Page 39 of Alpha's Rejected Warrior
Chapter 15 — Ethan
From a distance, I watch as they bring Jayme into the dungeons. The cold stone walls were the first thing I saw in Kortan, but I still can’t imagine what it must be like for somebody like him.
Outside, the night is warm and quiet, despite all the commotion from earlier. Thankfully, there’s no one out here to watch Rhiannon as she drags a member of her own guard through the courtyard in shackles. The look on her face says it all. Her brow is drawn tight with worry. Her mouth is pulled down, caught between sadness and anger, and her eyes hold nothing but regret and apology.
I can’t wrap my head around how Haron survived an attack from Jayme. She’s delicate and ethereal. That strange Shaman energy practically glows through her thin skin. She’s unique, sure — but not built for combat. And although Jayme might not be the biggest wolf in the pack, I’ve seen what he can do in training. One swipe from those claws would tear through skinlike wet paper. It’s hard to believe Haron didn’t end up shattered into a million pieces like a glass vase.
None of this is adding up.
Outside of training, I’ve seen how some of the other wolves treat him — the sidelong glances, the distance they create when he approaches. . .They won’t even look him in the eyes half the time. Despite all that, he keeps showing up, keeps trying to earn the respect of all of them, especially Rhiannon. Every time she gives him the slightest nod of approval, his entire demeanor changes.
He’s not just following orders; he’s desperate to belong, to prove himself worthy of wearing that uniform. Now, he’s being marched to a cell for something that doesn’t make sense. If he really wanted to kill Haron, she wouldn’t have lived to tell anyone.
That’s why it’s so confusing.Whywould he do something like this? The only one who knows what happened other than him is Haron, and she’s unconscious at the moment, so Rhiannon can’t question her further. When she does, I want to be there for that too. I need to know exactly what she’s lying about, assuming that she is lying.
Rhiannon and Jayme disappear behind the doors, and I wait by myself, listening to the distant sounds of the woods surrounding Kortan. I’ve yet to venture outside of this place, and I’m curious about what the rest of Clarion actually looks like. Maybe when all this is over — and if I’m allowed to live — I’ll get to find out.
The door opens again, and Rhiannon motions me over with a nod. As I approach, she says, “Let me do all the talking. I don’t want to agitate him any more than necessary.” I scoff, and she gives me a sour look. “I’m serious, Ethan. This isn’t his first time being arrested. He’s not likely to say anything at all if he senses a threat.”
“Me? A threat? That’s funny.”
This earns me nothing but a glare.
“What? He’s been tossing me all over the training field for weeks now. I’m no threat to him, and he knows it.”
“He knows why you’re here, Ethan. He’s going to be wary of speaking with you around. You do realize that?”
I sigh. “Yes, of course I realize that. I’ll behave. Promise.”
“Just do as I say, all right?”
“Yes, Commander.”
She fixes me with a look that needs no words as we step inside the dungeons. The awful, familiar smell of mildew and damp earth hangs in the air, reminding me to be grateful that I’m not the one behind bars this time.
Rhiannon leads me down a short row of cells to Jayme. He’s pacing back and forth like a caged lion. His dark hair is now slick with sweat. His right bicep is covered with what looks to me like a first- or second-degree burn. Its shiny blotches catch the yellow lantern light with every movement.
“Jayme,” Rhiannon says, and he stops and looks up at her. Then his eyes drift over to me. He scoffs but says nothing, going back to his pacing.
“Please,” she says. “We need to know what happened tonight.”
He looks up at me, his green eyes sharp with accusation. “This all must be very entertaining for you,human,” he says. “Our places should be reversed, and yet you are the one who sits at the Alpha’s beck and call.”
“Do not address him,” Rhiannon says, pulling his focus back to her. “I’m the only one you need to speak to right now, and for your benefit, I suggest you keep your temper in check.”
He turns away, his frantic movements quickening. “I did not harm the Elder’s daughter, Commander. You, out of everyone, should know that I would never do such a thing.”
Rage fills the air around us. He’s like a bomb that might go off at any second. Rhiannon makes no attempt to match his aggression. “Please, stop pacing, Jayme, and talk to me.”
His steps slow as he looks back at her, and then the rage drains from his face. He stops and stands before the bars, arms at his sides. “I didn’t do this.”
“Just tell me what happened.”
He holds her stare. Then, his eyes turn back to me, and I have the brief thought that he might be trying to decide what to say in this silence. But as he drops his gaze and turns to sit in the chair closest to the bars, I realize that’s not what’s happening.
“Do you really see the truth in others?” he asks me directly.
I pause, Rhiannon’s command to stay silent echoing in my mind. “Yeah,” I say.
