Chapter 7 - The Brothers' Promise

Beatrice POV

The white-haired one wouldn't stop staring at me. Kaelen, he'd said his name was. He looked around my age, with ice-blue eyes that seemed to see everything.

"You have Father's eyes," he said softly. "I'd forgotten that."

I didn't know what to say to that. These men were my brothers. My family. The thought was so huge and impossible that my brain couldn't process it.

"We should move," Theron said. He kept scanning the forest like he expected more rogues to appear. "Silvermist will realize she's gone soon."

"Let them come," Silas said, his voice cold. "I'd love to have a conversation with Alpha Riven about his hospitality."

"Not here," Corin said. He still had one hand on my shoulder, like he was afraid I'd disappear if he let go. "Beatrice needs food, rest, and medical attention. Everything else can wait."

"I'm fine," I said automatically. It was what I always said. What I'd been trained to say.

Corin's expression told me he didn't believe it for a second. "When's the last time you had a full meal?"

I tried to remember. "Yesterday morning. There were leftover biscuits from breakfast service."

"Leftover biscuits," Theron repeated. His voice was too quiet, too controlled. "That's what they fed you?"

"I ate better than most servants," I said quickly. "Alpha Riven's household was generous."

Kaelen made a sound that might have been a laugh or a growl. "Generous. Right."

They were all looking at me with the same expression. Anger mixed with something that looked like guilt and grief. It made me uncomfortable.

"Why didn't you come sooner?" The question slipped out before I could stop it. "If you were looking for me all this time, why did it take twenty years?"

The silence that followed was heavy. Theron's jaw tightened, and Corin closed his eyes like I'd hit him.

"We tried," Silas said finally. "We followed every lead, chased down every rumor. We had investigators all over the kingdom looking for any sign of you."

"But someone was covering their tracks," Kaelen added. His voice was hard. "Every time we got close, the trail went cold. Documents disappeared. Witnesses died. Someone very powerful wanted you to stay lost."

"Why?" I asked.

"That's what we're going to find out," Theron said. "But first, we're getting you out of here."

He moved toward me, and I instinctively stepped back. His face fell, and I felt a pang of guilt. But I couldn't help it. I'd spent twenty years learning that powerful men were dangerous.

"I won't hurt you," Theron said gently. "None of us will. Ever. You have my word."

"Our word," Corin said. The others nodded.

I wanted to believe them. The locket in my hand, the stuffed wolf in my arms, even my own blood seemed to recognize them as kin. But trust didn't come easy when you'd spent your whole life being told you were worthless.

"What happens now?" I asked.

"Now we take you home," Theron said. "To Wynterhold. Where you belong."

"I don't belong anywhere." The words came out harsh and bitter. "I'm a servant. A rejected mate. Nobody wants me."

"We want you," Kaelen said fiercely. "We've always wanted you. You're our sister."

Sister. The word felt foreign on my tongue. I'd never had siblings. Never had anyone who claimed me as family.

Luna stirred in my mind. These males speak truth. I can feel their wolves calling to ours. They're pack. They're home.

"What about Silvermist?" I asked. "Won't they come after me?"

"Let them try," Silas said. His smile was sharp and dangerous. "Kidnapping and abusing a royal heir is a Council-level offense. If Riven's smart, he'll beg for mercy."

"And if he's not smart?" I asked.

"Then I'll handle it personally," Theron said. There was no doubt in his voice. No hesitation. He would destroy Silvermist Pack if they tried to take me back.

The thought should have scared me. Instead, it made me feel something I'd never felt before. Protected.

"I need to get my things," I said.

"No." Corin shook his head. "Whatever's in that place, we'll replace it. You're not going back there."

"But my clothes, my"

"Were hand-me-downs and rags," Kaelen interrupted. "Trust me, little sister. You won't miss any of it."

Little sister. The casual affection in those words made my throat tight.

A howl echoed in the distance. Theron's head snapped up, and the other brothers immediately went on alert. They moved to surround me, their bodies forming a protective circle.

"Silvermist patrol," Theron said. "They've found your trail."

"We need to move now," Silas said as he looked at me. "Can you shift?"

I thought about my one clumsy transformation. "I... I don't know. Maybe?"

"It's okay," Corin said. "I'll carry you."

Before I could protest, he shifted. His wolf was huge and grey with kind amber eyes. He lowered himself to the ground so I could climb onto his back.

I'd never ridden a wolf before. I grabbed handfuls of his thick fur and held on as he stood. The other brothers shifted too—Theron into that massive black wolf, Silas into a sleek dark one, and Kaelen into the ghostly white wolf I'd seen earlier.

They moved as a unit, running through the forest with perfect coordination. Corin's gait was smooth despite his size, and I found myself relaxing slightly against his back.

More howls sounded behind us. The Silvermist patrol was getting closer.

Theron led us deeper into the woods, away from pack territory and toward the neutral lands between territories. The trees blurred past. My hands ached from gripping Corin's fur, but I didn't dare let go.

We ran for what felt like hours but was probably only thirty minutes. Finally, we burst into a clearing where several vehicles waited. Men and women in expensive clothes stood guard around them.

Corin shifted carefully so I could slide off his back. A woman immediately wrapped a blanket around my shoulders.

"This is Wynterhold territory," Theron said. He'd shifted back and someone had given him clothes. "You're safe here."

I looked back toward the forest. I couldn't see the Silvermist patrol, but I could hear them howling in the distance. They'd stopped at the border, unwilling to trespass on Wynter land.

"They'll tell Alpha Riven," I said.

"Good," Theron replied. "Let him know exactly who he's been keeping prisoner."

One of the men approached and bowed to Theron. "My lord, we've prepared vehicles to take you back to the Keep. Should we expect pursuit?"

"Not tonight," Theron said. "But double the border patrols anyway. I want to know if anyone from Silvermist so much as looks at our territory."

"Yes, my lord."

They herded me toward a large black SUV. The interior was leather and luxury, nothing like any vehicle I'd ever been in. Corin climbed in beside me, and Kaelen took the seat on my other side. Theron sat up front with the driver.

"It's about four hours to Wynterhold Keep," Corin said. "Try to rest."

Rest seemed impossible. My mind was spinning with everything that had happened. This morning I'd been a servant facing an arranged marriage. Now I was apparently a princess with four brothers and a family estate I'd never seen.

Kaelen must have sensed my thoughts because he reached over and squeezed my hand. "It's real," he said softly. "All of it. You're not dreaming."

I looked down at our joined hands. His were strong and calloused, nothing like the soft hands of someone who'd never worked. "What if I'm not who you think I am? What if there's been a mistake?"

"There's no mistake," Corin said. "We had your DNA tested from the locket. You're our sister."

"But I'm not..." I struggled to find the words. "I'm not like you. I'm not strong or powerful or special. I'm just me."

"Just you is exactly who we've been waiting for," Kaelen said.

The SUV started moving, carrying me away from the only home I'd ever known. I should have felt scared. Lost. Instead, I felt something that might have been hope trying to grow in my chest.

I fell asleep with my head on Corin's shoulder and Kaelen still holding my hand. For the first time in my life, I felt like maybe I wasn't alone anymore.