Chapter Four

* Diane *

I felt his body stiffen under my hand. For a second I thought he was going to snap at me. His whole back was rigid, muscles jumping under skin that was too hot, like he had a fever burning from the inside out.

Then that low sound came again. It's not quite a chuckle and it doesn't sound like a growl either.

"Calm... to talk to... and something good to eat huh?" His voice was wrecked. He was still on his knees, his head bowed, his sharp claws digging into the stone floor. "Who told you that?"

"My Mom," I whispered. "When I was little and my wolf was scared of thunder."

I shouldn't have been touching him. I knew that. He was a stranger, perhaps a beast, half-shifted, bleeding from where his own claws had torn his shoulders. But he was shaking so hard I thought he would break.

I did what Mom used to do for me. I kept my hand on his shoulder and started talking, even though my voice shook too.

"It's okay. You're okay, you're alive. The moon is just loud tonight. It will go down soon. You're safe here, id your live here then no one is going to hurt you."

He made a sound like he was in pain again and his head dropped lower than it should be.

"Don't... look," he gritted out.

"I'm not," I said quickly. "I'm just right here."

The heat coming off him started to fade. The shaking got worse for a heartbeat, then... stopped. Like something inside him finally snapped.

He collapsed forward all at once. I gasped and jumped back. He was on the stone floor, face down. The torn remains of his shirt and pants were in shreds around him. His back was bare, broad, and covered in old scars that shone silver in the low light. He was breathing hard, but human form now. And naked. He was built like a warrior.

Oh, Moon Goddess. I spun around so fast that my shawl slipped off. My face was on fire. I shouldn't look at him like this but my eyes were glued to his body like a greek God. I'm a she-wolf, but in my life I have not seen the warriors of my pack naked from the waist down. My throat turned dry from the sight.

"You - you shifted back!" I said to the wall, very loudly, so he would know I wasn't looking. "Are you - can you breathe okay?"

He didn't give me an answer. But I could hear his heavy breathing. And when my eyes were back on his form, I realized. He wasn't moving. He was conscious, but exhausted, his hands curled loose beside him. Face down, so thankfully I couldn't see... anything. Just his back and shoulders and his behind.

I crouched and grabbed my shawl from the floor and, without turning, tossed it over his lower back and legs as best as I could.

"Stay there, okay? Just stay. I'll get help. Maybe now your Alpha is already around."

I didn't wait for an answer from him. I ran out of that secret room, through the archive, back into the hallway. My heart was pounding out of my chest.

Then I saw a woman at the end of the hall with a tray in her hand. A maid. Old, with her hair tied tight.

"Please!" I ran to her. "There is a - a warrior hurt in the archive; he needs - he needs clothes, and water. Where is your Alpha? Can you get Alpha Zayden?"

She looked at me like she'd seen a ghost. Her eyes went wide and she took a step back, shaking her head hard.

"No. Alpha is already resting, and he must not be disturbed. You shouldn't be here in the Alpha house. No one should be in there."

"But there was someone who needed help."

"No!" She held the tray like a shield. "I can't go in Alpha Zayden's room; it is forbidden when the full wolf moon is out. No one can talk to him when the moon is... Please, miss, you have to leave the Alpha house now."

I understood her fear for Alpha Zayden. They all knew not to disturb him.

My hands were still shaking. I remembered the package Charles gave me.

"Okay. Okay, I will leave. But please -" I pulled the small wooden box from inside my pants pocket and pushed it into her hands. "This is a gift. From the Crimson River pack. Tell your Alpha that a messenger brought it. For Alpha Zayden. Can you make sure he gets it first thing when he comes out of his room?

She stared at the box, then at me, then nodded once, clutching it.

"Tell him it's about the betrothal to the Crimson River pack. And tell him - tell him a male messenger was here to give it to him."

The maid looked at me with her brows furrowed and ran her gaze up and down. I'm clearly a woman and I don't look like a messenger.

"I'm sorry but I can't lie to my Alpha. You are definitely a woman."

I sighed and then gently hold her shoulders; she was a slightly plump old woman. "I am, but the messenger is a man; he was driving the car and is tired. I was with him so I brought the gift for Alpha Zayden myself. I came to talk to him but you said he couldn't see me. And one more thing please help the warrior in the archives; he needs water and maybe, maybe food."

She furrowed her brows. "There's no one in the archives, Beta Jax was there in the afternoon but he already went home. The warriors were all commanded to go home and the ones that remain are only those guarding the gates and the borders. Alpha Zayden is in the master's bedroom; he is resting and cannot be disturbed."

I rolled my eyes upward. "Come with me; I will show you that there is someone in the archives."

The maid hesitated but followed me when I walked back to the place where I found him. The archives were silent the moment we walked in. My eyes widened; the adjoining room was gone. There was nothing but bookshelves and an old couch with an antique table in the center.

"I don't understand; he was here. There was another room from here."

The maid looked at me like I was losing my mind. "You have to leave now; there are rules in this house that we must follow. If a warrior finds out I broke one because I made you stay, I could lose my head."

She looked pale after saying it. I sighed and looked around then Charles was calling me in the mind link.

"Are you alright Diane? We have to leave now or we will not make it back in the Crimson River before sunrise."

I looked at the maid one last time and then walked out of the archives. "I'm on my way, Charles. Don't worry, I haven't talked to the Alpha. He refused to see me."

There was a sigh of relief from him as I headed back to where they parked the vehicle.