Chapter 52: Chapter 52

I check in my room.

A single bed, a small closet, and a bathroom. It's fine at the price I paid for it.

I put down my bag and fall on the bed, the adrenaline rush coming to an end. I can only hope Angelina can explain everything to mom. I don’t want her to worry anymore.

Knowing Luna Fay, her shopping would end by the evening. Mom would probably reach this place by tonight.

I take a quick shower and change my clothes. All that’s left for me to do is wait for mom.

As I rummage through the bag, I find Angelina’s gift. Smiling, I open the wrapping carefully to reveal a little box. I open it and see a ring at its center, the hexagonal blue gem shining bright in the dim-lit room.

I slid it in my finger, adoring how good it looks. I’d have to thank Lina for this again.

The door knocks, snapping me out of my thoughts.

“Who is it?” I ask, getting up from the bed

“Room service.” A female voice says

Huh, room service in this dingy little place? Well…

There’s no peephole in the door, so I simply unlock the door and open it.

The next moment I feel the air knocked out of my lungs, a meaty hand pressing down hard on my mouth, my back against the wall.

“This little thing?” I see a woman enter the room “She went with Winters on the Hunt?”

The man holding me snickers, his dark eyes full of mirth “A dainty little thing for sure.”

I try to wriggle out of his grip but fail horribly, my thoughts run in circles, panic clawing at my head.

“Let her speak, Kronk.” The woman says, tossing her pale hair over her shoulder

The man removes his hand from my mouth “If you scream, I will snap your pretty neck.”

I swallow before nodding “Who are you? what do you want from me?”

“Straightforward,” The woman cocks her head to a side, her catlike eyes trained on me “You were Winters’ partner

for the Hunt?”

I nod at her, ganging my survival options. Kronk here looks to be built of stone, Catlady must be skilled too.

“You know what he is?”

The question snaps me out of my thoughts “What?”

“You stayed the full moon with him,” Catlady says, stressing her words “You must know that he’s cursed. A blight to the world.”

Anger flares through me, but I refuse to show it. Don’t be angry! Angry makes you stupid, stupid gets you killed!

“And what does that have to do with me?” I cross my arms

“Be a witness to the monster inside him,” Catlady says “Tell everyone he killed Alpha Supreme Goldstein.”

My mouth falls open “How do you…?”

“I am Delilah Hunter, Alpha Zoya’s most trusted warrior.” Catlady tells me “I’m here to take you to her, to use your

statement to stake claim of the throne that should’ve been her brother’s.”

I almost yell; Her brother tried to kill us! All the competitors!

But one look at Kronk tells me I don’t have much of a choice. I swallow again, ganging my options.

“And if I refuse, you will kill me?”

“Without a second thought.”

“Alright,” I nod slowly “Let's go.”

“Good,” Catlady grins “You’re a smart girl.”

I grab my bag, my limbs feel numb as we descend the stairs of the dingy motel and step out. In the failing evening light, we turn into a nearby alley. I make out the black van Catlady points at, on the other side of the streets ahead of the alley.

“Wait,” I say to her as she pushes me ahead “Let me check if I have everything.”

As I rummage through the bag, Catlady says “You wouldn’t need money—

“Oh honey, I keep more than just money in my bags.”

The gun points just between her eyes, I cock my head to a side “Call Kronk and I’ll put a bullet through your head.”

She takes a deep breath. I sense her move before she acts on it. her hand shoots up to knock the gun out of my grip but I whirl around and pull the trigger. Once. Twice.

A bullet goes through Kronk’s thigh, the other through his arm. He drops down with a grunt of pain, Catlady sheiks as if I shot her. she turns her blazing eyes on me, charging forward.

My back slams against the hard concrete wall and I hiss as pain courses through me.

“I’d kill you right now if I could,” she snarls

“Too bad,” I crock out

My foot comes down hard on hers and just as the pressure on my arms eased, my hand shoots forward, and the heavy gemmed ring slams in her jaw. Without waiting, I grab her by the hair and slam her head against the wall— hard.

Catlady drops down, her forehead bleeding and Kronk has passed out due to the solid silver bullets.

Breathing heavily, I grab my gun and shove it in my bag, my back is still burning from pain, my arms bruised.

I hurry out of the alley and call a taxi.

“Where to?” the driver asks

I need to be somewhere safe, somewhere mom and I will be alright until Luke comes.

I babble out the first address that comes to my mind.

And just like that, we’re racing down the streets, with only one thought in my head;

I need to thank Angelina for the ring.

…

“Thank you.”

I hand Ethan his phone. He puts it back in his pocket.

It feels so strange, sitting in his office, the failing light of the sun filtering in through the windows.

“It’s no problem.” Ethan says “Is there anything else I can do for you?”

I shake my head “Carlos said he’d drop mom here personally. We’re only staying for a few days, I hope it's not an issue—

“You think very little of me, Elise.” Ethan shakes his head “You can stay as long as you want to.”

I smile at him in a show of gratitude. An Alpha’s packhouse is just about as safe a place as I’m going to find.

I didn’t tell Ethan that there are people who want to use me to dethrone my newly crowned mate, I just told him my pack kicked me out.

“About that day,” He beings quietly

I don’t ask what he’s talking about, I have a fairly good idea.

“Ethan, before you apologize,” I hold up my hands “It’s okay. You were stressed. I was stressed. Luke was stressed.

That’s what happens when a bunch of stressed people gets stuck together.”

Ethan meets my gaze, his own remorseful “I shouldn’t have forgotten that you’re a werewolf, I should’ve been more careful.”

“Well, you did. And shit happened,” I shrug, smile at him “But we can put that behind us now. That cursed Hunt is over.”

Ethan huffs out a laugh “I was starting to think it's never going to end.”

“Me too,” I roll my eyes

I turn my eyes to the setting sun, the wind blowing through the trees. Ethan gets up from his chair and opens a French

door, revealing a balcony.

He gestures me to follow and we emerge in the open, the warm evening breeze greets me, soothing after the recent adrenaline rush.

Ethan and I cross our arms on the railing, watching as the sun goes down. I wonder if Luke is looking at it right now,

I wonder when he would come back and we’d start a new chapter of our lives.

“So, Elise,” I turn my face to Ethan, he’s smiling his calm, composed smile, his ocean eyes clear “No hard feelings?”

I grin “None whatsoever.”

He turns his face to the setting sun and closes his eyes. I can't help but realize just how much he looks like a fairytale prince right now. A boy with golden hair and ocean eyes.

A boy who’s alone.

A prick of empathy enters my heart and I find myself wishing he would have his mate, or a sibling, or someone.

Maybe that’s why Ethan thought of me the way he did because other than mom, I have no one to truly confide in. He has his pack, I have my friends but how many of us do they truly get to see?

He thinks we’re similar. Maybe we were before.

“I can feel your stare on my face, Elise,” Ethan says, eyes still closed

“Just imagine how embarrassing that would be if that wasn’t true,” I say

“But it is.” He turns to face me and cocks his head to a side “What are you thinking?”

Before I can think better of them, words tumble out of my mouth;

“I wish you had someone to rely on.”

Ethan lets out a short, surprised laugh “Pitying me?”

“No,” I shake my head “Just being nosy.”

When his gaze stays on my face for a moment longer, I realize I’ve made a mistake.

“You could change that.”

I look away “Ethan, what you’re saying is not possible.”

He touches my hand, just for a moment “If it was, what would your answer be?”

I glance at him from the corner of my eyes. The seriousness on his face startles me, but his eyes are searching—

always searching. For what? Reassurance? To know that he’s not so alone?

“If I asked you to marry me, to be my Luna, what would your answer be?”

I take a deep breath. Luke is going to kill him when telling him about this whole ordeal, and maybe stay mad at me for a week.

But I say the words anyways;

“Then I would say yes.”

His face shows that he didn’t expect this answer. I offer him a little smile.

“You’re a wonderful man, Ethan.” I tell him honestly “And you’ve shown me that Alphas can be kind and caring too.

You’ve shown me a different side of the picture.”

I turn my back against the short railing on the boundary of the balcony “I would love to say yes but—

“Alpha!”

I jump from sheer surprise at the sudden voice, Ethan jumps away from me.

Everything happens in slow motion then. My feet lose their balance, the small railing can't offer much support and I feel the pull of gravity. Someone shouts my name, Ethan moves to grab me but I can already feel the rush of wind and adrenaline through me.

I close my eyes tightly.

And everything goes dark.

…