Chapter 13

CLAUDIA. The sinking feeling I had when I realized I was surrounded by Rogues is back, only this time, it’s much worse because the ones eyeing me are sentient humans who can kill people with guns and are not afraid to do so. Max is especially terrifying right now, even with his bleeding nose. If anything, the blood smeared on his face is what’s making him so scary. I look at Ruth for help, but she’s wearing the same curious, hostile expression that everyone else has on. I know that she’s not a bad person and she doesn’t want to put me in this position, but I feel like her years in battle have made her this hard and tough. I don’t blame her at all either. So I just take a deep breath and say, “To be perfectly honest… I have no clue why they’re looking for me. Because the Alpha King himself kicked me out of the palace last night.” The silence in the pub is almost unbearable. I almost wish they’d start rallying against me instead. I think being stoned to death is better than being stared at like I did something horrific. Max tosses the bloody cloth into the bin and paces in front of me, his hands behind his back as he studies my face with narrowed eyes. “The Alpha King personally told you to leave? What did you do that was so terrible that he had to do that?” I swallow hard. I open my mouth to tell the tale, but for some reason, something hot and hard is blocking my throat. Suddenly, I feel like I can’t speak. Tears start to drum behind my eyes, threatening to spill as I think about last night. “Well?” Max prompts, but then he sees the tears around my eyes and his expression softens. “Hey. Claudia… what did he do to you?” Suddenly, everyone is paying attention. That feels more horrible. I’m on the verge of tears and the last thing I need is more people looking at me and asking me what happened. “He took me to the Winter Solstice Meeting with the other Alphas,” I say, my voice surprisingly steady. “We got attacked by Rogues along the way, and we were late. Alpha Tristan, the leader of the hosting pack, was angry, because he thought there were no more Rogues in his area. But he was wrong. We got attacked shortly after.” I pause to catch my breath and to stop myself from bawling. I’m getting dangerously close. Thankfully, Ruth seems to notice this. She runs to my side and makes me sit down. With the attention away from me, I’m able to talk properly. “Alpha Achilles fought as best as he could and they were winning at first, but his Beta got attacked,” I continue. “I saved them from it. Alpha Tristan got mad because he thought they were bailing. I defended them, but that earned us a ban from that pack.” “That’s not right at all,” Ruth says, her eyes wide. “None of that was your fault!” “And what happened?” Max asks, all the hostility gone from his voice. “When we got back to the pack, Alpha Achilles said he’s letting me go for going against his wishes and fighting Alpha Tristan,” I say shortly. I want to continue. I want to tell them how that felt, but no more words come out of my mouth. Ruth comes to embrace me, and that’s when I let go of all the pain from that moment. All the things I tried to keep inside just come spilling out. I end up crying on her shoulder as she holds me against her, whispering things that I can’t make out. The silence that follows is even worse than the last, but I don’t have it in me to care anymore. I know I shouldn’t feel this bad about the fact that Achilles kicked me out, but for some reason, it’s like he severed my heart. I can’t even begin to explain how it broke me. We stay like that for probably an embarrassing amount of time, but by the time I gather myself again, Max is now studying me closely. “Perhaps he feels bad, and that’s why he needs you back?” he suggests. I shake my head. “I don’t think it works that way. Not with him. He’s the Alpha King.” “You’re right.” He rubs his hands together “Perhaps he needs something from you. Maybe you heard something that you shouldn’t have. Or maybe you know something that he can’t afford to get out there.” “I’m just a maid,” I say, then I amend, “Was.” Max doesn’t miss a beat. “Well, regardless of what he wants from you… do you see yourself going back?” The honest question would be yes. Hell, I wanted to show myself to Gamma Kiernan just a couple of moments ago. I did consider going back. I did see myself working there again. But now… I don’t know. Why does he want me to come? What’s his purpose? What’s his plan? He never cared for me, so it has to be a bad reason. And I don’t think I can deal with the heartbreak of knowing it. “No,” I finally say. “I don’t think I’m going back there at all. My time there is done, and this is where I belong now.” For some reason, that brings a smile to Max’s face. Everyone in the room seems to be happy with my response too. Ruth holds me closer to her, a wide grin on her lips. I open my mouth to ask why this makes them so happy, but then Max springs to his feet and suddenly takes some tools behind the counter. He takes out what looks like a long poker, but then I see that it has a strange tip. Almost like an abstract shape. I can see intertwined crescent moons from here…. “What is that?” I ask in a shaky voice. Instead of answering me, Max heats up the strange tip in the fireplace, letting the flames engulf it. Only when I watch the metal turn bright orange do I realize what they’re about to do. “Hold out your forearm,” Max orders. I swallow hard. I start to shake my head. “I don’t think I want to do that.” “You have to,” Ruth says, pulling back her sleeve and showing a branded tattoo of the crossed crescent moons on her forearm. “We are loyal to each other. We will protect you, Claudia. We will be your family, and best believe no one would be kicking you out for standing up to what’s right.” I want to say no, but the words she said start to feel like a soothing balm on the cracks in my heart. That is what I want. Family. Loyalty. I want to be protected. I want to protect. I want to do what’s right with the right people. So I inhale deeply, look up, and hold my forearm out. And with that, Max presses the hot brand, sizzling against my skin…. Marking me as one of them.