes to his companions, for the disruption to their meeting. “I should call the guards.”
“It’s fine,” Aelfric starts, but Garrett is already turning toward the door.
“Guards! We have an intruder in the castle—”
Darstan moves.
He’s suddenly beside me with a knife gleaming in his hand.
The movement is so fast I barely see it. I’m ready to bolt but he reaches for my neck. I tense, expecting the blade to find my throat.
But his touch is surprisingly gentle, controlled. His fingers find the leather band of the collar and it parts under his blade. The servitor band falls away, landing on the floor with a soft thud. I can breathe more easily.
Curiosity sparks in Garrett’s eyes. “Why did you remove the tag?”
Finally, a flicker of interest.
“It’s too tight.” Darstan examines the leather.
He holds the collar up to the light, turning it to inspect both sides. His fingers trace over the surface, feeling for the silver runes etched into the inside. They glow faintly in the lamplight. I couldn’t see them while wearing the collar.
“This is binding magic. It’s hurting him,” Darstan surmises.
“It’s enchanted?” Aelfric steps closer, frowning at the collar.
He leans in to examine the runes, his single eye narrowing as he studies the symbols. The frown deepens as he recognizes some of the sigils.
“The runes are old and orkan. It could be cursed.” Darstan’s fingers pause on one symbol. “I’ll have Siofra examine it. She’ll know what this is doing to your dog.”
“Like I said, it’s not mine,” Garrett replies flatly.
Not his.
That’s right. I’m just an animal that wandered in. He moves toward me, reaching down to grab my scruff.
“Come on. Out.”
The last thread of hope snaps. Garrett’s not going to recognize me. He’s just going to remove me like any other inconvenience and toss me out of his chambers.
I’m nothing to him.
I twist and my jaws close around his forearm.
The movement is pure instinct, animal reaction to being grabbed. My teeth sink into flesh. A metallic taste coats my tongue.
“Garrett!” Aelfric’s sword rings as he draws it.
The sound of steel leaving the scabbard is sharp. I see the blade from the corner of my eye, positioned to cut me down. Aelfric is fast and decisive, protecting his new comrade without hesitation.
I release immediately, stumbling backward. Horror crashes over me as I see the bite marks on Garrett’s arm, deep punctures welling red.
Blood runs down his arm, dripping onto the floor in steady drops. The sound seems impossibly loud in the sudden silence.
What have I done?
Garrett cradles his arm, staring down at the wound. His face has gone pale and his other hand moves to cover the wound. Blood seeps between his fingers.
When he looks at me, there’s nothing in his eyes but shock. He still doesn’t know it’s me. Even after this, he just sees an animal that attacked him.
I run from Garrett’s chambers like the coward I’ve become.
My paws scramble for purchase on smooth stone as I bolt for the door. I hear shouting behind me—Aelfric calling for guards, Darstan moving to pursue. I don’t look back. I just run.
The stairs are easier to navigate on four legs. I burst through a door into the courtyard, where two Clayborne guards immediately raise their spears. Their eyes go wide as they register what they’re seeing.
“Wolf in the castle!” one shouts.
His voice carries, alerting everyone in range.
Torches light up the courtyard instantly. More footsteps echo from inside the keep.
The other guard lunges, spear point aimed at my ribs. He’s aiming for a kill. The angle would pierce my heart if it connected.
I dodge and my jaws find his arm. Bone crunches between teeth and blood floods my mouth. My jaws are strong enough to snap bone, designed for this.
He screams.
I release him, horrified, but the damage is done. His arm hangs useless, torn open by my bite. It’s destroyed and might never work properly again even with healing.
“Get help!” he gasps to his partner. He clutches the ruined arm to his chest, trying to apply pressure. Blood keeps flowing despite his efforts.
I was focused on the first guard, horrified by what I’d done. I didn’t track the second guard’s movement. The spear point catches me in the shoulder, punching through fur and muscle. Pain explodes through my body as steel drives deep.
I leap at him all muscle and fury, bowling him over. His spear goes flying, clattering across stone. The armor protects his torso but his throat is exposed. The wolf knows where to strike.
My jaws go for his throat.
The wolf wants to finish this, wants to eliminate the threat. One bite and he dies.
No.
The word screams through my mind. This is a person, someone just doing their job, protecting their household.
I’m the threat here. I’m the monster. I can’t do this.
The realization crashes down with crushing weight. I’m standing over a terrified guard with my teeth inches from his face. Red drops spatter across his cheek, his forehead. My blood, leaking from where his spear pierced me.
I step off his chest, moving backward on trembling legs. Both guards are down. One is cradling his shattered arm and the other frozen in shock on his back. Neither one is immediately getting up to chase me.
Bells clang from the watchtowers and alarms spread through the estate as guards mobilize in response. More of them will come with crossbows and nets.
The Clayborne estate is no longer safe. I can hear boots pounding across stone from multiple directions. They’re preparing to hunt me down. This time they won’t try to remove me peacefully. They will kill me.
I run into the city streets.