DANGERS IN THE WOODS

Elaris’s POV

And I found myself frozen on the edge of the cot, my hand automatically going to cover my stomach as the loud knock echoed through the tiny cottage.

I started to breathe in short gasps.

Nobody knew where Neryss had taken me.

At least, nobody who should.

Yet another knock sounded against the door.

This time, the knock was even louder.

I looked towards the window.

Darkness seemed to have engulfed most of the forest past the glass. Raindrops fell in crooked lines down the glass, causing the pine trees to appear like they were moving.

I clutched the blanket tighter in my hands.

Baby moved slightly under my hand.

"It's alright," I said quietly. "Mama is here."

The knocking stopped.

For a few seconds, all there was was the sound of rain.

But then the same voice spoke from behind the wooden door.

"Elaris, open the door, it's me."

Averic.

My whole body reacted before my mind did.

Relief washed over me.

Anger immediately followed and washed over that.

I remembered his palace hall.

His decree.

The guards.

How he didn't want to look at me.

I stayed in place.

"You shouldn't be here."

Silence followed.

Then came his voice, this time lowered.

“I know.”

“You were very clear before.”

“I know that, too.”

Something about his tone made me turn my eyes toward the door.

He sounded exhausted.

Not angry.

Not imperious.

Almost fearful.

"Why did you come?"

"I need to talk to you while there is still time."

The blood pounded in my ears.

While there was still time for what?

I began to stand up, using the wall for support.

Neryss stepped beside me, holding a little kitchen knife in her hand.

"Should we let him in?"

I looked at the door.

"I don’t know."

After several anxious seconds, I walked toward the door.

My fingers closed around the handle.

I paused.

Then I opened the door.

Averic was standing out on the porch.

Water was dripping from his coat. His black hair dripped off his forehead, and he looked weary as though exhaustion had taken away part of his face. Mud caked the bottom of his pants as though he had made his way through the forest by foot rather than by taking the pack trails.

There was nothing left of the untouchable Alpha standing in front of his council.

There was nothing left of a man who was running from something.

He searched my eyes.

For one moment, we were both silent.

And then he lowered his eyes to look at my stomach.

There was pain in his eyes.

“You’re still weak.”

I felt myself stiffen.

“Don’t make pretenses of being concerned now.”

His face tightened.

“I deserved that.”

He crossed the threshold of the cottage.

“Can I come inside?”

Almost, I rejected him.

But then the rain started beating even harder.

I moved aside.

“Five minutes.”

He came inside.

Averic closed the door behind him.

His eyes roamed the room of the cottage.

The hearth.

The bed.

The wooden table.

The thin blanket on my shoulders.

Something in his eyes changed.

“You’re living here?”

I smiled without humor.

“You commanded me to leave your castle.”

“I know.”

“And this is all that’s left.”

His eyes lowered.

“I never wanted this to happen to you.”

“But you knew it would.”

He had no answer.

Neryss stayed by the entrance to the kitchen, watching him.

Averic noticed Neryss.

"Neryss."

"Alpha."

Neither sounded happy to see each other.

Averic turned back to me.

There was something on his face I never saw there before.

It was regret.

It was genuine regret.

But regret couldn't change what happened.

"You should not be here, Alpha," I told him, keeping some distance between us. "You made your declaration before the whole pack."

"I had to."

"You had a choice."

He frowned.

"It was the only choice that would keep you alive."

I looked at him.

"Do you hear yourself?"

"Yes."

"You made me a danger to everyone."

"I had to make Virelle think she won."

"And Caedmon?"

"He had to believe that I was no longer protecting you."

I felt anger.

"You let them call me a murderer."

"I know."

"And you let them drag me outside in the rain."

He looked down.

"I watched."

It stung more than an excuse.

"You could have stopped them."

"Yes."

My voice softened.

"And you didn't."

Finally, Averic looked straight into my eyes.

"No," he said. "I didn't."

And underneath his coat, he pulled out a leather pouch.

He put the bag down on the table.

There was a metallic clunk as it hit the table.

Gold coins.

Next, he added a couple of packages of dried medicinal plants.

“They’re yours.”

I stared at the items.

“I don’t need your charity.”

“It’s not charity.”

“Then what is it?”

“It’s protection.”

I did not pick up the pouch.

Averic spoke again.

“There is enough gold for you to last you several months. The plants are for your wolf and the pregnancy.”

“Where did you get them?”

“From Harwin.”

Now this surprised me.

“Harwin helped you?”

“He thinks that there isn’t enough evidence against you.”

My heart skipped a beat.

“What did he discover?”

Averic’s face became stern.

“I do not know yet.”

“You’ve traveled all this way without answers?”

“I traveled because I found something else urgent.”

Neryss moved closer.

“What?”

Averic turned his gaze towards the window.

“Someone followed me.”

“Otherwise, Virelle and Caedmon would act openly against you since they would assume that I’d be protecting you,” Averic whispered, his voice breaking under the strain of exhaustion. “Without the public shame of being rejected, they wouldn’t hesitate to attack.”

I crossed my arms.

“And you expect me to trust you because you sacrificed your own reputation to protect me?”

“You sacrificed your trust in me.”

The statement brought me to a dead halt.

He took a breath.

“I was aware of what I was doing to you.”

“And you did it.”

“Yes.”

He reached out, but stopped before touching me.

“If I stood up for you publicly, the council would demand you imprisoned. Virelle would push for death penalty. Caedmon would use the controversy to question my power.”

I looked at him.

“And now?”

“Their impression is that you’re on your own.”

His voice softened.

“This means that you have less value to them.”

I furrowed my brows.

“What does it mean?”

The eyes of Averic darkened.

“They need you to be punished.”

Another silence.

“They want something from you.”

My hand covered my abdomen in defense.

He noticed it.

But said nothing.

I shook my head, not willing to let the explanation ease the way I felt.

“You let them call me a murderer and pushed me into the mud for your dignity.”

“No, I didn’t push you for my dignity.”

“You pushed me because that’s how it felt.”

“I know.”

My eyes stung.

“You promised me that nobody will cast me out.”

“I remember.”

“You said I can stay forever.”

His look cracked.

“I remember every single word.”

“And why should I believe you?”

Averic had nothing to say at once.

Eventually, he said,

“You shouldn’t.”

I looked at him in confusion.

“Not yet.”

His voice sounded as a barely heard whisper.

“Believe in what I’ll do.”

I felt something in me shift.

Neither forgiveness.

Neither acceptance.

Only uncertainty.

He turned his eyes towards my stomach again.

“If anything will happen to you or the child, I will never forgive myself.”

I felt a chill run down my spine.

He knows.

Or maybe he just guesses?

Before I was able to ask a question, he moved away from me.

Averic crossed the little distance that separated us.

I stepped back automatically.

He stopped.

Slowly he put his palms up.

“May I?”

I didn't reply.

His look searched my own.

It was when I finally stopped moving that he cupped my face in his hands.

They were warm despite the rain.

His thumbs wiped away the tears on my cheeks.

I hadn't even known I was crying.

"I am searching for the proof, Elaris," he spoke.

His voice lacked any Alpha orders.

Only desperation.

"I won't beg you to forgive me."

"Good."

"I won't beg you to come back."

My throat clenched.

"And then what would you like?"

"To know that you are alive."

His forehead hovered close to mine.

"To know that our child is safe."

I froze.

"Our child?"

His look shifted.

He had said it.

Not your child.

Not the baby.

Our child.

My heart pounded.

"How long have you known?"

Averic's look changed.

Before he could say anything, Neryss' head turned towards the window.

"Somebody is outside."

Averic let go of me immediately.

Averic walked towards the window and blew out the closest candle.

The cottage fell dark.

He listened.

I heard nothing but rain.

Then a sound came from the woods.

Averic's wolf reacted noticeably beneath his skin.

"Stay here."

He moved toward the door.

I grabbed him by the arm.

"Who's out there?"

"I don't know."

"Then don't go out alone."

His look softened momentarily.

"Elaris, if anyone followed me, they could be waiting for the chance to get to you."

My insides clenched.

"Why would they follow us here?"

His look grew dark.

"Because they know you have something of value."

I glanced down.

My baby.

Averic opened the door.

Before heading outside, he turned around.

"If I knock three times after I leave, don't answer the door."

"Why?"

His expression turned hard.

"Because I won't be the one doing that."

And he was gone into the rain.

Time passed.

I stood by the window listening to the storm.

Neryss stayed by the door.

"Should we leave?"

"Not yet."

"You heard what he said."

"I did."

A branch snapped outside.

Neryss held her knife.

Then we heard footsteps.

Slow.

Heavy.

Encircling the cottage.

My wolf drew back.

The scent came to me a moment later.

Rogue.

But under the smell of the beast there was another.

Herbal bitter.

Aconite.

My blood went cold.

"Neryss."

She looked at me.

"What?"

"I know that scent."

Her face altered.

“What about the poison?”

I nodded.

Maevra’s poisoner was here.

Not looking for evidence.

Looking for me.

There was then a growl coming from somewhere outside the cottage.

A second growl responded.

There were more than just one wolf outside the cottage.

The cottage windows began to rattle.

Neryss took hold of my arm.

“Move away from the glass.”

I headed for the hearth.

A shadow flitted across the window.

Another followed.

My wolf began to growl within me.

Averic had told me not to open the door.

But he had not told me what to do when the threat was not entering the door.

A loud crack broke the silence.

One of the wooden shutters splintered inward.

Neryss cried out.

I placed my hand on my abdomen as a dark figure leaped through the hole.

A rogue wolf.

Its eyes glittered silver.

But before it could attack me, a second wolf collided with it from outside.

The two wolves collided in the dirt.

It was Averic.

His growl shook the trees.

For just long enough to yell,

“Elaris, run!”

I watched him through the broken window.

Then I saw the blood running down his side.

He had been wounded.

But behind him, deeper within the trees, there stood another man.

Not a rogue.

No.

A palace guard, who wore the crest of the Alpha.

I felt my blood turn to ice.

For we did not need any danger coming to us from outside of the pack.

No, it came from the inside.

Inside the house of Averic.

And whoever sent that guard had known exactly where I was hiding.