Page 29 of Bonded

“Are you giving me family advice now? You, of all people?” he scoffs, immediately defensive. “I may be thankful to you for many things, including being my friend. Don’t push your luck by trying to make me see her. I won’t.”

“Orion—”

“She killed my father.” His voice is firm, but there is a shake, a little of the truth in it. “You don’t get it. My father. The one who would come to me after my mother had beaten me all night long for something that wasn’t even my fault. My father, who read stories to me and held me when I screamed from nightmares. Who took me on hunting trips to get me away from my mother and brothers. Who actually gave a damn about me. He was a kind man, loved by the entire court. And Elizabeth—he brought her in. Her mother died in childbirth, and he could have just ignored her. Many royals do—there are bastards everywhere. But he didn’t do that. He brought her in, knowing full well how my mother would react, and how she did react. He suffered for years for Elizabeth. And what does she do to repay him?” I stay silent because I know he doesn’t really want an answer. “She kills him. So no. Don’t ask me to go and see her. I can’t stand there and listen to the reason why she killed him. Just don’t ask it of me. No one can ask that of me.”

He stands up, but I warn him, “Meredith is going to ask…” I watch him storm away from me before shifting into his brown wolf and disappearing into the forest. I know he is going to change his mind…or I will step in. I will make sure Meredith asks me before I drag Orion to his sister by the scruff of his neck and make him listen. He might not want to hear what Elizabeth has to say, but he’ll never have that choice when she’s dead, which might be soon if the Mother alpha has her way. I wish I’d had one more conversation with my father, mother, or brother before they were taken from me.

Chapter Seventeen

ELIZABETH

Idig the pencil into the wall, scratching another drawing next to the many I have already done to pass the time. I’ve always loved to draw and paint, but the best I have down here is a broken pencil and clay walls. So far, I’ve drawn the forest to the south of here that I loved to visit and run around in, in wolf form. Next to that are the goddesses I’ve seen in the Folkland and the beautiful swords of the earth goddess. I draw a flower this time, one with a dozen thorns spiked around the beautiful petals, and I soon realise it is how I feel about everything at the moment.

I look up when I hear a noise. There aren’t many sounds down here in my prison, not this far beneath the earth, and my powers do nothing here. The prison keeps my powers locked away. I focus on the sound, realising it is the gentle side of the wall disappearing and guards murmuring. Hopefully, it is not another visit from the alpha, who never says a word to me and just stares. I refuse to speak to her, anyway. She has an evil heart.

The footsteps are heavy ones, stomping towards me and definitely male. My new guard stands straighter in his red, shiny armour, readying himself to defend me. I keep watching until Reed comes into view, and my shoulders drop in relief. Reed is a good person, well, as good as an heir can get. His white hair catches the green light from the lamps on the wall and he smiles brightly at me like I’m not locked behind bars, waiting for a trial that is going to find me guilty no matter what. I’m going to die, I’ve accepted it, and there is nothing anyone can do. All I want is for Orion to know the truth before I die. He deserves to know.

My wolf grumbles in my chest as my new guard steps aside, bowing his head. “Heir Reed.”

“You can leave us alone for a bit, guard,” he tells my guard, only glancing at him for a moment. He turns away and heads down the corridor until neither of us can see him any longer.

Reed has two things in his hands and he comes up to the bars before he pushes through a dark box, leaving it on the floor, and then a thicker blanket next to it.

“Hey, Elizabeth. It’s not much, but I thought maybe some food from the kitchens here might raise your spirits. I asked around and these were apparently your favourites. The cooks were very keen to make food for you when I asked and all of them pleaded that I return to tell them how you are.” He arches an eyebrow. “Seems like you’re popular around here. I doubt Orion would have anyone ask. Oh, and I brought a blanket, because I know it gets cold down here at night. Well, I don’t know exactly, but my parents locked me up often enough that I think all prisons are cold.”

“Thank you,” I murmur.

I miss the cooks, the friends I made in the kitchens and over the palace. There aren’t many humans without runes, but the ones I met, I grew to love. All the shifter nobles treated me like a bastard, but the humans? The staff? They were kind and never made me feel like anything less because of how I was born. Just like Meredith, who saw me on the ground at the choosing ceremony and picked me anyway. She doesn’t even know what happened and she is still fighting for me here.

“We’re working on fixing this fuck-up of Orion’s. I will never understand how he put his sister in here.” Reed shakes his head.

I understand it. He loved our father. Looked up to him and was loyal to him because he was one of the few people in his life that was nice to him. I grew up seeing how everyone judged Orion for his birth and for his brothers, and they were cruel, judgy bastards. Even his own mother.

Reed smiles warmly, like always. I think he smiles to hide his pain. “I know we’ve known each other for a while, even before the Folkland, but we haven’t exactly been friends. But I have to sympathise with wanting to murder your parents. I’m highly surprised one of my siblings or myself haven’t gone there in the Maiden pack.”

I clear my throat.

“How’s Meredith?”

“She’s okay.” He pauses. “Still mad at me, but I’m never giving up. Mere is due back from her court this morning. We’re touring her around more of the Mother Court with Orion. I think she likes it here.”

“You shouldn’t let her stay here long. This pack isn’t safe.” I look right at him. “Maybe you should steal her away like Orion did. She can’t save me from my fate, no one can. I don’t want her to be pulled into the dirt trying to save me.”

I walk over and pick the box and the blanket up and I put them on my bed for later.

“Thank you for these.”

“Meredith is never going to give up on you. She is stubborn and loyal, and most of all, she only wants what is best for her friends. We both know it’s not best you die here.” He claps his hands and I nearly jump. “No more moping and giving up. What are your plans when you’re free? Tell me about what you want for your future.”

He leans against the wall to get to the bars and waits. I think this is the longest conversation I’ve had with Reed and I’m not sure what to make of it.

“Plans?” I realise I don’t have any. I never have. Even as a child, there was nothing I really wanted to do. I always just focused on every day surviving, knowing the chances were I was going to be married off to some random noble. Truth was, when I took my father’s life, I gave up a future. Gave up any kind of future.

“It would be sad to tell you I have absolutely no plans, except for helping Meredith now. She saved my life and I’m hoping to repay her at some point.”

“I guarantee she would not expect that of you.” His voice is soft. “And if you don’t make plans, I’ll make some crazy ones up for you. Like travelling on the pirate ships to the north and getting so drunk you can’t tell if it’s a whale in the sea or just a rock.”

“That happened to you, didn’t it?” I chuckle.