CHAPTER 23
It hurt to admit but I waited almost all night hoping that Zander would return and let me know what it was that took his attention and what was so important that he had to leave the ceremony and me like that.
I stared at those double doors but he never walked through them. I don‘ I know what time I fell asleep but I knew it was after midnight because the sky was as black as obsidian and the world had gone silent.
Regardless of how late I slept, I found myself wide awake by 6 a.m. and as much as I was dreading it, I knew I had to go down for training. Staying in would only increase the rumors and the whispers and I was determined to pretend like nothing had happened.
I changed into my usual training outfit and tied my hair into a messy ponytail then made my way down to the training field.
As soon as people saw me, the whispers and chatters started. A few people actually stopped what they were doing to stare at me and a few brave soldiers actually discreetly pointed me out to their friends.
I ignored them and made my way over to Helena who was the epitome. of calm but her eyes betrayed the worry she had for me. She had paused mid abdominal crunch as she watched with careful eyes trying to gauge my next course of action.
“You didn’t wake me,” I told her as I lay next to her and picked up where she had stopped, “Wouldn’t that be a setback in our progress?”
“You don’t have to train today Lyla,” her voice was low so no one
would hear.
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“I wasn’t aware that training was optional. If it was I would never have started it in the first place.” I ignored her obvious attempt at sympathy, “But we already started and we might as well finish it.”
She let out a sigh and held out her hand to me. I took it and she led me to my feet and towards the weights. She handed me one of the relatively lighter ones and showed me what to do.
I was losing myself in the motions when I heard a voice behind me. It was low, almost like I wasn’t supposed to hear and from the tone, it was a female.
“Why do you think he left her?” the first voice asked, “And why would she even show her face here? If it were me, I would be so overcome by shame that no one would see me for a week.”
“Did you really expect him to choose her over Camilla?” the second voice responded with barely hidden venom, “Camilla’s family has been allied to the crown since forever. They have won medals of bravery and valor for their dedication and hard work. They even protected the palace during the last werewolf attack. Her family is werewolf celebrity status.”
“That is true,” the first person agreed, “I wonder why he even brought her in the first place. It isn’t like she is anyone special. She is just a nobody from a-,”
“That is enough!” I have never heard Helena speak with so much
venom.
She stalked over to the two girls who were speaking about me and when they saw her, they immediately cast their eyes to the ground in shame. I took a good look at them and smiled humorlessly. They’re both young, maybe twenty three at most and they didn’t even look remorseful for what they said, they just looked embarrassed that they
had been caught.
“Did you come here to train or did you come here to speak ill about Prince Zander’s mate?” Helena spat, “You can either keep your mouth shut or you can leave. It is your choice but if you leave then you are never to return here. Am I eclear?”
“Yes,” they both squeaked.
She stared at them for a second longer- probably to intimidate them before she turned to the crowd, “Training is over for today. Take up your things and go for border patrol.”
As soon as the last words left her lips, everyone rushed out of the training field. I saw Lucas give me a nod of encouragement and flash a smile of pride Helena’s way before he disappeared with the crowd. In a matter of seconds, it was just Helena and I in the silent field.
“Thank you.” I said softly, “But you didn’t have to stand up for me.”
“Let us assume I didn’t do it for you then. I hate bullies,” she picked up her face towel from the rack, “Come, breakfast will be ready soon.”
“What was it you said about patrol?”
She was shocked by my question- that much was obvious- but she quickly covered it up and cleared her throat.
“Ever since the last rogue attack it became mandatory for every palace member who isn’t of the royal family to patrol the grounds in shifts. The palace barely won the last attack and we wouldn’t have if not for the extra reinforcements.”
“You mean Camilla’s family.
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“Yes,” she admitted. “Since then, it has been of the essence that the palace is never caught off guard again.”
I took in her words and swallowed deeply before uttering some of mine. “I want to patrol the palace as well.”
“I don’t-.” she began but I cut her off.
“You said every palace member who isn’t of the royal family and that includes me.”
She looked like she wanted to complain but she knew I was right because she sighed deeply.
“Go in and have breakfast then change into something comfortable. You will patrol at the same time as me which is by noon.”
I hurried to do as she asked and by quarter to noon, I was seated on my bed dressed in thick leggings, a plain white shirt and a black wife beater in case it got cold during patrol. I paired it with grey sneakers and kept my hair in the ponytail.
Helena appeared soon after dressed similarly to me and I mentally prided myself on choosing the right outfit.
She looked me over once and nodded then led me out of the palace and into the woods. She led me to a clearing where ten other people were and when they saw me, they immediately broke out in whispers. I wonder how long it will take for the whispers to stop.
“Lyla will be joining us on patrol today,” Helena said to the people, “Pat is out sick so Lyla will take the west with you, Kyle.”
Kyle nodded and I used the time to look over at him. I have seen him at training a few times but I have never actually taken the time to study hum He looks around Helena’s age but he has a few seats on his face and his mouth was in a hardened line
Everyone broke up into teams and I followed Kyle because I didn’t know what else to do There were two other people with us and we had walked a certain distance when he stopped.
“Lyla, you’re with me,” he said suddenly, “You two, patrol the palace green house”
The other two guards wasted no time in doing as he asked and I was stunned because I remembered Helena saying that we were all supposed to stick together. I didn’t want to seem like a pushover so I didn’t ask him anything. I just followed him as he led us deeper into the forest.
The woods got thicker and I smelt something like burning wood and something rotten. I tripped on a branch once and Kyle laughed before asking me to go in front of him.
“Can you smell that?” I asked when the smell of burning wood had gotten worse but I didn’t get a response. “Kyle, where are you?”
I looked around but I didn’t see a sign of him anywhere. Suddenly, I was grabbed from behind and that was when the rotten smell hit me-
rogues.
My first instinct was to freeze but then I remembered my training and delivered a sharp elbow to the rogue’s gut. His hold on me loosened and I reared my head back hard enough that I heard a crack and he dropped me.
“You bitch,” he spát blood out from his mouth, “I’ll have my fun with
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you.”
I wish I could explain how I beat him but it was a mixture of adrenaline and sheer will to survive. I knocked him on his back with a sharp kick to his temple and he flew back and impaled himself on a branch
I barely had time to celebrate my victory when three more rogues appeared out of nowhere and I saw that one of them had Kyle subdued.
They rushed me at once and I used a fallen branch to hit the first one on the head and stab the other one in the gut. The third one dropped. Kyle and came at me with a knife and managed to cut my upper arm but it wasn’t deep thanks to my wife beater.
I twisted his arm so far back that the knife dropped from his hand into mine and I stabbed him in the neck with it. The first rogue had risen. again and I allowed him rush me before I stabbed him in the stomach.
It was as he fell that I realized I had killed four rogues.
“You killed them.” Kyle said and that was when I realized he was still there, “And you saved me.”
“We have to go, there might be more.”
I kept the knife with me but let him lean against me as we hobbled our way back to the palace. People stared and whispered as we came through and I knew it had a lot to do with the blood splattered all over
- me.
Helena saw me and rushed over to me, “What happened, are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. We were-,
CHAPTER 23
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I trailed off when I took notice of a figure standing a few feet behind. her with tousled hair as dark as the night and stormy grey eyes-
Zander.
