Chapter Nine

WELCOME TO BLACKTHORNE FORTRESS 

“What do you mean that none of them carried a family crest?” Magnus' deep voice cut through the thick silence that fell in the forest.

The commander couldn’t look at Magnus, then he slowly lowered his head respectfully.

“My Alpha”, the commander started while he slowly raised his head to look at Magnus boldly, but the stern look on Magnus' face made him drift away.

He continued in a barely audible voice, “I’ve searched every attacker, their armor had no symbol, and their weapons were specifically crafted, but there’s no sign that they were truly sent by Rowan”.

Magnus brows drew together, his gaze sharpened as the look on his face changed suddenly then he let out a dangerous chortle. 

“Intriguing, so they are professional assassins sent to die?” Magnus chuckled.

The commander nodded slightly, without saying any word again.

Magnus continued again in a deep and loud voice, “it’s only powerful people that can afford to hire men that are willing to die without revealing the identity of those who sent them”.

All the Blackthorne warriors let out a loud laughter in unison that echoed across the forest, and one of them muttered “they prepared to come and die”.

Magnus nodded slightly with a faint smile on his thin lips, and he looked around the battlefield. The ground that was covered with snow turned red with blood, broken arrows, and dead horses littered everywhere.

Magnus' gaze slowly shifted to me, and it seemed like the words one of the attackers said before he died replayed in his mind again, because of how he gazed at me.

“Is she really the silver wolf?” He asked himself rhetorically while his gaze was still fixed on me.

I sat quietly on his horse with my hands folded gently on my laps, and I curled my soft fingers into my long black hair.

I was seriously frightened and perplexed about what just happened, and there was no iota of pride on my face because I just healed a wounded warrior.

Several thoughts ran through my mind but only one lingered, “I am the same omega that was discarded and even publicly rejected because she’s weak, just healed a wounded warrior”.

At first, everything seemed so surreal to me, and I was trying so hard to understand what just happened.

Magnus walked up to the warrior I healed and muttered “let me see the wound again”.

The warrior quickly rolled up his trousers, and everyone clamped a hand over their mouth. There was no sign of bleeding, only a faint scar was on the spot where he got injured.

One of the warriors that was standing close to him when he had the injury shouted, and immediately covered his mouth with his palm.

“My Alpha, the arrow pierced his leg completely causing him to bleed profusely”, the warrior that stood close to him confessed.

Magnus squatted to examine the spot where the warrior got injured carefully, then he turned to look at me again, “you’ve really healed him”.

I started fidgeting and blinking uncontrollably, “y… yes I think so, my Alpha”.

“You think so?” Magnus questioned me in surprise, because he didn’t expect to hear that response from me.

I nodded slightly and responded sharply, “I just wanted to save him from dying, I didn’t know I could do something like that”.

There was a thick and heavy silence that stretched across the battlefield, no warrior or even the commander dared to say a word, instead they all looked at me with respect.

The warrior I healed, walked up to me swiftly and bowed “thank you for saving my life, my lady”.

Before I could utter a word to him, all the Blackthorne warriors bowed immediately and chorused “our lady, we appreciate you” with a loud and heavy voice that was loud enough to make the earth shake.

For a few seconds, my breath hitched and my chest slammed rapidly against my ribs. My eyes widened in astonishment and I muttered “please you should stand erect, you don’t have to bow to me, I only saved his life and it’s something anyone can simply do”.

The commander smiled and walked gently towards me, “you deserve it, my lady because many nobles would have watched him die, but you risked your life to save him even when the battle was fierce”.

One of the warriors cut to the chase, “you’ve truly earned our respect, our lady”.

I felt warmth spread through me, and for the first time in my life people bowed to thank me, instead of insulting or talking down on me.

My vision blurred instantly as tears gathered around my lashes. I turned to look at Magnus, for the first time since I met him, I saw him truly and unreservedly elated. 

I looked away immediately so he wouldn’t notice that tears were about to drop from my eyes. Magnus walked up towards me and climbed on the horse instructing his warriors, “get on your horses now let’s leave”.

“Okay, our Alpha” the warriors responded in unison. Immediately, everyone mounted on their horses and moved as a convoy. The commander instructed the warriors to ride beside me to protect me regardless of the fact that I was sitting right in front of Magnus.

After a few hours, the thick forest disappeared behind us, and was replaced with tall mountains. The cold evening wind brushed on my face the moment I turned to look behind me again.

Suddenly I’m now being respected and protected by people who never thought they'd ever accord me respect. I felt a wave of peace, and calmness flowed through me. 

There were no whispers or even a word from anyone, the only thing I heard was the sound of horses' heavy stomping and the wind.

After a while, Magnus broke the silence and whispered into my ear “you look scared, are you?”

His question left me startled and I paused to clear my throat so I could respond without stuttering, “yeah, but not really scared”.

He chuckled, “don’t lie, I know you’re scared of me”.

I turned to look at him, and his expression was unreadable. A faint smile tugged on my lips, and I muttered with a soft voice “I’m no longer scared”.

Something flickered inside Magnus' eyes, but it disappeared before I could even think about what it was.

“Why did you change your mind suddenly?”

I looked at him again before I said, “because you’re not the beast, monster, or any terrible thing people described you as”.

I heaved a deep sigh of relief, as though I was forcing myself to speak before I continued, “you protected me, you carried me when my strength was exhausted, you even had to stop your journey and made sure I ate”.

A thick silence stretched between us, Magnus didn’t even utter a word in response to all I said, and it frightened me. His expression was still unreadable.

I continued praising without even waiting for his response, “no monster would have done all what you did for me”.

After a while, he finally responded “that’s intriguing to hear, but one thing you should learn is that, not everything that is said about someone truly defines the person’s nature”.

I nodded swiftly in agreement to what he said, because everything I heard about him is the opposite of who he is.

Despite the gross darkness that covered everywhere, I could sight Blackthorne fortress from a distance. The walls were black, very gigantic, and very long, the type that no one could escape or badge in without leaving through the gates.

My breath hitched and my eyes widened, as I fixed my gaze on the building.

I wanted to shout, but I clamped my hand on my mouth immediately “so this is the Blackthorne fortress”, I whispered beneath my breath.

The fortress stood proudly on its own on the mountain, it wasn’t surrounded by neighboring houses or even bush. There was a huge and metallic gate that guarded the entrance of the fortress.

Candles and torches burned brightly across the walls, the fortress looked very impossible to break in.

We approached the fortress slowly, and the commander blew a horn that echoed sharply across the mountains. The gate was opened immediately, and the warriors divided themselves to both sides of the entrance.

The moment Magnus rode inside gently, every warrior on their horses bowed and chorused, “welcome home Alpha!”

Their loud and heavy voices shook the ground of the fortress, Magnus nodded slowly as he rode inside. I almost jumped off the horse, but I composed myself before everyone.

Suddenly, Blackthorne fortress’s captain saw me sitting before Magnus, immediately knelt “my lady, welcome home”.

Every servant, maid, and soldier that didn’t accompany Magnus to the Royal palace knelt, “welcome home, our lady”.

For the first time in a while, I felt sincerely elated and tears almost dropped in my eyes. No one has ever welcomed me anywhere before. I looked at Magnus, his expression was still darkened, and he came down from the horse immediately.

“Hold my hand very well”, Magnus stretched his hand towards me to offer help so I could come down from the horse.

I placed my shaky hands inside his palms, and he brought me down carefully. The fortress captain offered a warm smile, while he said “your chambers have already been prepared, my lady”.

I blinked several times as my mind was struggling to comprehend what the Blackthorne fortress captain just said.

How come I have chambers already when I just arrived here not long ago. I looked at him then at Magnus again because I was still trying to process what he just said.

“My chambers? When I just arrived here a few minutes ago?” I asked astonishingly.