Up all night

Hadrian

Once I confirmed she was awake now, I walked out of the door. Even though I had the wall up, her emotions powered through them.

I'd been trying unsuccessfully to fall asleep when her emotions hit me square in the chest. Every control I had on my wolf disappeared in that moment, and when I heard her whimpering from the door, I almost tore it down. 

Afraid of scaring her, I had to get the maid

I stood out of the door, waiting and making sure she was okay. Once the whimpering came down, I forced myself to walk away. What could she have possibly dreamt of to be hit with so much pain? Was it often?

I gritted my teeth and my nails dug into my palm from how hard I was clenching my fists. Why do I care? There were better things to focus my energy on.

For the rest of the night, I stayed awake. I forced myself to read through some documents, even when my mind was alert, waiting and watching for anything to happen again.

Half of the documents I'd been putting off for a week now, since the appearance of those two at the border, I've gone through them in just one night.

Sighing, I finally stood up from my seat, ready to go for the daily training, but then the door was pushed open and Beatrice walked in.

Her eyes widened slightly when she saw me but she immediately schooled her features and smiled at me.

“You are here so early.”

I nodded, pointing to the stack of documents. “I had to go through those. Were you looking for me?”

Her eyes roamed the office, then she nodded. “I searched your room, couldn't find you so I came here.” She took a breath, then gently grabbed my hand in hers. “You have to call a meeting again, Hadrian, this time you have to publicly reject that girl and put an end to all this. Justice has been delayed for far too long.”

“I will, but not today.”

“Then when? You shouldn't make us wait for long, this…”

“Have you ever considered that they might be innocent?”

I regretted that question the second it left my lips. Beatrice released her grip on my hands and stepped back.

“Can you ask that question again?”

“Do not worry about it.” One day of conversation with Aidora and I was suddenly doubting the truth I've lived with for fourteen years? What a joke. “I shouldn't have asked th-”

“You absolutely shouldn't have!” She snapped. “14 years of that scene of them setting the house on fire replaying in my mind, and you stand there to even consider them slightly innocent?”

“Wait-” I pushed myself off the table I leaned on, “-you saw them set the house on fire?”

“I just said that.”

“Seems so, but, I thought you didn't see them till the house was already burning and they were charging into the house with their crew?”

Color vanished from her face immediately and my pulse quickened. “Beatrice?”

She let out a laugh. “You don't know what it is like to watch your family burn right before your eyes. You were spared that horror, I wasn't, so forgive my memory for being bad.”

My stomach tightened at her words. I'd snuck out that night to party with my friends, that was the only reason I was spared from the fire. It makes me sick till this very day.

“I didn't mean it that…”

“It has to be today, Hadrian. You have to set up the meeting and reject her today. The Full moon is less than two weeks, if you let this bond be, you won't be able to resist it when the moon makes her full appearance. Today, Hadrian.”

The door rattled the walls of the house when she slammed it close on her way out.

I sank back into the table, jaw clenched tightly. Two weeks till the full moon, I have to find a way to sever the bond before then. For now… I'd have to find a way to keep Beatrice from insisting on the meeting.

Telling anyone a traitor's life was tied to mine would not happen. Not when trust is a risky move.